1To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 21 February 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
It was my intention in my last letter to have mentioned to you my equiescence in your retaining the Polygraph last sent you instead of yours sent to be repaired. There is convenience of having those Machines of a small size for traveling, but the use of a larger kind is more pleasant to write with. I now send you a Picture by this Stage as a small pledge of my esteem, it will I hope be long in...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 8 February 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received yours of the 6th. Instant enclosing fifty Six Dollars for the use of Mr. Randolph &c. It is not to be wondered that you should desire the calm of the rural abode and the enjoyments of your improoved Montecella. Will you not want to purchase sundry articles to supply the several tradesmen, which, I presume you chuse to employ on so extensive a farm? besides the wants common to...
3To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 10 January 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I was desirous to made enquiry of the Merchant about the Packet which carried your Lamp & Bridle-bit before I wrote, I cannot be certain of the Captns. Name and the Bill of lading is mislaid or I should have had recouse to it, I hope to be able to find it by a general search amongst my different deposits within a few days. I have received your favor of the 7th. instant enclosing fifty Dollars...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 23 December 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
It is to be regreted that you had not sent sooner, when we might have sent you some of Coll. Humphreis’s Cloath, I could not find either Cloath or Cordduroy. but I have sent by this days Mail as ⅌. enclosed Bill, and Buttons made at Trenton. If you think the Stuff fine enough for your use, it will be necessary in the present season to use flannel Drawers. I have prefered sending two patterns...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 12 November 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I was in the country when your note encloseing a Check for fifty Dollars, for the use of Mr. Randolph, arived at the Musm. or I should have acknowledged it immediately. I shall keep a faithful account of the receipts and also of his expenditures as far as comes to my view. I do not discover the least turn of extravagance in him, on the contrary he conducts himself in every respect with...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 15 October 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received one hundred Dollars inclosed in your favor of the 12th. Instant, and with pleasure will exercise a parental care for your Grandson Mr. Th. Jefferson Randolph— Mrs. Peale will be prepaired to receive him at the expected time— I am at a loss to know which Poligraph has the fault of bad wrighing at the top, but suspect it is a small one. that for writing on foolscap paper I...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 1 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
It will give me pleasure to meet your wishes in every thing which may tend to the benefit and happiness of your grand Son as far as our little means will admit. We do the best we can to train in a good course our several children, & like Randolph, one of them about the same age, whose destiny will depend much on the turn of mind he takes from this period. Mrs. Peale is of a mild & indulgent...
8To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 21 June 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I am pleased that I can announce to you what I esteem an important improvement of the machinery of the Polygraph. Thinking on the subject the other day a thought occured that if the arm that connects the two pen-arms had a length nearly equal to the length of the Pen nib from the center of motion it would equalize the moovment. In short the longer the arm that joints with the connecting bar,...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 20 April 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
with great reluctance I wrote my last letter to you, for I hold the military profession as the most debasing of human Nature of all other Professions, therefore to recommend a deserving young man was very repugnant to my feelings, independant of my desire to intrude on your precious moments on such a triffling occasion. yet I hope when the passion for a military Coat is worn off & he feels the...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 11 April 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The bearer Mr. James Chalmers is desireous to enter into the Army. he is of a very respectable family, and he is I believe a discreet young man, with amiable manners; has been breed to the mercantile business but at this time prefers a military life, yet does not ask for a higher office than that of Lieutenancy, I have no doubt that he will merrit promotion when he has been due time in...
11To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 21 February 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I received your favor of the 6th. Instant, containing Lieut. Pikes communications, and since the Bears have been exhibited have found their manners correspond with his account—Therefore I shall not hesitate to put them together in a large Cage without being chained, as well to see how large they may grow as to experiment on their propagation. My Son Rembrandt, not satisfied with very great...
12To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 29 January 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The Bears I received today, in good health, and tomorrow we shall give them a more spacious Cage. Finding they have a division between them in their present Cage, leads to a suspition that they do not harmonize together, which I should hope is not the case, therefore on changing their habitation, I shall take the precaution of Chaining them untill we can know their dispositions. If they can be...
13To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 7 November 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
It will be very interesting to see the Grisley-Bear brought to his full growth, one of the Skins which Govr. Lewis had appeared to me enormously large, should these bears preserve their health in confinement, which ought not to be in a small Cage, there is a good chance of their giving produce, and thereby making them happy in their situation, especially if well fed. this charge I will...
14To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 2 October 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
It is evident that many Persons who has had what is termed a classical Education, have so little of the dead languages remaining with them a few years after they have left School, as to be of very little use to them. It is like reading the suppliment of Book, wanting the details, leaves no impression on the readers mind. a small part of Mr. Ogilvie’s Rhetoric would be sufficient I doubt not to...
15To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 30 August 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Agreable to the request of Govr. Lewis I have prepared one of the heads of the American Argali (big horns) to be placed in your Hall at Monticello, it will be put on board the Schooner Jane Captn Jackson on tomorrow, And said to sail on tuesday next. It is packed in a Box directed to the care of Mr. George Jefferson at Richmond. The skin on said head cannot be eatten by Insects, & the Eyes are...
16To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 12 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
every object which can add to the comforts and conveniences of life are important to us, none more so than that respecting our sight. I know you have improved the frames of Spectacles, and Mr. Mccallister tells me he has sent you a number of Glasses fitted to some of your improved frames—This induces me to write to you on this subject to offer some Idea’s which may have escaped your notice, I...
17To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 17 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
It is my hope that I shall never do any thing, which will be disagreable to you. My father was a good and learned Man, and knew well the advantages of a good education, and he intended that I should have liberal one, but alass poor man he died before I had reached my 9th year of age, my mother had 5 Children to provide for (I was the oldest of them) and this was to be done by her industry; my...
18To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 10 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
In conversation with a friend this morning as the Indians were leaving this City, he said they were sadly deseased; they had been with the women of bad fame in the lower part of the town and contracted the venerial disease. I have had no opportunity to enquire for the facts of this report, however think it my duty to give you this notice, with the Idea that you will give orders for their cure...
19To Thomas Jefferson from John Williams, 2 January 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
At the annual Election of Officers of the american philosophical Society, held this day according to Law, you were unanimously re-elected their President. In announcing this agreeable Event, the Judges of the Election cannot deny themselves the Pleasure of expressing their high Satisfaction at again seeing this dignified Station filled by a Character equally eminent for his Talents, and Zeal...
20To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 24 December 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor enclosing Ten Dollars; the payment for the additions to your small Polygraph I have received and that you find it will answer your purpose is a great relief to my mind, I had said that we strove to make it correct, that we could not make it perfectly so, was a mortification to me. I hope it will improve by use; will acquire more freedom, for every joint is closly fitted. Permit me...
21To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 14 December 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Wishing to find some means of improving the Machinery of your Polygraph, I have since writing the foregoing, examined critically every part, and now pronounce it as perfect as can be made in the present construction of moovement—but must acknowledge that the touch of the Pens at the top is not what it ought to be. This I have found to be the case in some Machines on an larger scale, and where...
22To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 13 December 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I now write with your Polygraph by way of tryal, and find that it is absolutely necessary to hold the Pen of the left or West side, the beginning bears a little harder than I could wish in the right hand Pen, but at the other end of the line the pressure is nearly equal, after the first line the difference is scarce perceptible. The Pen-bar being longer than the width of the paralells, renders...
23To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 26 November 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
your Polygraph I received this afternoon, and it is now in the hands of the Workman, who will make it as perfect as He possibly can. I expected to write this evening to inform you that the Box had not come forward, I am glad to write otherwise. The Profile, if you enclose it to me shall be taken care off, and if we can improve by shading the drawing of it, I mean with the aid of my son...
24To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 4 August 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I presented to the Philosophical Society at their last setting, the drawing of the Antilope with a short description of it, “done from a specimen in my Museum, which was sent from the interior of Louisana by Captn. Lewis, and presented to the Museum by the President in Octr. 1805” A member demanded of me, what name I gave it? to which, after a few moments reflection, I replyed The forked...
25To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 2 July 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
The machinery to make your Inkpots moovable will be sent by tomorrows post, the only difficulty in the execution of the work, will be to find room to fasten it in the upper board, which is scarcely more than ¼ Inch thick. and as the letting said machinery in that board is absolutely necessary, in order to have room for the brass plate that hold the paper to moove back and forwards...
26To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 22 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Hawkins has not in any of his letters to me, said a word about the price of the Polygraph he sends you, I presume it may be settled at some future day, and therefore I will send it by tomorrows Mail Stage. In my slight sketch of Machinery, omiting to give the vertical parallelograms, I find has led you to suppose that part was dispenced with, and however desirable it may be to lessen the...
27To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 12 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your small Polygraph sent by Mr. Hawkins I have at last received from New York. It is ingeniously contrived to raise the paper to write with ease to the bottom of fools-cap size, in this respect complete, but it is too short to write on our common post paper without leaving a large margin. Yet that you may better understand me I will give the measurements &c. The length 15 Inches & width 8 ¼ ....
28To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Willson Peale, 5 April 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
The Skins of the several Antilopes was so badly managed in the Skining, and also so much eaten by Dermests, that it was with much difficulty I could mount one of them, but being so interesting an Animal, I conceived it was better to have one even in bad condition, than to let it be wanting in the Museum, and should no description and plate have yet been made of this American Antilope, it may...
29To James Madison from Charles Willson Peale, 1 April 1806 (Madison Papers)
The other two Polygraphs for Tripoli I have this Day put on board the Schooner Caroline commanded by Captn. Fisher, the Bill of Lading enclosed. The Captn. tels me that he intends to sail on tomorrow. I hope that which went by he way of appoquinomy has arrived in good condition. It was by accident I heard of the present conveyance, for I was led to believe that I could not find a passage by...
30To James Madison from Charles Willson Peale, 19 March 1806 (Madison Papers)
The three Polygraphs intended as presents for Tripoli are finished, but finding I was too late to send them round in ⟨the⟩ Vessel which sailed last friday, and no probability of another chance for 3 weeks or perhaps a month, I have thought it best to send that intended for the Tripolian Ambassidor, by the Packet that goes to Apoquinimy sailing this day, and I have wrote to Messrs. Levering &...