Eppes enclosed a letter from William Bentley to Eppes, Powhatan, 23 Dec. 1809, which began: “The papers that I inclosed to to you [thus in manuscript] the last Winter session of Congress, to be presented to Mr Jefferson to obtain his permission for the commissioner who sold a Tract of Land, under a decree of the H. Court of Chancery, which belonged to the Estate of Wm Ronald Decd, and which was Sold to satisfy a Debt due to Mr Jefferson; and of which I becaem the purchaser; you informed me that he could not act on them, untill a reference could be had to papers, which were at Monticello. If you have had any farther information from him on that Subject, I will thank you for it,—If he has not made known his decission to you, I will esteem it favor, if you will communicate with him by letter, (or in person, if more convenient) and procure his Consent in writing, that the Surviving Comr (for there is but one out of three now living) may pass a Deed to me,—The survivor is Mr James Pleasants jr—the death of him would involve me in many difficulties.—If the account of monies paid by me, which accompanied the other papers, agrees with my former Statement, there cannot be much due; but whatever there is, I will Settle with the Comr or with any other person to whom I shall be directed.” The letter concluded with an unrelated request for assistance from Eppes and William B. Giles involving a transaction between Bentley and Richard B. Lee (RC in MHi; addressed: “The Hble John W. Epps in Congress”; franked and postmarked; endorsed by TJ).

Bentley had written Eppes another letter of a similar nature on 9 Jan. 1809 (MHi).