1To George Washington from Edmund Pendleton, 21 April 1775 (Washington Papers)
I have procured a Copy of Dr Savage’s Bill Which I now inclose you with the other papers, as I imagine Yr Answer may be drawn above with more convenience to you. As to the Release he sets up, ’twil be necessary to set forth where it was made by your consents, or on her privy examination in Court, so far as you are acquainted wth the Facts. it will be time enough to have the Answer agt October,...
2From Thomas Jefferson to the President of the Virginia Convention, 11 July 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
The continued sitting of Congress prevents us from attending our colony Convention: but, directed by a sense of duty, we transmit to the Convention such determinations of the Congress as they have directed to be made public. The papers speak for themselves, and require no comment from us. A petition to the king is already sent away, earnestly entreating the royal interposition to prevent the...
3To George Washington from Edmund Pendleton, 12 July 1775 (Washington Papers)
My friend Mr George Baylor will be the bearer of this, who has caught such a Military Ardor as to travel to the Camp For instruction in that Art, I beg leave to recommend him to your Countenance & Favor, not only on Account of his worthy Father, but from my Opinion of his own Merit. He is a Lieutent in our independant Company & has gained great Applause there by his diligent Attention to the...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 16 November 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
Former labours in Various Public emploiements now appear as recreations compared with the present, which affords a scanty allowance for food and sleep; I mention this as an Appology to you and my other freinds for not having wrote more frequently. The Committee having now Adjourned for a fortnight, I am at home and mean to write for Next Post as I set out on a small mountain excursion...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 24 May 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Edmd. Pendleton to Thos. Jefferson , Esqe. I am conscious of a large Arrears of debt to you for favor received before you left Congress in the Winter, but your return to Virga. and my continued hopes of the pleasure of seing you, postponed my writing ’til I heard you had resumed your charge in Congress and I will now endeavor to pay some of the debt. I am sorry to hear your pleasure at home...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 1 June 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
I am much obliged by the intelligence inclosed in your favor of the 21st . All the circumstances which have occurred in America, seem to confirm the Account, as Cornwallis is said to be arrived at Cape Fear, and his troops from 3 to 4000. We must defend our selves as well as we can. I am concerned to find there is danger of disunion at such a crisis, as that only can give Success to our...
7From the Virginia Committee of Safety to the Virginia Delegates in Congress, 17 June 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
The confusion which hath for some time happened amongst the People in the disputed Lands between Pennsylvania and this Colony, and a Representation to the Convention, that a Civil War, was like to be the consequence if something was not done to prevent it, Induced that Body to take the Subject into consideration, who were sorry to discover that a Jealousy seemed to prevail in the Governing...
8From Edmund Pendleton to the Virginia Delegates in Congress, 15 July 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
I cannot take leave of the duty of writing Official Letters, now transferred to the Governor and Council, without giving you some free thoughts on two Subjects depending before Congress, both of them of importance to this Countrey, I mean the Pensylvania boundary, and the Petition of some factious people on the Ohio to be made a Separate Government. On the first of these You had formerly a...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 22 July 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Ere this reaches you, you’l have been furnished with all Our doings of importance at the last Convention, Our Mode of Government and the several Elections to Offices. I expected you had in the Preamble to our form of Government, exhausted the Subject of complaint against Geo. 3d. and was at a loss to discover what the Congress would do for one to their Declaration of Independance without...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 29 July 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
I set down to continue my correspondence, tho’ have nothing to communicate worthy so much of your time as the reading will require. We have nothing from the Southward, at least that has reached Us, since Genl. Lee’s Letter to me. Dunmores Squadron were Pirating up Potowmack last week. I am not informed of any particular damage they did, except to Mr. William Brent of Stafford, in burning his...
11To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 3 August 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
I have [been] beating my brain about your old Opinion that our Land tenure should be merely Allodial, and a New Opinion frequently mentioned during the last convention, that the unappropriated Lands should all be sold for the benefit of the commonwealth; and it was thrown out, that Congress had some thoughts of taking up this business as a Continental Fund. As to this Last I hope No such Idea...
12To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 10 August 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Esteemed Favor of July 29th . I received with Dr. Price’s Judicious Pamphlet which I had before received from my friend Braxton and read with great pleasure, and tho’ late, I beleive it will produce benefit to the cause in removing by his clear and explicit reasoning, all scruples which may remain in the minds of Our people. I am also obliged by your Original Declaration of Independance,...
13To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 26 August 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Having been abroad for some time accompanying Mrs. Pendleton on a Visit to a sick Parent, I find my self Indebted for two of your favors of the 5th and 13th. As to the Allodial System respecting Our Lands, I confess since former conversations with you on the Subject and your late hint, I have thought a good deal on the Subject and still think, that the inconveniencies attending any mode I can...
14To George Washington from Edmund Pendleton, 27 April 1778 (Washington Papers)
It gave me infinite pleasure to hear by my Worthy Friend Woodford that you was in fine health, a circumstance the more pleasing, as it could scarcely have been expected, after such uncommon & unremitted toil For near three years. I am not Superstitious, nor disposed to offend you by what I know you abhor, yet it is firmly my creed that Heaven has raised & will preserve you For the Sake of the...
15To George Washington from Edmund Pendleton, 22 December 1778 (Washington Papers)
I thank you for yr esteemed favr of Octr 12th lately come to hand & assure you that in laying by my former letters ’til you could tel me you was in health, without interfering with more important Objects, (than my letters I mean, not yr health,) you did with them as I wished, and the hope of that alone induced me to write. I am under great Obligations by your Attention to Majr Taylor & feel...
16To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Pendleton, 11 May 1779 (Jefferson Papers)
The difficulty of conveying letters across the Countrey and some hopes of seing you in the City the first of April, are but poor, and yet they are the only Palliatives I can offer, for having so long delayed Acknowledging the receipt of your favor of Decemr. 18th. I immediately wrote to our friend W. to be informed if any thing had happen’d, or passed between you and him, which made it...
17To John Jay from Edmund Pendleton, 27 September 1779 (Jay Papers)
I have had the Hon r . to acknowledge the receipt of each of y r . very obliging Fav rs . by return of Post, neither of which I presume had reached you when your last of the 14 th . was written, but will hereafter regularly find their way. I am just return’d from attending our High Court of Chancary, where we found little business, people appearing more inclined to hunt the Sources of money,...
18To John Jay from Edmund Pendleton, 11 October 1779 (Jay Papers)
As I conjectured so it happen’d that your esteem’d Fav r . of the 21 st . past made a visit to Williamsburg & found me on it’s return, your next I suppose is now on the same route, as it is not yet come to hand. I beleive Count D’Estang amongst the beneficial things he has done for America in General, has effected a most important purpose for Virginia, in stopping a larger embarkation from...
19To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 27 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Although the originals of this letter and, with few exceptions, the more than one hundred others which Pendleton wrote to JM are probably no longer extant, three partial collections (of which at least one is independent of the other two) are available. About 1890, Frederick B. McGuire of Washington, D.C., who had in his possession a considerable portion of...
20To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 25 September 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). I am made very happy by yr obliging favr of the 12th promising to indulge me in the desireable correspondence; since I requested it I have been informed you have ill health, I cordially wish its speedy restitution, but intreat you’l not Injure it by devoting to me too much of that small portion of time which health as well as vigor of mind requires should be...
21To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 1 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Since my last I have yr favr of the 19th & can’t conceive where the great Fleet of our Allies are? they must have left the Windward Islands, & Rodney have been deceived by them if they did not come to America, As he would not otherwise have ventured to leave those seas: We hear nothing further of them to the Southward. I hope they are not in a state of such...
22To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 8 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). I have yr obliging favr of the 26th past, I know not when my first letter, after you kindly accepted my proposed correspondence, should have reached you, but be assured I have not miss’d a week since, nor shall I unless sickness prevents me, being a very Punctual tho’ not an entertaining correspondent; at this time I have not a word of foreign or domestic...
23To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 17 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). I am anxious to hear from you, since missing that pleasure last week, I fear the General sickness of the Citizens has reached you. I shall be happy to learn it proceed from any other cause. The story we have of Gen. Arnold’s corruption is indeed shocking to humanity & I wish much to know the utmost consequences of the discovery, as far as they are manifest &...
24To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 23 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Since my last I have not only received yr favr. of the 10th but that of the 3d, when I supposed you had not written, also reached me after a Circuitous trip to Richmond, & removed my fears for yr want of health. I have no particulars of the Affair at Charlotte, mentioned in my former, but its authenticity seems confirm’d, & as our recruits are March’d that way, I...
25To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 30 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Since my last yr favr of the 17th has come to hand & we have a Visit from the Troops imbarked at New York. My accounts of them are very Imperfect, but they seem to have divided themselves, landing 1000 Infantry & 100 horse at Hampton & another body at Portsmouth. We have just heard that they have re-imbarked from Hampton after taking about 500 head of cattle, but...
26To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 6 November 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). My friend Mr Griffin left me this Morning by whom I sent you my best Wishes for yr health which he told me was low. I hope the Approaching Cold Season may brace up yr Nerves. I judged from yr Account of the number of the Enemy embarked from New York, that they were in pursuit of something to eat; we now hear they have pick’d up a quantum suffici[en]t to load their...
27To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 13 November 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). I have yr favr of the 31st past & am pleased to hear the former Account of the Arrival of the Cork fleet proved premature, since we are so bad Christians as to be gratified with the distress of our Enemies. It was probably the transports with their new levies which were mis taken for the others. The Enemy here have collected a handsome recruit of Provisions, but...
28To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 20 November 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC (University of Virginia Library). This is apparently the only one of the many letters written by which still exists in original manuscript form ( Pendleton to JM, 27 August 1780 , headnote). How it alone survived is problematical. Perhaps the neatly printed “To James Madison Nov: 20th: 1780.” near its bottom margin was added by an autograph collector to whom JM gave the letter. The letter...
29To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 27 November 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). My last Account of the Enemy was the 18th. when they were all embarked, but whether with a design to leave the State or to make an impression on some other part of it was doubtful. There was something Mysterious in their leaving their Slaves on shore & some Captur’d Vessels in the harbour at Portsmouth, & indicated their having designs of further Hostility—unless...
30To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 4 December 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Since my last I am indebted for yr two favrs of the 14th & 21st past. Every thing wears the Appearance of confirming the Intention of the Enemy to make a Winter campaign to the Southward; The Fleet who lately left us it is said divided off the Capes part steering Eastward the Others to the South. if those & the late Embarkation from New York should meet at Charles...