1From John Adams to William John Coffee, 18 November 1818 (Adams Papers)
The distress of my family must be my apology for neglecting your two letters till this time. The information in your last, is as afflictive to me, as it is new. An uninterrupted personal friendship with Mr Jefferson, notwithstanding all political conjunctions and oppositions for forty three years has endeared him to me; and your account of his danger is a great addition to my other, almost...
2Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 14 June 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
I am in the daily hope of hearing from you on the subject of the engraving of the ground plan of our University , as to price and any other particulars you would recommend. When in Bedford I examined the Doric entablature for which I should want ornaments, on the model of that of the Thermæ of Dioclesian , of which you took a note. my room will require 16 of the human busts, 20. ox sculls...
3Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 5 March 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
My cistern answers perfectly well but not affording water enough for us, I propose to prepare another. I this day therefore desire Cap t Bernard Peyton Commission merch t of Richmond and my correspondent there to remit you 40.D. which I trespass on your friendship in requesting you to invest in Roman cement, and forward to Cap t Peyton for me. the Proctor of our University will have occasion...
4From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 19 January 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
your favor of the 1 st came to hand on the 7 th I immediately sent to mr Brockenbrough the one directed to him; and taking for granted that in that you had signified the remittances as in the one to me, I did not send him my letter. the roads being very bad I did not go to the University for 10. days. yesterday however I went, and then for the first time learnt that mr Brockenbrough had not...
5From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 10 December 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 1 st , has been duly recieved. a drawing master, Music master E t c, are wanting at the University, the latter for the violin, flute and clarinet; the former for landscape. but the selection of the teachers is left to the Professors; the visitors having nothing to do with it. I have had little conversation with the Faculty on the subject, and am unable therefore to say...
6From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 10 April 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday evening your favor of Mar. 31. acknoleging the rec t of the remittance of 100.D. for the ornaments of my Bedford house, and I am particularly happy that it was in hand by the very day which you had originally requested. Your favor of Mar. 27. with that inclosed for mr Brock enbrough , was rec d on the eve of the meeting of the visitors which took place on the 7 th inst and...
7From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 10 April 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of Jan. 11. did not reach me till the last of Feb. and as I then expected to have a meeting of the Visitors within a few days I deferred answering you till that should give me something more decisive to say, the month of Mar. however passed over without the expected meeting, and it did not take place till this week. we propose to take this summer & autumn for procuring professors...
8Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 15 May 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been long indebted to you for your letter of Nov. 7. explaining to me the nature & character of the Roman cement , and kindly offering your assistance in procuring it. as the proper season is now arrived for using it, I wish to try it on one of my 4. cisterns, and if I find we can execute it effectually, I may then ask more for the other three. I therefore now inclose 40.D. and ask the...
9From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 30 April 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
Notwithstanding your particular request to Col o Peyton to send my boxes of ornaments to Bedford, he persuaded himself it was a mistake, and sent them here. as soon as it was observed at the University that some of theirs were missing we suspected they might be in my boxes. I opened one, found at once that it contained ox-sculls E t c for Bedford, and so well packed that I could not resolve to...
10From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 9 December 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
When shall we get our roses for the Rotunda? the whole scaffolding of the building is obliged to be kept standing only to enable the workmen to put up these small ornaments. I am sure you have been using due diligence, yet our necessity obliges me to make this enquiry, our instn will certainly be opened on the 1 st of Feb, and the Rotunda will be then in a condn for use. I have been expecting...
11Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 27 October 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
You were so kind as to offer your services in any little commissions I might have occasion for in New York . there is one in which your talent & observation will be of more value to me than that of any other person there of my acquaintance. you saw probably my cisterns, and know that they have continued useless for want of a proper cement to line them. all agree that the substance called...
12Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 10 July 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of June 25. is just recieved. on consideration of mr Maverick ’s proposals for the engraving of the University I conclude that it be done in what he calls the line manner , which he says will cost 112.D. and continue good for 6. or 8000 impressions. I will therefore ask the favor of you to engage him to do it in that way and when done to have 250. copies struck and forwarded to me...
13From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 26 September 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 8 th was recieved on the 20 th and that to mr Brockenbrough was delivered and will doubtless be answered by himself. I understood from him that those who built the houses would claim the putting on the ornaments on their own work. my occupations here rendering it impossible for me to go to Bedford till December, you need run no yellow fever risks to hasten the shipment of...
14From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 29 August 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 19 th is received. I have been confined to the house by indisposition now upwards of 3. months, and have had so little communication with the Univ ty as to know almost as little as you do of what is going on there. I know that they are preparing one of the large Oval rooms of the Rotunda for a Museum, and that it was to be finished with a good entablature, but, of what order,...
15From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 4 September 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
We are in want of some ornaments (roses) for the soffite of the external entablatures of the Rotunda. composition will not stand the weather and lead is expensive. we conclude therefore in favor of the material of which you made those for us before; and hope you will be so kind as to furnish them, they are to be copied from the LX th plate of the IV th book of Palladio (being the 5 th of the...
16From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 19 September 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 11 th was recieved yesterday evening, and the want of our roses pressing on us I lose no time in answering your enquiries. the soffite of the frieze of the Rotunda wherein the roses will be planted is 32. f. above the floor of the portico & platform of the terrasses, and 40. f above the level of the lawn. they will be principally & equally viewed at these two heights—when I...
17Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 6 September 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieve your’s of the 1 st just as I am setting out for Bedford . I sent a servant instantly to Milton and he brings me the inclosed answer. I have written to Capt Bernard Peyton requesting him to explain either to you or myself, so that enquiry may be made for the box. in great hurry I salute you with friendly esteem and respect. PoC ( MHi ); on verso of reused address cover of otherwise...
18From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 5 January 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
I have not yet heard of our Corinthian roses, though I hope they are on the way, our scaffolds being now much in the way and awaiting these ornaments only to be struck. I should suppose your manufactory of flat tiles, as light as slate would probably succeed. costing but 5. D 70 c the square they will come cheaper than any other covering known, and the sufficiency of tile is well enough...
19From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 31 May 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I am thankful to you for the transmission of the Albion papers and the kind offer of continuing to do so regularly but I will not give you that trouble. I read but a single paper our Enquirer, which gives as much as I wish to know of what is going on. it is time for me to resign to a younger generation the direction of their concerns, and I do it chearfully—a friend in England sends me the...
20Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 22 November 1821, with Jefferson’s Notes (Jefferson Papers)
on my return from Pop. For. the day before yesterday I found here your fav r of the 1 st inst. which must apologize for the tardiness of my answer. I accept with pleasure your proposn to visit us this winter, as well for that of your company as for the benefit my paintings will recieve from your hands. I have housed myself now for the winter, and shall not leave my quarters again till the...
21Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 6 October 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved last night your favor of Sep. 26 . the boxes which were the subject of it had been sent off about 3. weeks to the care of Capt Peyton of Richmond to be forwarded to you. until that date the state of the river had been such as that no boat could pass down it. hoping you will have recieved them safely before this gets to hand, I pray you to accept the assurance of my great esteem &...
22From Thomas Jefferson to William John Coffee, 22 March 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
I rec d in due time your favor of Feb. 15. mr Brockenbrough has rec d a part of the ornaments & expects the rest dayly. as mine were to come with them I presume Col o Peyton has rec d and forwarded them to Bedford . I this day inclose him an order for 100. D with a request that he will remit them to you immediately, and I some time ago informed mr Brockenbro’ that his remittance must be with...