331To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 28 April 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
You will find inclosed the chain & seal. Chaudron had several—fresh from Paris as he told me, & tout ce qu’il y a de plus nouveau . He and myself selected half a dozen that we thought the handsomest which I brought to Mrs. Elwyn, & out of them she chose the one sent—By means of this epuratory process I hope it will merit the approbation of the person for whom you destine it. Candor obliges me...
332To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 20 June 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I ought perhaps sooner to have acknowledged the receipt of the 20: d. for the watch-chain—It gave me pleasure to find it was agreeable to your taste, & I hope therefore it was so to the person for whom you designed it. I thank you for having sent my letter to Price—but he has given no answer or sign of life since—I hope however he will follow the instructions contained in it, & discontinue...
333To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 8 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I write on the first moment of recieving yours of the 6th. The injunction there as to preliminary steps shall be obeyed. Mr. Lewis left this yesterday morning for Washington—of course you have the result of the Osage—I hope the decision will not be that I am to go in the vessel you allude to—It has been said that it is a small vessel—I have never seen any thing respecting it except the...
334To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 10 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 8th. I answered your favor of the 6th.—Since then I have not heard from you—& this day being Sunday, no letters are to be had from the post-office, so that if there should be one there I shall not get it until to-morrow—of course too late for to-morrow’s mail, which goes off before the hour of distribution. I have been at work with all possible activity in huddling up my affairs—not a...
335To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 14 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the pleasure of writing you on the 8th. & on the 10th. in answer to yours of the 6th. I have looked with anxiety for your second letter—It has not yet arrived, although this morning’s mail must have come, it being now 3. o’clock—I have been working incessantly to arrange my affairs, and at the same time to obey your summons to Washington, if my presence should be deemed necessary—I...
336To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 15 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your second favor (July 13) is just recieved, & I am extremely happy to be freed by the present determination, from the apprehensions of the schooner—It is one of my real misfortunes to be so bad a mariner & to have such need of a good & easy vessel. It had a serious influence on my return to America, & kept me a long time in France beyond the time I had fixed. I observe that you would prefer...
337To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 23 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
As the time of my departure is delayed as mentioned in your favor of the 20th. I should not so immediately have troubled you again, if it were not that I wish thus early to say, before any arrangement be made as to the vessel, how sollicitous I am that it should be a commodious & safe one, & therefore as large as the nature of the case will admit of. My marine indisposition is a thing...
338To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 27 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote on the 23d.—Will now trouble you with only a few words, & these I should spare you if it were not for my anxiety as to the vessel on which I am to go. Since my last I have seen Mr Erskine on his return from Washington—In the course of conversation he mentioned in my presence, that Government had some intention he understood of sending the next time one of their armed vessels—As it is...
339To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I take up my pen to answer your favor of the 2d.—It will be in time to go by the Tuesday’s mail from Washington. Your letter came to me from the post office—& must have gone there under cover to some one—as there was no postmark on it, nor your frank, and yet it came free—It contained Mr Madns. letter which I here return agreeably to your request. The concurrent disposition of you both in...
340To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 10 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my letter of the 7th. I have had incidentally a conversation with a person acquainted with the Baltic, apparently with a view to the operations of the belligerents in that quarter. Such subjects being constant topics at table, no suspicion whatever could exist as to the real motives. He stated that at the end of October, such quantities of ice begun to float in that sea, particularly in...
341To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 27 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 19th. was recieved here too late to answer it in time for yesterday’s mail from Washington—The next mail being tuesday, I write now to secure this being at Washington in time for it. I was extremely gratified by your letter, as it relieved me from the anxiety of the direct voyage, & the little vessels. It gave me great pleasure also to learn that the final arrangements would...
342To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 31 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote on the 27th. to which I beg leave to refer—I mentioned the reason of not proposing the subject in question to Richd. R.—I know no one to whom to offer it, although I am persuaded there are many very proper who would be delighted with it. I am extremely anxious that their political principles should be proper & acceptable from a variety of considerations; & this confines my choice,...
343To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 4 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
My letters to you not recieved at the date of yours of the 29th. were of the 27th & 31st. ulto.—Several parts of them are anticipated by your’s. The announce as to the Aviso was inserted in the papers four days ago by the post-office. Several applications were immediately made to the Navy agent here & to the Collector by the owners of vessels, who did not know which would be the department, as...
344To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 11 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 6th. was recieved yesterday—Without advancing so far as to leave the least room of suspicion of my object I find that Mr Biddle’s plan is to pursue the commencement he has made in the practice of the law & would not quit it—Of the other two one has an office under the State that he apprehended he should lose, but now having lost that apprehension in a great measure, it is...
345To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 28 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last to you of the 18th. instant Mr Gibbon has arrived here with the despatches that were to be committed to me for France—& with a part of the papers destined for me—others have followed successively & I now hold all that were intended to be given me—The vessel was ready on the 26th. agreeably to contract & after that day demurrage begins. We should have sailed probably yesterday,...
346To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 30 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I ask your permission to present to you a particular friend of mine, Mr Geo: Harrison of this City. He purposes making an excursion to Washington & will be accompanied by his Lady. Mr Harrison’s own respectability & situation would have insured him the opportunity of paying his respects to you in person—But it is peculiarly my desire to be the chanel of introducing to you a most estimable &...
347To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 30 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr Hare who is going to Washington wishes to have the honor of being introduced to you. I am extremely happy that he furnishes me this occasion of testifying the sincere regard I have for him, as I value him highly & have long considered him among my first & most worthy friends here. He is also an officer & a distinguished member of the Philosophical Society over which you preside. It is with...
348To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 October 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
A letter which I address this day to the Sec. of State from hence will explain the present state of your aviso, & that we are now only waiting for the tide; the wind being adverse—I came here last evening having waited only for yesterday’s southern mail—Had there been no delay at all the vessel wd. have sailed from hence on Wednesday last—As it is it will sail to-day—the delay has been...
349To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 25 November 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the pleasure of addressing you from the country seat of a friend where I have come to spend seven or eight days, in order to repose myself from the fatigues of my sea and land voyage, before entering on those of preparing for the one now commencing. I should have returned to Paris to-day but for a cold attended with a slight fever which confines me here— This will last I hope but a few...