To Thomas Jefferson from Lewis Littlepage, 23 December 1801
From Lewis Littlepage
City of Washington—23d. Decembr. 1801.
Sir,
The state of my health deprives me of the pleasure I had promised to myself in seeing you this evening. Tomorrow I shall set out for Virginia and entreat you to have the condescention to take charge of the enclosed paper, until you hear further from me.—Should any letters to me arrive under your address, either by the indescretion of persons with whom I am little acquainted, or by my directions to a very few friends, both here and in Europe, I hope you will have the goodness to address them to me under cover to the Reverend James Stevenson, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
I have the honor to be with the highest respect, and permit me to add every sentiment of personal esteem and attachment
Sir, your most obedient humble Servant
Lewis Littlepage.
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “Thos. Jefferson—President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received 23 Dec. and so recorded in SJL; also endorsed by TJ: “June 18. 1802. the sealed paper deposited with me & herein referred to was sent to mr Littlepage by post in compliance with his letter of June 16.” Enclosure not found.
James Stevenson was married to Littlepage’s half-sister, Frances Littlepage Stevenson (Nell Holladay Boand, Lewis Littlepage, [Richmond, 1970], 287; , 1st ser., 9 [1901], 239).