1From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 May 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of Apr. 19. & mr Randolph’s of Apr. 27. have given me the agreeable information of mr Randolph’s success, & the more agreeable & important information that you are getting well. for the restoration of your stomach my chief dependance is on your own resolution to observe rigorously whatever regimen you find from experience to agree with you: and it will take a long course of this...
2From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 10 June 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been a month now without hearing from Edgehill, mr Randolph’s letter of May 11. being the last I have recieved. Anne then had the mumps which of course were expected to go thro’ the family, and heightens my anxiety to hear from you. our post is now I believe permanently established at three times a week. the spring here continues sickly & cold, & poor prospects of crops. we had...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 12 June 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I have barely time to tell you that mrs Madison has executed your desires and I dare say to your mind. the commission to me has given me the greatest pleasure, as it always would that you would say to me freely at all times what want you have which I could gratify. my wishes are always to do what would be pleasing to you; but knowing nothing of what would be proper or acceptable, I do nothing....
4From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 June 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I last night recieved a letter from mr Taylor of Baltimore informing me he had sent by the stage to this place the trunk of articles ordered by mr Kelly. I sent this morning to the Stage office; the trunk was arrived, & goes on this evening to Fredericksburg, where I shall desire mr Benson to forward it by the first stage to Milton. I had paiment made here for transportation as far as...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 13 October 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I performed my journey to this place without any accident or disagreeable circumstance except travelling half a day in a pretty steady rain, which I thought preferable to staying at Brown’s. I experienced no inconvenience from it. this place, which had been healthy thro’ the summer is now rather sickly. some cold mornings & frost after my arrival, it was hoped would remove all disease, but the...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 22 October 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been from home now three weeks without having heard from you or of you through any channel. this being our stage postday I had hoped for a line from some of the family. knowing the uncertain state of your health this long silence makes me uneasy. I hope I shall soon be relieved by a letter. your rooms will be in readiness for you here by the beginning of the month. mrs Madison still...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 7 November 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Immediately on the reciept of your last letter, as mrs Madison was and is still in Philadelphia, I wrote to her for the articles you desired, and they may be expected by the stage probably in a few days. I now inclose you an hundred dollars for your expences on the road, and you must consider every thing which yourself or the family will want here as to be furnished by me so that the visit may...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 25 November 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I was uneasy at not hearing from you by the last post, that is to say, by the one which arrived Tuesday morning last, the 19th. I thought it certain I should recieve information as to sending a carriage. I take for granted I shall have a letter tomorrow morning; but in the mean time this goes out this evening. we find more difficulty than I had expected in getting a carriage. it seems that all...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 29 November 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
The carriage goes off in the morning for Centerville, in time, if you should arrive there early & be so disposed, to bring you on to Fairfax court house in the evening. that will make your ride the next morning easy. but should you not leave Centerville till Sunday morning, you may with ease get here to dinner which we shall accordingly keep back for you till 4. aclock. if you could start by...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 16 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here, my dear Martha, to breakfast, on the Saturday morning before the last, without accident, & without wetting from the various showers which fell. mr Eppes proceded to Annapolis the next day (Sunday) and was back on Tuesday, all that matter being entirely broken off. I understand it was from the disagreement of the mother, solely, who has some other match for her daughter in her...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 July 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
The last letter I have had from Edgehill was Anne’s of June 20. that informed me that the family had been generally unwell, that Ellen was still ill, and your self too sick to write. I am very anxious to hear from you & hope that this day’s post will inform me you are all well. this day fortnight I propose to leave this place and to be with you Thursday morning the 24th. absence from you...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 20 October 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
John delivered safely your letter of the 14th. I am sorry you did not continue at Monticello until your house was in compleat readiness for you. you will run the double risk of green plaister, & a less perfect preparation of it for your winter’s residence. I do not know what stores remained for your consumption, but it is always my wish you should take whatever does remain. many of them will...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 21 November 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Davy arrived last night and will set out tomorrow on his return. by him I send the flower-pot & plant in it which you left here, & a box No. 5. containing a bonnet for yourself. he carries also a cage with a pair of Bantams for Ellen. I must ask the favor of you to have the box No. 4. opened, to take out a piece of linen, & then let the box go on to Monticello. the linen I must ask you to have...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 2 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Tomorrow Congress will close; but I hardly expect to get away under a week. it will take that time at least to get all the laws put into a course of execution & some other matters settled. on Monday last mr Randolph & myself took a ride to Maine’s to engage our thorns. the day was raw, he was without a great coat, and was before indisposed, as I had mentioned to you. that evening he was taken...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on Monday evening, and then expected that a morning or two more would have produced a compleat intermission of mr Randolph’s fever. but it did not. yesterday morning the remission was such as to leave the fever scarcely sensible, and at 3. P.M. the usual hour of it’s access it was more moderate than it has ever been. I left him at 4. P.M. with not much fever, entirely at ease and...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 9 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the happiness to inform you that mr Randolph is entirely well. his fever had left him at the date of my last but I did not then know it. + he moved here on Saturday and Dr. Jones with him. He has now nothing but weakness to contend with. he was able to walk two or three times across the room to-day, he eats with some appetite & sleeps tolerably. the Doctor will leave us tomorrow, as...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 10 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Altho’ I wrote to you by post yesterday, yet as an opportunity offers by Capt Clarke at noon to-day, and I know you will still be anxious, I write again to assure you that mr Randolph continues perfectly well. he slept finely last night, eats with appetite to-day, is in fine spirits, and has nothing amiss but weakness. the first sun-shiney day he will begin to take air & exercise in the...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 12 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Altho’ this letter which goes by the carts, will not reach you till Monday evening, and that which I shall write you by the post of tomorrow evening will reach you on Monday morning, yet I cannot omit to drop you a line lest any accident should delay that by mail. mr Randolph continues well. eats with appetite sleeps tolerably, reads: and has not had the smallest return of fever since it left...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 13 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you by the carts yesterday morning; but as you will not get that letter till Monday evening, and may recieve this written a day later on Monday morning, I again inform you that mr Randolph continues well. he rode yesterday 5. miles, without fatigue, was much exhilarated by it, & had a fine night’s sleep. an Easterly storm having set in this morning will interrupt this salutary...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 16 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr Randolph continues well. nothing has happened to throw him back. he rides out now on good days in the carriage. he came down to breakfast with us to-day. but the quantity of blood taken from him occasions him to recover strength slowly. it is now certain that his calculation for departure will be truer than mine. judging by the advance of his strength for the last week, it will take another...
21From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 20 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Randolph continues well without the least retrograde circumstance. he sleeps well, walks a good deal about the house, rides out in the carriage every day this cruel weather will permit & breakfasts & dines with us. but his strength returns so slowly that he certainly will not be able to undertake his journey on Monday as we had hoped. indeed I do not think a time can be fixed. when he...
22From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 23 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Randolph’s convalescence proceeds steadily, not a single circumstance having arisen to throw him back. yet his strength increases slowly. as yet he only rides out in the carriage every day. it will not be till he can get on horseback that we can judge when he will be able to travel. my fits of head-ach have shortened from 9 hours to 5. but they have stuck some days at 5. hours, and when...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I presume mr Randolph writes to you and informs you he continues well. he has rode twice on horseback; yesterday about 4. miles without feeling it. my fit of yesterday was so mild that I have some hope of missing it to-day. I write this in the morning, but will keep it open till the evening to add the result of the day. we both think we may very safely fix on Monday sennight for our departure,...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 30 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I presume mr Randolph informs you himself that he is quite well. indeed I have no doubt he could now very safely undertake the journey; but we continue to fix on Monday next for departure. as to myself altho’ I have no actual head-ach, yet about 9. oclock every morning I have a very quickened pulse come on, a disturbed head, & tender eyes, not amounting to absolute pain. it goes off about...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 2 April 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Being apprehensive we have mistaken, by one day, the departure of the horse post from hence, I write this on Thursday instead of Friday. mr Randolph is quite strong enough to begin his journey even now. I think that to-day for the first time I have had no sensation of any remains of my head-ach. we continue our purpose of setting out on Monday, but I foresee a particular circumstance which may...
26From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 5 April 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
We are all well here, my ever dear Martha, but I shall not be able probably to set out tomorrow, but shall on Tuesday. we shall be five days on the road. in the mean time the roads will be getting better, & the weather perhaps milder. but indeed it looks as if this winter would run through the summer. not a bud is swelled here yet, except of the red Maple. kiss our dear children for me, and be...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 1 June 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I am in hopes this evening’s mail will bring me information that you are all well, tho in the mean time this letter will have gone on. my health has been constant since my return here. I inclose a newspaper for mr Randolph, a magazine for yourself, and a piece of poetry for Ellen. tell her she is to consider this as a substitute for a letter and that I debit her account accordingly. I shall...
28From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 14 June 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just recieved information from mr Jefferson that my shipwrecked goods are gone on from Richmond to Monticello (3. casks excepted which he supposes plundered) and that they appear to be in good condition. as a knolege of what gets safe & in good condition will dispense with my sending on a duplicate provision, I have directed mr Bacon to open all the packages & report to me their...
29From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 July 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
As it seems now tolerably probable that the British squadron in our bay have not in contemplation to commit any hostile act, other than the remaining there in defiance & bringing to the vessels which pass in & out, we are making all the arrangements preparatory to the possible state of war, that they may be going on, while we take our usual recess. in the course of three or four days a...
30From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 12 October 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
My journey to this place was not as free from accident as usual. I was near losing Castor in the Rapidan, by his lying down in the river, where waste deep, & being so embarrassed by the shafts of the carriage & harness that he was nearly drowned before the servants, jumping into the water, could lift his head out & cut him loose from the carriage. this was followed by the loss of my travelling...