Nicholas P. Trist to Thomas Jefferson, 14 April 1822
From Nicholas P. Trist
Natchez April 14th 1822—
Dear Sir
This work has just made its appearance here, and I am confident You will not consider as thrown away, the time you will have spent in reading it.—
I leave this tomorrow, after a tedious stay of more weeks than, on my arrival, I expected to spend days.—Browse writes that there are letters from Monticello waiting for me at home; From them, I hope to have the pleasure of Learning in a few days, that every thing there is as I could have wished, notwithstanding the earthquake the papers are frightening us with.
Present me affectionately to the family and believe me yours
Nicho Ph: Trist
The thermometer is at 85°, in a cool passage, peas in abundance, and strawberries beginning to ripen—
RC (DLC); addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqre Monticello”; endorsed by TJ as received 8 May 1822 and so recorded in SJL.
The enclosed work was a tragedy by Lord Byron (TJ to Trist, 14 June 1822). An earthquake, described as a “very severe shock,” shook Charlottesville in the early morning of 28 Feb. 1822. Though it “perhaps lasted not more than fifteen seconds,” it was succeeded by a “rumbling noise, resembling distant thunder which … was supposed to have continued for about 4 minutes” (unidentified issue of Charlottesville Central Gazette quoted in Richmond Commercial Compiler, 5 Mar. 1822, and elsewhere).
Writing from Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, Trist lamented to TJ’s granddaughter Virginia J. Randolph (Trist) on 16 Jan. 1822: “Would to God that I had possession of my study! every moment of your grandfather’s society that I lose, is irreparable; and besides this loss, every moment I stay here, retards by almost as much, my appearance at the bar” (RC in NcU: NPT).
Index Entries
- Byron, George Gordon, 6th Baron; works of search
- Charlottesville, Va.; earthquake in search
- earthquakes; in Charlottesville search
- food; peas search
- food; strawberries search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; works sent to search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Family & Friends; relations with N. P. Trist search
- meteorological observations; by N. P. Trist search
- peas; grown at Natchez, Miss. search
- strawberries; as crop search
- Trist, Hore Browse (1802–56); correspondence with N. P. Trist search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; and book for TJ search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; and legal education search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; correspondence with H. B. Trist search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; correspondence with V. J. R. Trist search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; letters from search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; Miss. business of search
- weather; temperature readings search