John Barnes to Thomas Jefferson, 22 November 1822
From John Barnes
George Town Coa 22d Novr 1822.
My Dear Sir—
With Extreme Concern, I perceive in the Intelligencer of to day—the very unfortunate Accident befalling you, a Bone broken of the left Arm—with this Consolation—that it does not, endanger your health—your sufferings at the Instance—no doubt, very severe—, depriving you for a length of time the Use thereof—patience & submission—together, with the Aide of the Happy good family abt you, and, under no Necessity of exposing your self—are Circumstances still favorable—for had it happened on a Journey—on the road—or from Home—might have been attended—with serious Consequences—how precarious are our every Momentary—Movements—liable too!—
on the present distressing occasion—I am of course Anxious, to learn the real state thereof—not in the least to incommode you, I should intreat & beg the favr of your good G: Daugher Misss Ellen—to Honor me with a few lines of information, wd be most thankfuly received—
John Barnes,
To Mrs Randolph & good family, most respectfully—
RC (MHi); endorsed by TJ as received 26 Nov. 1822 and so recorded in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with Dft of TJ to John J. Chapman, [1 Aug. 1823], on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson, Esqr Monticello—Virginia”; franked; postmarked Georgetown, 23 Nov.
On this day the Washington Daily National Intelligencer reprinted a notice from the 19 Nov. 1822 issue of the Richmond Enquirer concerning TJ’s recent accident. The Enquirer version, differing only in punctuation from that in the Intelligencer, stated that “We are sorry to learn, concerning Mr. Jefferson, that on this day week on putting his foot upon one of the steps of his house, the step gave way, he fell, and one of the bones of his left arm was broken.—As late as Thursday night, he was doing well—and was likely to sustain no material inconvenience.”
TJ’s good g: daugher was Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge). She observed to Nicholas P. Trist in a letter dated Monticello, 17 Nov. 1822, that “Virginia informed you of the accident which happened to my dear Grandfather—he is doing better than we had any right to expect. his appetite and general health are as good as usual, his nights are tranquil—he suffers no pain, and no inconvenience but the present loss of the use of his left hand and the power of taking exercise on horseback” (RC in DLC: NPT).
Index Entries
- Barnes, John; and TJ’s health search
- Barnes, John; letters from search
- Coolidge, Ellen Wayles Randolph (TJ’s granddaughter); and TJ’s health search
- horses; TJ rides search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Health; broken arm search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Health; injured in fall search
- Monticello (TJ’s Albemarle Co. estate); stairs at search
- National Intelligencer (Washington newspaper); reports on TJ’s health search
- Randolph, Martha Jefferson (Patsy; TJ’s daughter; Thomas Mann Randolph’s wife); greetings sent to search
- Richmond Enquirer (newspaper); reports on TJ’s health search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; correspondence with E. W. R. Coolidge search