Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to William Davenport, 4 July 1819

To William Davenport

Monticello July 4. 19.

Sir

I have been long waiting in the hope of picking up a 5.D. bill of the US. bank to remit you according to the account transmitted to me1 thro’ mr Patterson: but in vain. our inland & uncommercial situation offers nothing but the paper of our state banks: to prevent further delay therefore I inclose you a Richmond 5.D. note and as the banks of every state are at discount in all others, I add a quarter Dollar which will probably make up the discount. I recieved the telescope in good order and well repaired, & salute you with respect.

Th: Jefferson

RC (ViU: TJP); addressed: “Mr William Davenport. Philadelphia”; endorsed in an unidentified hand. PoC (MHi); on verso of reused address cover of Christopher Branch to Nelson Barksdale, 20 Mar. 1819 (see Appendix I: Notations by Jefferson on University of Virginia Documents); endorsed by TJ. Enclosed in TJ to Robert Patterson, 4 July 1819.

The account, not found, was presumably enclosed in a missing letter from Patterson to TJ of 10 Apr. 1819 (RC of address cover only in DLC; with PoC of TJ to Archibald S. Bulloch, 17 June 1819, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Monticello Va”; stamp canceled; franked; postmarked Philadelphia, 10 Apr.; recorded in SJL as received 1 May 1819 from Philadelphia).

1Word interlined in place of “you.”

Index Entries

  • Bank of the United States, Second; currency of search
  • banks; currency issued by search
  • currency; paper search
  • Davenport, William; letters to search
  • Davenport, William; repairs telescope search
  • Davenport, William; TJ pays search
  • Patterson, Robert; and telescope search
  • Patterson, Robert; letter from accounted for search
  • scientific instruments; telescopes search
  • telescopes; repaired search
  • Virginia; banks in search