From Thomas Jefferson to —— Read, 26 April 1781
To —— Read
Richmond April 26th. 1781
Sir
I have advised with the Members of the Council present, and they are of Opinion that Captn. Reed be permitted to purchase four horses for his Troop instead of the four which were to have been purchased by the Quarter Master and one other instead of the one lately dead, governing himself by the price limited in the Order to the Quarter Master. I am &c.,
T. J.
FC (Vi); at head of text: “Lieutenant Read.” The recipient may be the same as the recipient of TJ’s letter to —— Reid of 2 Jan. 1781, but this cannot be established.
The Captn. Reed mentioned in the present letter is certainly Edmund Read (so spelled by himself in his letter to TJ, 24 Apr. 1781); see TJ to Lafayette, 28 Mch. 1781. The members of the Council present were, in addition to TJ, David Jameson and George Webb; during the period between 25 Apr. and 7 May there was usually only one member in attendance in addition to TJ.