Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 26 August 1805

To Henry Dearborn

Monticello Aug. 26. 05.

Dear Sir

Your favor of the 23. is recieved & I learn with pleasure that mrs Dearborne & yourself will ere long be with us. there are three routes by which you may come. 1. that by Fredericksburg, which is 20. miles the furthest, the worst road, & after you pass Fredericksburg as badly off for stages as any other1 & a miserable uninteresting country. of the other two to wit, by Stephensbg, & by the courthouses I would recommend to you to come one, & return the other, because you will see two tracts of country as different from one another as possible. the stages on both are as follows.

from Georgetown ferry from Georgetown ferry
to + Wren’s 7. miles + to Wren’s 7. miles
+ Fairfx C.H. 8. + Fairfax C.H. 8.
+ Songster’s 5. + Centerville 8.
Bull run2 5. * Red house Pr. Wm. C.H. 14.  mrs Hereford’s
Brown’s tavern 5. * Fauquier C.H. 13.
Slate run church * Culpeper C.H. 25.
+ Elkrun church 15. + Orange C.H. 21 
Norman’s ford 9. * Gordon’s 10 
+ Herring’s 4. a good stage tho’ plain. Monticello 20 
+ Stevensburg 5. Zimmerman’s 126 
 
+ Downey’s 11 
+ Orange C.H. 9.
* Gordon’s 10.
Monticello 20.
118 

those marked thus * are good houses, these + so, so. these – bad. I think you had better come by Stevensburg, because of it’s levelness: the road by the Courthouses is hillier & will suit better when the weather will have moderated on your return. my stages on the Stevensburg road are short, to wit Brown’s, mr Strode’s (a private house)3 near Herring’s, Gordon’s & Monticello. by the Court houses they are mrs Hereford’s, Culpeper C.H. Gordon’s & Monticello: Accept affectionate salutations.

Th: Jefferson

P.S. if mr Strode knows you are at Herring’s he will certainly press you to his house. I always leave my horses at Herring’s which is excellent for them, & go & lodge with Strode, a fine farmer & wealthy.

PoC (DLC); at foot of text: “Genl. Dearborne”; endorsed by TJ.

Herring’s: Herin’s tavern in Culpeper County (Vol. 33:204n).

1Remainder of sentence interlined.

2TJ wrote, then partially erased, “+” for this entry.

3Phrase in parentheses interlined.

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