William Short to Thomas Jefferson, 31 August 1805
From William Short
Aug. 31. [1805]
Jeffern. Prest.—Aug. 31—to ackg. his of Aug. 18. & return the order on G & J & why—desirable for me to rest as much as possible now & during winter—my intention to go in spring or summer—have been here long enough to wipe of disqualifying stain—from observation see that it rather a qualification—have given up this as the cause, & suppose there must be some other—plans first Niagara—then Monticello & Berkley—now here Long branch, & return by Bethlehem shall probably take up winter quarters in Philad. & akge—wherever I may be, &c, remain yours truly & sincerely
FC (DLC: Short Papers); partially dated; entirely in Short’s hand, consisting of an entry in his epistolary record. Recorded in SJL as received from Long Branch on 6 Sep. 1805.
G & J: Gibson & Jefferson.
disqualifying stain: TJ had informed Short in 1801 that he could not receive a new diplomatic position because he had been away from the United States for an extended period and was unfamiliar with Americans’ opinions, economy, and “habits & manners” (TJ to Short, 3 Oct. 1801; see also Short to TJ, 6 Aug. 1798).