Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to Christopher Greenup, 4 February 1816

To Christopher Greenup

Monticello Feb. 4. 16.

Dear Sir

Your favor of Oct. 9. arrived here during a two months absence from home, to which I returned a little before Christmas only. I have thought it best to detain the answer thro’ the month of January to lessen the risks of bad weather. indeed we have never known a month of more snow and constant bad weather. I now inclose 8. Dollars, the amount of mr Stevens’s bill in notes of the Virginia bank which we are told are current with you. with these I have to return you very sincere thanks for the trouble you have been so kind as to take, and hope [i]t is now closed. mr Mickie’s claim is laid to rest by the other [de]positions and will not be benefited by what the presence1 of [J]ohn Henderson seems to have made the old lady either remember or forget. the interests too of the younger branches of the family in the lands adjoining Milton, are with my own sunk to nothing by the extension of the navigation many miles above it, and abandonment of the town where there will never be another house built or repaired. I have long offered the lands for what I gave, but nobody will give the half. the body of their former mill house has been entirely taken away by the negro inhabitants of the place, & the warehouses, formerly profitable, have been given up as not worth repairing, and neither recieve any thing, nor could cover it. when I offered therefore to those members of the family to pay over again one half of what I had already paid once, I offered certainly more than they will ever get for their interests. with a repetition of my thanks for your kindness, accept the assurance of my great esteem & respect.

Th: Jeffferson

PoC (MHi); on verso of a reused address cover from James Gibbon to TJ; torn at seal; at foot of text: “Governr Greenup”; endorsed by TJ.

The old lady was Elizabeth Henderson.

1Manuscript: “prence.”

Index Entries

  • African Americans; living at Milton search
  • Bank of Virginia (Richmond); banknotes of search
  • Greenup, Christopher; and depositions inJefferson v. Michie search
  • Greenup, Christopher; and Henderson case search
  • Greenup, Christopher; letter to search
  • Henderson, Bennett; mill of search
  • Henderson, Elizabeth Lewis (Bennett Henderson’s wife); and deposition inJefferson v. Michie search
  • Henderson, John; and TJ’s land dispute with D. Michie search
  • Henderson case; claims by minor heirs search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; dispute with D. Michie search
  • Jefferson v. Michie; and depositions search
  • Michie, David; claim to part of Henderson lands search
  • mills; Henderson family’s search
  • Milton, Va.; abandonment of search
  • Milton, Va.; African Americans living at search
  • Milton, Va.; Henderson mill at search
  • Stephens, Lewis F.; and E. Henderson’s deposition search
  • Virginia; weather in search
  • weather; in Va. search
  • weather; snow search