Joel Yancey to Thomas Jefferson, 24 February 1816
From Joel Yancey
Poplar Forrest Feby 24h 16
Dr Sir
Your favour of the 20h by Billy I reeceivd early in the day on thursday last and immediately I rode to Lynchburg to engage a Boat to carry down your Tobo. I could get none, they were mostly down, and what few was empty were engaged, however I made an engagement with Doctr Cabell to take it in his Boats so soon as they return, which they ought to do by the last of next week, I think you may safely Say, that your Tobo will take its departure from Lynchburg on, or before 10th March, I am truly Sorry that it is not in Richmond at this time, I have some Reasons and excuses to offer for the delay, but it is needless now to trouble you with them, I assure you I have done the best I could The wheat is all delivered, early in Jany. at Mitchels, mills, but we cant spare it our corn will not last until Harvest I, am almost certain, and there’s none to be had for less than six dollars, and thirty miles off I should be greatly relieved if you consent for us to hold the flour, until there is a certainty that we can do without it, we are as careful of the corn as possible, I believe there is not year goes out, without its being, counted or measured should we be compelld to use the flour for Bread, the fine might I suppose be easily exchanged for midlings or coarrse and the difference, we have sown about thirty acres in clover1 (in the chaff) and have engaged as much more as I shall want at 10 dollars it is not yet come to hand but I hourly expectd it, should I be disappoint[ed] in that, there is plenty in Lynchburg at 12.D Poor Lovilo, never will leave the Forest, he has been gradually waisting away ever since you left here and at times appears to be in great pain, he may live several months but I think it is impossible he can recover Docr Steptoe has declined his visits to him and says that he cannot relieve him, I sent stocks to the mill, and believe they are nearly all saw,d for the Saw mill. I have got also the plank from Depriest for the House, but I find in putting it on, that we shall lack 10 or fift[een] plank I sent too for 100 feet more than Goodman said it would require, as soon as I can possibly get the Tobo off (and I shall use every exerten,) Ill write you again, I shall be very glad to see you at the Forest, but I shall dread your Horses until after Harvest, Accept my best wishes for your welfare
Joel Yancey
RC (MHi); edge trimmed; endorsed by TJ as received 27 Feb. 1816 and so recorded in SJL. RC (MHi); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to Yancey, 15 Mar. 1816, on recto and verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr Monticello—Virginia”; franked; postmarked.
1. Yancey here canceled “seed.”
Index Entries
- Billy (TJ’s slave; b.1799); delivers letter search
- boats; transfer goods to and from Richmond search
- bread; at Poplar Forest search
- building materials; plank search
- Cabell, George; boats of search
- clover; at Poplar Forest search
- corn; at Poplar Forest search
- corn; price of search
- crops; clover search
- Depriest, John; and building supplies for Poplar Forest search
- flour; from Poplar Forest search
- food; bread search
- Goodman, Jeremiah Augustus; as Poplar Forest overseer search
- health; of slaves search
- Hern, Lovilo (TJ’s slave; b.1801); health of search
- Lynchburg, Va.; tobacco shipped to search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); clover grown at search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); flour from search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); lumber for search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); slaves at search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); superintendent of search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); tobacco grown at search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); wheat grown at search
- Richmond, Va.; tobacco shipped to search
- slaves; health of search
- slaves; medical treatment for search
- Steptoe, William; as doctor search
- tobacco; grown at Poplar Forest search
- tobacco; transported to Richmond search
- wheat; at Poplar Forest search
- William & Reuben Mitchell (Lynchburg firm); TJ’s transactions with search
- Yancey, Joel (d.1833); as superintendent of Poplar Forest search
- Yancey, Joel (d.1833); letters from search