Charles Willson Peale to Thomas Jefferson, 27 August 1816
From Charles Willson Peale
Philada Augt 27th 1816
Dear Sir
Calling on a Watchmaker to day, he told me of a young man who is an excellent artist, that is now in Virginia, I do not recollect at what place, but I believe I was told at Petersburgh, that he did not like the place—I then waited on his brother son of Mr Mcilhany—who has promised me to write by tomorrows post to his brother and request him to call on you at Monticella—The Brother seemed much pleased when I told him where you wanted a Watchmaker to settle—and that you had something to do for you, and he believes his Brother will be willing to settle at Charlotteville. Therefore I do not deem it necessary to make enquiry further at present—Young Mr Muckilhany told me that you knew his father.
I have seen Mr Luken’s Galvanic Machine today, & it had motion but too little power to give sound to the Bells—Mr Lukens said that the vibration ought to be 6 Inches—Dr Jones Professor of Chemistry &c of Williamsburgh Colledge, says that he suspects that the Zinc was not sufficiently free from oxidation, and they probably will take them1 out to clean & then replace them.
I write in haste yours &c
C W Peale
RC (MHi); with faint words enhanced by Peale; at foot of text: “Thos Jefferson Esqre”; endorsed by TJ as received 4 Sept. 1816 and so recorded in SJL. PoC (PPAmP: Peale Letterbook).
1. Manuscript: “then.”
Index Entries
- Charlottesville, Va.; watchmaker needed in search
- clocks; repairman needed for search
- inventions; bell ringer search
- Jones, Thomas P.; as college professor search
- Lukens, Isaiah; and mechanical bell ringer search
- McIlhenney, Joseph E.; as watchmaker search
- McIlhenney, Mr. (brother of Joseph E. McIlhenney) search
- McIlhenney, Mr. (father of Joseph E. McIlhenney) search
- Peale, Charles Willson; and watchmaker for Charlottesville search
- Peale, Charles Willson; letters from search
- Peale, Charles Willson; on I. Lukens’s mechanical bell ringer search
- watches; needing repair search
- William and Mary, College of; faculty of search