Thomas Jefferson Papers

Bernard Peyton to Thomas Jefferson, 28 July 1819

From Bernard Peyton

Rich’d 28 July 1819

Dear Sir,

Since the rect your esteemed favor 19th: current I have been constantly looking out for a safe conveyance for the articles you wrote for, & have this moment only succeeded, such is the scarcity of Boats owing to the unusual low state of the river, & which I fear will prevent your recg them for some time—

I have procured the Tongues & Sounds, Crackers, raisins & Shad of superior quality, (as represented by the Grocer, for I am no judge of them) but the Cheese is not of the very best, nor is such to be had in the place, after dilligent search, it is tho’ I believe the best of its kind (Goshen) & certainly superior to any other I could meet with, I hope it will be found to answer tolerably well.—I called at Mr Darmsdatts for the Shad, but find him absent from the City on a visit to the Springs.   These articles are carefully packed, (all but the Shad in an outer Case) & marked, & addressed to the care Archibald Robertson Esqe Lynchburg, & h[o]pe they will reach you safely.

I hop[e] to see you in bedford in the course of [m]y summer’s excursion to the upper [cou]ntry which I commence in a few days.

[With] great respect & esteem Dr sir Your Mo: Obd:

B. Peyton

P.S. I recd a few days since from Mr Coffee of New York 4 Casks Cement for you, & from Philadelphia a small Box Books, all of which shall be fordd by the first Boat to Milton.

B.P.

RC (MHi); torn; endorsed by TJ as received 2 Aug. 1819 and so recorded in SJL. RC (ViU: TJP); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to Gerard E. Stack, 29 Aug. 1819, on recto and verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Poplar Forrest near Lynchburg”; stamp canceled; postmarked Richmond, 29 July.

Cheese from a region centered in goshen, Litchfield County, Connecticut, was exported in large quantities (“Goshen Cheese,” Dairy Farmer 1 [1860]: 234–5).

A missing letter of 4 July 1819 from William J. coffee to TJ is recorded in SJL as received 10 July 1819 from New York (address cover only in DLC; with PoC of TJ to Thomas Mann Randolph, 21 Jan. 1821, on recto and verso; addressed: “To Thos Jefferson Esqr. Monticello State of Virginia”; franked; postmarked New York, 5 July).

Index Entries

  • boats; carriage to and from Richmond search
  • building materials; cement, Roman search
  • cement; Roman search
  • cheese; Goshen search
  • cod; tongues and sounds search
  • Coffee, William John; and cement for TJ search
  • Coffee, William John; letter from accounted for search
  • crackers search
  • Darmsdatt, Joseph; and fish for TJ search
  • fish; shad search
  • fish; tongues and sounds search
  • food; cheese search
  • food; cod tongues and sounds search
  • food; crackers search
  • food; raisins search
  • food; shad search
  • James River; water level of search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Books and Library; packing and shipping of search
  • Lynchburg, Va.; boats traveling to and from search
  • Milton, Va.; boats traveling to and from search
  • Peyton, Bernard; and goods for TJ search
  • Peyton, Bernard; forwards goods for TJ search
  • Peyton, Bernard; letters from search
  • Peyton, Bernard; plans to visit Poplar Forest search
  • raisins; sent to TJ search
  • Richmond, Va.; boat carriage to and from search
  • Rivanna River; water level of search
  • Robertson, Archibald; receives goods for TJ search
  • shad; TJ purchases search