Bernard Peyton to Thomas Jefferson, 2 April 1821
From Bernard Peyton
Rich’d 2d April 1821
Dear Sir,
I have your esteemed favor 30th ulto: covering Deed of Trust, which is perfectly satisfactory to me; as to the recording, it is of no sort of consequence, and what I never wished or intended—In fact it was of no consequence to have such a deed at all, but it can do no harm, & gives me authority to demand a similar security when it is of real consequence.
I have, agreeable to your request, procured, & this day forward by a steady Waggoner, a Yankee Chese, the best I could find, to be left with Jas Leitch Charlottesville, which I wish safe to hand, & that you may be pleased with it.
I paid last Week a draft of yours without advice for $250, favor Jno Craven, which I presume was correct, all the rest you have informed me of are presented & paid, as shall also be the one for $100, of which you advise in the letter now before me.
I have the promise of your1 Pots from the Pottery on Wednesday of this Week, should I not be disappointed in this, they shall go by the first Milton Boat.
I beg you will not believe that I shall devote less of my time to my commercial persuits by the acceptance of the office of Adjt General.—The duties of that officer are really little or nothing, & will not serve to fill up the idle hours left heavily on my hands from my private persuits during these times of low prices, when so little can be done in the Commission way:—The inconsiderable duties to be performed in the office in question are all transacted in my own counting House, where the office is now kept, & makes it now less inconvenient than it would be;—for these services I receve $500 pr annum, which is of some consequence in times like the present, to a young beginner.— You may rest assured I will pay the most assiduous attention to whatever you may have to do with me in the Commercial way, & will promptly abandon any other persuit I may find likely to conflict with my duty’s to that—
Bernard Peyton
RC (MHi); endorsed by TJ as received 6 Apr. 1821 and so recorded in SJL. RC (ViU: TJP); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to John Quincy Adams, 5 Sept. 1822, on verso; addressed: “Mr Thomas Jefferson Monticello Charlottesville”; franked; postmarked Richmond, 2 Apr.
Virginia governor Thomas Mann Randolph appointed Peyton to the office of adjt general on 26 Mar. 1821. He held the position until his resignation on 15 Mar. 1841 (Randolph to John H. Cocke, 29 Mar. 1821 [ViU: JHC]; [1821–22 sess.], 22; [1840–41 sess.], 201).
1. Manuscript: “you.”
Index Entries
- boats; carriage to and from Richmond search
- cheese; Yankee search
- Craven, John H.; TJ’s account with search
- Farmers’ Bank of Virginia (Richmond); TJ’s loan from search
- food; cheese search
- household articles; stoneware search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; deed of trust for Milton land search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; loan from Farmers’ Bank of Virginia search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Deed of Trust of Milton Lands to Philip N. Nicholas and William Nekervis search
- kale; pots for search
- Leitch, James; agent for TJ search
- Milton, Va.; TJ’s land at search
- Nekervis, William; TJ deeds Milton land to search
- Nicholas, Philip Norborne; TJ deeds Milton land to search
- Peyton, Bernard; and TJ’s loan from Farmers’ Bank of Virginia search
- Peyton, Bernard; as adjutant general of Va. search
- Peyton, Bernard; letters from search
- Peyton, Bernard; payments made for TJ search
- pots; clay search
- Randolph, Thomas Mann (1768–1828) (TJ’s son-in-law; Martha Jefferson Randolph’s husband); as governor of Va. search
- Richmond, Va.; boat carriage to and from search
- stoneware search