Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to Joshua Dodge, 19 April 1821

To Joshua Dodge

Monticello. Apr. 19. 21.

Dear Sir

Your favor of Jan. 1. came to hand on the 10th inst. with information from the Collector of Boston of the arrival at that port of the Cadmus capt Jones, with the Ledanon wine, & it’s invoice. of the letter you mention of preceding date, and the articles by the brig Union of Marblehead, I have as yet heard nothing; and as she has been out long enough to excite apprehensions, I wrote immediately to Marblehead to enquire if any thing was known of her there. I shall not recieve my answer under a fortnight. the want of the invoice of the articles sent by her leaves me without any guide other than I had the last year for proportioning my remittance to my demands. I therefore now desire my friend mr Vaughan of Philadelphia; to have the same sum of 200.D. placed in Paris subject to your order, & ask you for the same articles as the last year, except that instead of the 30. galls of Vin sec1 de Rivesalte of M. Durand, I now ask the same quantity of Vin muscat de Rivesalte of M. Chevalier, exactly of the quality of that sent me in 1819.2 by mr Oliver, according to the particulars which will be specified at the foot of this letter.

In making out your invoice of these wines, attention is necessary to call none of them Claret, because, by that name, our custom houses understand the red wines of Bordeaux, which are charged with a much heavier duty. I am in hopes you will be able to ship these articles in time to arrive before the end of November. indeed wines destined for America are most advantageously shipped always about the 1st week of September. because they then avoid the heats of a summer passage & storages and the storms of the winter. you are sensible how dangerous is the approach of our coast in winter; and should the Union be lost, an early supply will be the more necessary for me. should my present or former remittance fall short of the articles demanded, you may either curtail these, or let the balance lie till my remittance of the next year, which shall cover all deficiencies.—after my letter of July 13. 20. having heard nothing from you till the 10th inst (9. months) I had become quite uneasy, which induces me to request you to drop a line always on reciept of my remittances that I may be under no suspence of their safe passage. I salute you with sentiments of great esteem & respect.

Th: Jefferson

1. gross (say 12. doz. bottles) of Bergasse’s Claret.

150. bottles of Ledanon

150. bottles of vin clairette de Limoux from mr Chevalier.

 30. gallons of Vin Muscat de Rivesalte de M. Chevalier.

 24. bottles virgin oil of Aix

 50. ℔ Maccaroni. [those of Naples preferred if to be had]

 6. bottles of anchovies.

 

P.S. to the duplicate: Before sending this duplicate I learn that the brig Union is arrived at Marblehead with my wines.

PoC (MHi); on verso of reused address cover of David McClure to TJ, 19 Oct. 1820; torn at seal, with missing text rewritten by TJ; brackets in original; at foot of first page: “Mr Joshua Dodge”; at foot of text: “original thro’ J. Vaughan. dupl. thro’ office of State & mr Gallatin”; endorsed by TJ. Enclosed in TJ to Bernard Peyton and TJ to John Vaughan, both 19 Apr. 1821, and TJ to Albert Gallatin, 25 May 1821.

1Word interlined.

2Manuscript: “1719.”

Index Entries

  • anchovies search
  • Bordeaux (wine) search
  • Cadmus (ship) search
  • Chevalier, Jean Joseph; and wine for TJ search
  • clairette (wine) search
  • claret (wine) search
  • Dearborn, Henry Alexander Scammell; as Boston customs collector search
  • Dodge, Joshua; and wine and groceries for TJ search
  • Dodge, Joshua; letters to search
  • Durand, François; and wine for TJ search
  • fish; anchovies search
  • food; anchovies search
  • food; macaroni search
  • food; olive oil search
  • Gallatin, Albert; conveys letters and parcels search
  • Italy; macaroni from search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; lines of credit in Europe search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; orders wine from J. Dodge search
  • Jones, Mr. (ship captain) search
  • Lédenon, France; wine from search
  • macaroni; TJ orders search
  • muscatel (wine) search
  • oil; olive search
  • Oliver, Julius; and wine and groceries for TJ search
  • olives; oil search
  • Rivesaltes, France; wine from search
  • State Department, U.S.; forwards letters search
  • taxes; on wine search
  • Union (brig) search
  • Vaughan, John (1756–1841); and TJ’s lines of credit in Europe search
  • Vaughan, John (1756–1841); TJ sends letters through search
  • weather; effect on shipping search
  • wine; Bordeaux search
  • wine; clairette search
  • wine; claret search
  • wine; muscatel search
  • wine; of Lédenon search
  • wine; of Rivesaltes search
  • wine; sent to TJ search
  • wine; tariff on search
  • wine; TJ orders from J. Dodge search