Thomas Jefferson Papers

John Hemmings to Thomas Jefferson, 29 November 1821

From John Hemmings

Poplar forest Nov 29th 1821

dear sir

I am sorry to complain to you so near the close of my worck above all things on earth I hate complants but I am bledg I hav bin going to Poplar forest sevrield falls and that is not the seson for raseing eny kind of vegetable and the very moment your back is turnd from thee Place nace takes evry thing out of the garden and carries them to his cabin and buryis them in the grownd and says that tha ar for the use of the house I dont set up my self for the things thats made for your table but as common a thing as greens wich we ar suffering for tha ware mour or Lest of 2000. I replyd three or four tims and it Perveald not the pipel tels me that he makes market of them at the first oppertunity all ways that is the resond he ont giv eny such conduct as this is to wrongfully and unjustly commeted in my setuation I am at worck in the morning by the time I can see and the very same at night I have got the cornest nealy don I am bout the tow Last members dentels and quearter rownd I shuld Put an architrav on the skie Light frame befour I take the scafful down it will be 16 inchs Leving the first fase on the frame and Planting on the twelve inches this is ½ Inch thick and the og Planted on it Sir Plese to answear this by writing to mr Yeancey   Sir I aam your faithful sirvent

John Hemmings

RC (MHi); endorsed by TJ as received 1 Dec. 1821 and so recorded in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with FC of TJ to Robert Hare, 12 Mar. 1824, on verso; addressed: “mr Thos Jefferson monticello.”

Index Entries

  • food; greens search
  • greens (vegetable); grown at Poplar Forest search
  • Hemmings, John (TJ’s slave; b. ca.1776); and food allocation search
  • Hemmings, John (TJ’s slave; b. ca.1776); as woodworker search
  • Hemmings, John (TJ’s slave; b. ca.1776); letters from search
  • Hemmings, John (TJ’s slave; b. ca.1776); travels to and from Poplar Forest search
  • Nace (TJ’s slave; b.1773); as gardener search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); carpentry at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); diet of slaves at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); garden at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); skylight at search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); slaves at search
  • slaves; as carpenters search
  • slaves; as gardeners search
  • slaves; food for search
  • slaves; letters from search
  • Yancey, Joel (d.1833); as superintendent of Poplar Forest search