Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to William J. Coffee, 30 April 1823

To William J. Coffee

Monticello Apr. 30. 23.

Dear Sir

Notwithstanding your particular1 request to Colo Peyton to send my boxes of ornaments to Bedford, he persuaded himself it was a mistake, and sent them here. as soon as it was observed at the University that some of theirs were missing we suspected they might be in my boxes. I opened one, found at once that it contained ox-sculls Etc2 for Bedford, and so well packed that I could not resolve to open any more, as Colo Peyton’s mistake had made it necessary for me to send them in a waggon, by land, 90. miles. but on the reciept of your favor of the 20th3 ascertaining that a box too many had been marked for me, and a box too few for the University, and specifying the contents of each, and particularly that my No 5. contained the missing metops of Pavilions 2. & 5. I opened it and found it to contain what your letter allotted to No 4. of Bedford ornaments.4 I then opened No 4. and found in it the Bedford articles allotted in your letter to No 1. then I opened No 1. and found in it the articles you supposed to be in No 5. that is to say the missing articles of Pavilions 2. and 5. I therefore sent the box No 1.5 yesterday to mr Brockenbrough, with a request to remit you without delay6 to N. York the 41.86 D cost of the articles now found,7 and the 24.51 short remitted before, making 66.37 D as stated in your letter. thus all I hope is finally brought to rights, except the delay which errors have produced. the inconvenience which8 falls to my lot, by that of Colo Peyton, I hope I may remedy by bedding my boxes in a good quantity of straw in the waggon. hoping you will recieve mr Br’s remittance nearly as soon as this letter I salute you with friendship and respect.

Th: Jefferson

[Remainder supplied from Dft:]

P.S. I return the bills of lading.

RC (NRU); lacking postscript; addressed: “Mr William J. Coffee New York”; franked; postmarked. Dft (ViU: TJP-ER); including postscript; endorsed by TJ. Enclosures not found.

Coffee’s favor of 20 Apr. 1823, the address cover only of which has been found, is recorded in SJL as received 27 Apr. from New York (RC in DLC; with Dft of TJ to James Monroe, 19 Dec. 1823, on verso; addressed: “The Honbl Thoms Jefferson. Monticello State of Virginia”; franked; postmarked New York, 22 Apr.).

1Word interlined in Dft in place of “express.”

2Word not in Dft.

3Preceding three words interlined in Dft as “of Apr. 20.”

4Dft: “articles.”

5Preceding two words interlined in Dft.

6Preceding two words interlined in Dft.

7Preceding two words interlined in Dft.

8Reworked in Dft from “that which.”

Index Entries

  • architecture; architectural ornaments search
  • Brockenbrough, Arthur Spicer; as University of Virginia proctor search
  • Coffee, William John; fashions ornaments for TJ search
  • Coffee, William John; fashions ornaments for University of Virginia search
  • Coffee, William John; letter from accounted for search
  • Coffee, William John; letters to search
  • Peyton, Bernard; forwards goods for TJ search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); architectural ornaments for search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; ornamental work search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Pavilion II search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Pavilion V search
  • wagons; transport people and goods between Monticello and Poplar Forest search