Jacob Engelbrecht to Thomas Jefferson, 14 February 1824
From Jacob Engelbrecht
Frederick-Town Md 14th February 1824
Sir
The Subject of my letter will perhaps appear of rather an odd nature but their being persons of many difrent notions in the world and mine being of a peculiar cast I do hope you will favour me with my request,
I mearly wish a letter from you in your own hand writing which I wish to frame after your death, which I wish to preserve in honour of you,—as to the Subject matter it may be what ever you think proper—moral, Religious or Political,
I hope Sir, you will favour me with this Little request, as it will be of great pleasure, to me, and of very little trouble or inconveniance to you,—please let space sufficient at the margin to frame it,
Jacob Engelbrecht,
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “The Honble Thos Jefferson Monticello, va”; endorsed by TJ as received <26> 19 Feb. 1824 and so recorded in SJL.
Jacob Engelbrecht (1797–1878), tailor and public official, was a lifelong resident of Frederick, Maryland. He was active in his community and for sixty years kept a diary recording local and national events. During the Civil War, Engelbrecht belonged to the local Brengle Home Guard, which was loyal to the Union. He served as mayor of Frederick, 1865–68. Engelbrecht owned personal property and real estate worth a total of $2,000 in 1860 and $2,600 in 1870 (William R. Quynn, ed., The Diary of Jacob Engelbrecht, 1818–1878, 2 vols. [rev. ed., 2001]; J. Thomas Scharf, History of Western Maryland [1882; repr. 2003], 1:468; Frederick Political Intelligencer or Republican Gazette, 9 Feb. 1826; Frederick Reservoir and Public Reflector, 6 Feb. 1827; DNA: RG 29, CS, Md., Frederick, 1830–70; “The Brengle Home Guard,” Maryland Historical Magazine 7 [1912]: 196, 200; Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 1878; gravestone inscription in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Frederick).
Engelbrecht wrote similar letters to John Adams, 15 Mar., 2 June 1824, and James Madison, 5 Sept. 1825, requesting samples of their handwriting to preserve as relics (MHi: Adams Papers; , 3:591–2).