Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

Sir	Bremo Aug: 18th 1826

Some years ago Mr Jefferson mentioned to me, that the late Gallant & Philanthropic General Kosciuszko, had left a considerable sum of money in his hands, to be employed in purchasing Slaves, to be emancipated & educated in Virginia And expressed to me his desire, that I would undertake the Execution of the Will—.

Seeing the impracticability, under existing laws of our State of carrying such a Will into effect, if, as Mr Jefferson supposed when he mentioned the subject, that Virginia was designated in the Will, as the exclusive theatre of its operation, I declined administering on the Estate—But, at the same time, I assured Mr Jefferson, that few things would afford me as much pleasure, as complying with his wishes in this matter—provided the Fund could be so administer’d as in any manner to promote the objects of the Colonization Society—an institution of which he was known to be a declared Friend—and which I myself had always regarded as the first of the Noble charities that characterise this enlightened & enlightening age of Christian benevolence. He expressed the belief that this destination could be given to the fund, by application to the a Court of Chancery—And told me, he would satisfy himself more fully upon this point, & let me know the result of his inquiries—Thus the matter rested until the Death of Mr Jefferson—since which, I have obtained from the Records of Albemarle County the following Extract:

“I Thaddius Kosciuszko being just in my departure from America, do declare & direct, that should I make no other testimentary disposition of my property in the United States I hereby authorise my friend Thomas Jefferson to employ the whole thereof in purchasing Negroes among his own, or any others, and giving them an Education in trades or otherwise—and having them instructed for their new condition, in the duties of Morality, which may make them good neighbours, good Fathers or Mothers, husbands or wives, & in their duties as Citizens, teaching them to be defenders of their liberty & Country, & of the good order of Society, & in whatsoever may make them happy & useful, & I make the said Thomas Jefferson my Executor of this.”

T. Kosciuszko—

5. May 1798.

At a superior Court of law held for Albemarle county the 12th day of May 1819, This Instrument of Writing purporting to be the last will & testament of Thaddius Kosciuszko dec’d was produced in court, & satisfactory evidence being produced of its being written entirely in the hand writing of the said Thaddius Kosciuszko, the same is ordered to be recorded. Thereupon, Thomas Jefferson, the executor therein named refuses to take upon himself the burthen of the execution of said Will

A copy TesteAlexr Garrett C, C.

It appears by this Will of General K— that he designed his late friend & intended Executor Mr J— should exercise the right of purchasing first from his own Slaves—Circumstances render it possible, nay even probable that all the slaves of the estate of Mr J— may soon be disposed to sale to satisfy his creditors; in which event, Mr Thos Jefferson Randolph, the Executor of his lamented Grand-Father, wishes as many of them as choose to accept their liberty on the condition of being sent to the Colony at Liberia, to be purchased, & provision for their instruction there, made from this fund. I have therefore informed him, that I would decline taking the Administration, in his favour, should the necessity for a Sale occur. But my object in particular in addressing this communication to you, is to engage your agency in ascertaining, whether Genl Kosciuszko who, I believe died about the last of the year 1818 or early in 1819, in the vicinity of Paris, has made “no other testamentary disposition of his property in the U.S.” This information your situation near the National Government, will enable you to [. . .] procure with dispatch & precision, probably from the Department of State, thro’ its communication with our Minister at Paris as I wish to be prepared to act promptly, in case Mr Randolph may not find it necessary to administer—I will also ask the favour of you to ascertain the present amount of the fund left by General K—I was informed by Mr Jefferson, the original sum [. . .] consisting of General K—s claim for pay while in the service of the U.S. was about twelve thousand Dollars—& Mr T. J. Randolph says it was placed in the hands of Mr Barns of George town that it was rested in some of the most profitable stocks of the Government, by which it has been much more than doubled in amount.—