Thomas Jefferson Randolph to John H. Cocke
| Dear sir | Tufton July 15. 1819 |
Jesse arrived here with my mare, and my fathers in much better order than you will find yours I am afraid and a far better chance for colts. only one of yours has been to the horse at all (the old mare) and she only once they were regular [. . .] sent upon the sent 9th & 10th days but owing to1 the indifference of the groom a drunken worthless fellow were never sufficiently tried, to take, he sent back them back allways with a message that they were not in season. I endeavoured to prevail on him, myself, to try them properly but could not succeed. Your mares throve a good deal at first have declined our pastures are so entirely burnt up by the drought that they have declined very much latterly
I hope we shall see you with Patterson. The sickness of a great many of my negroes who required my daily attention deprived me of the pleasure which I had contemplated in an excursion as far your house with Gordon