Thomas Jefferson Randolph to Nicholas P. Trist
| My dear Nicholas | Edge hill Feb 16 1829 |
The books are all packed I hope securely and well altho not in order: they were put in according to size very much. paper on the bottom & back, and a slip between each. and as tight as possible to prevent friction. I am afraid to trust them down the river and as the distance to the steam boat landing at Fredericks burg is the same as to Richmond I shall send them there on the safest as well as quickest rout. They will leave here day after to morrow say the 18: you may expect them in Washington by the 23rd. Ben will go to Fredericks burg to see them safe on board and could you see G[. . .] of the steam boat & bespeak his attentions it might be well. Should contrary to expectation the river remain stopped with ice, the waggons will go directly on to Washington. It might be well for you to write to Ben at Frerd Fredericks-burg directing him where to send the waggons in Washington should it be necessary to send them on. Will you ask the person who spoke to you about the lottery ticket to return it to the lottery office from whence he purchased for repayment and state distinctly that except a few tickets that I took for our neighbors in the county of Albemarle that not one dollar of the proceeds of those tickets were recieved by my self or any one of the family. The money never has been drawn from the places where the tickets were sold and an advertisement was put into the paper by Yates & Mc Intyre desiring them to return them to recieve their money this advertisement I ran and continued for some time. Nothing could be more unjust than the opinion that those proceeds of the sales of those tickets were ever recieved by us.Our children are well. James remains in status quo. Mother & Virginia not returned.