Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

Dear Sir,

Varina Friday June 25. 1819

At the moment of my leaving Richmond on Monday the 21st inst. Mr John Forbes of the Richmond Bar, my very old and much esteemed acquaintance, informed me that the Decree rendered in the U.S. Circuit Court, Nov. term 1805, in Chancery, against the Exrs of T R. ded, and more particularly against myself, at my own desire, in favor of the Exr of John Sidderdale+ Plaintiff had been called in Court lately and commented on by some of the Bar. I inclose you a copy of the decree, by this first opportunity to Richmond this week; during which I have been too much engaged in business of the utmost consequence to me, (preparing to deliver a large parcel of Wheat by July 5th the proceeds of which I must have immediately), to come up myself; or to send on purpose.

I ask of you to attend to this matter for me. That is more requisite out of Court than in, as endeavours are making to give a false coloring to it, from hostility to me, and with views to a particular effect. Your counteraction will be complete with but little trouble on your own part. I have no idea that there is any thing whatever due from me. I have sure Vouchers in Mr Wickhams hand writing, for my payments; and I know certainly that he did receive the+830£. and cannot pretend to open the decree again on that account. If he will procure a Warrant for strangling the old Negroes, and send Executioners himself, the matter can be brought to a close, at once. The calling on me for an account of my traveling expences is a mockery, when it was never intended to allow me one Cent; for toils, at my own charge, which destroyed my health for four years, and have shortened my natural period of life, I fear, twentyE years. I say this, because the allowance for the maintenance of decrepid Negroes, and all other charges together, is not half what that alone has actually cost. Forty shillings per annum to furnish food, cloathing, nursing, medicines, and Medical attendance, for an old and infirm human creature, is not more than 30 pr Cent upon what must be expended, some way or other. I had better have abandoned the little piece of property, a part only of my farm here, which my Father gave me,+ in consideration of marriage, long before his own marriage, at a time when he was deemed very wealthy; than have taken on myself, as eldest Son and Executor, such a burthen. That was Mr Jeffersons opinion at the time.

For me to separate from the expenditure on my own family, White and Black, what was consumed by the old Negroes, and done for them, would be inpossible. The amount has been equal to more than eighty years maintenance of one aged and infirm person. I admit that I ought to have borne the tax & only regret that I was not more able to bear it well better. But I cannot admit that I am a Debtor to Sidderdales Exrs. Pray get some [ack]nowledgement from Mr Wickham of what has been paid? The matter sha[. . .]d as soon as I can get back to my papers, [I h]ad paid Dr Brockenbrough 200$, as security, for two slaves of my Fathers, who bought their Freedom from Dr B. I gave up the whole money as compensation for nursing one Cripple, called Phillis belonging to the Estate; besides furnishing her much. I have received 500$, as Exr, since 1805, out of which a large amount of Costs has been paid: there were 3 Chancery tickets of more than 50$ each. observe that 1000$ were allowed in 1805. fourteen years since; and the old Negroes living on, long. Two different letters of Attorney to Mr Wickham, were executed, one in 1807, the other in 1812, to enable him to collect the remaining debts, and receive the commissions. My Fathers insolvency allmost ruined my Constitution, and fortune, and now it is wished to make it impair my [. . .] Honour. I trust with confidence in your friendship, influence and knowledge in this matter. As soon as I can get to Monticello I will forward exact statements of every thing.

+My Father often t[ol]d me that he had scandalously cheated by the said House and would never pay if he could help it. I do not believe that any debt would have been due from Virginia if fraud of the grossest kind with respect to Tobacco shipments had not been practiced.

+for which said 830£ I paid Alexander Stewart of notorious sharing memory 1200£ for my Brother Wiliam; & lost the ballance myself.

E a debt due before I was born, was recovered from me sufficient to ruin me, but the 3d Jury saved me

+with a mortgage upon it.