Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

I am afraid My Dr friend that I shall tire your patience by forcing so many of my scribbles upon you, but goodness often wounds it self—had you been less kind and discovered less feeling towards a distressd unfortunate family you might have escaped as well as many other of my acquaintance with only an occasional acknowledgement of my remembrance, but an assimilation of sentiment on subjects that interest us has an attractive power over the mind which makes it pleasing to converse tho distant from you Your kind favor covering one from My Darling Nicholas you may be sure gave me great pleasure nor did it need an appology for I have no secrets that I wou’d wish hid from you, particularly from that quarter, I am not surprised that the great black seal alarm’d you for I felt some perturbation the display was his ambition to shew the family seal which as being the eldest has become his property—poor fellow if that is all his inheritance it wont benefit him much he was happy when he wrote and has undoubtedly improved in his writing and if it pleases the Almighty disposer of all things to spare their Mother and prosper her undertakings I have hopes they will be respectable characters I think Mr Poindexter must have alluded to the Plantation at Natchez as there never was any dispute about that at Manshack and the Original Deed must be in Marys possession for I saw them in her cabinet since Browses Death and the spanish Goverment never granted any off it altho a man has since located 200 acres of the tract. I shou’d not suppose there cou’d be any difficulty as many are yet living that knew it belong’d to Mr Trist and if there had been any obsticle I presume Mary wou’d have been apprised of it when she made her visit I wish Mr Poindexter by his negligence may not have lost the papers that Browse left in his possession respecting the Natchez land Mr Trist made the purchase when that country was in possession of the Brittish Goverment The deed was not to be given till Judge Bay heard of the payment of the Bill upon England the original Patent with a great seal was in Mr Trist possession and was left with his Executors when I appointed Mr Dunbar my Attorney I desired that he might have it as he was appointed surveyor General under the spanish Goverment—Judge Bay sent the Deed of conveyence by his Brother who did not arrive till after Mr Trist Death and by his carelessness the deed was lost, but he gave me a note in the presence of Mr Dunbar acknowledging having been charged with it and a promise of its being served, a man settled upon it without any Title part was under a spanish Grant located by a friend of Mr Dunbars and he must have known when he surveyed it that it belong’d to us, as it join’d his own plantation and his family were heirs to Mr Ross who took up a great deal of land in that Neighbourhood—however fortunately Judge Bay arrived at Natchez while Browse was there and he wrote me that matters cou’d be easily arranged the Commissioners on the disputed titles where then sitting and their award was in our favor I suppose we Shall be chaused out of that plantation by villiny villany or negligence but as to the other I cant entertain a doubt but Mary is in quiet possession, but am nevertheless anxious to hear from her—I see that Skipwith is elected Governor of that District by the people—but it will be like Sanchos Goverment of short duration as Claibourne was vested with power to take possession for the United states to be annexed to the Territory of Orleans he will have sufficient force to take possession I wish it may not be a bone of contention—

In consiquence of not being able to hire a carriage as we expected and Peachy being obliged to be in Henry on the 14th and my sisters anxiety to see her children induced her to undertake the journey in an open Gig on Thursday last they have been favord as yet with warm weather which has melted a pretty deep Snow which makes the roads bad enough but after they cross the river at Warren they will have good gravil roads the best part of the way (I remain till the Spring) She desired me to present you her best respects and to tell you that she thinks people of the same fortune might live with more comfort and greater ease in her Yankey country, tho she had every reason to be pleased and happy with her visit here and at Colonel Monroes for we have been no where else I hear that Mrs Divers is a little better I expect they will send for me as soon as the roads will be passible I hope not before I heard that the News paper says that the yellow fever has broke out in Cadiz poor Mrs Hackley I hope she will not hear it as it will retard her recovery. Mrs Randolph dont seem to be very sanguine that Mr H. will profit much by the situation he is placed in he is not a man of much talent and very credulous and very hospitable the last letter he wrote his wife he mention’d that he had 18 Americans living in his House Mrs H. says that if he made Money it wou’d all be consumed as she is not there to take care and guard against the distruction and vaguery of servants and the price of provision is exorbitant a Turkey 5 and 6 Dollars Mr Randolph thinks that he must have lost at least 7000$ by his shipments of Merino sheep I am not surprised that her mind is kept uneasy for it is a serious thing to be so precariously situated with so large a family but all her connections seem greatly interested in her welfare Mrs R says that it wou’d not be proper for her to go to House keeping the expence and trouble in her state health wou’d be dreadful My love to the Doct and the children and believe ever your affectionate friend