1To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 22 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The difficulty which I allways feel in begining a correspondence has hitherto debared me from the satisfaction of writing to you but I am determined to remain silent no longer, as I am certain that you will pardon all deficiencies which I may be guilty of. It would indeed be almost useless to write unless I had something to mention [in p]articular besides enquireing after your health, of which...
2To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 1 May 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I received two days ago your favor of the 14th. of April, and although I am apprehensive I have already trespassed too far on your goodness, must accept of the offer you have been kind enough to make of discharging Gordons account. Forgetfulness on the part of the Creditor is but too general, and the present instance of negligence may afford you just grounds for supposing, I am not altogether...
3To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 25 September 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
To avoid the difficulties, which must ever attend personal applications, on subjects important and delicate, I have adopted the present mode of addressing you. A stranger to forms, and following the impulse of my feelings, I have ventured to indulge, and express, sentiments, for a part of your family, which ought perhaps, to have received your previous sanction. Could I hope, that should time...
4To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 19 December 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
I have it now in my power to inform you that all obstacles to my happiness are removed, and that in every arrangement as to future residence, I shall be guided by yourself and Maria. I am with sincere regard yours RC ( MHi ); addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr.”; endorsed by TJ as received 19 Dec. 1796 and so recorded in SJL .
5To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, [17 November 1797] (Jefferson Papers)
The badness of the roads prevented our reaching Millers last Evening. We arrived here at an early hour after being overset once without receiving the smallest injury. The Carriage went down so gradually that the glass windows which were up received no injury. Marias foot improves with traveling. She walked last evening conveniently without her stick. She is well this morning in good spirits...
6To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 24 November 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just time by my Father who is setting out for Richmond to acknowledge the reciept of your letter and to return Marias thanks and my own for the arrangement you have made with my Sister—The bustle of a wedding and a large company have prevented our writing for some weeks—For the future I may venture to promise we shall not neglect our friends. Maria has been very well since leaving...
7To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 20 January 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
On my return here from Bermuda-Hundred I found your last letter & as an opportunity to Petersburg offers I inclose two plats one of the Lands lying immediately at the Hundred and the other of My part of Martins Swamp. My Father has always estimated the 2 pieces at £6000—So anxious am I however to purchase higher up the Country that I would willingly make a sacrifice—You are as well acquainted...
8To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 24 January 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter on the subject of Bermuda Hundred I neglected to say any thing in answer to that part of yours which relates to rent and Tenants. In this part of Virginia we are so little in the habit of leasing that it would be difficult to say what any Lands would rent for. Mine are well situated for that purpose and might be conveniently divided into four farms of 100. acres—each of which...
9To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 1 January 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my note to you from the wharf at the Hundred I have been in daily expectation of having it in my power to make you a sharer in a species of happiness from which my Mary and myself have heretofore been debarred. Fortune has at length crowned our wishes & made us happy in the birth of a daughter —It was born last Evening and tho’ very small has every appearance of good health—Maria has...
10To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 7 February 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
My poor Mary still continues to suffer much from her right breast—It has broke in four or five different places & is still much inflamed. Her fever had left her entirely until yesterday: it returned then in consequence of new rising & inflamation—We expect Doctr. Turpin here again this evening & I hope a few days more will put an end to the cruel pain she has for some time suffered— With...
11To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 16 February 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
Maria continues I think to mend slowly; The inflamation in the part of her breast already broke has gone off—She will I hope escape one of the places we apprehended would break when I wrote last—The other however will most certainly break and we are now forwarding it with hot poultices—She has not left her room yet, but has got clear of the bed to which she was confined for eight or ten days...
12To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 20 February 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
We have been favoured within a few days past with a visit from Patsy and Mr. Randolph which has revived a little the drooping spirits of my poor Mary. The sores on her breasts have proved most obstinate & successive and continual risings appear almost daily to check the hopes I form of seeing her once more free from pain—Two new places of which we had no apprehension have pointed (since my...
13To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 16 March 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
My poor Mary is still confined—She is well enough to pass to an adjoining room but has not yet ventured down stairs. The sores on her breast have proved most obstinate & will not I fear be easily healed without the aid of the knife to which she feels as is natural a great repugnance— I left her for one day on business to Richmond and learnt from George Jefferson his having forwarded a letter...
14To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 22 April 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 4th. to Maria reached us at this place on the 15th. instant—We are at length fixed here and look forward with much pleasure to the second week in May—Marias health is completely reestablished & with it her spirits—You would not at present judge from her appearance that she had been otherwise than well as she has not I am certain appeared more blooming for two years...
15To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 6 July 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
We reached Eppington safely on the third day from Monticello and this place two days afterwards. Our journey was extremely tiresome from the heat of the weather and slowness of our horses—The day after leaving Monticello we were twelve hours on the road and eleven of them actually travelling 36 miles—Maria bore the journey well and continues in good health. I finished halling in my Wheat on...
16To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 4 August 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
We left Mont-Blanco on the 23d. of last month and expected by this time to have been safely landed at Monticello—We have been detained here however in consequence of the situation of my Father who has been so much injured in one of his legs by a kick from a horse as to be unable to move from home at a time when a heavy and serious business hangs over him—I went to Richmond for him a few days...
17To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 18 March 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I have postponed writing until I could give you some information as to the horses—I have engaged Doctr. Walkers horse certainly—Mr. Bell has undertaken to send for the match & if I like him I shall have him also—So that you may count certainly on Bells horse and most probably a complete match—I examined Doctr. Shores pair also and drove them some miles. They are fine blood bays upwards of 16....
18To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 18 April 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Previous to receiving your last letters , I had engaged Mr. Bells Horse and his match for you at 600 dollars—I had never seen the match and relied solely on Mr. Bells representation of him as a fine match—On going to Petersburg however after Davy came down I found the Horse called a match so far inferior to Mr. Bells that I refused him altogether—Not wishing to send a single Horse I bought...
19To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 3 October 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Our little one continues in good health and I feel no apprehensions about Maria. The hardness in her breasts has gone off entirely and as the milk flows freely there can be no danger of return. We have considerable apprehensions about the whooping cough which rages in every part of this neighbourhood. At Charlottesville & Milton we know that they certainly have it, & I have just learnt that...
20To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 25 October 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
My being absent on a trip to the Hundred on the arrival of your letter has occasioned considerable delay in my answer. The arrangements proposed in it for my benefit, while I view them only as new instances on your part of affectionate concern for the welfare of Maria and myself give me great pleasure. When I consider however that you have great and continued calls for money while I have none,...
21To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 6 November 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I postponed writing by the last post from a hope that a cough with which our little infant had been attacked a few days before might prove only a common cold—There is no longer room for indulging so pleasing an idea as it most certainly is the hooping-cough—The violent symptoms which in general attend the commencement of the disease such as fever & difficulty of breathing have disappeared for...
22To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 2 February 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I forwarded to you a few days since a letter from Maria —My Father who is now in Town left her well yesterday. You will find enclosed the journal of the house of Delegates containing the amendments proposed to the Constitution of the U States—They are postponed by the Senate until the next session— Early in the present session of assembly a Resolution was submitted to the House of Delegates...
23To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 11 March 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 3d. reached us last Evening—The one enclosing a letter to Mr. Anderson was not received until after my leaving Richmond. I have not as yet been able to fix on a Horse that will perfectly answer as a Match for Castor—There is one in Petersburg whose form figure and colour would do well but I fear he wants height. I will take an opportunity of comparing him with my horse which...
24To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 11 May 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Your last letters the one to Maria by the way of Colesville & the other to me by City point have been received. I am sorry it is not in our power to join you at Monticello—The trip requiring four horses renders it impossible to draw them from their work at this season without a sacrifice of our crop. To keep four horses for that trip only for all others we can perform without extra horses...
25To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 25 June 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just time while enclosing a Letter from Maria to acknowledge the reciept of your letter of the 13. of June. Maria has been very unwell & is now at Eppington for change of air. As she is equally interested in the contents of your letter I shall postpone my answer until we have an opportunity of perusing it together. In the mean time I can only return my thanks for the offer you are kind...
26To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 14 July 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I left Maria yesterday. She is now in a fair way for regaining her health. She rides every day on horse back & has recovered her strength entirely. But for the dread of the measles I would carry her immediately to the Green-Springs as the cold bath would probably benefit a pain in her back from which she has frequently experienced inconvenience from the time of her miscarriage at Eppington—And...
27To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 13 December 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Nothing of importance had occured since the meeting of the Legislature, until Saturday last—On that we elected Mr. Page Governor by a general vote no other person being nominated as his opponent. on the same we replaced three members of the Executive council , two of whom to wit Wood & White where removed by joint vote of the two houses & the third to wit Pendleton by resignation—Their...
28To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 16 December 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
In my last I mentioned to you a Resolution which had been offered by Mr Smith & the probability of a substitute being adopted—I now enclose you a copy of the substitute passed yesterday with 25 dissenting voices only & those the most bitter of their party. It was not supposed by many members of the Legislature that we ought to have acted on this subject at all—Mr. Smith however placed us in a...
29To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 23 December 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
We yesterday reelected Mr. Mason to the Senate with an almost unanimous vote—I should have written to you last Evening but I was anxious to give You the issue of an affair between George Hay & Callender. An abusive piece appeared against Mr. Hay in the Recorder about ten days since—Hay accidentally meeting with Callender gave him very freely a good cudgel—Callender was very severely beat & his...
30To Thomas Jefferson from John Wayles Eppes, 24 December 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I have attended to day the trial of a warrant against Callender & Pace under the act of assembly authorising the justices of the peace to demand “security for the good behaviour of those who are not of good fame”—Various English precedents as to the extent & meaning of the words “ not of good fame ” were cited and it has been decided by the Magistrates who set in the trial that the common...