31John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 6 April 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been unwell during the last eight or ten days and part of the time confined to my room—This must be my apology for leaving your last so long unanswered— I have determined to remove Francis from the Catholic school at the close of the Session of Congress . I would with pleasure send him on immediately and let him join you on your trip to Bedford , but the time is so nearly arrived for...
32Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 13 March 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s & Francis’s of Feb. 14. were recieved in due time. you have seen by the newspapers what our legislature has done on the subject of an University. the centrality & salubrity of Charlottesville excite strong expectations that the site of the Central College will be adopted for that. but this cannot be known until the next session of the legislature. in the mean while we shall go on with...
33John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 14 February 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I enclose a letter from Francis in answer to the one forwarded to me . A few days before my departure from Virginia I enclosed to M r Bolling the subscription paper for the central College . I had put down my name for 200 dollars. fifty dollars payable on the first of April next and fifty dollars on the first day of April afterwards for the three succeeding years. Some jealousy in relation to...
34Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 6 February 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved a letter of Dec. 28. from Francis to which I had deferred an answer until I could speak with more certainty of the prospects of our central college . he describes his situation as neither agreeable nor advantageous. Doct r Cooper had engaged with us as professor of the Physiological sciences, and had moreover offered to take charge of our classical school, until we can get for that...
35John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I forwarded to you at the commencement of the Session the Message of the President — In the house of Representatives Spanish affairs have served as a barrel to occupy the whale and various motions have been made on that subject—I have conversed with several of the gentlemen who have been most prominent and find the objection object to be a recognition on the part of the United States of the...
36Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 26 October 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I have procured from Leschot for mrs Eppes a very elegant watc h and of the very best construction being of the kind called à cylindre horizontal ; the only inconvenience of which is that they require being touched with oil a little oftener than the others. he had no watch of the common construction which was proper for a lady. he required 40.D. boot, allowing only 30.D. for the gold of the...
37John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 3 September 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of aug. the 6 th arrived here when my house was filled with my own and M rs Eppes ’s connections— M r Burton and his family left us on Saturday— my sister and M r Lane on Tuesday—I could not conveniently leave them here and the season is now so far advanced that you will I presume soon return to Monticello — We are begining to experience the inconveniences of the wet and cold & our...
38Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 6 August 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I set out for Bedford tomorrow, and shall leave this at Flood ’s. you will know therefore by it’s receipt that we are passed on, to wit Ellen , Cornelia and myself. very soon after our arrival at Poplar Forest , perhaps a week, we shall go to the Nat l bridge and be a b sent 4. or 5. days: and shall hope to see you & Francis soon after as given us to hope in yours of
39Thomas Jefferson’s Circular to Prospective Donors to Central College, 4 August 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
You have probably seen mentioned in the public papers that it is in contemplation to establish near Charlottesville a seminary of learning which shall embrace all the sciences deemed materially useful in the present age. towards this object the legislature has passed an act giving us a constitution nearly of our own choice, under the name of the Central College , making the Governor patron of...
40Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 6 June 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
By a letter from mr Wood recieved a few days ago, I learned with great regret that he was obliged to suspend his school for four months (till the last of September) in order to compleat the public survey he had undertaken. regret being unavailing, the question is how Francis may best employ those 4. months. I observe he has made no progress in Arithmetic, and think therefore he could not do...
41Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 1 May 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I have recieved a letter from mr Burton , informing me he had purchased for me a barrel of Scuppernon wine. I had before informed him that I would desire mr Gibson of Richmond to pay his draught for it, and I had accordingly so done, but mr Burton prefers settling it with you. I therefore now inclose you a draught on Gibson , the most convenient channel of remittance to myself, and I am in...
42John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 28 April 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I regret that I was not at home when your servant returned with Francis — It was so late when my servant returned from North Carolina with the grape slips that I thought it best to set them out at once and put the part designed for you into a very rich bed in my garden— Martha sent part of them to you—The others still remain and shall be particularly attended to—By sending down at the proper...
43Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 7 April [1819] (Jefferson Papers)
The adoption of our College as an University much delays the opening our schools here, as needing much greater preparation & the Visitors having concluded that accomodations must be provided before Professors, they have fixed on April next for recieving professors. in the of our D r Cooper was to have brought on a mr Slack , as Usher to our Grammar school & whom he had pressed as our...
44Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 31 March 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Francis will set out tomorrow for Mill-brook . he has his constant health, and has applied himself assiduously & solely to Spanish. he now possesses this so well that reading a little in it every day, he will be in no danger of losing it. in the French he is well established; and the possession of these two languages is well worth the little check he has recieved in his Latin, I think he...
45Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 6 March 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I have detained Martin a little longer than you intended because my waggons were to set off this day for Bedford and I concluded to send him with the work he had done by one of them. it was but one day’s journey of their way, and saves your waggon a trip of 5. days to come for them. by Martin ’s count there are 129. knobs. their tops will require to be kept well painted, as they present the...
46Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 24 January 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Francis arrived here in good health the day before Yesterday. I think he cannot do better than to take this occasion of learning Spanish, because it is a language rarely taught in this country, and will be of great importance within his day. it is that too in which all the early history of America is written. I suppose he may acquire so much of it in 2. or 3. months as to pursue it easily...
47John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 17 January 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Francis has been detained in consequence of the severe indisposition of two of my children—They are now however nearly restored to health. I received by the last Mail a letter from M r Baker at Richmond now in which he States that M r Wood had Just opened a School in that place and was very anxious to have Francis as one of his pupils— He has declined returning to Lynchburg .
48John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 23 December 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
I have directed Martin to remain at Monticello until he learns to Turn—He will be able to get the stocks necessary for the pieces 400 in number and I can send for them after his return— My health is I hope gradually improving— I am able now to take exercise on horse back which I am in hopes in time with a rigid attention to diet will restore me— Martha unites with me in every wish of affection...
49Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 24 June 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
I am this moment arrived here with Ellen & Cornelia , and find Francis who arrived last night. I will take care and attend him to the Academy & see to every thing necessary for him. we will keep him with us as long as we stay (a week or 10. days) and rub him up in his French. I learn with great concern the state of your health, but can prescribe nothing by but patience & the springs with good...
50Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 30 April with 7 May 1816 postscript (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 8 th was recieved here on the 19 th inst. the information you have had as to the schools at Staunton and Lexington is correct. the latter has been at all times under the direction of an infuriated Presbyterian bigot and tory, better fitted to fanaticise than to instruct youth in useful knolege. when I was last here, I heard of their expelling two or three youths for the heinous...
51Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 30 [March] 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
Francis returns as much improved, I am in hopes, as you will have expected. he reads French with so much ease as to read it for amusement, has not much occasion for his dictionary, pronounces generally well, the few defects remaining being such as will be easily corrected hereafter. being kept almost entirely at French, he could afford only the time before breakfast for keeping up his Latin....
52John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
Francis arrived at warren the day after you passed on your last visit to Bedford . on learning there that you had passed on instead of proceeding to Monticello he returned home— I was seized a few days afterwards with a violent attack of the Rheumatism and he has been detained in consequence of my indisposition much longer than I could have wished— You can keep him at Monticello as long as you...
53John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 6 July 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
your letter from Poplar Forrest arrived here while I was absent on a trip to Eppington and Richmond . Any arrangement which you consider calculated to benefit Francis in the course of his education cannot fail to meet my approbation. I have only one fear that Francis amidst the amusements of Monticello will not have resolution enough to pursue steadily the course marked out for him— I had...
54Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 1 June 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
For want of time to consult you on it, I have taken a measure of great responsibility on my self as to Francis , for your pardon for which I must rely on the motives, and what I hope will be the effect of it. French is become the most indispensable part of modern education. it is the only language in which a man of any country can be understood out of his own; and is now the preeminent...
55Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 9 September 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
I am sorry to learn by Francis’s letter that your you are not yet recovered from your rheumatism, and much wonder you do not go and pass a summer at the Warm springs . from the examples I have seen I should entertain no doubt of a radical cure. the transactions at Washington and Alexandria are indeed beyond expectation. the circumjacent country is mostly disaffected, but I should have thought...
56John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 7 September 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
Having occasion to send to Milton I have directed the servant to call and enquire after your health and that of the family— We are all in a bustle here since the destruction of the public buildings at Washington . The feeble resistance made and the total want of any thing like an efficient force even of militia notwithstanding the Government had timely notice, is a subject of triumph to the...
57Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 16 July 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Estin Randolph has shewed me a letter from you, proposing to sell him Pantops , o i n order to lay out the money in lands in your neighborhood for Francis . I had hoped that we had concurred in our purposes on that subject, altho’ we did not in the immediate execution of them. my view & wish was when Francis should come of age, or the Pantops lease expire, or whenever else you pleased, to...
58Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 6 November 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
I had not expected to have troubled you again on the subject of finance; but since the date of my last I have recieved from mr Law a letter covering a memorial on that subject which from it’s tenor I conjecture must have been before Congress at their two last sessions. this paper contains two propositions, the one for issuing Treasury notes bearing interest, & to be circulated as money; the...
59John Wayles Eppes to Thomas Jefferson, 26 September 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
I met with Doct r Flood at Buckingham court house on the second monday of the present month. From him I had the pleasure of hearing you were in good health and that a letter from you to me had been put into the mail at his Fathers on that morning—The letter has not been received and I am unable to account for its failure—Even if it had gone on to Richmond it ought to have reached me on Tuesday...
60Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 11 September 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
I turn with great reluctance from the functions of a private citizen to matters of state. the swaggering on deck, as a passenger, is so much more pleasant than clambering the ropes as a seaman, & my confidence in the skill and activity of those employed to work the vessel is so entire, that I notice nothing, en passant, but how smoothly she moves. yet I avail myself of the leisure which a...