From Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 22 November 1802
To John Wayles Eppes
Washington Nov. 22. 1802.
Dear Sir
The family arrived here yesterday morning, without accident. mr Lilly’s order for £40. his wages & £20. for Austin is good. I have lately remitted to John Perry the whole balance due him to the completion of the South East offices; and our bargain is, whenever a compleat job is done & settled it is to be paid for. he says the shop is done, and that it will amount to £60 although he always overcharges & is to be docked down to our agreement. yet I presume I may assume the paiment of his order for £60. and the more readily as you say it will suit you to recieve the whole £120. in March. for in truth I have for four months to come such heavy paiments to make for corn, negro hire, land &c with heavy current expences during a session of Congress, that I shall weather the winter with difficulty with respect to the land including the spring at Pantops. when I come home in March I will lay it off and make a deed adding it to Pantops without any retribution. Accept my affectionate and constant attachment
Th: Jefferson
PrC (MHi); at foot of text: “J. W. Eppes.”
family arrived here yesterday morning: see Statement of Account with Meriwether Lewis, 21 Nov.
lately remitted: for these transactions totaling £120, or $400, see TJ’s financial memoranda recorded at 22 Nov. At 9 Nov., TJ noted that a payment of $108.87 to Gabriel Lilly was for John Perry (, 2:1085, 1086). A letter from Perry to TJ of 17 Nov., recorded in SJL as received from Shadwell on 21 Nov., has not been found.