1Jefferson’s Account of the Stanhope Affair, [1 November 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
The assault committed in Boston on Capt. Stanhope commander of the British frigate Mercury having been given in several European papers according to the London state of it , candour obliges us to present to the eye of our readers, the same transaction as stated in depositions on oath taken by the order of that government in which it happened. Two citizens of Massachusets, of the names of...
2From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 4 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing you on the 18th. of October and again on the 25th. of the same month. Both letters, being to pass through the post offices, were confined to particular subjects. The first of them acknoleged the receipt of yours of Sep. 29. At length a confidential opportunity arrives for conveying to you a cypher ; it will be handed you by the bearer Mr. Lambe. Copies of it are in...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Richard O’Bryen, 4 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you a short letter on the 29th. of September acknowleging the receipt of yours of Aug. 24. from Algiers, and promising that you should hear further from me soon. Mr. Adams the American minister at London, and myself have agreed to authorise the bearer hereof Mr. Lamb to treat for your redemption and that of your companions taken in American vessels, and, if it can be obtained for sums...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Castries, 5 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have had the honor of receiving your Excellency[’s] letter of October the 28th. inclosing copies of Captain Jones receipts of an hundred and five thousand one hundred and eighty five livres, three sols, six deniers, and seventy five thousand eight hundred and fifty three livres eighteen sols four deniers prize money of the Bon homme Richard and the Pallas, which I shall take the first...
5From Thomas Jefferson to John Paul Jones, 5 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
The resolution of Congress of Oct. 29. 1783. is the only one I have seen on the subject of the Danish business. That is directed expressly to ‘the Ministers plenipotentiary of the U.S. at the court of Versailles empowered to negociate a peace.’ It is true that I had the honour of being named in that commission and was preparing to come when we received news of the signature of the preliminary...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Daniel and Theodorick Fitzhugh, 11 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I received last night your favour of the 7th. and put this under cover to Monsr. Limouzin desiring him to furnish you with four hundred livres which I will pay to his order on sight. I trouble you with some other letters, and would be obliged to you to inform me when you think you shall probably sail as I would still wish to write to Mr. Jay. I really condole with you on your delay, which the...
7From Thomas Jefferson to André Limozin, 11 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I received last night a letter from the Mr. Fitzhughs informing me that the delay of their departure occasioned them to be in want of money. If you will be so good as to furnish them with four hundred livres I will repay it to your bill on me on sight. Be pleased to mention in the bill that it is for so much paid to them by my order. I pray of you the further trouble of delivering them the...
8From Thomas Jefferson to William Wenman Seward, 12 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I received the honor of your letter of the 25th. Ult. written by desire of the Associated company of Irish merchants in London and return you thanks for the kind congratulations you express therein. The freedom of commerce between Ireland and America is undoubtedly very interesting to both countries. If fair play be given to the natural advantages of Ireland she must come in for a...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, with Thomas Boylston’s Proposal, [ca. 13 November 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Boylston proposes to bring to France this next year from 100 to 500 tons of Spermaceti whale oil on the following terms. 1. Government to remit all duties on it to permit him to take freight back to the W. Indies and there to take sugar and molasses for the U.S. He will lay out half the price received in the productions and manufactures of France and will sell them at auction in America,...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Vergennes, with State of the Case of the William & Catherine, 14 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the Liberty of troubling your Excellency on Behalf of six Citizens of the United States who have been for some Time confined in the Prisons of St. Pol de Léon, and of referring for particulars to the inclosed State of their Case. Some of the material Facts therein mentioned are founded on the Bill of Sale for the Vessel, her Clearance from Baltimore and her Logbook. The Originals of the...
11From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 19 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you on the 11th. of Octob. by Mr. Preston and again on the 18th. of the same month by post. Since that yours of Sep. 25. by Mr. Boylston, Oct. 24. Nov. 1. and Nov. 4. have come safe to hand. I will take up their several subjects in order. Boylston’s object was first to dispose of a cargo of sperma ceti oyl which he brought to Havre. A secondary one was to obtain a contract for...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 20 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been honoured with your two letters of Octob. 19. and 25. by Mr. Fox and Doctor Rodgers since the date of my last. I am to thank you for your state of Stanhope’s case. It has enabled me to speak of that transaction with a confidence of which I should otherwise have been deprived by the different state of it in the public papers and the want of information from America. I have even...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Jean Baptiste Huron, 20 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I will endeavor to give you the best information I can on the subject of your enquiries about the 200,000 acres of land in the counties of Fayette, Montgomery and Ohio which Mr. Pentecost and his partner oblige themselves to have conveyed to you by patents or otherwise as a security for 8000£ Pennsylvania money, and which you are desired to sell. By the term ‘patent’ I presume they had not in...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Vergennes, 20 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I found here on my return from Fontainebleau the letter of Octob. 30. which your excellency did me the honour there of informing me had been addressed to me at this place, and I shall avail myself of the first occasion of transmitting it to Congress, who will receive with great pleasure these new assurances of the friendly sentiments which his Majesty is pleased to continue towards the United...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Lister Asquith, 23 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received your letter of the 14th. inst. It was not till the 8th. of this month that I could obtain information from any quarter, of the particular court in which your prosecution was instituted, and the ground on which it was founded. I then received it through the hands of Messrs. Desbordes at Brest. I have sent to the count de Vergennes a state of your case, of which the inclosed is a...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Borgnis Desbordes, Frères, 24 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
J’ai eu l’honneur de recevoir, Messieurs, la lettre du 4me. Novembre que vous avez bien voulu m’adresser, et j’ai tardé de vous faire mes remerciments des soins dont vous avez la bonté de vous charger des prisonniers Americains, en esperant toujours de recevoir une ordre pour leur elargissement et de me profiter de votre adresse pour le faire passer avec certitude à leurs mains. Mais n’en...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Jean Diot & Cie., 24 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Octob. 26 . came safely to hand and should sooner have been acknowleged, but that I have wished at the same time to convey through your hands whatever indulgence the government would be pleased to grant to the American prisoners to whom you have been so kind as to extend your attention. Having as yet however been unable to procure any order in their favor I cannot longer delay...
18From Thomas Jefferson to J. A. Gautier, 24 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I received your letter last night and meant to have answered it this morning, but it escaped me. I really am at a loss what to say. I do not consider myself as having any authority to direct the application of the public money except where it relates immediately to my own transactions. My private opinion is that the present bill should be governed by what has been the usual proceeding between...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Elder, 25 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter by Doctor Lyons has been safely delivered me. Mr. Short on his arrival here from Virginia had informed me that the young Mr. Randolphs were either gone or going to Edinburgh and since that I have received the same information from Doctor Currie in a letter. I consider that really as the best position in Europe for the acquisition of real science: and that it will be very...
20From Thomas Jefferson to André Limozin, 25 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I received the day before yesterday your favor of the 21st. and thank you for your care of my letter to the Mr. Fitzhughs. In mine of Nov. 11. addressed to you I took the liberty of asking you to furnish them with four hundred livres and to draw on me for the money. Instead of this you will be pleased to consider the twenty guineas (mentioned in your letter) as advanced at my request and to...
21From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 25 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I am sorry to hear, by letter from Mr. Elder, that your health is infirm, and that it is likely to become necessary on that account for yourself, your brother and cousin to remove to the continent of Europe. Edinburgh had the two advantages of possessing science in as high a degree as any place in the world, and of conveying it in your native tongue. Places may be found on the continent which...
22From Thomas Jefferson to Jean-Armand Tronchin, [ca. 25 November 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
Monsieur Jefferson, ministre plenipotentiaire des etats-unis d’Amerique, est venu pour avoir l’honneur de voir Monsieur Tronchin et lui faire son compliment sur ce qu’il a eté presenté à leur Majestés et à la famille royale en qualité de Ministre de la republique de Geneve. Dft ( DLC ); undated. The date has been assigned from Tronchin’s announcement of his accreditation on 22 Nov. 1785,...
23From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 27 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 5th. came to hand yesterday, and Colo. Smith and Colo. Humphries (by whom you will receive one of the 19th. from me) being to set out tomorrow, I hasten to answer it. I sincerely rejoice that Portugal is stepping forward in the business of treaty, and that there is a probability that we may at length do something under our commissions which may produce a solid benefit to our...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Henley, 27 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I receive this moment your kind letter of the 16th. and a private opportunity to London offering tomorrow morning, I avail myself of it to acknowledge the receipt. Mr. Johnson’s draught of which you advise me shall be punctually honoured. The fears you are so kind as to express on the subject of my family, are but too well founded. The domestic loss I sustained was the only circumstance which...
25[From Thomas Jefferson to André Limozin, 28 November 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 28 Nov. 1785 . Entry in SJL reads: “Limozin. For Mazzei’s trunk.” Not found.]
26From Thomas Jefferson to Philip Mazzei, November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
You desire me to give you an idea of the Origin and Object of our court of Chancery, the Limits of it’s jurisdiction, and it’s Tendency to render property and liberty more or less secure in a country where that security is infinitely valued. The purpose for which you require this obliges me to be concise, as indeed does my situation here, where, as you know, I am without books which might...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Vergennes, 2 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have had the honour of receiving your Excellency’s letter of November the 30th. in which you are pleased to inform me of the late abatement of the duties on all fish oils, made from fish taken by citizens of the United States and brought into this kingdom, in French or in American bottoms: and I am now to return thanks for this relief given to so important a branch of our commerce. I shall...
28From Thomas Jefferson to David Humphreys, 4 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter from Gatteaux observing that there will be an anachronism, if, in making a medal to commemorate the victory of Saratoga, he puts on General Gates the insignia of the Cincinnati which did not exist at that date. I wrote him in answer that I thought so too: but that you had the direction of that business, that you were now in London, that I would write to you and probably...
29From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 8 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a copy of a letter of mine to Mr. Grand which will explain to you a difficulty which arose as to a bill of exchange to which your name was subscribed. Considering myself as no ways authorized to direct the funds of the U.S. in France I had originally refused to intermeddle at all. But Mr. Grand would not pay at all then. I thereupon have undertaken to advise him till I can...
30[From Thomas Jefferson to Gazaigner de Boyer, 8 December 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 8 Dec. 1785 . Recorded in SJL under this date. Not found. ]