31To Thomas Jefferson from James Lyons, 27 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
It gives me great concern to inform you that Mr. Faden has deceived me, and disappointed you of the Map, which I had prepared to send immediately after my arrival by the succeeding stage. Having received his promise of delivering it safe, at Paris, as expeditiously as possible, by his correspondent there, and knowing it would be liable to accident, if intrusted to the public carriages, I...
32[To Thomas Jefferson from Patrick Henry, 17 May 1786] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Richmond, 17 May 1786 . Entered in SJL as received 1 Aug. 1786. Not found. See TJ to Henry, 9 Aug. 1786 .]
33To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 4 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Preston has at last found and sent me your Letter. Dr. Bancroft spoke to me, about Commodore Jones’s Demand upon Denmark: but upon looking into the Papers we found that the Commodore is recommended by Congress wholly to the Minister at the Court of Versailles, so that We were apprehensive our Powers would be disputed. The Danish Minister however was not here; I offered to go with Dr....
34To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 5 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
The Chevalier de Pinto, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, from Portugal, after a long absence by leave of his Court is lately arrived here from Lisbon. Upon several occasions, when I met him at Court and upon visits, he told me that he had orders from his Court to confer with me upon the Project of a Treaty between the United States and Portugal, but he [nev]er descended to...
35To Thomas Jefferson from Jean Baptiste de Gouvion, 5 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
About eighteen months ago Mr. Grand recieved an order from the treasury board of the united States to pay the interests due for the year 1784 upon certificates delivered to the foreign officers who have served in the continental army. He comply’d with the said order for all those who at that time made application to him. Captain Castaign being absent from Paris, and not appraized of the order...
36From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 12 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I had just closed the preceding letter when M. de Blumendorf the Imperial Secretary of legation called on me with the answer to Doctr. Franklin. It was that of Sep. 28. 1784 which you remember as well as myself, wherein Count Merci informed us the Emperor was disposed to enter into commercial arrangements with us and that he would give orders to the Government of the Austrian Netherlands to...
37To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Thomson, 6 April 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received your letter of the 8th October as well as those of 21 June by Mr. Otto and the 14 July by Mr. Houdon. I read your notes with much pleasure and intended to have troubled you with some observations on them; but they have been so much out of my hands, though entrusted to such as you would approve, that I have not had an opportunity to revise them with that attention I wished and...
38To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 6 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Yesterday I received your Favour of 30. May with its Inclosures. You have Since that day no doubt received my answer to yours of the 11th., in which I agreed perfectly with you in the Propriety of Sending Mr. Lamb to Congress without Loss of time. I am content to send Mr. Randal with him but had rather he Should come to you first and then to me, and embark in London after we shall have had...
39To Thomas Jefferson from André Limozin, 17 March 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Le Havre, 17 Mch. 1786. The “American Ship Hanover, burthen 400 Tuns, commanded by Williams,” is lying in port and will sail for Virginia; any goods which TJ or his friends may wish to ship to that part of America should be sent by land, to his care, at once; will execute any commissions TJ may have for him. RC ( MHi ); 1 p.; endorsed. Noted in SJL as received 31 Apr. [1 May?]; 1786.
40From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 27 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter of the 12th. inst. which goes by the same packet, but was delivered to a private hand, I had the honour of inclosing to you letters from Mr. Carmichael, Mr. Barclay and Mr. Lambe on the Barbary affairs. Others came to hand last night which are now copying, and will be inclosed to you by the post of this day as far as they can be copied. The whole cannot possibly be in readiness...
41From Thomas Jefferson to Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 29 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been honoured, my dear Madam, with your letter of the 5th. instant, and embrace the first opportunity which has offered by a private hand of sending to Mr. Paradise letters for Virginia. I shall be happy to hear he is gone there, because I believe he will be happier there than in England. It is a country where a rational and studious man may follow his inclinations with less...
42From 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...
43To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [before 8 February 1786] (Jefferson Papers)
Otchikeita is Gone to the abbé, and Kayenlaha will wait for You to Morrow. It is probable Mr. du Crest will be there, Ambassador from the Court of the Palais Royal. Duke d’Harcourt writes me that Eleven Suits him Better than ten. Adieu. Here is an Application from Horace’s to our Good General Here are three Verses made By M. de Marmontel RC ( DLC ); unsigned; without indication of addressee or...
44From Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 9 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The only letter of yours the receipt whereof I have not yet acknoleged is the 31st. of Dec. Mine are of Sep. 25. Jan. 3. and Jan. 27 [i.e., 26]. With that of Jan. 27. I had sent the crayons &c. formerly desired. With the present I will send 2. doz. camelshair pencils, and a doz. black lead pencils which are desired in yours of Dec. 31. I at the same time sent the 14th. 15th. and 16th....
45From 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...
46To Thomas Jefferson from Teresa Murphy, 8 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Tho’ I have not the Honour to be known to your Excellence I presume to ask the Same favor of you with which Mr. Franklin, your predecessor, honour’d me, that is your attention to Send over my letters, with your dispatches to philadelphia, and permit that my friends in Maryland may take the Same way, which I esteem more Safe and expedicious than any other. Dr. franklin had the goodness to carry...
47To Thomas Jefferson from Francis Hopkinson, 1 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Within these few Days I received yours of the 26th Januy. last, together with Dr. Franklin’s and my Encyclopedié, a Set of Crayons &c. &c. for all which I remain your Thankful Debtor. I am glad you did not send more than one Set of the Crayons. They are neither so good nor so cheap as those I formerly had from the Shop I mentioned to you. I took the Address from a printed Direction pasted on...
48From Thomas Jefferson to André Limozin, 16 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
In expectation that the ship bound from your port to Norfolk in Virginia may not be gone, I take the liberty of sending under your address by the Diligence a packet for Mr. Madison in Williamsburg, which I will pray you to forward by that vessel. I have the honour to be with much respect Sir Your most obedient & most humble servt., PrC ( MHi ).
49From Thomas Jefferson to James Buchanan and William Hay, 26 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour of writing to you on the receipt of your orders to procure draughts for the public buildings, and again on the 13th. of August. In the execution of those orders two methods of proceeding presented themselves to my mind. The one was to leave to some architect to draw an external according to his fancy, in which way experience shews that about once in a thousand times a pleasing...
50From Thomas Jefferson to Richard Cary, 4 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Knowing your fondness for Botany, and meeting with a new edition of Linnaeus’s systema vegetabilium in English with many additions furnished the editors by young Linnaeus which have never yet been in print, I procured one for you, and now avail myself of the return of Monsr. de la Croix to Williamsburg to convey it to you and ask your acceptance of it. I saw in the hands of Mr. Mazzei a list...
51To Thomas Jefferson from Edward Bridgen, 17 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I hope that your Excellency will have the goodness to pardon the liberty I take in requesting the favour of [your] Excellency to present, from the Author, this small book to the Queen of France; as it in a degree appertains to the Imperial family and more particularly to her Majesty’s Brother the Emperor? But if your Excellency should, after perusing it, see any impropriety in it, the Author...
52From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 27 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of the 13th. and 20th. were put into my hands today. This will be delivered you by Mr. Dalrymple, secretary to the legation of Mr. Craufurd. I do not know whether you were acquainted with him here. He is a young man of learning and candor, and exhibits a phaenomenon I never before met with, that is, a republican born on the North side of the Tweed . You have been consulted in the...
53To Thomas Jefferson from Castries, 30 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
La nommée françoise Rippert, Monsieur, reclame une somme de six cent soixante quinze livres , qui lui est düe pour logement et nourriture fournis en 1779 aux S. Robinson garde marine et john francfort pilote à bord de l’Escadre americaine. M. Jones ayant touché les parts de prises des S. Robinson et francfort vous trouverés juste sans doute, Monsieur, que cet officier soit tenu de payer ce qui...
54To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 18 March 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Your two favours of the 1 and 20 Sepr. under the same cover by Mr. Fitzhugh did not come to hand till the 24th. Ult: and of course till it was too late for any Legislative interposition with regard to the Capitol. I have written to the Attorney on the subject. A letter which I have from him dated prior to his receipt of mine takes notice of the plan you had promised and makes no doubt that it...
55From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 11 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Baron Polnitz not going off till today enables me to add some information which I receive from Mr. Barclay this morning. You know the immense amount of Beaumarchais’ accounts with the U.S. and that Mr. Barclay was authorized to settle them. Beaumarchais had pertinaciously insisted on settling them with Congress. Probably he received from them a denial: for just as Mr. Barclay was about to set...
56To Thomas Jefferson from Burrill Carnes, 28 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Barclay in passing through this on his way to Bordeaux did me the honor to appoint me Agent for this City. I therefore think it a duty incumbent on me to make you acquainted with it and to tell you Sir that I am on all occasions at your disposal and most respectfully Sir your most Obedient & very humble Servant, RC ( MHi ); endorsed. Noted in SJL as received 3 Mch. 1786.
57From Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 17 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Monsieur de Tronchin, minister for the republic of Geneva at this court, having a son at this time in London, I take the liberty of introducing him to your acquaintance. A respect for the father induces me to this liberty, together with an assurance that the son merits it. He is young and may need a monitor, who, with the gay, may mix the serious, when it becomes necessary to keep him out of...
58To Thomas Jefferson from David Humphreys, [ca. 12 December 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
I have been duly honoured with your favour of Decr. 4th. and on the subject of Gatteau’s application take the liberty to inform you that I never had an idea of his engraving the insignia of the Cincinnati. I clearly see the impropriety of it. I should therefore be much obliged if you would take the trouble of giving him definitive instructions on this and any other points that may occur in the...
59From 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...
60From Thomas Jefferson to La Rouerie, 12 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been honoured with your letter of the 26th. of Dec. on the subject of the interest due to the foreign officers. An express instruction of Congress having subjected their monies in Europe to the order of their board of treasury only leaves me without the power of giving the order you desire. However, wishing to do whatever was possible for those officers, I went to Mr. Grand’s to consult...