Jefferson, Thomas, as third President

Autograph letter signed ("Th: Jefferson"), 1 page (9 x 7 7/8 in.; 228 x 200 mm) on wove paper, Washington, 12 April 1808, to Edmund Bacon; browned, with mat burn, from early framing, one small hole from ink erosion.

As he begins to wind up his affairs in Washington, President Jefferson reviews some personal accounting matters with Edmund Bacon, his overseer at Monticello. "I enclose you 100. D. of which be pleased to pay 50. D. to J. Perry and keep 50. for the debts you have still to pay. I ought to have remitted J. Perry 50. D. more and mr Chisholm 60. D. but these deficiencies I will make up on my arrival at home, and then bring you 200. D. which will pay off the whole list of debts furnished me beforehand." The two creditors Jefferson refers to are evidently John Perry, a carpenter at Monticello, and Hugh Chisholm, who worked at Jefferson's estate as a bricklayer, mason, and plasterer.

The remainder of Jefferson's letter outlines a new route between Washington and Charlottesville that he wants tried out: "let Davy set off with my horse on Saturday the 23d. tell him that at Orange courthouse he must take the road by Culpepper courthouse and Fauquier courthouse, and from this last enquire the way by Barnet's Tavern, Greenwich, Ewell's mill, Yates's ford on Bull run, and Longster's, from Longster's he will know the way. I wish him to be exact in coming this road because it is the one I shall return & I shall want to know how it is. the only difficult part, and where he must look out well is from Fauquier courthouse to Longsters." Jefferson concludes the letter with well wishes for his overseer.