Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
115 Kilobytes
Collection is open to research.
See the
Carr-Cary Family Papers, Accession 1231, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library
These papers were purchased for the Tracy W. McGregor Collection by the University of Virginia Library, from Mrs. Fairfax Harrison, Fauquier County, Virginia, on September 1, 1941.
Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
This collection consists of the papers of the
All Thomas Jefferson correspondence has been transferred to
the Thomas Jefferson Papers and is not listed in this guide.
The Jefferson letters are included in the calendar
Topics include family and social news of
Topics also include proposed and subsequent sale of
Carrsbrook; the sale, hire, and purchase of family slaves;
Hetty Carr's move to Baltimore; a fight between
The papers also contain a letter, 1797, from
Financial documents consist of receipts for payments of
fees for Peter Carr at
Sources for information about the Carr & Cary families
include:
[advises further practical study in England,
mentioning the mines of Derbyshire, the canals &
works of the Duke of Bridgewater, the pottery methods of
Mr. Wedgwood, the libraries at the University of Oxford,
and the natural history specimens and antiquities in the
museums of London, and suggests some books to read (1788
May 12); anxiously inquires if he has heard anything
from Thomas Jefferson on the subject of his own possible
immigration to America to continue as Randolph's teacher
(1788 Jun 22); informs Randolph of his terms for
employment in Virginia (1788 Aug 2); refers to his stay
in Virginia in 1789, his happiness at the news of
Randolph's marriage, his connection to the Wedgwood
family, his paper
[assures her of his affection and tells of his plans to accompany Captain Lilly with Mrs. Griffin, to New York City, where he hopes to see many of the important men of the new Congress, including James Madison and his uncle, Thomas Jefferson, after his return from France]
[suggests that William try to buy lime in Richmond, James is setting out for Varina Grove with the horses for Mr. Hughes and will also have the deed for Edgehill to present to Colonel Randolph for his acknowledgment of the signature, and mentions the necessity of hiring labor to help in his wheat fields]
[mentions his child Ann Cary (1791-1826), and the upcoming Christmas party at Beverly Randolph's]
[congratulates him upon his approaching marriage (in June 1797?) to Hester Smith Stevenson]
[discusses political divisions and the attacks made upon those in government, perhaps referring to the John Nicholas affair]
[discusses how Dr. Walker has violated the principle that the public interest should be preferred to private advantage]
[discusses his suit in the District Court, Lexington, Kentucky, over land in the forks of the [Elkhorn?] River, and their hope that Thomas Jefferson will win the election]
[the murder of [Samuel] Burch of Charlottesville, Virginia, by George Carter, who was angry over not being allowed in the Burch home to see Betsy Minor; the natural death of Tom Fleming; the hiring of slave woman Rose by Mr. Lott; the schooling of his stepson, George P. Stevenson, who has a private tutor at the home of Colonel Nicholas, and the sickness of little Jefferson (died in infancy)]
[discusses his financial arrangements to meet his obligations to "some Jews in Richmond," which involve [the slave hire of?] two girls presently with their grandmother "at the mountain,"and Lucy who has served her term of three years with Mr. Carr]
[dancing master concerning his account for George P. Stevenson]
[discusses Hetty's (Hester Stevenson Carr) deed for the wharf property and procuring a carriage from Philadelphia for Carr]
[mentions the deed for the warehouse property in Baltimore and offers condolences to Hetty (Hester Stevenson Carr) and Peter Carr on the loss of their son, Jefferson]
[refers to the charges against Thomas Jefferson by James Thomson Callender]
[discusses politics and the Republican party, the report of the Ways & Means Committee, his desire for Meriwether Jones to become the commissioner of loans, news of the Spanish troops disembarking at New Orleans, his expectation that the Louisiana Territory will pass from the French prefect to the United States without difficulty, and the two remaining matters before Congress being the creation of a Louisiana Territory government and the impeachment of a drunken judge]
[discusses horses, family matters, and a duel between Mr. Windom Grimes, of Richmond, and Mr. Terrell, with Wilson J. Cary (1784-1823), Peter Carr's nephew, as his second]
[asks Peter Carr to pay his brother, Dabney Carr (1772-1837) a debt for a horse incurred by Cabell, if it is convenient]
[mentions the sale of slave woman, Nelly and her two children, to Mr. Rothwell for six hundred dollars and the hire of [Sary]
[politics in the Virginia General Assembly and the eloquence of several speeches, especially T.L Preston of Rockbridge]
[reports on his studies at Warren, Virginia, and his boarding at Mr. White's]
[regrets that Rice has beaten him in the election, supposes James Madison will succeed Thomas Jefferson in the presidency and mentions the Embargo]
[advice to Carr on campaigning as a candidate in the state Senate, which he supports]
[asks concerning the possibility of selling his property in Augusta County, Virginia]
[begs Carr to come and visit him before he moves to southwest Virginia]
[assures her he has written to Mr. Divers concerning Louisa, [a slave?]
[describes her travel, searching for items in the Richmond stores for her sister Mary, and the letter has a handwritten genealogical chart o f the Cary family]
[William Newsum (1785-1828) gone to Norfolk on business; includes some additional genealogical notes re the Carr family]
[discusses his children, the progress of his school, marriage of George P. Stevenson, and the election of Dabney Carr as Chancellor of the Winchester District]
[expresses his disappointment that George and Eliza have postponed their trip to Carrsbrook, uncertainty over placing his son Dabney, with George in his counting house if they do not plan to visit very often, and his anxiety that they are going to set up housekeeping for themselves before George has finished his apprenticeship; also mentions the land in Augusta County, Virginia]
[requests he forward any letter of Carr's in his possession]
[forwards the legal opinion of [John] Wickham about money due from the Fairfax estate and holds the other papers for Cary or his agent]
[gives his advice concerning a controversy with Mr. N[elson] and Mr. Eustis involving Carr over an appointment]
[writes concerning a visit of Thomas Jefferson Randolph to Warren, Albemarle County to visit Jane Hollins Nicholas, daughter of Wilson Cary Nicholas and the future wife of T.J. Randolph (on March 16, 1815); apparently the family was upset about remarks that Mrs. Nicholas had supposedly made about Martha Randolph and Ann Bankhead]
[writes concerning her trip to Winchester]
[hopes that Peter Carr's health has improved, tells of difficulties on her journey home, the anxiety of William Newsum over the sale of his Tennessee lands, requests Virginia [Terrell] (1798-1816) to write, mentions the pregnancy of Virginia Randolph Cary (with Archibald Cary, born March 9th) and the fatal sore throat prevalent around King William County]
[answers her letter to Jane (Cary Harrison) who is away, makes arrangements to complete the bonnet to be sent to Mrs. Cocke, and reports that both she and her husband, Jane, and Lucy have all been sick]
[refers to the death of her son, Theodoric Randolph (1794?-1815) and the burdens she bears alone; mentions the possible visit of her sister, Harriet]
[refers to the death of Judith Randolph (1772-1816), sister of Virginia Cary, and her childhood friend, and the plans of Judith's son, John St. George Randolph (1792-1857), to build at "Bizarre" and her uncertainty if his uncle, John Randolph of Roanoke, will care for him or not]
[discusses her financial situation, mentions James Overton Carr and his wife, Mary Minor, lists the names of the slaves that she sent to Mr. Kelly's, and warns against early marriage]
[explains why his trunk did not arrive and promises to see it off the next Saturday from Charlottesville, mentions the death of Colonel John Mercer, and the accident of Mr. Battaille]
[wants to get their mother to come to Baltimore and see the surgeon, Dr. Gibson, for her hearing, and tell her about the opportunity for Dabney to work in the insurance office of Uncle Hollins, where he serves as President, and Dabney can continue his studies at night]
[Hetty Carr will set off for Baltimore by the end of the week, and Uncle Samuel Carr hopes to take John A. Carr to Washington to either sail on the Franklin or join the navy, hopefully with a recommendation from Thomas Jefferson]
[did not leave on Saturday because Sam persuaded her to stay for a later stage which was unable to leave because the water was to high, will bring Maria with her to Baltimore, Dabney is delighted to remain there, and notes that Thomas Jefferson did not receive George's letter as soon as he should have, but will send a recommendation to Washington for John A. Carr]
[sends a letter of brotherly advice]
[discusses family and financial affairs, W. Patterson and W. Gilmer will board with her next year, Mr. Craven wants to purchase the slave, Elizabeth, and Hetty Carr's property]
[names the servants they now have, including Anderson, Betsy Anne, and Robert; Jim is hired out to Richard Martin; cannot find white flour in Richmond, and they miss Dabney and Maria]
[full of friendly joking but little news]
[cousin James is building a house, and cousin Martha comes to Carrsbrook every Friday for Ellen to say her lessons, which she describes; Jefferson [Randolph] came by last Sunday and thought Carrsbrook better off than when Hetty left Virginia, he has rented two plantations and 70-80 slaves from his grandfather, Thomas Jefferson, and gives him produce in return]
[writing from Havana, Cuba, instructs Dabney to purchase Commercial & Farmers Bank stock for Eliza and his children, dividing the balance between himself and Maria]
[discusses financial situation and her desire to sell the plantation, prices of slaves are very high, hopes to eventually live in Baltimore with all her family together]
[letter from a childhood friend]
[worries about selling Carrsbrook, and the education of her girls]
[writes from Havana with business and other instructions]
[letter from two unknown childhood friends, teasing him about marriage]
[mentions his father and Doctor Everet as candidates for the General Assembly]
[urges him to tell her how Eliza and Maria are getting along and asks how Eliza is treating both of them while George is in Cuba]
[mentions the illness of her husband, the visit of William Fitzhugh Randolph, her daughter Jane Cary Randolph and her trouble with her pregnancy, and Lucy Bolling Randolph, and the visit of General [John Hartwell Cocke?] to her husband]
[discusses finances with him, including the possibility of Mr. Kelly buying the plantation and slaves, and her hopes of moving to Baltimore and reuniting the family]
[regrets that she was unable to stop and see her when they returned from "Bremo," her daughter Jane suffers a miscarriage, and cousin Mary Irving sends her love to Virginia; also includes genealogical notes by another writer on the letter]
[discusses business matters and moral instruction]
[discusses the condition of her crops this year, the unwillingness of Mr. Kelly to pay what she believes the plantation and slaves are worth, the necessity of being careful financially, availability of flour at Mr. Peyton's in Richmond for Eliza, and her concern for Maria's use of her time]
[gives her advice, warns her not to try to keep up with her friends, Mary T. and Alicia McBlair in fashion, and her trouble with one of her boarders]
[writes from Cuba, discussing financial affairs]
[asks her to account for the spending of her one hundred dollars, and insists that she gets her teeth filled]
[Eliza has written to her, unreconciled to George remaining in Cuba on business, her concerns about Dabney & Maria, if Eliza should leave Baltimore to join him there, and the condition of the plantation]
[her concerns about where Dabney and Maria will board if Eliza and her family go to the Charity School, suggests that Robert Smith may ask them to stay with him, worries about who will care for her children, Maria, Hollins, and Jane Margaret, should she die before they are grown, or before Dabney is married]
[writes during her stay in Richmond, mentions the publication of William Wirt's biography of Patrick Henry, and discusses her improvement in dancing]
[letter from childhood friend]
[promises to get General [John George] Jackson, who is on the spot, to investigate his deed to lands on Cedar Creek, near Clarksburg, [West Virginia] and begs his nephew to write to him about his welfare]
[discusses family affairs, her pleasure that Maria has filled her teeth, and Dabney Minor handling the sale of Carrsbrook and her slaves in Fairfax]
[Jefferson and Jane Randolph dined with her at "Dunlora," James [Carr?] has lost a child, and mentions the Trists]
[discusses the prospects of selling Carrsbrook again]
[reports on his efforts to locate a deed to the land on Cedar Creek conveyed by General Smith to Dabney S. Carr]
[his friend and relative discusses the crops on the farm at Carrsbrook and the arrival of Maria there]
[saw Jane Smith and Mary Taylor in Winchester]
[Aunt Betsy is very unwell, encloses the letter from General Jackson (see June 30, 1818)]
[discusses the wheat harvest, the birth of George P. Stevenson's son, and the intention of James Carr to buy Carrsbrook, if he is able to sell his own place]
[further discussions of the intention of James & Mary Carr to buy Carrsbrook, if he is able to sell his own place, and has found the deed to Dabney's land on Cedar Creek, West Virginia]
[further discussions of the intention of James & Mary Carr to buy Carrsbrook]
[further discussions of the intention of James & Mary Carr to buy Carrsbrook, mentions the University of Virginia, "the good citizens of Charlottesville are on their heads about the University which is shortly to be located," which is believed to be fixed at the Central College; mentions James Minor and his efforts concerning the old mill road for his mother, Hetty, and the deliverance of his overseer's wife of twins (the last year she had triplets)]
[the girls are at Jefferson Randolph's, George is exchanging his house for a larger one, further discussions of the intention of James & Mary Carr to buy Carrsbrook, and her feeling that she must sell everything that cannot be transported by water to Baltimore]
[during a trip to Winchester, describes his rescue of a gig stuck in the mud, his impression of the Alleghany Mountains, and includes a humorous and slightly risque story]
[the offer of Dabney Minor for Carrsbrook, the sale of the slaves Elizabeth and Betsy to R.G. Martin, who offers the same price to Maria for Jenny, asks George to make application so she can transport her slaves, Phil, Betty, Peter, Robert and his wife, Mary, and their two children, Esther and her man]
[provides details of her sale of Carrsbrook to Dabney Minor, and the public sale on November 19th, of her slaves and other property]
[writes from the ship U.S.S. Independence, being a midshipman in the U.S. Navy, and describes a fight he participated in at a theater in [Boston?]
[discusses the results of the sale, and mentions getting a power of attorney for the sale of Ben's family, belonging to George]
[discusses the sale of the family slaves, hoping to sell them to family or to neighbors if possible, the death of the slave named Phil, and the sale of her furniture and furnishings]
[requests that Carr introduce Dr. Bramham into Baltimore society]
[has sent Dabney S. Carr's deed to lands near Clarksburg, [West] Virginia, with a gentleman to be recorded in the court of the newly formed Lewis County]
[business & moral instructions and the progress of the voyage to Havana]
[discusses business]
[witnesses the fire in the Boston Exchange Coffee House and the subsequent blaze in the Navy Yard, and two midshipmen tried for overstaying their leave on shore]
[describes the sale of the family slaves, and makes arrangements about her furniture]
[worries about the repayment of George's debts, James Carr's purchase of Ben's family, and the arrangements for the sale of the other slaves]
[describes more adventures of the midshipman life]
[reports on the sale of slaves and furniture, Uncle Sam is to marry in a week and Martha and Dabney Minor are to marry]
[business instructions]
[forwards one hundred dollars from his mother to Dabney Carr]
[describes his life on the ship and adventures in swabbing the deck when the temperature was freezing]
[arrangements to come to Baltimore and set up housekeeping with Eliza temporarily, and her concerns over whether her daughter-in-law is really willing for her to come]
[has heard word of George Hollins and John Nicholas on board the Mediterranean, and mentions a brawl in the Boston theater]
[fears that Eliza is no longer interested in a joint housekeeping venture, mentions the marriage of Martha and Dabney Minor, and discusses business]
[discusses business and gives advice]
[writes concerning a slave, Letty, and her concerns about sending her to Georgia to be among strangers or even Louisiana without her consent, despite her being brought home by a constable]
[complains that Maria seldom writes her, reports on the selling of her furniture, longs to see her children and her concerns about housekeeping in Baltimore]
[describes his courting activities in Boston, wonders about the absence of letters from his father, and has not received his orders to The Hornet]
[discusses a check, family affairs, and furniture]
[discusses the merits of Boston girls and Virginia girls, parties, his anger at his father for not writing, and his hopes to sail aboard The Hornet]
[discusses her proposed trip to Baltimore and other business]
[hopes to come to Baltimore in March if the roads are not too bad and discusses family affairs]
[asks if he has gotten permission for her to bring her slaves to Baltimore, trouble over the slave Elizabeth because Samuel Carr neglected to apply to the General Assembly for leave to keep her in Virginia, describes the attack of Charles L. Bankhead upon Jefferson Randolph at court with a knife on February 1st, and weakened by his wounds, Randolph remained at the home of Alexander Garrett for awhile until he could be moved; remarks that "poor Mr. Jefferson was dreadfully agitated when he saw him first"]
[shares his pride that Virginia has established and endowed the University of Virginia at the location of Central College which will have about 300 students as estimated by Thomas Jefferson]
[glad that Dabney has deferred his plan to marry [Mary Taylor?] until next fall, and the possibility that he may sail on The Columbian]
[asks Dabney to make final arrangements with Mr. Montgomery to bring her and family to Baltimore, asks concerning her letters and what they said about her bargain with Dabney Minor for the land, which is in dispute, and reports on Jefferson Randolph's condition]
[remarks concerning the actions of Charles L. Bankhead, and wishes his friend would visit Monticello and remember John Carr to all the folks there, especially to Mrs. Randolph]
[mentions that Jefferson Randolph is almost restored to health, mentions Dabney Carr, Major Divers, Mrs. Coleman, and Ann Bankhead moving out of the county]
[writes from Carysbrook to his son at the Staunton Academy, mentions General John Hartwell Cocke's willingness to send up his carryall for his son, John Hartwell Cocke (1804-1846) and Wilson, General Cocke believes that soon a grammar school will be established by Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, who has written to Dr. Cooper in Philadelphia about engaging a competent teacher, and neighborhood disasters as a result of fires, including the death of the foreman at Oakhill who had a tree fall on his head]
[mentions Jane Randolph, Virginia's sister, and her daughter Jane [Randolph] who recently had a baby and is still at home with her]
[describes a visit to the Peaks of Otter, the meeting of the Presbytery of Hanover, with sermons by Mr. Rice of Petersburg and Mr. Lyle of Prince Edward, and her experiences in gardening]
[upset that no one has written for two months, has heard that Carrsbrook has burned, and describes his struggles with a runaway sailor in Boston]
[discusses the girls of Boston and asks about family & friends]
[continues to teach in Louisa County having refused an appointment to West Point, but may emigrate to Pensacola in the fall if he doesn't get married]
[announcing the death of George P. Stevenson in Havana, Cuba, of a fever]
[remarks on the scarcity of money and its effects on the economy, the disadvantages of being a merchant, plans for the wagon with the servants to leave Charlottesville tomorrow, and asks if a Miss Campbell can accompany Hetty Carr for safety]
[his work as a commodore's aid, sorry to hear Hetty is leaving Baltimore so soon, language of Yankee ladies, and the wounding of his friend]
[transferred to The Constellation]
[concerning his land in Lewis County, [West] Virginia]
[concerning the death of Dabney's brother, George P. Stevenson, and his land in Lewis County, [West] Virginia]
[sends $120.00 at the request of James O. Carr]
[concerning the death of Dabney's brother, George P. Stevenson, and advice about a new vocation]
[concerning the death of Dabney's brother, George P. Stevenson, his land in Lewis County, and asks about the plans of the family]
[concerning the death of Dabney's brother, George P. Stevenson, his land in Lewis County, Dabney Terrell, and asks about the plans of the family]
[concerning his land in Lewis County, [West] Virginia, and an offer to read law in his own office]
[times are very hard, has no overseer at present, reports on the lack of progress of Central College, the notes of the North Carolina banks are refused, saw his friend Jack Carr who left them yesterday, and advises Dabney to quit the mercantile business]
[both her husband and son-in-law, William, have been unwell, William, who has been at the Amelia Springs, will soon go to the Buckingham County Quarterly Court, accompanied by Jane to the home of Charles Irving, and asks if Virginia's daughter, Jane, can come to the dancing school with her children]
[makes arrangements for Dabney to take a position reading law in his office]
[mentions the visit of Martha Jefferson Randolph and Ellen Randolph to Virginia, and discusses the misunderstanding over her comments concerning Mary Campbell, sister of Sally Peachy, to Lelia Barraud; someone has included genealogical notes]
[business and moral instruction]
[instructions and plans for the education of their son, Wilson M. Cary, at the school of Mr. Maury, and refers to the unpleasant dispute between the governor, Thomas Mann Randolph, and the council]
[lists various items he has purchased for Tom Whitlock to bring to her on his return trip, and recounts an account of an exhibition of rope walking at a height of forty feet by a Frenchman, Godeau, at the Eagle Tavern in Williamsburg]
[discusses the sale of several slaves including: Martha and three children to Mr. Hopkins of Goochland County, Polly and two children to Mr. Farrar of Fluvanna County, the need to sell Nancy or Priss, and the interest of T.C. Nelson in Billy, who is the husband of Virginia Cary's cook]
[enumerates the articles sent by him through General John Hartwell Cocke to his wife, describes his social life, especially a large party given by John Rutherford in Richmond, discusses schooling for his son, considering Hamden-Sydney if Mr. Maury's school disappoints, asks his wife to remove the wife and children of slave Julius from their household, instructs her to hire out any slaves she can, except for the boy Billy, and reports the rumor that her niece, Ellen, has Martin Van Buren of New York in her train as a suitor]
[writes concerning the death of Rebecca's [granddaughter?], Anne Martha Cary (1813-1822), and other deaths in her neighborhood, Betsy Bassett, John Bracken, Mary Kennon Cocke Faulcon (1783-1822), and the illness of Mrs. Butler and John Blair Peachy]
[writes concerning the death of their daughter, Anne Martha Cary (1813-1822), her sister, Harriet Hackley, is still confined to her room, and mentions the visit of Henry Clay to the General Assembly and his speech]
[writes of a letter from his son, Wilson Miles, consoling him upon the death of Anne Martha Cary, his son's description of a drowning of a boy, Watson, from Charlottesville, who fell through the ice, and his plan to go down to Hampton, bring up slave Hannah and her family to sell in Richmond]
[shares news of common friends and relatives in Virginia, and asks for a copy of the statutes of Maryland, where he hopes to join the bar]
[discusses religion, a concert by Mrs. French, a
letter from his mother mentions the confinement of Mary
Jane next month, the upcoming trip of William Newsum
(1785-1828) westward, his friends, T.C. Nelson and
Griffin Peachy both in town, the legacy of cousin
Andrews, and is sending copies of
[river is high at Richmond, her sister Harriet, is much better, met [Joel Roberts] Poinsett, a member of Congress from South Carolina, saw Mrs. Randolph of Wilton, Miss Betsy Andrews, Miss Ballard, Robert & John Andrews, and Doctor Tazewell, plans to attend the last concert of Mrs. French, and mentions the marriage of Griffin Peachy's sister]
[writes from the U.S. Constellation,a depressed letter from Valparaiso, Chile, about his prospects in the Navy, saw The Franklin in this port, and asks for correspondence]
[inquires about his progress in his study of law]
[encloses a draft]
[writes concerning a debt he owes for boots and his pleasure at hearing Dabney is reading law with Judge Dorsey]
[defends the manner of his last payment to Hetty Carr]
[refers again to the debt for boots to Mr. Carson,
warns of the dangers of procrastination, for which the
Carrs are known, thanks him for a copy of
[writes concerning to his son at the Hampden Sydney College, the birth of a daughter, Louisa Hartwell, (who later died April 28, 1823), fires at the homes of Dr. Wills and Joshua Key, the marriage of Mary Elizabeth Randolph, daughter of Thomas Eston and Jane Cary Randolph, to Francis Eppes, son of John Wayles Eppes and Maria Jefferson, and work at the plantation]
[will continue to hire his slave Peter, and Doctor Grayson has told him that his nephew is about to take his place at the bar]
[saw the last performance of [Junius Brutus?] Booth
in
[Thompson Payne is bringing a bundle to her from himself, which he describes, instruct the overseer to stem their long tobacco this year, asks about the progress on the mill, find out if Mr. Ashlin wishes to hire the slaves, Julius and Jack, and mentions the purchase of slave Polly by Mr. Hopkins of Goochland]
[Happy New Year wishes, bad market in Richmond for slaves, although they hire well, hard financial times, bad management of their property by the overseer, saw Colonel Thomas Mann Randolph who said that Thomas Jefferson was nearly recovered from his accident, and that Randolph was making great profits at Varina, and reports that Harriet Hackley was still physically very weak]
[instructs her to get her sister at Monticello to try and clear up her misunderstanding with the Ashton family, pleased that she did not hire out the slaves to anyone who would use them ill, his debt obligates him to sell one of the slave girls, Priss or Nancy, Martha and her two youngest children sold to Mr. Farrar of Fluvanna, Polly and her children left at Cartersville with Dr. James, Sampson sold in the county, Elizabeth to be sold with her husband in Williamsburg by Dr. Peachy, and the marriage of Juliana Mayo to Dr. R.H. Cabell]
[describes articles he is sending and the money for Wilson]
[must economize due to the difficulty of the times, his dissatisfaction with Hampden Syndney if Wilson is only learning Greek, and an account of his slave sales]
[writes concerning his slave William, the mill repairs, her sister, Harriet Hackley, his sister, Sally Newsum (1788-1841) who is still grieving over the loss of her child, Robert Starke Newsum, and the determination of William Newsum to take his father's claim for $16,000 before Congress]
[hopes the General Assembly session will soon end, and mentions the death of his "unfortunate Aunt [Sarah?] Fairfax]
[attending the College of William and Mary, visits to Aunt Harriet Hackley and Aunt [Mary Munro] Peachy, his cousin, John Blair, has loaned him many of the books he needs, and describes classes]
[his statement for use in a suit regarding the intended dowry of the wife of John S. Smith]
[inquires about the payment of an annuity left by his grandfather, Wilson Miles Cary, in the hands of her late husband Wilson J. Cary (1784-1823), for Fairfax's mother]
[an account of his difficult voyage as a sailor in the merchant service aboard the Quarantum, sailing from [New York?] with a load of flour for La Guaira, [presently Venzuela], the purchase of cocoa to sell in Tampico, Mexico, the Captain ashore at Havana, where the crew rebelled and attacked him physically demanding higher wages, until he quelled them]
[studying Greek in Charlottesville, boarding with Mr. Hatches, hears from the Monticello family every morning by Ben who comes to Mr. Hatches' school, the upcoming marriage of Ellen Randolph and Joseph Coolidge, and Thomas Jefferson's concerns for his faculty who have not yet arrived at the University of Virginia]
[the mahogany plank arrived at Norfolk, was transferred to the deck of a steamboat bound for Richmond where it remains on the wharf, Carr's mother and the girls have arrived, and mentions interviews with booksellers from Philadelphia]
[describes the poor state of sister Ellen's health, seeing Doctors Gooch and Dunglison]
[writes from Charlottesville, asks about Eliza, reports concerning the improvement in the health of their sister, Ellen]
[concern for Ellen's health, have been staying at Martha's for three weeks, concerns for the cost of their doctor bill, Maria in constant attendance upon her sister, and other business]
[plans to go to Tufton soon, Jane Margaret sick at Woodlands, and attended by Hetty Carr]
[asks him to secure iodine for her throat in Baltimore, his sister Ellen continues to improve, his mother and the baby are at James Carr's, the visit of Uncle Dabney, Aunt Betsy, and Nancy Carr]
[Maria has been ill, Martha's son now with fever, asks why he does not write to his bride elect, which she advises him to do, her regret at not being able to give him a genteel wedding, and discusses the financial troubles of Thomas Jefferson Randolph, who will handle his grandfather's financial affairs]
[writes concerning the sickness of Maria Carr, her own abscessed tooth, asks about her business affairs, the Louisiana sugar plantation business, the expected death of Martha's son, and about Francis Gilmer, professor of law]
[writes from the ship Peruvian, on his way to Lima, Peru, to tell Dabney goodbye]
[discusses the plantation in Louisiana and other business]
[discusses the sale of sugar from the Louisiana plantation in Baltimore, Mrs. Randolph is in great distress over the death of her daughter, Ann Bankhead, fears that Thomas Jefferson will not get permission to have a lottery because it meets with great opposition, but he will suffer great injury without it, and Jefferson is very unwell]
[Thomas Jefferson Randolph has gone to Richmond to beseech the General Assembly to allow a lottery for Thomas Jefferson and she discusses her business affairs]
[is attempting to secure signatures for Dabney's application for a job in the State Department consulate for Columbia but fears that his rival, Mr. Forsyth, has the advantage of prior experience]
[disapproves Dabney seeking a consulate position in South America because he and his wife, Sidney, will be so far away, they will soon visit Dunlora, the lottery bill has passed but tickets can only be sold up to the value of the property by disinterested gentlemen and must include Monticello itself, Thomas Jefferson in dreadful spirits, greatly affected by the death of his sister Anne, says Colonel Randolph, "has gone on since his daughter's death more like a demon than ever," the University of Virginia Board of Visitors have chosen no candidate yet, and Frank Gilmer died and was interred at Pen Park]
[discusses the sugar crop's arrival in Baltimore, Dabney's need for a cooper, suggests Spotswood, except Mr. Garret says he can not sell him unless he gets more than he is worth, and Jefferson Randolph is arranging everything for the lottery for Thomas Jefferson]
[writes to his brother about his school examinations]
[her concern over the lottery and raising enough money for Jefferson to keep Monticello, "I cannot bear the idea that the graveyard of almost all my family should be sold if I were to draw it is should never be sold it should be kept for a graveyard for every descendant of the Jefferson race" and the possibility of Dabney Terrell becoming Professor of Law at the University of Virginia]
[discusses the lottery of Thomas Jefferson again, preferring using a subscription to relieve his debt, Jefferson went white when Jefferson Randolph proposed putting Monticello into the lottery, and Uncle Dabney has lost his little boy, Dabney Jefferson Carr (1817-1826)]
[the marketing of the sugar from the plantation, prospects of a loan on the plantation, and other related business]
[discusses plantation affairs, the lottery and subscription to relieve Thomas Jefferson]
[forwarding a statement by John Hancocke concerning Thomas Jefferson and his financial woes to be published in their morning paper]
[fears that to begin subscriptions for the financial relief of Thomas Jefferson in Virginia would injure the chances of success for the lottery]
[discusses the proposal of selling the lottery tickets on Thomas Jefferson's birthday, April 13th and burning them on July 4th when the Vice-President would present the money to him; and Robert wishes her to secure a blacksmith, cooper, and carpenter while she is still in Virginia]
[repeats the proposal about the lottery described in the previous letter, James Carr is planning on selling his slaves and land, one of whom, Nelson, is a cooper, and the University of Virginia law professor is to be chosen on Monday by the Board of Visitors]
[contains genealogical notes, the conversion of Burwell Randolph to Catholicism, her mother, the health of [Jane Cary Randolph] improved, they may open a school in Bedford, and family and personal news]
[no selection made as yet about the law professorship, but confused by the proposal of William Wirt as professor]
[instructions for their return to Baltimore]
[laments the death of Thomas Jefferson, wishing that it had been Colonel Randolph who might have been taken instead but who remains to "torment his family a little longer," her Aunt Maria is to petition the General Assembly for a divorce, and sends greetings from Wilson Cary Newsum (1808-1875) presently at the University of Virginia]
[anecdotes of Thomas Jefferson's last days, warns of the attempts of his father, Colonel Thomas Mann Randolph, to get the money raised by selling lottery tickets for Jefferson, and the disposal of Jefferson's estate]
[writing from Monticello, describes a concert given by dwarves in Charlottesville, mentions Jane Margaret's suitor, Wilson M. Cary, whom she defends]
[writes concerning his examinations]
[concerning the publication of an enclosed circular by Thomas Jefferson found in one of his scrapbooks]
[concerning the purchase of slaves]
[his statement advocating a subscription to relieve the "Patriot of Monticello" (Thomas Jefferson)]
[needs the money from Reeder's bonds]
[writes of personal affairs, offering religious encouragement and perspective, heard that John Cocke is at White Sulfur [Springs]
[thanks her for her suggestions about his preaching, and mentions his financial difficulties with his present salary]
[while studying law with Henry St. George Tucker in Winchester, writes concerning the death of his Uncle Miles, his father's only brother (1789-1827), in Alabama while exploring the Southwest, and warns his mother to keep Archibald constantly in school without interruptions]
[reports concerning a meeting of the supporters of his political opponent]
[shares social and family news, refers to the death of her daughter, Elizabeth Griffin Peachy Webb, and includes many genealogical notes]
[hopes to leave Philadelphia for Baltimore on Monday]
[refers to the papers forwarded by her for the editor
of
[writing from the Union Theological Seminary, refers to her literary labors, and the progress of revival services]
[asks for assistance in securing a steam boat between Norfolk and Baltimore]
[Wilson died at the plantation in Louisiana]
[mentions the upcoming marriage of Virginia's daughter, Mary Randolph Cary (1811-1887) and Dr. Orlando Fairfax (1806-1882) and religious matters]
[the death of Wilson at the plantation in Louisiana]
[writes concerning Mrs. Flournoy?]
[the nature of his examinations at Union Theological Seminary and religious matters]
[writes concerning the death of William Newsum (1785-1828), the estate of Miles Cary of "Oak Hill," and other news of family and friends]
[the cost of the publication of the Baltimore
[inquires as to the status of his possible appointment under Andrew Jackson's administration]
[discusses the status of his possible appointment under Andrew Jackson's administration]
[reports concerning Andover Theological Seminary]
[family and personal news]
[the birthday of Martha Jefferson Hackley (1824-?)]
[asks Jefferson to let Thrimston remain to help Gorman repair the portico which has been ripped up, revealing the red dirt underneath, or they will all be mired in the dining room]
[if possible Ann will wait for Mr. Nicholas tomorrow, but after that the Madisons will be with them]
[legal advice to appeal to a judicial tribunal to decide upon and assign to Virginia her rights, and call the person in question (the administrator?) to account; and to secure a copy of the will]
[discusses Virginia's prospective school and encloses the receipt from John Gordon]
[sends a box of Bibles from the Bible Society of Virginia to be distributed in Fluvanna County]
[family news, the birth of twin boys to Ellen Coolidge, and plans to use the garret for a school room]
[her beloved Cary has been at the point of death for 20 days, has gotten a letter from Lucius Cary, Aunt Hetty Carr and Wilson Cary, when he and Jane Margaret Carr are married, will live in Mr. Davis's new house, and mentions the financial ruin of the Buchannons]
[discusses the sale and distribution of Bibles in Fluvanna County]
[the marriages of Virginia's son, Wilson Miles Cary to Jane Margaret Carr (1809-1903), and daughter, Jane Blair (1808-1888) to the Rev. Edward Dunlap Smith, of New York, and the serious illness of Mrs. Betsy Carr]
[includes genealogical notes, describes her school, financial terms, and her teacher, welcomes the addition of scholar Virginia Pasture, and her sympathy for motherless children]
[grateful that her son, John, survived an attack of cholera on his ship, fears that Jefferson Randolph's decision to run for office will bring about financial ruin, Jane has received a check from the Proctor at the University of Virginia, asks about the folks at Montebello and John Smith, mentions people at Monticello, and the birth of boys to both Virginia Trist and Jane Smith]
[describes her voyage from Baltimore to St. Augustine on the General Marion, the storm off Cape Hatteras, the rough seas on the way to Charleston drove them past he port to Sullivan's Island and they had to sail back, upon their arrival the mists were too thick to attempt to enter the port of Charleston, another ship collided with her vessel while at anchor and damaged it, though it did not sink, they took a little schooner Samuel Mills the rest of the way, encountering a strong gale near Florida, and her thankfulness that little Sally was safe at home with Sidney]
[reports on the improvements in her health, the many others in Florida who do not appear able to recover, and the purchase of Indian ponies by Wilson]
[discusses the improvements in her health, religion, her separation from her little girl, and their projected trip back home from Florida]
[plans to leave Florida on the schooner S.S. Mills next week, praises the climate of Florida but not its civilization, discusses the health of Jane Margaret, and their plan "to try the leeches" for her throat in Charleston, and mentions the financial panic, where even the office holders in Florida are cursing President Jackson]
[has had a conversation with Mr. Barney who promises
that nothing further on an unnamed subject would be
published in
[writes from St. Charles County, Missouri, studying law with Mr. Bates, his father's farm doing well, especially with his tobacco crop, his sickness, and all the agues promoted by the number of swamps and ponds nearby, most of the immigrants are from Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and the beautiful spring season in Missouri]
[the hire of slave Peter]
[writes of events at home to his older brother, his schooling, and the whipping of the slave Peter]
[their son's health has improved but his behavior has worsened since his father has been in Washington]
[writes to her brother, Ellen has gone to Richmond with cousin Betsy and cousin James to have her teeth filled, the fruit in the neighborhood is killed and the Blue Ridge Mountains filled with snow]
[William Patterson has gone away, and paid for a hatchet before he could get it]
[plans to leave Dabney with Mr. Hollins if possible, her sympathy for Eliza because she will not accompany George [to Cuba?]
[discusses the sale of her slaves, which would bring more in a public sale but she prefers to sell privately to those she knows, and other business affairs]
[asks to borrow a glass lamp because one of hers is broken]
[expects her husband back from Charlottesville soon, and misses her child Nanny]
[draft of a letter which urges her to make a will]
[warns him against bad influences, laments the loss of Maria [Jefferson Carr (1804-1825)?], and regrets his financial reverses]
[writes concerning the debts of her nephew, George N. O[verton?]