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OSMANIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Call No.

Accession No.

G-

Author
Title

y\ oy^bi ,% eid MonXj'c.el/0

before the date last

TUi book should be returned on or

marked below.

In the 1840*8

MEMOIRS
of a

MONTICELLO SLAVE
As Dictated
to Charles

Campbell
one of

In the 1840's

by

Isaac,

Thomas

Jefferson's Slaves

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PRESS

CHARLOTTESVTLLE. VIRGINIA

COPYRIGHT 1951 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

VOLUME IS ONE OF A SERIES PUBLISHED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE TRACY W. McGREGOR LIBRARY

FOREWORD
The reminiscences printed here were taken down in the 1840*8 by Charles C^mpthe Virginia historian, from the verlSal account of a slave who had lived at Montibell,

from 1775 until two years before Jeffersori's death. They were first printed in
cello

in a scholarly edition with introduction and notes by Dr. Rayford W. Log^ri;'

1951

which was sold out within a year of

issue.

its first

present popular edition is intended to meet the growing demand for this classic.

The

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Isaac Jefferson's

Memoirs

Notes
Biographical Data concerning Isaac
.

54
.

63

Biographical Data concerning Campbell 67 Note on the Illustrations

Bibliographical Note

69
73 77
87

Index

Colophon

ILLUSTRATIONS
For acknowledgments and
details concern-

ing the illustrations, see pages 69-72.

Isaac Jefferson
Jefferson's Life

frontispiece

Mask

facing 16
facing 27

Jefferson's Polygraph

Linn Engraving
Monticello

of Jefferson

facing 41 facing 50

CHAPTER
Monticello:
1

JEFFERSONwasbornat
mother was named Usler but nicknamed Queen, because her husband was named George and commonly called King George. She was pastrycook and washerwoman: stayed in the
his

ISAAC

laundry. Isaac toated wood for her: made fire and so on. Mrs. Jefferson would come out there with a cookery book in her hand

and read out of

it

to Isaac's

mother how

to

make

cakes, tarts

and

so on.

Patsy Wayles, but when Mr. Jefferson married her she was the widow Skelton, widow of Batter3 Skelton.

Mrs. Jefferson was

named

was one year's child with Patsy Jefferson: she was suckled part of the time by
Isaac

Isaac's mother. Patsy married

4

Thomas Mann

Randolph. Mr. Jefferson bought Isaac's mother from Col. William Fleming of Goochland. Isaac remembers John Nelson, an Englishman at work at Monticello: he was an inside worker, a finisher. The blacksmith was Billy Ore; 5 the carriage-maker Davy Watson: he worked also for Colonel Carter of Blenheim, eight miles from Monticello. Monticello-house was pulled down in
part and built
times.

up again some
it

six or seven

was struck by lightning. It had a Franklin rod at one end. Old Master used to say, "If it hadn't been for that Franklin the whole house would have gone." They was forty years at work upon that house before Mr. Jefferson stopped building.
time

One

CHAPTER

JEFFERSON came down

to

ML.
iron-work. 6
a

^illiamsburg in a phaeton made y Davy Watson. Billy Ore did the

That phaeton was

sent to Lon-

don and the springs &c was

when Mr. Jefferson was members coming down to Williamsburg

gilded. This was in Paris. Isaac re-

in

wagon at the time Mr. Jefferson was Governor. He came down in the phaeton: his family with him in a coach and four. Bob

Hemings drove

the phaeton;

Jim Hemings
:

was a body-servant; Martin Hemings the butler. These three were brothers 7 Mary Hemings and Sally, their Sisters. Jim and

Bob
and

bright mulattoes; Martin, darker. Jim Martin rode on horseback. Bob went

afterwards to live with old Dr. Strauss in

Richmond and unfortunately had his hand shot off with a blunderbuss. Mary Hemings
rode in the wagon. Sally Hemings' mother Betty was a bright mulatto woman, and Sally mighty near white: she was the youngest

Hemingses was old Mr. Wayles' children. Sally was very handsome long straight hair down her back. She was about eleven years old when Mr. Jefferson took her to France to wait on Miss Polly. She and Sally went out to France a year after Mr. Jefferson went. Patsy went with him at first, but she carried no maid with her. Harriet, one of Sally's daughters, was very handsome. Sally had a son named Madison, who learned to be a great fiddler. He has been in Petersburg twice: was here when the balloon went up the balloon that
:

child. Folks said that these

Beverly sent

off.

Mr. Jefferson drove faster in the phaeton than the wagon. When the wagon reached Williamsburg Mr. Jefferson was living in the College. 8 Isaac and the rest of the servants stayed in the Assembly-house a long wooden building. Lord Botetourt's picture9

was there.
10

The Assembly-house had a gallery

on top running round

was white people was living in one end of the house: a man named Douglas was there: 10 they called him Parson Douglas. Mr. Jefferson's room in the College was down stairs. A tailor named Giovanni, an Italian, lived there too: made clothes for Mr. Jefferson and his servants. Mrs. Jefferson was there with 11 Patsy and Polly. Mrs. Jefferson was small: she drawed from old Madam Byrd 18 several hundred people and then married a rich man. 13 Old Master had twelve quarters seated with black people: but mighty few come by him: he want rich himself only his larnin. Patsy Jefferson was tall like her father; Polly low like her mother and longways the handsomest: pretty lady jist like her mother: pity she died poor thingl She married John W. Eppes a handsome man, but had a hare-lip. Jupiter and John drove Mr. Jefferson's coach and four: one of em rode postilion:
they rode postilion in them days. Travelling in the phaeton Mr. Jefferson used oftentimes
to take the reins himself

to the College. There a well there then: none there now. Some

and

drive.

When-

ever he wanted to travel fast he'd drive:

11

would drive powerful hard himself. Jupiter and John wore caps and gilded bands. The names of the horses was Senegore, Gustavus, Otter, Remus, Romulus, and Caractacus, Mr. Jefferson's riding-horse.

CHAPTER

A^ER

one year the Government was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond. Mr. Jefferson moved

there with his servants, among em Isaac. It was cold weather when they moved up. Mr. Jefferson lived in a wooden house near

where the Palace 14 stands now. Richmond was a small place then: not more than two
brick houses in the town:
all

wooden houses

what there was. At that time from where the Powhatan house now stands clear down to the Old Market was pretty much in pines. It was a wooden house shedded round like a barn on the hill, where the Assembly-men used to meet, near where the Capitol stands now. Old Mr. Wiley had a saddler-shop in

Wiley mighty well a saddler by trade: he was doorkeeper at the Assembly. His wife was a baker and baked bread and ginger-cakes. Isaac would go into the bake-oven and make fire for. She had a great big bake oven. Isaac used to go way into the oven: when he came out Billy Wiley would chuck wood in. She sometimes gave Isaac a loaf of bread or a cake. One time she went up to Monticello to see Mr. Jefferson. She saw Isaac there and gave him a ninepence and said, "This is the boy that made fires for me." Mr. Jefferson's family-servants then at the palace were Bob
Billy

the same house. Isaac

knew

Hemings, Martin, Jim, house-servants; Jupiter and John, drivers; Mary Hemings and young Betty Hemings, seamstress and house-

woman; Sukey,

Jupiter's wife, the cook.

CHAPTER

family in the carriage. Bob Hemings and Jim drove. When the British was ex-

THE
16

day before the British * came to Richmond Mr. Jefferson sent off his
1

pected
git

Old Master kept the spy-glass and up by the sky-light window to the top of

the palace looking towards Williamsburg. Some other gentlemen went up with him,

one of them old Mr. Marsdell: he owned where the basin is now and the basin-spring. Isaac used to fetch water from there up to the palace. The British reached Manchester about i o'clock. 17 Isaac larnt to beat drum about this time. Bob Anderson, a white man, was a blacksmith. Mat Anderson was a black man and worked with Bob. Bob was

a fifer,

Mat was

drummer. Mat bout

that

time was sort a-makin love to Mary Hemings.

The

Richmond, in the camp at Bacon Quarter Branch, would come every two or three days to salute the Governor at
soldiers at

the Palace, marching about there

drumming

and

fifing.

house to
to see

Bob Anderson would go into the drink; Mat went into the kitchen

Mdry Hemings. He would take his drum with him into the kitchen and set it down there. Isaac would beat on it and Mat larnt him how to beat.

16

Browere's

life

mask of

Jefferson

made

in

1825,

showing what

Isaac's

Old Master

really

looked like about the time Isaac

left

Momicello. See page 41,

CHAPTER

Till

A
that

formed a line, three cannon was wheeled round all at once and fired three rounds.
soon
as the British
fired,

they

the

thought they was a Petersburg to join them: some of

Richmond people company come from

em

even

hurraed when they see them coming: but

they fired every body knew it was the British. One of the cannon-balls

moment

knocked
house.

off the

was named

top of a butcher's house: he Daly, not far from the Governor's

all.

The butcher's wife screamed out and

In ten

hollerd and her children too and

minutes not a white

man was

to

be seen in

Richmond: they ran as hard as they could stave to the camp at Bacon Quarter Branch.

There was a monstrous hollering and screaming of women and children. Isaac was out in the yard: his mother ran out and cotch him up by the hand and carried him into the
Hemings, she jerked up her daughter the same way. Isaac run out again in a minute and his mother too: she was so skeered, she didn't know whether fo stay indoors or out. The British was dressed in red. Isaac saw them marching. The horsemen (Simcoe's cavalry) was with them: they come arter the artillery-men. They formed in line and marched up to the Palace with drums beating: it was an awful sight: seemed like the day of judgment was come. When they fired the cannon Old Master called out to John to fetch his horse Caractacus from the stable and rode off.
hollering.

kitchen

Mary

18

CHAPTER

never see his Old Master arter dat for six months. When the British come

ISAACofficer rode up and asked "Whar in, an

officer said,

is

the Governor?" Isaac's father (George) told him, "He's gone to the mountains." The

"Whar is the keys of the house?" Isaac's father gave him the keys: Mr. Jefferson had left them with him. The officer said, "Whar is the silver?" Isaac's father told him, "It was all sent up to the mountains." The
old

man had put

all

the silver about the

it

under a bed in the kitchen and saved it too and got his freedom by it. But he continued to sarve Mr. Jefferson and had forty pounds from Old Master and his wife. Isaac's mother had

house in a bed-tick and hid

seven dollars a
ing, ironing,

month

for lifetime for wash-

sarcht

and making pastry. The British the house but didn't disturb none of

the furniture: but they plundered the winecellar, rolled the pipes out and stove em in,

knockin the heads out. The bottles they broke the necks off with their swords, drank some, threw the balance away. The winecellar was full: Old Master had plenty of wine and rum the best: used to have Antigua rum, twelve years old. The British next went to the corn-crib and took all the corn
out, strewed

wards where (1847) an d brought their horses and fed

in a line along the street tothe Washington tavern 18 is now

it

them on

it:

took the bridles

off.

The

British

said they didn't want anybody but the Governor: didn't want to hurt him; only wanted to

put a pair of silver handcuffs on him: had brought them along with them on purpose. While they was plunderin they took all of the meat out of the meat-house; cut it up, laid it out in parcels: every man took his
ration

and put it in his knapsack. When Isaac's mother found they was gwine to car him away she thought they was gwine to leave her. She was cryin and hollerin when
20

one of the
ordered us

officers
all

came on a horse and

marched

Hylton's. Then they off to Westham. Isaac heard the

to
it

blew up like an earthquake. Next morning between eight and nine they marched to Tuckahoe, fifteen
miles:

powder-magazine when

took a good

many

colored people

from Old Tom Mann Randolph. He was called "Tuckahoe Tom." Isaac has often been to Tuckahoe a low-built house but monstrous large. From Tuckahoe the British went to Daniel Hylton's. They carred off thirty people from Tuckahoe and some from Hylton's. When they come back to Richmond they took all Old Master's from his house: all of em had to walk except Daniel and Molly (children of Mary the pastrycook) and Isaac. He was then big enough to beat the drum: but couldn't raise it off the ground: would hold it tilted over to one side and beat on it that way.

.CHAPTER

was about a dozen wagons

THERE

along: they (the British) pressed the common wagons: four horses to a

wagon: some black drivers, some white: every wagon guarded by ten men marching
alongside. One of the officers give Isaac name Sambo: all the time feedin him: put a cocked hat on

head and a red coat on him and all laughed. Coat a monstrous great big thing: when Isaac was in it couldn't see nothin of it but the sleeves dangling down. He remembers crossing the river somewhere in a
his

periauger [piragua]. And so the British carred them all down to Little York (Yorktown.)

They marched straight through town

and camped jist below back of the battlefield. Mr. Jefferson's people there was
Jupi-

Sukey the cook, Usley (Isaac's mother), George (Isaac's father), Mary the seamstress, and children Molly, Daniel, Joe, Wormley, and Isaac. The British treated them mighty well, give em plenty of fresh meat and wheat bread. It was very sickly at York: great many
ter,

colored people died there, but none of Mr. Jefferson's folks. Wallis (Cornwallis) had a cave dug and was hid in there. There was

tremendous firing and smoke: seemed like heaven and earth was come together: every
time the great guns fire Isaac jump up off the ground. Heard the wounded men holler in.

dead

When the smoke blow off you see the men laying on the ground. General

Washington brought all Mr. Jefferson's folks and about twenty of Tuckahoe Tom's (Tom

Mann

him down
all

Randolph's) back to Richmond with and sent word to Mr. Jefferson to send
to

Richmond for his servants. Old Master sent down two wagons right away and
of

back to Monticello. At that time Old Master and his family was at Poplar Forest, his place in
Bedford.

em that was carred away went up He

stayed there after his

arm was

broke,

when

Caractacus threw him. Old

Master was mightly pleased to see his people come back safe and sound 19 and to hear of
the plate.

CHAPTER
JEFFERSON

was a

tall strait-

MR.
this

bodied

man

as ever

you

see, right

square-shouldered: nary

man

in

Old straight as Master: neat a built man as ever was seen in

town walked so
I
:

my

Vaginny,

reckon, or any place

face,

a straight-

high nose. Jefferson Randolph (Mr. Jefferson's grandson) nothing like him, except in height tall, like him: not built like him: Old Master was a straight-up man. Jefferson
long

up man

20

Randolph pretty much like his mother. Old Master wore Vaginny cloth and a red waistcoat, (all the gentlemen wore red waistcoats in dem days) and small clothes: arter dat he used to wear red breeches too. 81 Governor

Page used to come up there to Monticello, wife and daughter wid him: drove four-in hand: servants John, Molly and a postilion. Patrick Henry visited Old Master: coach and two: his face for all the world like the
images of Bonaparte: would stay a week or more. Mann Page used to be at Monticello
a plain mild-looking man: his wife and daughter along with him. Dr. Thomas

Walker
cello

from Montia thin-faced man. John Walker" (of

lived about ten miles

Belvoir), his brother,

owned

a great

many

black people.

t|iat

ta *'

"
llis

cn

in lwllillc '"

Jefferson's polfpapli,

PI

CHAPTER

Master was never seen to come

OLD
ride out

out before breakfast

If it

about 8 o'clock.

was warm weather he wouldn't

evening: studied upstairs till bell ring for dinner. When writing he had a copy in machine: while he was a-writin he
till

wouldn't suffer nobody to come in his room: had a dumb-waiter: when he wanted anything he had nothin to do but turn a crank and the dumb-waiter would bring him water
or fruit on a plate or anything he wanted. Old Master had abundance of books: sometimes would have twenty of 'em down on the floor at once: read fust one, then tother.
Isaac has often

wondered how Old Master

came

to

have such a mighty head: read so

many of them books: and when they go to him to ax him anything, he go right straight
book and tell you all about it. He talked French and Italian. Madzay* 5 talked with him: his place was called Colle. General
to the

Redhazel (Riedesel) stayed there. He (Mazzei) lived at Monticello with Old Master some time': Didiot, a Frenchman, married
daughter Peggy: a heavy chunky looking woman mighty handsome. She had a daughter Frances and a son Francis: called
his

the daughter Franky. Mazzei brought to

Monticello Antonine,

Jovanini,

Francis,

Modena, and Belligrini, all gardiners. My Old Master's garden was monstrous large: two rows of palings, all round ten feet high.

CHAPTER

10

JEFFERSON had a clock in his

kitchen at Monticello; never went into the kitchen except to wind up the clock. He never would have less than

MR.
Antigua

at table eight covers at dinner if nobody but himself: had from eight to thirty two covers for dinner: plenty of wine, best old

rum and

cider: very

fond of wine

and water.

disguised sometimes played in the arternoons and arter supper. This was in his early time. When he begin to git so old, he didn't play:

Isaac never heard of his being in drink. He kept three fiddles:

kept a spinnet

made mostly

in shape of a

on it. harpsichord: his daughter played Fauble, a Frenchman that lived at Mr.

Mr.

Walker's, a music-man, used to

come

to

Monticello and tune

it.

There was a

forte

piano and a guitar there: never seed anybody play on them but the French people. Isaac never could git acquainted with them: could hardly larn their names. Mr. Jefferson always singing when ridin or walkin: hardly see him ariywhar out doors but what he was
24 had a fine clear voice, sung mina-singin: nits (minuets) and sich: fiddled in the par-

lor.

Old Master very kind

to servants.

CHAPTER
fust

ii

THE

year Mr. Jefferson was elected President, 25 he took Isaac on

to Philadelphia: he fifteen years old: travelled

was then about

on horseback in company with a Frenchman named Joseph Rattiff and Jim Hemings, a body-servant. Fust day's journey they went from Monticello to old Nat Gordon's, on the Fredericksburg road, next day to Fredericksburg, then to Georgetown, crossed the Potomac there, and so to Philadelphia: eight days a-goin. Had two ponies and Mr. Jefferson's tother the riding-horse Odin. Mr. Jefferson went in
phaeton:
horses
delphia,

Bob Hemings

drove:

changed

on the road.

they got to PhilaIsaac stayed three days at Mr.

31

When

Jefferson's house: then he was bound prentice to one Bringhouse, a tinner: he lived in

the direction of the Water-works. Isaac re-

seeing the image of a woman thar holding a goose in her hand the water spouting out of the goose's mouth. This was

members

head of Market Street. Bringhouse was a short', mighty small, neat-made man: treated Isaac very well: went thar to larn the tinner's trade: fust week larnt to cut out and sodder: make little pepper-boxes and graters and sich, out of scraps of tin, so as not to waste any till he had larnt. Then to making
at the

cups. Every Sunday Isaac would go to the President's House large brick house, many

windows: same house Ginral Washington lived in before when he was President. Old Master used to talk to me mighty free and ax me, "how you come on Isaac, larnin de tinbusiness?" As soon as he could make cups pretty well he carred three or four to show him. Isaac made four dozen pint-cups a day and larnt to tin copper and sheets (sheetiron) make 'em tin. He lived four years with Old Bringhouse. One time Mr. Jefferson sent to Bringhouse to tin his copperkittles and pans for kitchen use: Bringhouse

sent Isaac

and another prentice thar a white

boy named Charles: can't think of his other name. Isaac was the only black boy in firinghouse's shop.
his

When Isaac carred the cups to

Old Master to show him, he was mightily

you are larnin mighty fast: I bleeve I must send you back to Vaginny to car on the tin-business. You is growin too big: no use for you to stay here no longer." Arter dat Mr. Jefferson sent Isaac back to Monticello to car on the tin-business thar. Old Master bought a sight of tin for the purpose. Mr. Jefferson had none of his family
with him in Philadelphia. Polly his daughter stayed with her Aunt Patsy Carr: she lived seven or eight miles from Old Master's great
house.
child.

pleased: said, "Isaac

Sam Carr was Mr.

There were

Jefferson's sister's three brothers of the

Sam, Peter and Dabney. Patsy Jefferson, while her father was President in Philadelphia, stayed with Mrs. Eppes at Wintopoke: Mrs. Eppes was a sister of Mrs. Jefferson mightily like her sister. Frank Eppes was a big heavy man. Old Master's servants at Philadelphia was Bob and Jim Hemings; Joseph Rattiff, a
Carrs

Frenchman, the
to ride out
Isaac

hostler.

Mr. Jefferson used

went

in Philadelphia. back to Monticello. When the tin

on horseback

came they fixed up a shop. Jim Bringhouse came on to Monticello all the way with Old Master to fix up the shop and start Isaac to work: Jim Bringhouse stayed thar more than
a month.

34

CHAPTER
knew
old Colonel

12

(Archibald)

Gary mighty well: as dry a looking man as ever you see in your life. He has given Isaac more whippings than he has fingers and toes. Mr. Jefferson used to set Isaac to open gates for Colonel Gary: there was three gates to open, the furst bout a mile from the house itother one three quarters; then the yard-gate, at the stable three hundred yards from the house. Isaac had to open the gates. Colonel Gary would write to Old Master what day he was coming. Whenever Isaac

ISAAC

missed opening them gates in time, the Colonel soon as he git to the house, look about for him and whip him with his horsewhip. Old Master used to keep dinner for
35

thin-visaged man jist like Mr. Jefferson: he drove fourin-hand. The Colonel as soon as he git out of
his carriage,

Colonel Gary.

He

was a

tall

walk right straight into the kitchen and ax de cooks what they hab for dinner? If they didn't have what he wanted, bleeged to wait dinner till it was cooked.
Colonel Gary made freer at Monticello than he did at home: whip anybody: would stay several weeks: give servants money, sometimes five or six dollars

among

'em.

Tucka-

hoe

Tom Randolph married Colonel Gary's

The
lived arterwards. Edgehill was Mann Randolph, father of
it

Colonel lived at Ampthill on the James River where Colonel

daughter Nancy.

Bob Temple
the seat of

Tom

Jefferson Randolph: Monticello.

was three miles from

CHAPTER
carred

on the

tin-business two

ISAAC

years. It failed. nail-business at

then carred on the Monticello seven years:

He

made money

Mr. Jefferson had the first (nail) cutting machine 'twas said, that ever was in Vaginny sent over from England: made wrought nails and cut-nails, to shingle and lathe: sold them out of the shop: got iron rods from Philadelphia by water: boated them up from Richmond to Milton, a small town on the Rivanna: wagoned from thar.
at that.

CHAPTER
children.
last
556

14

Mann Randolph had

and THOMAS
treated
Isaac lived with

ten
fust

him

him

twenty-six or seven years: mighty well: one of the finest

masters in Virginia: his a wife mighty peaceable woman: never holler for servant: make

nor racket: pity she ever died! Tom Mann Randolph's eldest daughter Ann, a son named Jefferson, another James, and another Benjamin. Jefferson Randolph married Mr. Nicholas' 27 daughter (Anne). Billy Giles 28 courted Miss Polly, Old Master's daughter. Isaac one morning saw him talking to her in the garden, right back of the nailfactory shop: she was lookin on de ground: all at once she wheeled round and come off.

no

fuss

That was the time she turned him

off.

Isaac

never so sorry for a man in all his life: sorry because everybody thought that she was

going to marry him. Mr. Giles give several dollars to the servants and when he went away dat time he never come back no more. His servant Arthur was a big man. Isaac

wanted Mr. Giles to marry Miss Polly. Arthur always said that he was a mighty fine man: he was very rich: used to come to
Monticello in a monstrous fine gig: mighty few gigs in dem days with plated mountins

and harness.

39

CHAPTER
Hill:

15

Old Master had a small brick house there where he used to stay, about a mile from Elk Island on the North Side of the James River. The river forks there: one half runs one side of the island, tother the other side. When Mr. Jef-

ELK

ferson was Governor, he used to stay thar a month or sich a matter and when he was at

the mountain he

would come and

stay a

month or heim was

and then go back again. Blena low large wooden house two storeys high, eight miles from Monticello. Old Colonel Carter lived thar: had a light red head like Mr. Jefferson. Isaac know'd him and every son he had. Didn't know his
so

daughters.

The Linn

likeness. See Isaac's

a poor engraving of Jefferson that Isaac thought comments on the page facing, and the life mask of Jefferson facing page 16.

Mr. Jefferson used

to

hunt

squirrels

and

partridges; kept five or six guns; oftentimes carred Isaac wid him: Old Master wouldn't

shoot partridges settin: said "he wouldn't take advantage of em" would 'em a
give

chance for thar

settin,

life:

wouldn't shoot a hare

nuther; skeer him up fust. "My Old Master was as neat a hand as ever you see to make keys and locks and small chains, iron

and brass;" he kept all kind of blacksmith and carpenter tools in a great case with shelves to it in his library, an upstairs room. Isaac went up thar constant: been up thar a
thousand times; used to car coal up thar: Old Master had a couple of small bellowses

up

thar.

The

likeness of

Mr. Jefferson

(in Linn's

Life of him) according to Isaac, is not much like him. "Old Master never dat handsome
in dis world: dat likeness right between

Old

Master and Ginral Washington: Old Master was squar-shouldered." For amusement he would work sometimes in the garden for half an hour at a time in right good earnest in the cool of the evening: never know'd him to go out anywhar before breakfast.

CHAPTER

16

school at Monticello was in the

THE
Mr.

out-chamber

fifty

great house, on the scholars went into the house to

yards off from the the same level. But

Old

Master to git lessons, in the south end of the house called the South Octagon. Mrs. Skipper (Skipwith) had two daughters thar: Mrs.
Eppes, one.
Jefferson's sister Polly married old Boiling^ of Chesterfield, about ten

Ned

miles from Petersburg. Isaac has been thar since his death: saw the old man's grave. Mr.

John Bradley owns the place now. Isaac slept in the out-chamber where the scholars was: slept on the floor in a blanket: in the winter season git up in the mornin and make fire

for them.

From

mountains all reach: sometimes see it rainin down this course and the sun shining over the tops of the clouds. Willis' Mountain sometimes looked in the cloud like a great house with two chimnies to it: fifty miles from Monticello.

Monticello you can see round as far as the eye can

43

CHAPTER

17

was a sight of pictures at Monti-

THAR
Isaac

cello: pictures of

Ginral Washington

and the Marcus Lafayette. Isaac saw him fust in the old war in the mountain with Old Master; saw him agin the last time he was in Vaginny. He gave Isaac a guinea:
saw him in the Capitol at Richmond and talked with him and made him sensible when he fust saw him in the old war. Thar was a large marble at Monticello with twelve angels cut on it that came from Heaven: all
cut in marble.

About the time when my Old Master begun to wear spectacles, he was took with a
swellin in his legs: used to bathe 'em and bandage 'em: said it was settin too much:

44

when

up and walk it wouldn't hurt him. Isaac and John Hemings nursed him two months: had to car him about on a hanhe'd git

barrow. John Hemings 30 went to the carpenter's trade same year Isaac went to the blacksmiths. Miss Lucy, Old Master's daughter,
died quite a small child; died down the country at Mrs. Eppes' or Mrs. Boiling's, one of

her young aunts. Old Master was embassador to France at that time. He brought a great

from France with him: a coat of blue cloth trimmed with gold lace; cloak trimmed so too: dar say it weighed fifty pounds: large buttons on the coat as big as

many

clothes

half a dollar; cloth set in the button: edge shine like gold: in summer he war silk coat,

pearl buttons.

Colonel Jack Harvie 31 owned Belmont, jinin Monticello. Four as big men as any in Petersburg could git in his waistcoat: he owned Belvidere, near Richmond: the Colonel died thar: monstrous big man. The washerwoman once buttoned his waistcoat

on
a

Isaac

and three

others. Mrs.

Harvie was

little

woman.

45

CHAPTER

18

nothing to do with horse-racing or cock-fighting: bought two racehorses once, but not in their racing day: bought em arter done runnin. One was Brimmer, 3 * a pretty horse with two white feet: when he bought him he was in Philadelphia: kept him thar. One day Joseph Rattiff the Frenchman was ridin him in

MR.

JEFFERSON

never had

the streets of Philadelphia: Brimmer got skeered; run agin shaft of a dray and got killed. Tother horse was Tarkill: 33 in his
race-day they called him the Roane colt: only race-horse of a roane Isaac ever see:

Old Master used him for a ridin-horse. Davy Watson and Billy were German soldiers:
46

both workmen, both smoked pipes and both drinkers: drank whiskey; git drunk and sing: take a week at a time drinkin and singin. Colonel Goode of Chesterfield was a great racer: used to visit Mr. Jefferson; had a
trainer

named Pompey.

Old Master had a great many rabbits: made chains for the old buck-rabbits to keep them from killin the young ones: had a
rabbit-house (a warren) a long rock house: some of em white, some blue: they used to burrow under ground. Isaac expects thar is

plenty of em bout dar yit: used to eat em at Monticello. Mr. Jefferson never danced nor

played cards.

dogs named Ceres, Bull, Armandy, and Claremont: most of em French dogs: he brought em over with him
bull-dogs:

He had

from France. Bull and Ceres were

he brought over Buzzy with him too: she pupped at sea: Armandy and Claremont, stump-tails, both black.

47

CHAPTER
BROCK,
to

19

the overseer that lived

next to the great-house, had gray hounds

hunt Jefferson JOHN Monticello: in a park

deer.
at

Mr.

had a large
sort of a

built

flat

on the side of the mountain. When the hunters run the deer down thar, they'd jump into the park and couldn't git out. When Old
Master heard hunters in the park he used to go down thar wid his gun and order em out. The park was two or three miles round and fenced in with a high fence, twelve rails double-staked and ridered: kept up four or five years arter Old Master was gone. Isaac and his father (George) fed the deer at sunup and sun-down: called em up and fed em

wid corn: had holes all along the fence

48

at the

feedin-place: gave em salt, got right gentle: come up and eat out of your hand.

No

wild-cats at Monticello:

down at Buck Island:

some lower bears sometimes came

on the plantation at Monticello: wolves so plenty that they had to build pens round black peoples' quarters and pen sheep in em to keep the wolves from catching them. But
they killed five or six of a night in the winter season: come and steal in the pens in the night. When the snow was on the

groun you could see the wolves in gangs runnin and howlin, same as a drove of hogs: made the deer run up to the feedin-place many a night. The feedin-place was right by the house whar Isaac stayed. They raised many sheep and goats at Monticello. The woods and mountains was often on
gone out to help to put out the fire: everybody would turn out from Charlottesville and everywhere: git in the woods and sometimes work all night fightin the fire.
fire:

Isaac has

49

CHAPTER
GARY
to
ter

20

of

Chesterfield

schooled Old Master: he went to

school COLONELold Mr. Wayles. Old Mas-

married a Boiling; Patsy married old Dabney Carr in the lowgrounds; one married William Skipwith; Nancy married old Hastings Marks. Old Master's brother, Mass Randall^ 4 was a mighty simple man: used to come out among black people, play the fiddle and dance half the night: hadn't much more sense than Isaac. Jack Eppes 55 that married Miss Polly lived at Mount Black36 on James River and then at Edge Hill, then in Cumberland at
six sisters: Polly

had

Millbrooks. Isaac

left

Monticello four years

before Mr. Jefferson died. 57

Tom Mann Ran-

dolph, that married Mr. Jefferson's daughter, wanted Isaac to build a threshing ma-

chine at Varina. Old Henrico Court House

was

thar:

pulled

down now. Coxendale

(Dutch Gap) jinin Varina was an Indian Situation: when fresh come, it washed up more Indian bones than ever you see. When Isaac was a boy there want more than ten houses at Jamestown. Charlottesville then not as big as Pocahontas'8 is now. Mr. DeWitt kept tavern thar. Isaac knowed Ginral Redhazel;39 he stayed at Colle, Mr. Mazzei's place, two miles and a quarter from Monticello a long wood house built by Mazzei's servants. The servants' house built of little saplins of oak and hickory instead of lathes: then plastered up: it seemed as if de folks in dem days hadn't
sense

Island

enough

to

make

lathes.

The

Italian

people raised plenty of vegetables: cooked the most victuals of any people Isaac ever see. Mr. Jefferson bowed to everybody he meet: talked wid his arms folded. Gave the
boys in the nail-factory a pound of meat a week, a dozen herrings, a quart of molasses and peck of meal. Give them that wukked
the best a suit of red or blue: encouraged

them mightily. Isaac calls him a mighty good master. There would be a great many carriages at Monticello at a time, in particular when people was passing to the Springs.

(1847) at Petersburg, Va., seventy large odd years old: bears his years well: is a blacksmith by trade and has his
is

Isaac

now

shop not

far

from Pocahontas bridge.

He

is

quite pleased at the idea of having his life written and protests that every word of it is true; that is, of course, according to the best
of his
tall,

knowledge and

belief. Isaac is rather

little,

of strong frame, stoops a

in color

ebony: sensible, intelligent, pleasant: wears large circular iron-bound spectacles and a
leather apron.

A capital daguerrotype of him

was taken by a Mr. Shew. Isaac was so much pleased with it that he had one taken of his
wife, a large fat round-faced

looking black woman.

My

good-humoured attention was first

drawn to Isaac by Mr. Dandridge Spotswood, who had often heard him talk about Mr. Jefferson and Monticello.
C. C.

few years after these his recollections were taken down. He bore a
P. S. Isaac died a

good character.

NOTES

NOTES
Except where so indicated by square brackets, the lowing notes are Charles Campbell's.
i.

fol-

[Campbell

inserts in the text the correct spelling in

parentheses followed by a long note:] (Ursula*) *There was a work published in 1862 by C. Scribner, at New York, entitled: "The Private Life of Thomas Jefferson from entirely new materials with numerous facsimiles, edited by Rev. Hamilton W. Pierson, D.D., President of

Cumberland

College, Kentucky." This work consists of the reminiscenses of a Captain Edmund Bacon, who was overseer for Mr. Jefferson at Monticello for 20 years. The

Captain's reminiscenses were taken down from his lips by Dr. Pierson. The Captain mentions Ursula among the house-servants and says: "She was Mrs. Randolph's nurse. She was a big fat woman. She took charge of all the

children that were not in school. If there was any switching to be done, she always did it. She used to be down at my house a great deal with those children. They used
often got tired of them: but all very much attached to " their nurse: they always called her Isaac in 'Mammy.' 1847, by his own estimate upwards of seventy years old, was a big fat robust black man. [For further facts about
to

be there so

much

that

we

we never

said so.

They were

Ursula and other members of Isaac's immediate family, see the section immediately after these notes.]

54

sounder in
a lawyer,
ty,

[Campbell's compressed note on Jefferson's wife is facts than it is in syntax:] Martha, youngest daughter of John Wayles, a native of Lancaster, England,
2.

who

Va.

He was

lived at "the Forest" in Charles City counmarried three times and dying in May

1773

left

Eppes

three daughters, one of whom married Francis (Father of John W. Eppes who married Maria,
,

Thomas Jefferson) and the other Fulwar Mr. Jefferson inherited the Shadwell and Skipwith. Monticello estates. The portion that he acquired by marriage was encumbered with a (British) debt and resulted in a heavy loss. Martha Skelton was 23 years old in 1772 when she married Mr. Jefferson. [Mrs. Jefferson
daughter of
was, in fact, not the youngest daughter of John Wayles, but (except for a still-born twin) the oldest. She was,

however, the youngest child of Wayles' first marriage. Jefferson wrote out the details of the Wayles genealogy on a blank leaf in his Prayer Book: see the 1952 Meriden

Gravure
3.

facsimile.]

[Campbell

inserts the correct spelling:]

(Bathurst)

4.

Sometime Governor of Virginia.

inserts in the text the fol-

[Campbell parenthetically lowing spelling:] (Orr?)

5. 6.

Captain Bacon

says:

John Hemings made most of the

wood-work and Joe Fosset made the iron-work.

7.

from the Farm Book

[A genealogical table of the Hemings family derived is given on pages 56-57.]

55

Chart of the Hemings Family

Derived from Jefferson's Farm Book

(This
is

a continuation of footnote 7)

WORMLEY
b. 1781

BILLY
b, 1777

BURWELL BROWN
b, 1783 b. 1785

MELINDA
b. 1787

EDWIN
b. 1795

ROBERT
b. 1799

MARY
b. 1801

d. 1778

f For

details concerning the

Belts' edition of

manumission of Robert and James Hemings,

Jefferson's

see

Edwin M,

Thomas

Farm Book, index under

Slaves,

The

records of these manumissions

may

also

be found in the Order Books of the

of the General Assembly under

Clerk of the Albemarle County Court.

The Act

which Jefferson freed these

slaves

may

be found in the Virginia Code for 1794.

BETTY HEMINGS
b. ca. 1735 d.

1807

BEVERLY
b. 1798

HARRIET
b, 1801

MADISON
b, 1805

ESTON
b, 1808

The

1824

list is

not subdivided by family; thus while the fact of Peter and John
is

being alive in 1824

the

absence of information concerning readily established, the

names

of their wives

and children makes

it

impossible

to say for certain

which

other

members

of their families were

still alive,

The

latest record in the

Farm

Book

of the families of Peter

and John was

for the year 1810,

57

8.

"Campbell
(of

identifies the College in a parenthetical

insertion:]
9.

William and Mary)

[Campbell parenthetically defines Isaac's word "picture" as a:] (statue) [The statue of Lord Botetourt, colonial governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770, still stands in the quadrangle of the College of William and There is a good picture of it facing page 130 in Mary. Malone's Jefferson the Virginian.]
10. The Rev. William Douglas, in a school at Shadwell near Monticello, instructed Young Jefferson in the rudiments of Greek, Latin and French. [Douglas was a Scot-

tish

clergyman, whose pies Jefferson remembered as being

classics)

moldy and whose instruction (except in the remembered as being excellent.]

11.

he

[Campbell parenthetically explains who Polly was:]

[i.e.,

(Maria)

Thomas

Jefferson's daughter, later Mrs.

John W. Eppes]
12. Robert Beverley, the historian, married Ursula Byrd of Westover, from whom the Monticello Ursula may have

derived her name. [For known biographical facts concerning Isaac's mother, see the data on Isaac's family

immediately following
13.

this

section.]

[Campbell

inserts the

name

in parentheses:] (Bathurst

Skelton)

was

[Campbell parenthetically explains that the "Palace" the:] (Governor's house) Isaac's term has adhered to the Williamsburg governors' residence, but not to the
14.
.

Richmond

one.

15. [Campbell parenthetically indicates that the British were:] (under Arnold)
16.

[Campbell supplies the date:] (Jan.

6,

1781)

58

17.

They

didn't

come by way
of Grace
St.

of Manchester. [For Isaac's

slips in
18.

memory,

or in reporting, see

Logan page
(1871)

5.]

At East end

now

the Central

Hotel.
19.

[Campbell's parenthetical insertion at this point has

been removed to these notes because the quotation seems clearly to have been his, not Isaac's:] (Although "All men by nature are free and equal.")
20.

Captain Bacon describes him as "Six

feet

two and a

half inches high, well proportioned barrel. He was like a fine horse: he
i.

and straight as a gunhad no surplus flesh."

Captain Bacon says: "He was always very neat in his wore short breeches and bright shoe-buckles. When he rode on horseback he had a pair of overalls that he
dress:

always put on."

22.

John Walker, member

of Congress during the Revo-

lution.
23. Philip Mazzei, an Italian, author of "Recherches Sur Les Etats-Unis," 3 volumes, published at Paris in 1788.
24.

Captain Bacon

says:

"When he was not

some

nearly always humming tone to himself."

25. [Isaac is

talking he was tune; or singing in a low

here. Jefferson went to Philadelphia in 1790 as Secretary of State. See also Footnote 17.]

wrong

26.

Thomas Mann Randolph's

sons were

Thomas

Jeffer-

son,

James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Merriwether of C. S.) [sic] Lewis and George Wy the (Secretary of War daughters Anne, Ellen, Virginia, Cornelia and Septimia. [Thomas Mann Randolph actually had twelve children, one of whom, the first Ellen Wayles Randolph, died
,

within a year of her birth.

The

children are listed in

59

Thomas Jefferson's Prayer Book in order of birth as follows: Anne Gary, Thomas Jefferson, Ellen Wayles, Ellen Wayles, Cornelia, Virginia, Mary Jefferson, James, Benjamin, Lewis, Septimia, and George Wythe.]
27.

Wilson Gary Nicholas, sometime Governor of Vir-

ginia.

William Branch Giles, Campbell gives initial:] William C. Giles, M. C., a celebrated debater. Sometime Governor of Virginia. He acquired the sobriquet of "Farmer Giles."
28. [In identifying

the

wrong middle

Boiling, of Cobbs in Chesterfield, married a sister [Mary] of Thomas Jefferson. [See Malone I,
29.

John

38-9.]

30.

at Monticello says,

Captain Bacon in his reminiscences of Mr. Jefferson "John Hemings was a carpenter. He was a first-rate workman, a very extra workman: he could

make anything that was wanting in woodwork. He learned his trade with Dinsmore. John Hemings made
most of the woodwork of Mr.
31.

Jefferson's fine carriage."

He had command

of the troops of Convention for a

time.

According to Captain Bacon, "Brimmer was a son of imported Knowlsby. He was a bay, but a shade darker than any of the others. He was a horse of fair size, full, but not quite as tall as Eagle. He was a good riding-horse and excellent for the harness. Mr. Jefferson broke all his horses to both ride and work. I bought Brimmer of General John H. Cocke of Fluvanna County." [Bacon's "Brimmer" is, of course, a corruption of "Bremo." See Betts, Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, index under
32.

Horses.]
33.

[Campbell inserts the correct spelling in the text:] (Tarquin?) [Jefferson purchased Tarquin in 1790 from

60

William Fitzhugh and gave him to Thomas Mann Randolph in 1793. See Betts, Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 96.]
34.

[Campbell

[For details of
Jefferson
35.

inserts the correct spelling:] (Randolph) Randolph Jefferson, see Mayo, Thomas

and His Unknown Brother.]

inserts the full

[Campbell
C.)

name:] (John

W.

Eppes,

M.
36.

[Campbell guesses that

this was:]

(Mt. Blanc?)

37. [Isaac is wrong here. The Farm Book indicates that Isaac was living at Monticello until at least 1824, when the book ended, which was only two years before Jeffer-

son's death. See also footnote 17.]

[Campbell describes Pocahontas Appomattox, opposite Petersburg)

38. 39.

as:]

(a village

on the

[Campbell gives the correct spelling in parentheses:] (Riedesel, commander of the German troops of Conven-

tion.)

61

BIOGRAPHICAL

DATA CONCERNING
ISAAC
Aside from
Isaac's

own

reminiscences, the chief

sources of information about

him

are

in

the

writings, published and unpublished, of Thomas Jefferson. Chief of these is the Farm Book (a
register of slaves: their births, deaths, food and clothing issues, their location on the plantations,
etc.)

kept by Jefferson sporadically from 1774 to 1824. There is a break in the Farm Book from

1801 to 1810, during and just after Jefferson's two terms as President. Notes about Isaac are also
of Nail Manufacturing, and there are occasional mentions of him in the Account Books.

in the

Book

following data concerning Isaac all derive from the Jefferson manuscripts and are entirely independent of either Charles Campbell or Isaac's

The

own

reminiscences.

Monticello in December, 1775, although his birth date is twice incorrectly listed
Isaac
at

was born

63

by Jefferson in
at

was the son of Great George, who was born in 1730, was living
later years as 1768.

He

Monticello in 1774 when the Farm Book begins, and died at Monticello in 1799. Great George's
wife, Isaac's mother,

was Ursula, who was born in 1738 and was bought by Jefferson from Fleming's estate on January 21, 1773. She died at Monticello

had three brothers: Little George and Bagwell, who came to Monticello in 1773 with Ursula when they were 14 and 5 years old respectively; and Archy, born at Monticello in 1773,
in 1800. Isaac

who

died before Isaac's birth.

Isaac lived at Monticello during most of the between 1775 and 1824. Although he says years in his memoirs that he left Monticello four years before Jefferson died, it is clear from the Farm

Book

that he lived there at least until

two years

before Jefferson's death,

ends. Isaac

first appears time of his birth; his first listing as a smith

when the Farm Book in the Farm Book at the

is

on

Jefferson's slave roll in 1794, and some of the accounts of his products in the nail factory are available for 1796. In 1796 and 1797 he was living with Iris, a slave born at Monticello in the same

year as Isaac. His name appears with hers and those of her two sons (Squire, born in 1793, and "a boy" born in 1796) , so bracketed as to Joyce, indicate that the children may both have been his.

The names of Iris and her children disappear from

the

Farm Book
64

in 1798,

and

Isaac then

remained

single until 1816,

name was linked for two years with that of Suckey. Suckey was not an
his

when

uncommon name among

specific birth dates

the Monticello slaves:

there are seven listed in the

Farm Book with

dates.

between the years 1765 and

1806,
these,

and two

several
at least

more without birth

were
still

Of
an d

alive in 1824,

scraps of additional information about each of

them can be pieced

connected with

together.

Which Suckey was

relationship in leased to Thomas Jefferson Randolph, remains in doubt. There is a reasonable probability that
Isaac's "large fat

and what happened to the 1818, when one of the Suckeys was
Isaac,

ing black

woman*

round-faced good-humored lookof the 1840*5 was not one of

*

these Suckeys, but a successor.

At some time during Isaac's life at Monticello, he became the property of Jefferson's son-in-law,

Thomas Mann Randolph.

dolph on
take Isaac

Jefferson wrote to RanJanuary 25, 1798, "You will of course

when you please/' and Jefferson's Account Book for 1812 has these three equivocal
entries concerning Isaac:

Jan. 30.
for

pd Samuel Grosse

jailer of

Bath county

TMRandolph

30. D[ollars]. for taking

up &

bringing Isaac home, on account.

Nov. 8 gave TMR's Isaac on finish[in]g the chimney of the Factory i. D[ollar]. h[ouse]h[ol]d
exp[enses]
i.

D[ollar].

Dec. 21. Isaac for a truss for Abram.

i.

D[ollar].

h[ouse]h[ol]d expanses] 2.125 [Dollars].*

following genealogical table of Isaac's immediate family is derived from the Farm Book.

The

The

dollar

mark

($)
states,

had already come into use in

some of the eastern

but Jefferson was never to use this new-fangled annotation, at least in his account books. It will be noted that this 1812 entry was early enough for the so-called "bit" or 12 i/ -cent piece to have a meaning. 2
It survives

or today only in pairs as the quarter-dollar,

"two-bit" piece.

66

BIOGRAPHICAL

DATA CONCERNING
CHARLES CAMPBELL
Charles Campbell was born in Petersburg, Virginia, on May i, 1807. After graduating from the College of New Jersey with a law degree, he began a career as a school teacher. In 1 842 he started his

own

school in Petersburg, and from 1855 to served as principal of Anderson Seminary.

^70

Campbell was both an author and a

historical writings.

collector of

manuscript material was lent to Bishop William Meade of Virginia, who used it in his two volumes on Old Churches and Families of Virginia. As an
of his collected

Much

author, Campbell contributed regularly to The Southern Literary Messenger and to the Virginia Historical Register. His Introduction to the History of the

Colony and Ancient Dominion

ginia was published in Richmond date Campbell gives in the Memoirs for his inter-

of Virin 1847, t"ie

view with

Isaac,

and was republished

in an en-

larged edition at Philadelphia in 1860. Campbell was the author also of a Genealogy of the Spots-

wood Family and editor of the Bland Papers and Some Materials to Serve for a Brief Memoir of

John Daly Burk, Author of a History of Virginia. Campbell died in the Staunton Lunatic Asylum on July 11, 1876, after some years of invalidism.

The

Isaac Jefferson manuscript, however, was prepared for publication in 1871, several years be-

fore Campbell's breakdown, and the manuscript itself indicates that Campbell was in full posses-

sion of his mental powers at the time that he

wrote

it.

Further information concerning Charles Campbell may be found in Rayford Logan's introduction to the 1951 edition of Isaac's Memoirs and through the list of published biographical notices

appended to Edward A. Wyatt's own sketch of Campbell in Virginia Imprint Series, No. 9: Preliminary Checklist for Petersburg, Richmond,

68

NOTE ON THE
ILLUSTRATIONS
ISAAC JEFFERSON
The
frontispiece
is

from a photograph of a

daguerreotype, showing Isaac probably at the time he was working in Petersburg in the 1840*8. For

Campbell's comments on it, see page 52. Taken by a Mr. Shew, probably in Petersburg, it was one
of a pair: the daguerreotype of Isaac's wife made at the same time has apparently not survived. The

probably the earliest existing photographic likeness of a slave. John T. Winterich in commenting on it said (in the Saturday Review,
picture
is

February 23, 1952, p. 13) "It gives one something of a shock to inspect a photograph of a man who accompanied our first Secretary of State to Philadelphia in 1790."

daguerreotype is now in the Tracy W. McGregor Library at the University of Virginia.

The

JEFFERSON'S LIFE MASK

mask of Jefferson was made by John H. I. Browere at Monticello in 1825, t^ie Year before Jefferson's death, and presumably within a
plaster life

The

twelvemonth of

Isaac's departure. Jefferson de-

69

scribed the ordeal of the

to

mask making

in a letter

James Madison, October

18, 1825: "Successive

on the naked head, and kept there an hour, would have been a severe trial of a young and hale person. He [Browere]
coats of thin grout plaistered

suffered the plaister also to get so dry that separation became difficult & even dangerous. He was

obliged to use freely the mallet 8c chisel to break it into pieces and get off a piece at a time. These

thumps
almost

of the mallet
to

would have been

sensible

loggerhead. The family became alarmed, and he confused, till I was quite exhausted, and there became real danger that the

ears

would

separate from the head sooner than

from the plaister. I now bid adieu for ever to busts & even portraits/' For a view of the mask from
another angle, see F. C. Rosenberger's Jefferson Reader, facing page 257.

now at the New York State Historical Association, and is reproduced here through the courtesy of Miss Mary E.
life

The

mask

is

Cunning-

ham and

the Association,

JEFFERSON'S

POLYGRAPH
Uni-

Jefferson's polygraph was presented to the versity of Virginia in 1875 by Jefferson's

grandson

and

is

now on permanent

loan to Monticello.

The
gift:

following letter

accompanied Mr. Randolph's

70

June joth 1875 Edge Hill

The Honorable Board

Gentlemen

of Visitors of the University of Va.

me through your body to present to the Univerthe polygraph used [by] Mr. Jefferson for the last sity twenty years of his life. In retrieving [?] for publication many thousand of these letters, they [the polygraph
Allow
were found accurate facsimilies of his handwriting; no error [occurring] except where the record pen was caught by some irregularity in the paper. When extricating itself with a spring, it missed a few letters,
copies]

leaving space for them.

Most

respectfully
J.

Thos.
P.S.

Randolph,

Sr.

Copies from this polygraph remain perfect and unfaded when those made by the copying press are illegible.

The photograph was made by Ralph Thompson.

LINN ENGRAVING OF JEFFERSON

William Linn's Life of Thomas Jefferson was first published in 1834 and was republished in 1839 and 1843. The frontispiece shown to Isaac

by Campbell appeared in all three editions. It was engraved by Stephen H. Gimber from the Stuart portrait of Jefferson of 1823, which was in turn copied by Stuart from his earlier (ca. 1805) life
portrait of Jefferson,

showing the President in his

early sixties. Gimber's engraving was, thus, a poor reproduction of a not too successful copy of a life

about twenty years younger than Isaac would have remembered him. For further details of the likenesses of Jefferson,
portrait, representing Jefferson

see Fiske Kimball's

The Life Portraits

of Jefferson

and Their Replicas, Philadelphia,

1944.

MONTICELLO
This 1826 watercolor of Monticello, probably drawn by some immediate member of Jefferson's family, shows the southwest front of the house and gardens at about the time Isaac left there. It survived as part of the Jefferson-Coolidge Papers and was reproduced in black and white through the courtesy of Mrs. T. Jefferson Coolidge by Francis
Galley Gray in his

Thomas Jefferson

in 1814 (Bos-

ton, 1924, between p. 20-21) and by Fiske Kimball in his Jefferson's Grounds and Gardens at Monticello

1926? p. 15) The first reproduction of the drawing in color (through the courtesy

(New York,

of George H. Gushing, Jr.) was in the Virginia

Cavalcade (Vol.

i,

Spring 1952,

p. 4)

published

by the Virginia State Library. It is through the kindness of Mr. Randolph W. Church, Librarian
of the Virginia State Library, that the color plates for this earliest known picture of Monticello are

used here.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL

NOTE
The manuscript from which
Memoirs
Library
entitled
is

the text of the

printed

is

in the

Tracy

W. McGregor
Campbell

at the University of Virginia.

it

"Life of Isaac Jefferson of Petersburg, Virginia, Blacksmith, containing a full and faithful account of Monticello and the Family there,

with notices of

many

of the distinguished charac-

ters that visited there,

with his Revolutionary ex-

perience and travels, adventures, observations and opinions, the whole taken down from his own

words." For detailed notes on its provenance and for a comparison with a similar manuscript at

William and Mary, see the scholarly edition of 1951 edited by Rayford W. Logan. In transcribing this same manuscript, Dr. Logan aimed at absolute literalness, preserving all spelling, capitalization, and punctuation exactly as it appeared in

Campbell's manuscript. In the present edition, an attempt has been made to normalize the transcription, changing Campbell's punctuation, capitalization,

and spelling where necessary to make the narrative read more easily. Care was, however, taken to retain any original spelling that seemed
to reflect Isaac's pronunciation.

Some

of

Camp73

bell's parenthetical insertions

notes have been placed at Isaac's narrative. There are no omissions or suppressions from the text, and information derived from other
sources

and all the end of

of his foot-

The

clearly indicated as such. chief published primary documents are to

is

be found in the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, edited

by Julian
Jefferson's

P.

Boyd

Farm

(1950), and in Book, edited by Edwin

Thomas M. Betts

0954) The
(e.g.,

chief unpublished primary sources the Account Books and the Book of Nail

Manufacturing)

may all be

consulted in photostat

at the University of Virginia.

Readers interested in the background of Isaac

Jefferson's life are referred especially to the Betts edition of Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book (Princeton) , to Bernard Mayo's Jefferson Himself, to

Francis C. Rosenberger's anthology, The Jefferson Reader (Button) and to two older biographies
,

of

Thomas

Jefferson: Sarah Randolph's

Domestic
.

Life (1871) and Henry S. Randall's Life (1858) The current standard biographies of Jefferson are:

Dumas Malone's
(Coward-McCann)
.

(Little,
,

Brown),

Gilbert

Chinard's (Little, Brown)

and Marie Kimball's

74

INDEX

INDEX
Ampthill, 36 Anderson, Bob, 15-16 Anderson, Mat, 15-16
Betts,

Edwin M.,

56, 60, 62,

74
Beverley, Robert, 58 Beverly (Petersburg loonist) , 10
bal-

Antigua rum, 30, 29 Antonine (Italian gardener)

,

28
(slave,
,

Blacksmiths,
Isaac's

8,

15, 41,

45

Archy
ther)

bro-

64, 66

(dog) , 47 Arnold, Benedict, 58 Arthur (slave of William

Giles)
,

Armandy

Blenheim, 8, 40 Boiling, John, 42 Boiling, Mrs. John,

see

Mary
Boiling,

Jefferson

Ned

(i.e.,

John),

39

Artillery, 18

Assembly-House, 1011

4* Books, 27-28 Botetourt, Norborne Berkeley, Baron de, 10

Bacon, Edmund, 54, 59, 60 Bacon Quarter Branch, 16i?

Boyd, Julian P., 74 Bradley, John, 42 Bread baking, 14

Bagwell
ther)
,

(slave, Isaac's bro-

64,

66

Bremo (horse), see Brimmer Brimmer (horse) 46

,

Bakery in Richmond, 14 Balloon, 10

Bears, 49

Bringhouse, James, 32-34 British invasion of RichBritish

Bedford County, Va., 23

Belligrini
er)
,
*

mond, 15-21 march to Yorktown,

22-23

(Italian garden-

28

Bellows, 41

Brock, John, 48 Browere, John H.

I.,

69-70

Belmont, 45 Belvidere, 45
Belvoir, 26

Island, 49 Building materials, 51

Buck

Bull (dog)

47

77

Butchers, see Daly

Butlers, see

55
Charlottesville, Va., 51 Chesterfield, 42, 47

Martin Hem-

ings

Buzzy (dog), 47
Byrd, Ursula, 14

Chinard, Gilbert, 74 Church, Randolph W., 72

Cider, 29

Claremont (dog), 47
Campbell, Charles,
73;74
3,

67-68,

Clock, 29

Capitol (Richmond), 13 Caractacus (horse), 12, 18,

Clothing, 11, 25, 45 Coal, 41 Coaches, see Carriages

Cock-fighting, 46 Cocke, John H., 60 Cooking, 14 Coolidge, Mrs. T.

*4

Card playing, 47
Carpenters, 41, 45 Carr, Dabney, 33, 50 Mrs. Dabney, Carr,

Jeffer-

see

son, 12 Colle, 28, 51

Martha
Carr,

Jefferson Patsy, see

Martha

Copying machine, 27
Cornwallis,
Charles,
first

Jefferson Carr, Peter, 33 Carr, Sam (brother-in-law of Martha Jefferson

Marquis, 23

Carr), 33
Carr,

Sam

(son of

Martha

Coxendale Island, Va., 51 Cumberland County, Va., 50 Cunningham, Mary E., 70

Cups, 32 Gushing, George H., 72

Jefferson Carr), 33 and carriageCarriages makers, 8-12, 39, 52, 60; see also Phaetons, Wag-

ons
Carter, Col.

Edward,

8,

40

Daguerreotypes, 52, 69, facing titlepage

Gary, Archibald, 35-36, 50 Gary, Nancy, 36 Cavalry, 18 Central Hotel (Richmond),

Daly (Richmond butcher)

*7

Dancing, 47 Daniel (slave),

Deer, 48

21, 23,

56

59 Ceres (dog) , 47 Charles (white boy), 33 Charles City County, Va.,

DeWitt

(Charlottesville

tavern keeper), 51 Didiot (Frenchman, mar-

ried Mazzei's daughter), 28

Didiot, Frances, 28 Didiot, Francis, 28

Fleming, Col. William,

8,

64 Fluvanna County, Va., 60

"Forest,"

Charles

City

Dinsmore, James, 60
Dogs, 47

County, Va., 55 Fosset, Joe, 55

Francis (Italian gardener) 28
,

Doorkeeper of Assembly, 14 Douglas, Rev. William, 11

Drinking, 20, 29, 47

Franklin rod, 8
Fredericksburg, Va., 31 French people, 30

Drums,

15-16

Dumb-waiter, 27 Dutch Gap, Va., 51

Gardeners, 28

Eagle (horse), 60 Edgehill, 36, 50 Elk Hill, 40 Elk Island, 40 Eppes, Francis, 33, 35 Eppes, Mrs. Francis, 33, 42, 45 Eppes, Frank, see Francis

Gates, 35

George, Great (or King Isaac's slave, George,

father)
,

7,

19, 23, 48, 64,

66
George,
Little
(slave,

Isaac's brother), 64,

66

Georgetown, 31

Eppes Eppes, John Wayles,

German
11, 50,

soldiers, 46; see al-

so Riedesel

55 Eppes, Mrs. John Wayles,

see

Giannini, see Jovanini Gigs, 39; see also Carriages

Giles, William B., 38-39 Gimber, Stephen H., 71

Maria Jefferson

Ginger-cakes, 14

Fauble

(French 29 man), Fences, 48

Fiddles

music-

Giovanni
tailor), 11

(Williamsburg

and

Fiddlers,

10,

Giovannini, see Jovanini Goats, 49

29,50
Fifers, see

Bob Anderson

Finishers, see John Nelson Fires and firefighting, 49

Goochland, 8 Goode, Col. Francis, 47 Gordon, Nat, 31 Governor's House (Rich-

Fitzhugh, William, 61

mond)

18,

58

79

Gray, Francis Galley, 73 Great George, see George Grosse, Samuel, 65 Guitar, 30

House-servants, see ants and Slaves

Serv-

Hunting, 41, 48
Hylton, Daniel, 21

Gustavus (horse), 12
Indian remains, 51 Iris (slave) 64, 66 Iron work, 9 Ironing, 20
,

Handcuffs, 20 Hare, 41; see also Rabbits

Harpsichord, 29 Harvie, Jack, 45 Harvie, Mrs. Jack, 45 Hemings, Betty (mother and daughter) , 10, 14, 56 Hemings, Bob, see Robert

Isaac, see Isaac Jefferson Italians, 28, 51

Jamestown, Va., 51
Jefferson, Anna Scott (called

Hemings
Hemings, Harriet, 10, 57
Hemings, James (Jim),
*4>
1

Nancy,
9,

Thomas
sister;
i.e.,
,

Jeffer-

son's

Mrs.

5>

3 1 * 33* 5 6

Hastings Marks)
Jefferson, Isaac

50

Hemings, Hemings, Hemings, Hemings,

John, 45, 55, 57 Madison, 10, 57 Martin, 9, 14, 56

apprenticed, 32 biographical sketch, 63-

Mary, 9-10, 14, 23,56 Hemings, Robert (Bob) , 9-10, 14-15, 33, 56 Hemings, Sally, 9-10, 57
16, 18, 21,

66
birth, 7

blacksmith shop, 52 captured by British, 2022

carries

Hemings
5i

family, 55-57

on

tin business, 37
of,

Henrico Court House, Va.,

Henry, Patrick, 26
Herring, 51
Horse-racing, 46-47 Horses, 12, 18, 24, 31, 46, 60; see also names of
horses, e.g., Caractacus Hostlers, see Joseph Rattiff Hounds, see Dogs

daguerreotype
titlepage, 52,

facing

69

death, 52

description of, 52

drum

beating, 15-16, 21 genealogical table of im-

mediate family, 66
Monticello, Isaac returns to, 33; Isaac leaves, 50
parentage,
7;

see

also

80

genealogical table

Philadelphia, 31-33

and Mary Jefferson Jefferson, Randolph, 50

Jefferson,

Randolph,

Thomas
ownership

Thomas
to

Mann,

Jr.,

Ambassador

France,

of Isaac, 38, 65-66

whipped, 35 York town, 23

Jefferson, Mrs. Isaac, 52, 69 Jefferson,

45 amusements, 41
books, 27-28

bowing

habits, 51

Lucy
Maria
i.e.,

(Thomas
,

Jefferson's daughter)

45

Jefferson,
Polly,

(called

card playing, 47 clock, 29 clothes, 11, 25, 45

Thomas Jefferson's
Mrs. John

copying machine, 27
dancing, 47
description
of, 25, 41,

W.

daughter; Eppes), 10-11, 33, 3839> 5> 55

59

Jefferson,

Martha
i.e.,

(called

Patsy,

Thomas Jefferson's
Mrs.

daughter;

Thomas

Mann
7-8,

Ran10,

dolph, Jr.), 33> 38

Jefferson,

11,

dining habits, 29 dogs, 47 drinking habits, 29 driving habits, 10-12 dumb-waiter, 27 Elk Hill, 40
eyesight,

44
9,

Martha
i.e.,

(called

France, 9-10

Patsy,
sister;

Thomas Jefferson's
,

Carr)
Patsy,

Mrs. Dabney 33, 50

governor, guns, 41
habits,

40
27-30,

10-12,

41,

Jefferson,

Martha

(called

47> 5*-52

wife)

Thomas Jefferson's see Mrs. Thomas

Mary (called Thomas Jefferson's
i.e.,
,

horses, 12, 46

hunting, 41, 48
illness,

Jefferson
Jefferson,
Polly,
sister;

44-45

Mrs.

John

42, 45, 50 Jefferson, Nancy, see Anna

Boiling)

language skill, 28 manuscripts cited Account Books, 63, 6566,74 Book of Nail Manufacturing, 63, 74

Scott Jefferson
Jefferson,

Patsy,

see

the

Farm Book,
63-64

55, 57, 61,

Jeffersons Jefferson, Polly, see Maria

three

Martha

music and musical instru81

ments, 29-30
portraits, 41, 69-70, 71-72,

Jupiter 23

(slave),

11-12,

14,

facing 16, 41 Prayer Book, 35, 60 President (i.e., Secretary

of State), 31-34, 59

Richmond,

13-21

Keys and locks, 41 Kimball, Fiske, 72 Kimball, Marie, 74

singing, 30 skill at making keys

locks, 41
slaves,

and

King George (slave) George Knowlsby (horse) 60

,

see

number

of,

11

slaves returned

by WashLafayette,

ington, 23
spectacles, violin, 29

M.
44

J. etc.,

Mar-

44
resi-

quis de,
Laths, 51

William and Mary

dence, 10-11

Williamsburg, 9 wine cellar, 20

Jefferson,

Lightning, 8 Linn, William, 41, 71-72 Little York, see Yorktown

Mrs.
Patsy,

Thomas
wife
first

(called

of

Locks and keys, 41 Logan, Rayford W., 68,73

3,

59,

Thomas
ried

Jefferson,

ne
mar,

Martha Wayles,

Bathurst Skelton)
,

Madison

(slave)

see

Madi-

Joe (slave)

23

son Hemings Maids, 10; see also Slaves

John

(slave,

coachman)

11-12, 14, 18 John (slave of Gov. Page)

and Servants Malone, Dumas,

26

Jovanini (Italian gardener.

Jefferson

58, 74 Manchester, Va., 15 Marks, Hastings, 50 Marks, Mrs. Hastings, see

spelled

the

Anna

Scott Jefferson

name
present

Giovannini;
generation

the
in
it

Marsdell,
,

Mr.

(of

Rich-

Charlottesville

Giannini
tions)
,

with
64,

spell varia-

mond) 15 Mary (slave,

and

pastry-cook
,

seamstress)
34,

see

28
,

Mary Hemings
66

Joyce (slave)

Mayo, Bernard,

74

Mazzei, Peggy, 28 Mazzei, Philip, 28, 51 Millbrooks, 50

school, 42
silver from, 19, 24

Milton, Va., 37

slave quarters, 49 stable (300 yards

from

Modena
er)
,

(Italian

garden-

house)

35
car-

28

Molasses, 51

tinshop, 33-34 tools, blacksmiths',

,

Molly Molly

(slave)

21, 23,

56

penters', etc., 41

(slave

of

Gov.

view from, 43
visitors to, 25-26, 28, 353 6 > 3 8 -39

Page), 26

Monticello
building
of, 8

carriages at, see Carriages

wild animals around, 49 watercolor of, 72, facing

5

Gary, Archibald, 35-36

clock, 29

visits,

deer and deer park, 48 dinners at, 29

dogs, 47

wood-finishing, 8 Mount Black or Blanc, 50 Mulattoes, 9-10

Music,

16,

29-30

dumb-waiter, 27 fences, 28, 48

gardens, 28 gates, 35
Giles,

Nail business, 37, 51 Nelson, John, 8

New York
visits, 38-

State Historical

William,

Association, 70

39

Henry, Patrick, visits, 26 Isaac born at, 7

kitchen, 29
library, 27, 41

Nicholas, Anne, 38 Nicholas, Wilson Gary, 38

livestock,

49

Odin (horse) 31 Old Market (Richmond),

,

marble statuary, 44
Mazzei's stay, 28 music, 29-30
nail factory, 37, 51

13

Ore, Billy, 8-9 Otter (horse) 12

,

Page, John,

visits,

Page,

Mann,

visits,

26 26

pictures, 44 rabbits, 47

Palace (Richmond), 13 Page, Gov. John, 26

Page,

Mann, 26

Partridges, 41
Pastry, 20
Pelligrini, see Belligrini

Randolph, George Wythe,

59- 6 o

Petersburg, Va., 10, 17 Phaetons, 9-12, 31; see also

Carriages,

Randolph, James Madison,

38, 59-60

Wagons

Randolph,

Jefferson,

see

Philadelphia, 31-34 Pianoforte, 30

Pierson,

Thomas

Jefferson Ran-

Hamilton W., 54

Pipe smoking, 47
Piragua, 22 Pocahontas, Va., 51

dolph Randolph, Mary Jefferson, 60 Meriwether Randolph,

Lewis, 59-60 Randolph, Sarah, 74 Randolph, Septima, 59-60

Pocahontas Bridge, 52 Polygraph, 27, 70-71, facing

27

Randolph, Thomas
(Col.
,

Jeffer-

Pompey

Goode's

son

(called
25,

Jefferson
36, 38,

horse trainer) 47 Poplar Forest, 23

Postillion, 11

Randolph),

59-60, 65, 70-71

Randolph, Thomas Mann,

ST.

Potomac, 31 Powder-magazine, 21 Powhatan House, 13 Prayer Book, 55, 60

(called

Tuckahoe

Tom),

21, 23, 36

Randolph, Thomas Mann,

Jr., 8, 36, 38,

50-51,

61,65
Jeffer-

Randolph,

Mrs.

Thomas

Mann,

see

Marth

Queen
Ursula

(slave),

7;

see

son

Randolph, Virginia, 59-60

Remus
Rabbits, 41, 47 Racing, 46-47 Randall, Henry

Rattiff, Joseph, 31, 33, (horse) , 1 2

46

Richmond,
Riding
S.,

horse,

Va., 13-21 11; see also

74

Horses
Riedesel, Friedrich Adolf, Freiherr von, 28, 51

Randolph, Anne

Gary, 38,

Randolph, Benjamin Franklin, 38, 59-60

Romulus

(horse), 12

Randolph, Cornelia, 59-60 Randolph, Ellen Wayles,

Rosenberger, 7^ 74 Rum, 20, 29

Francis

C.,

Saddlers, 13-14 School at Monticello, 42 Seamstress, see Betty Hem-

mond)
Sukey
*4

10

Stuart, Gilbert, 71
(slave,

the

cook),
,

ings

23
(slave, Isaac's wife?)

Senegore (horse)

12

Sukey

Servants, 13; see names of servants, e.g., the Hem-

65-66

ings

family;

see

also

under Slaves
Shadwell, 55 Sheep, 49

Tailors, see Giovanni

Shew,

Mr.
24

Tar kill (horse) 46 Tarquin (horse), see Tar,

(daguerreo-

kill

typist,)

52, 69
J. G., 18

Tavern

in Charlottesville,

Silver, 19,

Simcoe, Col.

Va., 51

Skelton, Bathurst, 7, 58 Skelton, Mrs. Bathurst, see

Temple, Bob, 36

Thompson, Ralph,

71

Mrs.
Skipper,

Thomas
Mrs.,

Threshing machine, 51

Jefferson
see

Tin

Mrs.

business, 33-34, 37

Fulwar Skipwith
Skipwith, Fulwar, 55 Skipwith, Mrs. Fulwar, 42 Skipwith, William, 50
Slaves,
9-11,
14;

Tinner, see James firinghouse

Tuckahoe, 21

Tuckahoe

Tom,

see

see

also

Thomas
dolph,
Sr.

Mann

Ran-

under

the

names

of

slaves, Isaac especially Jefferson, Great George,

the

Hemings

Ursula

family,

(slave,

called

Ursula. For slave wages,

see 19-20, 51-52

Queen,
7-8,

Isaac's

mother),

19-20, 23, 54, 58, 64,

Smoking, 47
Spectacles, 44, 52

66
Usley, see Ursula

Spinnet, 29

Spotswood, Dandridge, 52
Spy-glass, 15

Varina, 51
,

Squire (slave)
Squirrels, 41 Dr. Strauss,

64, 66

Violins, see Fiddles

(of

Rich-

Virginia Cavalcade, 72 Virginia State Library, 72

Wagons,
riages,

9, 22;

see also Car-

Wiley,

Mr.

(Richmond

Phaetons
25;

Waistcoats,

see

also

Clothing Walker, John, 26 Walker, Dr. Thomas, Washing, 20

saddler-shop owner), 1314; see also Billy Wiley, his son?

26,

30
23,

Wiley, Mrs., 14 Wiley, Billy, 14

William and Mary College,

73 Williamsburg, Va., 9-14 Willis* Mountain, 43
20, 29 Winterich, John T., 69 Wintopoke, 33 Wolves, 49 Wood-work, 8, 60

Washington, 32,41,44
Water-works
phia), 32

George,

10-11, 58,

Washington Tavern, 20
(Philadel-

Wine,

Watson, Billy, 46 Watson, Davy, 8-9, 46 Wayles, Martha, see Mrs.

Thomas
Westham,

Jefferson
10, 50,

Wayles, John,
21

55

Wormley (slave) 23 Wyatt, Edward A., 68

,

Westover, 58

Whippings, 35
Wild-cats, 49

York, Little, see Yorktown

Yorktown, Va., 22-23

86