My first question was about the last letter that Jefferson wrote to Alexander. The "let us take soupe and wine together every day, and talk over the stories of our youth, and tales of other times." Was that a throw away comment? Did he say that sort of thing to everyone? Lisa said that Jefferson was not the kind of man to make empty gestures - if he said something, he meant it, and he chose his words well. I suppose you can give that to the author of the Declaration of Independence.
I then got onto the the subject of Alexander's last letter to Jefferson - where was it? The notes after Jefferson's last letter to Alexander say:
"Donald closed his correspondence with TJ with a letter of 22 February 1796, recorded in SJL as received from London 14 May 1796, but not found".
Lisa had very kindly looked up the reference to the letter in Jefferson's record of all letters sent and received - the SJL - and here is that record - Donald Alexr. - about two thirds of the way down on the left hand side.
You may have to take my word for it - but it is there.
So I asked Lisa why it said "Donald closed his correspondence" - and she too found this to be strange. Why closed? Why not just sent another letter, or even his last letter? Jefferson makes no reference to him closing the correspondence - so who did? She then very kindly gave me a contact at Princeton - one of the editors of the Jefferson papers as she thinks she will have the answer - the initial letters were edited quite a few years ago - so perhaps the final letter had turned up. Worth trying.
We then discussed my project - and I explained that it started as a look at the letters of Jefferson and Donald, but now it had expanded and I was doing more research into the collapse of the Virginian Tobacco Dons of Glasgow and obviously using the Donalds as a case study. The changes from 1760 - 1806 - using the signatures of Alexander Donald as illustrations of the decline - and looking through all the papers of the Loyalist Claims. She very politely said that indeed my research needed a bigger picture - and that it had to include much more than just Donalds and a few letters to and from Jefferson. Quite a period of history to try and capture.
Then went to UVA library - firstly to look at Alexander's nephew's book - but then to look for some other lost letters - that between William Heth to Alexander Hamilton, being rude about Alexander Donald - and then the letters between Donald and Hamilton. Obviously I felt that I was on a roll, so I would just turn on the mircofilm machine and up they would pop. Slightly disappointed that couldn't find any of the letters. Did find a letter from Heth to Hamilton from a month previous to the incident, but it was all very friendly and chummy and no mention of Alexander Donald. However - apparently there are other leads to follow. Always other leads to follow.
Was also in touch with Andrew - the director of the International Centre for Jefferson studies here. He gave me some great leads to look into the economic collapses that the Donalds were part of - including John McCusker who is coming to the centre from October 23. The leading authority of the economic history of early America and apparently very familiar with Scottish merchants. He is the Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of American History and Professor of Economics at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Details here.
Andrew also sent me a picture of our working lunch from last week.
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