MR. JEFFERSON'S OVERSEER.

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the minutest details of his every-day home life at Monticello; as a farmer, manufacturer, and master; as a lover of fine horses, hogs, and sheep; as the enthusiastic cultivator of fruits and flowers; as the kind neighbor, the liberal benefactor of the poor, the participator in the childish sports of his grandchildren, the hospitable entertainer of swarms of visitors that well-nigh ate up all his substance, and consumed his life;-in all these, and numerous other relations, Thomas Jefferson still survives in the iron memory, and in the most devoted and tender affection and veneration of a now aged man, who was for twenty years the chief overseer and business manager of his estate at Monticello. Such is the fact.

On a visit, some months since, with one of my associates, to a neighborhood in Trigg County, Ky., about twenty miles from my own home, our host, Capt. C. W. Roach, remarked: "I have a near neighbor, Capt. Edmund Bacon, who lived with Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, as overseer, for twenty years.'

"We should be most happy to go and see him," was our response; and very soon we were on our way. Most naturally, as we rode on, our conversation turned on the distinguished men that Virginia had given to the country and the world. Though I doubt not my readers are as impatient for the

I am

introduction that was before us as we were, sure they will pardon me for detaining them with some of the details of that conversation.

Capt. Roach was a native of Charlotte County, Va., the home of John Randolph. He had been familiar with his appearance from childhood, had frequently heard him speak, had often seen him driving about the country with four magnificent blooded horses to his carriage, and his servants following him with perhaps a dozen more equally "high-bred" and fiery. He gave us a number of anecdotes illustrating his eccentricities. One of these was so very characteristic of the man, that I must repeat it.

A Baptist clergyman, the Rev. Abner W. Clopton, took charge of some Baptist churches in Charlotte County, and attracted unusual attention as a preacher. He had been a Professor in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, and the fame of his learning and eloquence drew large crowds to hear him. Mr. Randolph, whose solicitude for his servants is well known, employed Mr. Clopton to preach to them, and generally attended these services. On one occasion, having been particularly moved by the sermon, he arose at its close and commenced an address to his sable audience. As he proceeded, his feelings became deeply enlisted, and in the most appropriate, beau

ANECDOTE OF JOHN RANDOLPH.

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tiful, and eloquent manner, he urged upon them the importance of the great moral truths that the preacher had presented to them. Mr. Clopton told Capt. Roach, a few days after, that no clergyman could have spoken more appropriately or beautifully. In conclusion, he expressed his great gratification at seeing them there, said he was very glad to provide preaching for them, was willing and anxious to afford them all the religious privileges they could desire, except night meetings. He could not and would not tolerate them. He grew indignant and bitter as he went on to speak of their evil effects, and said there was nothing that he hated worse, unless it was a mean, thieving overseer, to whom, in his indignation, he applied another and much stronger epithet, not at all in keeping with the moral lecture he had just given. As quick as thought he set about extricating himself from the awkward condition into which he had been led by his passions, and very deliberately went on to say, "Now if there were any common, vulgar people here, they would perhaps go away and say that I had used profane language; but my clerical friend here, who is a fine classical scholar, knows that 'damned' means condemned; and therefore I simply mean to say, an overseer that everybody condemns."

As we approached our destination, I remarked

2

to Capt. Roach, that as it was so late in the afternoon, we should have but a short time to stay, and I was anxious to spend as little time as possible in general conversation, so that we might hear as much as possible of Mr. Jefferson from one who had been with him so many years, and must have known him so well.

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"Give yourself no uneasiness about that," said he. Capt. Bacon is enthusiastic and entirely at home on two subjects, and he never tires of talk ing about either. One is Thomas Jefferson, and the other is fine horses; and he easily passes from one to the other. We shall not be in the house many minutes before minutes before you will be certain to hear something of Mr. Jefferson."

We entered the house, and were introduced to Capt. Bacon as connected with the College at Princeton. The form of our introduction was most fortunate. It was pivotal. To Capt. Bacon's mind the mention of a College most naturally suggested the University of Virginia, and Mr. Jefferson's labors and solicitude in its behalf. He began at once to give the early history of the institution, and we soon found not only that he could talk about Mr. Jefferson, but that he was an uncom monly interesting talker, as the reader shall have occasion to see, for my pencil was soon in requi sition.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.

19

Let

"You know," said he, "that Mr. Jefferson was the founder of the University of Virginia. me see if I can remember all the Commissioners. There were Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madison, Mr. Monroe, Chapman Johnson, John H. Cocke, and some others. They are all that I now remember. The act of the Legislature, if I mistake not, made it their duty to establish the University within a mile of the Court House at Charlottesville. They advertised for proposals for a site. Three men offered sites,-Nicholas Lewis, John H. Craven, and John M. Perry. The Commissioners had a meeting at Monticello, and then went and looked at all these sites. After they had made this examination, Mr. Jefferson sent me to each of them, to request them to send by me their price, which was to be sealed up.'

"Do you remember the different prices?"

said I.

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"I think I do. Lewis and Craven each asked $17 per acre, and Perry $12. That was a mighty big price in those days. I went to Craven and Lewis first. When I went to Perry, he inquired of me if I knew what price the others had asked. I told him I did, but I did not think it would be right for me to tell him. They had both talked the matter over with me, and told me what they were a-going to ask. But I told Perry that if he