Guidance from Mr. Jefferson

7th December 1809. Soon after I got to Charlot(t)sville Saw Mr. Tho(mas) Jefferson he invited me to go and stay at his house, an I went with him and remained all night, Spoke much on the af(air)s. Of gov Lewis & c, & c, & c.

8th at 11oclock left Mr. Jeffersons dined at Mr. W. D. Meriwethers he was on the assembly at Richmond, it being absolutely necessary for to see him to make arrangements to get my papers from among gov. Lewis an to make some for the security of his property, & c. I concluded with the advice of Mr. Jefferson see him, and concluded to pass by way of Richmond and proceeded on to a little Tavern at Linseys store and stayed all night. Bad fair.

William Clark was focused on the work facing him, primarily securing the expedition journals. He had spent 40 day and nights collecting his thoughts and developing a plan to secure the journals and see that other possessions of Governor Lewis were protected and distributed as necessary.

William Clark and Thomas Jefferson are meeting to discuss several things but most important was securing the Lewis and Clark Journals from Meriwether Lewis’ possession. Thomas Jefferson’s counsel clearly reinforced the necessary steps to secure the journals and see them published. William Clark had already expressed doubt in his ability to make the final journal edit and see the journals through the publication process. Jefferson suggested possible editors and the financial arrangements to complete the publication.⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ Clark knew that W. D. Meriwether was the executor of Lewis’ estate and Jefferson assured Clark that it was necessary to secure Mr. Meriwether permission to take the expedition journals and related material.

William Clark was the guest of Thomas Jefferson (https://www.monticello.org/) and there was no charge for lodging or meals but William did tip Mr. Jeffersons boy ($) .50. Did Thomas Jefferson show William Clark the “Indian Hall” filled with Lewis and Clark Expedition specimens or the mastodon teeth from Big Bone Lick that Clark sent to the President in 1807? Was the weather favorable for a walk in the vegetable garden?

Thomas Jefferson is noted for keeping a record of weather conditions, yet there are lapses in the records and no record is found for 7 or 8 December 1809. Jefferson did write to Nathaniel Chapman on 11 December 1809, concerning climate change for a report Chapman was preparing for the Linnean Society.⁽³⁾ Jefferson had also been an avid recorder of vegetables planted and harvested. Stating in 1776, he made meticulous recordings in his “Kalendar” of vegetable planted and production. The terrace garden had been designed and during early 1809 it was advanced in construction so much so that it was planted in the Spring of 1809, although with little success.⁽⁴⁾ Again, we have no record of Jefferson showing Clark his new garden.

In addition to Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson connection to William Clark and his 1809 visit to Charlottesville, the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center is an excellent place to learn and experience the Virginia connection to the Lewis and Clark Story (https://lewisandclarkvirginia.org/).

The need to speak to William D. Meriwether, executor of Lewis’ estate, was very important and William Clark made the trip to the Cloverfield plantation quickly on 11 December only to find the Col. Meriwether in Richmond, VA attending to duties as a Member of the General Assembly. William dined at the Meriwether’s and tipped Mr. Meriwethers boy .25 cents. The roads today follow the corridor of the old roads of 1809. From the David Rubenstein Visitor Center at Monticello follow VA 53 (Thomas Jefferson Parkway) to VA 762, US 250, left, to VA 22).

The original grant by the Royal Governor and King’s Council of Virginia to Nicholas Meriwether totaled 17,952 acres plus an additional 1,020 acres. The land passed to William Douglas Meriwether (1761-1845).⁽⁵⁾⁽⁶⁾ A description of life on the plantations in the area is available in the Journal of Southern History, 1952.⁽⁷⁾ Cloverfield lies along the Southwest Mountains and approximately 8 miles east of Charlottesville, VA.⁽⁸⁾ US 22 and parallel with Southwest Mountains is a delightful scene of pristine historic Piedmont plantations first developed during the Colonial and Revolutionary Periods.⁽⁹⁾ Cloverfield is a private home and continues as a working farm. Please respect the private property.

William and Scott stayed all night at the Bentivolio Tavern near Lindsay’s Old Store. The tavern stood on the south side of the public road approximately ¼ mile South of Turkey Sag, a public road running northwest over Southwest Mountain. The tavern was built by Honorable Francis Walker, son of Dr. Thomas Walker of Castle Hill. The tavern disappeared long ago, today the site is only a depression in the ground.^(10)(11) The cost for William and Scott was $2.25, but the Clark rating for the Tavern and food was Bad fair, certainly not an acceptable grade. In the 1830’s the tavern is listed as a boys’ school.⁽¹²⁾ Reuben Lindsay’s Store was near the tavern and was listed in the Court Order Book, 2 February 1795, and 5 June 1809. In 1838 Lindsays Store served as a US Post Office.^(13)(14)

Sources:

(1) Jackson, Donald, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents 1783-1854, University of Illinois Press, Chicago, 1978, Vol 1, page 10-14.

(2) Jones, Landon Y(1), William Clark and the Shaping of the West, Hill and Wang, New York, 2004, page 183.

(3) https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0044

(4) Hatch, Peter J. A Rich Spot of Earth: Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden at Monticello, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2012, page 34 & 35.

(5) Anderson, Sarah Travers Lewis (Scott), Lewises, Meriwethers and Their Kin, Genealogical Publishing Co., Richmond, VA, 1938, Page 153.

(6) https://www.monticello.org/sites/library/exhibits/lucymarks/lucymarks/bios/colnicholasmeriwether.html

(7) https://www.jstor.org/stable/2954413?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A2ebd400f2de54570b3ebb850a53b782c&seq=12#page_scan_tab_contents

(8) https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/002-1832/

(9) https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=17447 Picture #5

(10) Albemarle Court Order Book 1783-1816, pages 147 & 184 (reference the “Bentivolio” Tavern).

(11) Douglas Valentine, Private letter November 2021.

(12) Mead, Edward, Historic Homes of the South-West Mountains Virginia, J. B. Lippincott, Co, Philadelphia, 1893, page 225-228.

(13) Albemarle County Court Order Book 1783-1816, page 171, 303.

(14) Journal of Southern History, 1952, A New Englander’s View of Plantation Life: Letters of Edwin Hall to Cyrus Woodman 1838, Vo 18, No. 3, pages 343-354. (See source #7 above for a digital copy.)