Thomas Jefferson Demonstrates His Famous Statement that He Cannot Live Without Books, Re-Building His Second Library Immediately After Selling the First to the Library of Congress

“I greatly want the two books mentioned in my letter of Aug. 17, which I sent to be cut and bound, the one into 3. vols. and the other into two. to wit Hutton’s tables and the Requisite tables”

An uncommon Jefferson letter relating to books and re-building his library

 

He acknowledges the receipt of his bill with his book dealer, which showed him having ordered John Marshall’s “Life of Washington”; “History of the French Revolution” and “Power of Religion”

 

The published version of this letter is known from the polygraph copy, the mailed original having been presumed lost until now

 

Throughout his life, books were vital to Thomas Jefferson’s education and well-being. When his family home Shadwell burned in 1770, Jefferson most lamented the loss of his books. In the midst of the American Revolution and while United States minister to France in the 1780s, Jefferson acquired thousands of books for his library at Monticello. Jefferson’s library went through several stages, but it was always critically important to him. Books provided Jefferson with a broader knowledge of the contemporary and ancient worlds than most contemporaries. By 1814 when the British burned the nation’s Capitol and the Library of Congress, Jefferson had acquired the largest personal collection of books in the United States. Jefferson offered to sell his library to Congress as a replacement for the collection destroyed by the British during the War of 1812. Congress purchased Jefferson’s library for $23,950 in March 1815, and from May to July Jefferson watched while his library was loaded on wagons and sent to Washington.

Proclaiming that “I cannot live without books,” Jefferson quickly began a second collection of several thousand books. In this letter from late 1815, we see him beginning to rebuild his library.

Joseph Milligan was a Georgetown book dealer that helped Thomas Jefferson acquire his library. When Congress agreed to purchase Jefferson’s original library, Milligan went to Jefferson’s Monticello home to inventory and appraise the collection. He also supervised its packing and transportation to Washington. He then helped Jefferson rebuild his library, as we see here.

Autograph letter signed, Monticello, October 5, 1815, to Joseph Milligan, regarding acquisition and payment for books. “I am just now returned from a 7 weeks visit to Bedford, to which place I went immediately on writing you my letter of Aug. 17. On my return I find here your two letters of Aug. 16. and 20. the former covering my account amounting to 264.75 from which deducting the 92.D. remitted a balance remains of 172.75. I knew there had been other books furnished me of which I had no account; but it runs much in my mind that I have paid for the early vols. of Wilson which makes the principal mass of this balance. I think I paid for some of them either at Washington or very soon after, however I have no strength of confidence in my memory, and the less as it does not suggest thro’ what channel I paid. I will search into it [the] moment the letters accumulated during my absence will permit, and will immediately remit the balance whatever it may be. In the mean time I greatly want the two books mentioned in my letter of Aug. 17, which I sent to be cut and bound, the one into 3. vols and the other into two. to wit Hutton’s tables and the Requisite tables. If you will do up two vols. together they might come in the mail without too much burdening it, if sent one package only of two vols. each week; or perhaps you could send the whole by the stage to Mr Gray with a request to forward it immediately by the mail tumbrel.—you shall hear from me again in a few days. Accept my friendly salutations. Th: Jefferson.” Professionally conserved and reinforced.

The two books Jefferson wanted so badly were Mathematical Tables by Charles Hutton, published as a set in 1804 (Jefferson book 3697), and Complete Set of Nautical Tables, Containing All That Are Requisite to Be Use published in 1806 (Jefferson book 3809). The books that accounted for his balance were likely by John Wilson, author of “A Volume for all Libraries…Being a System of Philological Entertainments, Comprising Altogether an Extensive Ground Work for Immense Improvements in the English Language,” which Jefferson is known to have owned.

An uncommon Jefferson letter to his book dealer relating to rebuilding his fabled library and exhibiting his interest in math and nautical matters.

The published version of this letter is known from the polygraph copy, the mailed version not having been found and assumed lost.