# Thomas Jefferson to Isaac A. Coles, 8 January 1810 CITATION: “Thomas Jefferson to Isaac A. Coles, 8 January 1810,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0094. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson , Retirement Series, vol. 2, 16 November 1809 to 11 August 1810 , ed. J. Jefferson Looney. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005, p. 127.] URL (original): https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0094 URL (fetched, Wayback Machine capture): https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0094 DATE FETCHED: 2026-09-14 TRANSCRIPTION: scholarly edition text (Princeton, Papers of Thomas Jefferson / Madison Papers, as published on Founders Online); text below is verbatim from the fetched page, including the editors' source note and footnotes. Superscripts are flattened by the HTML-to-text conversion (e.g. 'Oct r' = Oct^r, '11 th' = 11^th). NOTE: Only the second sentence concerns Lewis's papers. ---- VERBATIM TEXT (Founders Online page) ---- Thomas Jefferson to Isaac A. Coles, 8 January 1810 To Isaac A. Coles Monticello Jan. 8. 10. Dear Sir Your favor of the 5 th came to hand last night. that of Dec. 29. had been recieved by the preceding post. Gov r Lewis’s papers shall be disposed of as you desire. the prints in my bed chamber of the President’s house belong to the house. Claxton had procured & hung there those of Gen l Washington & myself before I went there, & he afterwards added mr Adams’s at my request. your brothers Edward & John were here a few days ago. I think Edward had not then recieved the invitation from the President. all happens for the best. while your late affair with Nelson has covered him alone with reproach, it’s effect of bringing you home to your affairs & friends among whom you are to pass your days, will undoubtedly promote your happiness. the habits of a country life should not be too long postponed, nor the valuable affections of country society; & still more especially those connections without which man cannot be happy; and that by a very wise law of his nature. we shall certainly gain by your being restored to our neighborhood, and I hope you will consider Monticello as much a home as Enniscorthy. the military life in time of peace must be the most disagreeable possible. I know none but that of a monk which must present so much ennui. in the country, our occupations are so diversified, & so constantly presenting to us their results, that the mind is constantly employed either on objects present, or those in expectation. come then and see how much happier one is in being an active Agricole than a city lounger. present me affectionately to the President & mrs Madison, and accept especially for yourself the assurances of my constant attachment & respect. Th: Jefferson PoC ( MHi ); at foot of text: “Isaac A. Coles”; endorsed by TJ. Index Entries Adams, John; print of search Claxton, Thomas (d.1821); and President’s House search Coles, Edward; as J. Madison’s secretary search Coles, Edward; visits Monticello search Coles, Isaac A.; and affair with Nelson search Coles, Isaac A.; and TJ’s Washington effects search Coles, Isaac A.; letters to search Coles, John; visits Monticello search Congress, U.S.; member of assaulted search Enniscorthy (I. A. Coles’s Albemarle Co. estate) search Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; military life in peacetime search Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; monastic life search Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; rural life search Jefferson, Thomas; Portraits; at President’s House search Lewis, Meriwether; papers of search Madison, Dolley Payne Todd (James Madison’s wife); TJ sends greetings to search Madison, James; and E. Coles search Madison, James; greetings sent to search military; in peacetime search Monticello (TJ’s estate); Visitors to; Coles, Edward search Monticello (TJ’s estate); Visitors to; Coles, John search Nelson, Roger; assaulted by I. A. Coles search paintings search President’s House; presidential portraits search Washington, George; print of search Permanent Link What’s this? https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0094 Note: The annotations to this document, and any other modern editorial content, are copyright © Princeton University Press. All rights reserved. Back to top You Are Looking At Source Project Jefferson Papers Title Thomas Jefferson to Isaac A. Coles, 8 January 1810 Author Jefferson, Thomas Recipient Coles, Isaac A. Date 8 January 1810 Reference Cite as “Thomas Jefferson to Isaac A. Coles, 8 January 1810,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0094. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson , Retirement Series, vol. 2, 16 November 1809 to 11 August 1810 , ed. J. Jefferson Looney. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005, p. 127.] More between these correspondents Preceding From Coles to Jefferson [5 January 1810] Next From Coles to Jefferson [8 February 1810] All All correspondence between Coles and Jefferson