From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 22 July 1805
To Thomas Jefferson
Washington July 22. 1805
Dear Sir
By this Mail you will receive the letters last received from Mr. Erving. No others have come to hand from any quarter worth troubling you with.
Mr. Gallatin left Washington the day I believe you did. I am still detained here by the situation of Mrs. M’s complaint.1 The Doctr. does not claim less than seven or 8 days from this time, at least, in order to render the journey safe; and her recovery has been so much more slow than he calculated that I dare not be sanguine as to the time of my departure. I am not without apprehensions that the case may be of a very serious kind. Its appearance has changed for the better, during the state of absolute rest prescribed, but does not yet resemble that denoting the ordinary course of healing. With respectful attachment I remain always yours
James Madison
We had a fine shower yesterday, and a slight one a few days ago.
RC (DLC: Jefferson Papers). Docketed by Jefferson as received 25 July, with his note: “Erving’s lre.” The enclosures have not been identified.
1. Dolley Madison had been suffering for weeks from an ulcerated knee, and the Madisons had finally decided to go to Philadelphia where she could be treated by the celebrated doctor Philip Syng Physick. They left Washington on 25 July, and although JM returned to the capital on 23 Oct., Dolley remained under Dr. Physick’s care for another month (Mattern and Shulman, Selected Letters of Dolley Payne Madison, 61, 63, 64, 78; Wagner to Jefferson, 27 July 1805, DLC: Jefferson Papers).