I now turn to Lafayette’s extended stay with Thomas Jefferson at his home in Monticello. In November 1824, Lafayette spent ten full days with Jefferson and visiting the University of Virginia and Charlottesville (where yours truly now lives), and four days with James and Dolley Madison in their home at Montpelier, 25 miles northwest of Monticello outside of Orange, Virginia. As mentioned earlier, a re-enactment of Lafayette and Jefferson’s greeting at Monticello on November 4 will occur at Monticello on November 17, 2024.

In anticipation of his visit to central Virginia, the Richmond Enquirer of July 20, 1824,[1] published a letter of March 17, 1781, from 23-year-old General Lafayette, newly arrived in Virginia, to 37-year-old Governor Jefferson. Between the date of that letter and the Siege of Yorktown, Lafayette had saved Virginia from the ravages of Cornwallis. Today there are two historical markers commemorating Lafayette’s campaign. One marks a road named after Lafayette with his royal title, “the Marquis Road,” which is roughly a north-south road, west of and parallel to Route 522, and east of Gordonsville, Montpelier, and Orange. The marker is on Louisa Road (Route 22) west of James Madison Highway (Route 15), at the Boswells Tavern intersection. A second marker is further west on Route 22. Lafayette’s devotion to Virginia was expressed when he named his two daughters Virginia and Carolina.[2]

According to the Richmond Constitutional Whig of Sept. 28,[3] which reprinted a lengthy report in the September 24 issue of Charlottesville’s Central Gazette, “a large collection of gentlemen from the town [of Charlottesville] and county [of Albemarle] assembled in the [County] Court House” on September 20, adopted several resolutions unanimously, formed a “standing committee” of 21, a correspondence committee, and a planning committee. The Standing Committee met in the afternoon and the planning committee met the next day. They met that much in advance of  Lafayette’s November arrival because, according to the Richmond Enquirer (Sept. 21, 1824[4]), at the time, Lafayette was expected to arrive within just 15 to 20 days.

The Standing Committee consisted mostly of relatives and associates of Jefferson. They were, in alphabetical order:

• Brockenbrough, A.S. (1780-1832): His father was on a revolutionary committee with Jefferson. He was the first proctor of Jefferson’s University of Virginia.
• Carr, Samuel Jefferson (1771-1855): His father Dabney was Jefferson’s brother-in-law and one of Jefferson’s closest friends. Father and son are buried at Monticello. (See also Edgar Woods, Albemarle County in Virginia, 160 (1901).
• Clarkson, Menoah [sic: Manoah] (1741-1829): Owner of 600 acres in the area. (See Edgar Woods, Albemarle County in Virginia, 168 (1901).
• Cocke, Charles, Dr. (1785-1863): Member, Virginia House of Delegates or Senate variously from 1822-1843.
• Coles, Tucker (1782-1861): His parents were close friends of Jefferson and his wife. Jefferson often stopped at Coles’ home situated between Poplar Forest and Monticello. Tucker’s brother, Isaac, became Jefferson’s personal secretary in 1805.
• Dyer, Francis B. (ca 1798-1838): A lawyer, a Revolutionary War veteran. (See Edgar Woods, Albemarle County in Virginia, 185-86.)
• Garrett, Alex(ander) (1778-1860): He was “given the responsibility of establishing the University of Virginia. He handled most every aspect of this duty from building the classrooms, library, etc. to hiring the faculty. He was the executor of Jefferson’s will and with the president when he died.”
• Garth, Garland S. (1777-1864): The family built Barrack Grove and Garth Road is named after his father.
• Gordon, William F. (1787-1858): As state delegate in the 1820’s, he supported Jefferson’s vision for the University of Virginia; brigadier general in the state militia in the 1820’s; member of Congress 1830-35.
• Leitch, James (d. 1826): An original donor to the University of Virginia; dealt extensively with Jefferson.
• Minor, Peter (d. 1835): Revolutionary War veteran; nephew of future long-time professor of law John B. Minor.
• Norris, Opie (d. 1839): Merchant; town magistrate; developed Court Square area of Charlottesville; principal of Rivanna and Rockfish Gap Turnpike Company (Route 250).
• Perry, John M. (1788-1857): Master brickmason and carpenter involved with Jefferson’s Monticello, Poplar Forest, and mill; he sold 153 acres of land in 1817 for the University’s Rotunda and Observatory Hill.
• Railey, Daniel M. (1796-1858): Owned the Woodbourne plantation on Buck Island; a subscriber to the University in 1818; county magistrate in 1830.
• Randolph, Thomas Eston (1767-1842): Landowner; husband of relative of Gov. Thomas Mann Randolph.[5]
• Randolph, Thomas Jefferson (1792-1875): Son of Gov. Thomas Mann Randolph Jr; grandson of Jefferson. He resided at Monticello where Jefferson managed his education. In 1829 he authored four volumes of Jefferson’s correspondence.[6]
• Randolph, Thomas Mann, Jr. (1768-1828): Married Jefferson’s daughter. Governor of Virginia 1819-22.
• Rives, William Cabell (1793-1868): Read law under Jefferson; member, Virginia House of Delegates 1817-1822; member of Congress 1823-1829. Later became minister to France, U.S. Senator, and biographer and editor of James Madison.
• Southall, Valentine Wood (1793-1861): He was a friend and a legal adviser to TJ. Jefferson appointed him to the University’s Board of Visitors. He did not become prominent in politics until after TJ’s death.
• Woods, William, Col. (1778-1849): County surveyor.
• Wynn (or Winn), John (d. 1837): Merchant; postmaster for 30 years.

Part 4 begins with Lafayette’s greeting of Jefferson at Jefferson’s home, Monticello.

[A link to Part 4 is here. A link to Part 2 is here.]

[1] P. 2, col. 5.

[2] Constitutional Whig, Sept. 10, 1824, p. 1, col. 6.

[3] P. 3

[4] P. 2, col. 6

[5] See Margaret A. Cabell, Sketches and Recollections of Lynchburg, pp. 190-94 (1859); Edgar Woods, Albemarle County in Virginia, p. 303 (1901).

[6] “Death of Thomas J. Randolph,” Daily Dispatch [Richmond], Oct. 9, 1875, p. 3.