The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-30
Interesting 10 Ansisusr,au.

uNPUBLIsHED LETTERS FROM THos. JEFFERsoS.
me Greenbr1er tw. W Independent has been
placed in possession of number of letters written
BY Thomas Jefferson to Colonel Stuart, of Green.
brier county. These letters have never heretofore
been published and are In the hand writing of the
author Colonel Stuart was one of the first settlers
OF GreenDrier county, and occupied high and
prominent position in the community The sub.
Jeet treated OF In these communications raises
natural inquiry as to what was the real Character
and species OF the animal referred to- aud will fur
nlsh food for reflection for those who feel an In
terest In such matters. Whether Colonel Stuart
ever succeeded in obtaining the thigh bone of the
animal referred to Is a question, perhaps which
can never be ascertained. II is quite certain,
however, that the bones were found in this sec.
tion-no doubt in this (Greenbrier) county-and
belonged to an animal now unknown to natural.
ists. The following are the letters, precisely as
they were written:
MONTICELLO, May 26, '9e.
Sill have great acknowledgement 10 make
you Tor your favor of April IL, which came to
hand q few days ago with the bones you were
pleased to send, towit.: the leg bone and two
phalanges Of the toe of the animal mentioned in
your letter. One Of these (the claw was broke,
put so that we could put 1t together. This animal
Is certainly hitherto unknown. and seems, from
the dimensions of these bones, to have the same
pre-eminence over the lion which the big buffalo
OF Or. mammoth has over the elephant: They fur.
nish victorious fact against the idle dreams of
some European philosophers who pretend that
animal nature in the New World Is a degeneracy
from that Of the old. II the big buffalo were an
elephant, as Button would have us believe, it was
OF surely an elephant improved, for it was four or
hye times his size. So If his followers-in order
to support their doctrine Of central heat in the
earth-should choose to consider the animal now
discovered as lion, they must admit it is a lion
improved and not degenerated. / consider these
af Shssa Ike discovery and de-
scripton Of them to the learned on both sides of
the Atlantic. l only defer 1t till / can learn
whether q hope exists of finding any other Of
the bones, as would wish that the first informa.
ton should be as exact and as complete as pos
slele. Has there ever been any other remains of |
this species found anywere. Unjust look to you,
sir, TO complete the knowledge of this animal |
for rs as you have begun it, by giving me all |
the further information you can, and sending /
what other bones can be got of it, and to be so |
good as to inform me by letter whether any thing
more may be expected. that Irnay decide whether |
ought to delay giving an account of it. am,
with great esteem, sir your most obedieni ser:
Mr.. JOHN STUART, Greenbrier. " -''S'
MONTICELLO, Nov. 10, 1896.
Dear Str-l have to acknolege the receipt Of |
your fast letter together with the bones of the |
Greatclaw which accompanied it. Ny anxiety |
to obtain thigh bone is such that defer com. |
what we have to the Philosophical
society In the hope of adding that bone TO the /
We. should then be able TO fix the |
statue OF the animal without going into coDjec
,aie te snG ,rS fa,cosuGn, s as we should possess
inclusive. Whenever you announce 10 me that
The recovery Of thigh bone is desperate shall
make the communication to the Philosophical
society. think it happy that this incident will
make known TO them person so worthy as your.
self TO be taken into their body, and without
whose attention to these extraordinary remains
The world might have been deprived of the knoll
sdge Of them. cannot, however, help believing
hat this animal as well the Mammoth are
iill existing. The annihilatiou of any species of
existence is 30 unexampled in any parts of the
economy OF nature which we see, that we have a |
ight TO conclude as to the parts we do not see,
hat The probabilities against such annhilstion
ne stronger for it. In hopes OF hearing from
'ou as soon as you can form a conclusion salts.
sctory to yourself that the thigh bone will or
viii not be recovered, remain, with great re-
pect and esteem, dear sir, your most obedent
ervsnt, tn. JEFFERsoy.
Mr. John Stuart Greenbrer.
Tn. Jefferson acknowledges the recent from
'olonel Stuart of q Uranium of an animal un.
nown to him, and returns him his thanks for it.
lie will, on his return to Washinton, forward il |
0 the Philosophical society at Philadelphia, as
be best depository for preservation as well as
xamination. He prsys Colonel Stuart to accept
Is salutations and assurances of respect.
MONTICELLO, Sept. 10, ls06.