Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-01
AND THE GRAVE OF
JEFFERSON.


Inc following extracts whlch we are permitted
| to make from couple of letters written some
months ago by q student in the University OF
| Virginia to his brother in East Tennessee will
prove interesting to our readers, from their in
| formation concerning the home and the last
| resting place of the Sage of Monticello.
jefferson, il will be remembered, took great
interest in the Institution for which he did so
much.
Among his papers after his death, was found
one containing the following epitaph
THERE LIES BuRrED
THOMAS JEFFERSON,
Author of the Declaration, of Independence,
fthe Statute of Virginia for religious free
DOM and Father of the University of
Virginia. "
Our young friend has since left the classic
shadeso and is now deep in the mysteries af
ophthalmology in the Queen City.
His description though never intended for the
s sSS q 'ns p0Oi'' WIN '0u"u s''S ana read
Z" Dear Brother 1t is bright, beautiful.
sunny morning and having laid aside Brace
bridge Hall" sit down to write to you.
Day before yesterday, i made my long in
tended visit to Monticello jefferson resi-
dence, in company with two young men of the
University. The place is distant four miles, and
after tedious walk we halted at the foot of the
mountain, and after q short rest commenced the
ascent by the very bridle-path along which the
great statesman used to urge his tagging horse
after visit to the then infant University of
Virginia.
IL WAS IL Dtdulllul WIKI, very ste6p, ana rs we
double-quicked it, painting and blowing, each
endeavoring to outstrip the other, was remind
ed forcibly of the after-swimming scrambes
up the steep Karl Hugel," in the days of
yore,
But my companions not having the advantage
of tramping over the Cumberland in search of
deer, soon outstripped them, and sitting down
far above them looked back triumphantly as
they came slowly along, almost completely ex-
hausted, but not willing to be entirely outdone
At length we arrived within few rods of the
famous old mansion which STILL however, was
almost entirely obscured by the leafy impene-
liabilities of group of mountain oaks, planted
by jefferson himself, years age.
Making a circuit we brought the house in full
view, and it was with feeling somewhat akin
TO melancholy that we beheld the old habitage,
half in ruins by neglect and silent rs the tomb.
In front of the portico lay two ancient dogs
who took no other notice of our intrusion than
TO raise their starved visages, utter q smothered
growl, and then sink back again with melan-
choly indifference.
Passing round to the eastern side of thehouse
we were received by an ancient-looking individ-
ual, who, after receiving the preliminary Is
cents per visitor, undertook to show us all that
was to be seen. But alas ] could not prevail
on my companions to go through the house, or
even to visit the former owners grave, and we
accordingly ANONYMOUSLY repaired to neigh
boring cherry tree, and spent the rest of the day
eating the cherries, and commenced our descent
to the valley several hours later, without having
sScn ufytHtHy VI luleresl except, Oh Ine
exterior OF the mouse.
On our return by the railroad track we stop
ped at huge and recently erected building,
which, on entering, we discovered to be cloth
mill. We assembled story after story, deafened
by the whirl of wheels and clatter of machinery,
until finally, on arriving at the topmost room,
we were agreeably surprised TO see q number of
rustic maids scattered about in picturesque
groups, toiling away at their various duties.
But alas there was no futter among them at
beholdlng u.s. three gallant stranger youths; on
the contrary, they scarcely raised their eyes. /
put on az gallant an air as possible, and exhort-
ing my companions to do the same, we began
to congratulate ourselves that we were begin
ming to excite some little interest, when / be-
held, to my horror, ancient spinster in an
obscure part of the room cycling US with the
ferocity of tigress, whereupon we beat an
ignominious retreat, and arrived at the Uni
versity just before shutdown, weary and out Of
humor. l intend making ons more trip alone,
however, before l leave this place, and then
will send you description Of the mysteries of
the place, together with sketch of Jefsrson's
present earthly abode.
Commencement day 10 at hand Everything
is hustle, in preparation for tho forthcoming
festivities. The old band platform is once more
reared in the center of the lawn, and the hall
decorated anew. But must break OF
His next trip though lacking in any romantic
cloth-mill incident, proved more successful in
respect to Jeffersonisn reminiscsness ss appears
from the following:
suppose, before proceeding farther, had as
well SIS not tell you about my two trips to Mon
ticello. The first was made alone in the morn
ing and was not particularly satisfactory Re-
turning at IL o'clock, met two of my last ses-
sion comrades hunting about for some one to
accompany them on an expedition TO Monticello,
and |, though considerably fatigued by my
mornings trip, determined to try it second
time, in their company. In the morning, Itook
general survey of the premises, and especially
Of the curious old house itself, and visited the
family graveyard about one quarter of mile
distant from the house, down the side of the
mountain. This found to be a quadrangular
brick-wall enclosure about twenty yards square
Entering the solemn precincts through one of
the ponderous iron gateways, beheld the rest
ing-place of some fifteen persons relatives of
Jefferson, and of jefferson himself His grave
was marked by n large, rough, uncouth tomb
stone, consisting Of a solid foundation block
more than yard square, upon the top of which
was pyramid of proportionate length. look
ed for some time in vain for the name, and could
only make out these words
Born April I'd, l749. OS.
July 4th,