Jefferson in His Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of His Life, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, and Memoirs by Family, Friends, and Associates

Monticello (1818)

[83] kkk Monticello (1818) Francis Hall Francis Hall served in the British Army, 14th Light Dragoons during the Peninsular War. Wounded at the combat of Carpio in 1812, he was invalided home. He came to America in 1816, documenting his trip as Travels in Canada, and the United States, in 1816 and 1817 (1818). Hall’s travels brought him to Monticello , where he became acquainted with Thomas Jefferson, who welcomed him to spend the night. Hall included an account of the experience in Travels, which he padded out using an article from Niles’ Weekly Register (11 [1817]: 337) quoting Adams’s remarks about the authenticity of political speeches from the Revolutionary era. One British reviewer appreciated Hall’s Travels, especially his Monticello chapter, observing, “The account of the new settlements on the lakes, and of the venerable Jefferson, cannot fail to be read with singular interest” (Monthly Magazine 45 [1818]: 626). Others generally enjoyed the book, too. The Reverend Sydney Smith remarked, “Mr. Hall is a clever, lively man, very much above the common race of writers; with very liberal and reasonable opinions, which he expresses with great boldness,—and an inexhaustible fund of good humour. [. . .] It is certainly somewhat rare to meet with an original thinker, an indulgent judge of manners, and a man tolerant of neglect and familiarity , in a youth covered with tags, feathers, and martial foolery” (Works of the Rev. Sydney Smith, 1: 327–328). Hall parlayed his knack for travel writing into two additional books: Travels in France in 1818 (1819) and Colombia: Its Present State (1824). The latter book stemmed from Hall’s experience as hydrographer in the service of Colombia. He subsequently ventured further south to fight in the Chilean Revolution of 1829 and met a gruesome end. Colonel Hugh Pearse explains: Having a Byronic aspiration to succour oppressed nationalities he and a brother officer named Devereux joined the Chilian revolutionary army as volunteers. Francis Hall received the rank of Colonel, and met his death in a tragic manner. He had made overtures to a discontented faction in a town garrisoned by Royalist troops, and had arranged a night surprise during a festival. The town guard was bribed, and Hall with a party of about jefferson in his own time [84] a hundred men presented himself at the gate, which was thrown open to him and his party. After entering they found to their dismay the street lined by troops, and they were taken prisoners to a man. Colonel Hall’s head was cut off and placed over the gate (The Hearseys, 37–38). having an introduction to Mr. Jefferson, I ascended his little mountain on a fine morning, which gave the situation its due effect. The whole of the sides and base are covered with forest, through which roads have been cut circularly, so that the winding may be shortened or prolonged at pleasure : the summit is an open lawn, near to the south side of which, the house is built, with its garden just descending the brow: the saloon, or central hall, is ornamented with several pieces of antique sculpture, Indian arms, Mammoth bones, and other curiosities collected from various parts of the Union. I found Mr. Jefferson tall in person, but stooping and lean with old age, thus exhibiting that fortunate mode of bodily decay, which strips the frame of its most cumbersome parts, leaving it still strength of muscle and activity of limb. His deportment was exactly such as the Marquis de Chastellux describes it, above thirty years ago: “At first serious, nay even cold,” but in a very short time relaxing into a most agreeable amenity; with an unabated flow of conversation on the most interesting topicks, discussed in the most gentlemanly and philosophical manner. I walked with him round his grounds, to visit his pet trees, and improvements of various kinds: during the walk, he pointed out to my observation a conical mountain, rising singly at the edge of the southern horizon of the landscape: its distance he said, was 40 miles, and its dimensions those of the greater Egyptian pyramid ; so that it accurately represents the appearance of the pyramid at the same distance; there is a small cleft visible on its summit, through which, the true meridian of Monticello exactly passes: its most singular property, however, is, that on different occasions it looms, or alters its appearance, becoming sometimes cylindrical, sometimes square, and sometimes assuming the form of an inverted cone. Mr. Jefferson had...