Jefferson’s copy was sent to him by the author and his aunt by marriage, Mrs. De Butts, through Benjamin Galloway of Washington, D.C. The circumstances were explained to Jefferson in a letter from Galloway, dated from Washington, January 1, 1812: “The enclosed poetical production was placed in my hands a few days ago by an English Lady, M ^rs. Mary De Butts accompanied with an earnest request that I would cause it to be forwarded to you. The above mentioned Lady is the Wife of Doctor Richard De Butts whose residence is in the state of Maryland immediately opposite the Town of Alexandria. The enclosed extract is a verbatim et literatim copy of an original Letter from the Author of the Poem (M ^r Northmore) to M ^rs De Butts. The circumstance alluded to, which will probably prevent M ^r Northmore from ever carrying into effect the design he had once contemplated of visiting the United States, is, that he has lately entered into the Holy Estate of Matrimony with a Miss Welby, the neice of M ^rs Mary De Butts.

"In conformity to the anxious wish and sollicitation, that a sure conveyance should be afforded of forwarding said work to you, I have delivered it to M ^r Secretary Munroe: who has promised to carry M ^rs De Butt’s wishes (quo ad hoc) into execution. The Author is an intimate acquaintance of said Lady; is an independant country Gentleman, of eight thousand pounds per year; a real Whigg; M ^rs De Butts at the time of placing the volume in my hands with the accompanying extract intimated to me that an acknowledgment by you of the having received said Poem, would be infinitely gratifying to the Author, as well as proof positive, that she had faithfully executed the commission with which her Friend had honoured her.”

The “enclosed extract” reads as follows: “I beg your acceptance of my Poem of Washington & will trouble you to send the other copy to your like upright & enlightened President M ^r Jefferson a man whose name I have introduced with merit & approbation into my work, and whose political career will I am certain be mentioned by Posterity with applause. It would have been my pride to have seen him & conversed with him, and I once indulged the hope, but now it will probably never be in my power.”

The footnote in the same hand reads: “Extract of a Letter from Thomas Northmore Esq ^r N ^o 16 Orchard Street, Portman Square London.”

Jefferson replied to Galloway from Monticello on February 2: “ I duly recieved your favor of the 1 ^st. inst. together with the volume accompanying it, for which I pray you to accept my thanks, and to be so kind as to convey them to m ( ^~ r) s Debutts also, to whose obliging care I am indebted for it’s transmission. but especially my thanks are due to the Author himself for the honorable mention he has made of me. with the exception of two or three characters of greater eminence in the revolution we formed a group of fellow laborers in the common cause, animated by a common zeal and claiming no distinction of one over another.

" The spirit of freedom breathed thro’ the whole of m( ^~ r) Northmore’s composition is really worthy of the purest ”