“ the US. agent to the Chickasaws, writes me that ‘he has his two trunks of papers (at Nashville, I suppose, from whence his letter is dated) amongst which is said to be his travels to the Pacific ocean; that some days previous to his death he requested of him (Neely) in case any accident happened to him, to send his trunk, with the papers therein to the President , but he thinks it very probable he meant, to me , and wishes to be informed what arrangements may be considered best in sending on his trunks etc.’ I am waiting the arrival of Gen ^l. Clarke, expected here in a few days, to consult with him on the subject. his aid & his interest in the publication of the work may render him the proper depository to have it prepared & delivered over to you. but my present idea is (if he concurs) to order it on to the President, according to his literal desire, and the rather because it is said that there are in his trunks vouchers for his public accounts. be assured I shall spare no pains to secure the publication of his work, and when it may be within my sphere to take any definitive step respecting it, you shall be informed of it by, Gentlemen, your most obed ^t. serv ^t. ”

On December 11, Jefferson wrote: “ I wrote you on the 23 ^d. of Nov. in answer to yours of the 13 ^th. of that month. I soon after concluded to write to the President suggesting to him the expediency of his ordering Gov ^r. Lewis’s two trunks from Nashville by the stage to Washington, there to have the papers assorted & deliver those respecting his expedition to Gen ^l. Clarke soon expected. Gen ^l. Clarke called on me a few days ago. he is named one of his executors by the Governor; & informed me that he had desired the trunks to be sent on to Washington under the care of m ( ^~ r) Whiteside, the newly elected Senator from Tennessee. he is himself now gone on to Washington, where the papers may be immediately expected, & he will proceed thence to Philadelphia to do whatever is necessary to the publication. I salute you with respect. ”

On April 24, 1811, Jefferson wrote to C. & A. Conrad & Co. concerning an account about which there was some doubt as to whether it had been paid or not. Jefferson wrote: “ . . . if m( ^~ r) Rapine was right in saying the paiment I made him was for this object, & not for other books as it is possible, be so good as to place it to my credit as a subscriber for Gov ^r. Lewis’s book, of which I shall want 10. or 12. copies, unbound, as soon as it comes out. when will that be? I had hoped, from D ^r Barton’s information of last summer, it would have been before now . . . ”

On June 11, Cornelius & Andrew Conrad wrote to Jefferson: “. . . There has been so many difficulties to retard the publication of Lewis & Clarkes book that it is impossible yet for us to say positively when it will be done--we hope the time will not exceed another Six Months and think it cannot be much less. the narrative part is written and D ^r. Barton has made considerable progress in his part of the work.

"We have put your name down for 12 copies.”

The difficulties concerned both the editing and the financing of the work. Nicholas Biddle of Philadelphia, who had been engaged by Clark to edit the journals of Lewis, completed the task in July 1811. By this time Conrad & Co. were in financial straits, leading eventually to their bankruptcy, and were unable to undertake the printing. After some delay the publication was undertaken by Bradford and Inskeep, financially sound at the time, but who themselves were in the bankruptcy court when the book was published in 1814.

In 1813 Biddle was elected to the legislature, and appointed Paul Allen to succeed him in seeing the work through the press.

During the year 1813, Jefferson was in correspondence with various people concerning the publication of the volumes. On April 3, 1813, in a letter to Benjamin Smith Barton, he asked: “ . . . When shall we have your book on American botany, and when the 1 ^st. volume of Lewis & Clarke’s travels? both of these works are of general expectation, and great interest, and to no one of more than to myself . . . ”

On August 5, Jefferson wrote to Paul Allen, the new editor: “ Not being able to go myself in quest of the information respecting Gov ^r. Lewis which was desired in your letter of May 25. I have been obliged to wait the leisure of those who could do it for me. I could forward you within a few days a statement of what I have collected, but more time would improve it, if the impression of the ”