Dear Dr. Kukla,

As earlier mentioned, it was almost six years before Sally had a
recorded child, Harriet I after returning from Paris. Do you have any
contributions to offer as a possible analysis of this? Let us remember
that Randolph, his brother, was "between wives", meaning his first wife
had died and it would be shortly after Eston was born that Randolph
would marry a second time. Therefore, during all of Sally's conceptions
Randolph was a widower and was rumored to have come among the slaves,
play the fiddle, dance to all hours of the night and also rumored to
have fathered children by his own slaves. THIS is the man that the Eston
Hemings family claimed as their ancestor (with Jefferson DNA).

I think that the present situation of painting Mr. Jefferson in a bad
light can easily be summed up by Monticello's dropping "MEMORIAL" from
their title and from the Peter Onuf-Ellen Lewis book, Sally Hemings and
Thomas Jefferson. "Thus this volume is entitled Sally Hemings and Thomas
Jefferson, in the hope that juxtaposing Sally Hemings history with
Thomas Jefferson will enable us to rewrite the history of the nation."
These initiators of "revised history" then "wonder what about what this
new multiracial narrative of American history might look like." "Nor
should historians think that it is in their exclusive power to write or
rewrite the nation's legitimating myths." The book also states that
Thomas Jefferson made just one statement about Sally (when he writes to
a relative that Sally had a child). She is never mentioned other in
slave allowances and when she returned to Monticello from France.
Jefferson's grandson and a slave mentioned that she was "good looking."
Where do all the tales of "changing history" come from...by misinforming
the public?   

Your reply to my earlier post did not specifically justify your remarks
in your book. You tell the reader that Dan Jordan is a long time friend
and you go back to VCU. I can tell you that Frank Berkeley told me that
Dan was recommended to Mrs. Cochran (then Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Foundation Chairman), for the Monticello position which he was selected.
After Dan's handling of the Monticello Study he was upset that more of
his work at UVA Manuscript Division was NOT used. Since you and Dan are
friends possibly you can persuade him to initiate another study using
ALL known facts, not just an "in-house" study as originally performed.
May I also recommend that the 13 member Scholars Commission
(www.tjheritage.org) also be used. You know they suggested that NO proof
of a Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings liaison was proven. I am sure you
recognize some of these top scholars and especially Professor Alf Mapp,
Jr. of VCU.      

Herb Barger
www.angelfire.com/va/TJTruth


Dear Mr. Barger,

And I believe the implications of the Woodson-family DNA
testing concurs with other evidence to suggest that the relationship
began at Monticello after Jefferson retired from Washington's cabinet,
and that "Thomas Jefferson fathered six children born to his slave Sally
Hemings between 1795 and 1808." (p. 115)NB: "six" and "1795" reflect my
view that the relationship did _not_ start in Paris.)
  

I wish to recognize the extraordinary courage and integrity of Dr.
Daniel P. Jordan in his leadership at Monticello. I met Dan when he was
at VCU and back then we served together for more than a decade on the
Review Board that passed judgment on nominations to the National
Register of Historic Places. Dan Jordan is an exemplary historian,
citizen, executive,
and human being. I have no idea what he may think of Mr. Jefferson's
Women. I do know that the clarity, intellectual integrity and candor of
his oft-published comments about the importance of honest research at
museums and historic sites exemplify the Jeffersonian ideals so many of
us admire -
and that Monticello and the world have benefitted from Dan
Jordan's stewardship.
-- 
Jon Kukla
www.JonKukla.com <http://www.jonkukla.com/>

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