Anne Pemberton wrote: "Sally told her children who their father was. . . . She told Eston a different story from Madison. . . . Madison said his mother said that Thomas Jefferson was his father . . . " There are no primary sources regarding what Sally Hemings told her children about anything. In his 1873 newspaper account Madison Hemings refers to Thomas Jefferson as his father but never says "my mother told me" in that context or any context. He never quotes his mother nor does he describe her conveying information to him. There are no sources regarding Sally Hemings telling her son Eston anything. One may assume or infer that Sally Hemings spoke to her children about the identity of their father, but it should be made clear that we have no direct testimony from any Hemingses on this point and anything we say is based on assumptions or inferences. Henry Wiencek ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html