Charlottesville, where he hoped to find the legislature unapprized of
his movement. Notice of it, however, had been brought both to Monticello
and Charlottesville about sunrise. The Speakers, with their colleagues,
returned to Charlottesville, and, with the other members of the
legislature, had barely time to get out of his way. Mr. Jefferson sent
off his family, to secure them from danger, and was himself still at
Monticello, making arrangements for his own departure, when Lieutenant
Hudson arrived there at half speed, and informed him the enemy were then
ascending the hill of Monticello. He departed immediately, and knowing
that he would be pursued if he took the high road, he plunged into the
woods of the adjoining mountain, where, being at once safe, he proceeded
to overtake his family. This is the famous adventure of Carter's
Mountain, which has been so often resounded through the slanderous
chronicles of Federalism. But they have taken care never to detail the
facts, lest these should show that this favorite charge amounted to
nothing more, than that he did not remain in his house, and there singly
fight a whole troop of horse, or suffer himself to be taken prisoner.
Having accompanied his family one day's journey, he returned to
Monticello. Tarleton had retired after eighteen hours' stay in
Charlottesville. Mr. Jefferson then rejoined his family, and proceeded
with them to an estate he had in Bedford, about eighty miles southwest,
where, riding in his farm some time after, he was thrown from his horse,
and disabled from riding on horseback for a considerable time. But Mr.
Turner finds it more convenient to give him this fall in his retreat
before Tarleton, which had happened some weeks before, as a proof that
he withdrew from a troop of horse with a precipitancy which Don Quixote
would not have practised.

The facts here stated most particularly, with date of time and place,
are taken from the notes made by the writer hereof, for his own