In a message dated 4/23/01 8:44:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jagile@casstel.net writes: << n the discussion of Sally and Thomas Jefferson these words caught my attention, "having a motive or Opportunity to bed Sally without being detected" another interesting group of words were "privacy" and "alert servants." >> Hello Jo Ann, I appreciate your comments. My intention in putting the post on the list was to provide an example of research and analysis relevant to us all. Tempting though it may be, the intention wasn't to open up a debate on the always engaging topics of did Thomas bed Sally/how did he treat his slaves/what really were his views on slavery/why didn't he free all of his while alive or in his will like Geo Washington did/was Thomas typical of other slaveowners, etc. However, (for all of you on the list also), concerns of other members have been expressed to me that such a debate might begin on the Southside list as a result of my post and escalate rapidly and emotionally, having an overall negative effect on our purpose here, alienating some of our participants to the point that we might lose several. I certainly don't want to see that happen so encourage you to comment to me privately. This list has been for three years extremely important to my research on my direct ancestors, probably THE most important single list (and believe me you don't want to know how many I am on), especially now that I'm looking at my children's paternal lines and they are flopping all over my own in Southside and James River northern bordering counties, one even literally next door in Louisa. (FYI, think "small world"..I met their father in Long Beach, CA; his father from TX -- his VA lines via Deep South states; my parents both from Ozarks of MO, my VA lines via TN or KY from VA or direct from VA). I do have strong feelings about the whole Jefferson-Hemmings issue and your comments, and will certainly email you a private response shortly, as I am having a difficult enough time keeping quiet as it is here :-). Best Regards, Janet (Baugh) Hunter