To James Madison from John B. C. Lucas, 25 June 1804
From John B. C. Lucas
Pittsburgh June 25 1804.
Dear Sir,
Remembering Now that I did omit to give you a detail in writting of Mr. Anthony Soulard’s Standing and Circumstances at St Louis,1 whilst Louisiana was in the Possession of spain; I take the Liberty at present to bring that gentleman to your recollection, and state to you that he was for several years and until the Delivery of Louisianna to the government of the U. S., a Capitain of the militia at St Louis, and regularly appointed by government of spain the Surveyor general of the upper Louisianna; I further state that Mr. Soulard is an excellent Draught man; and that I have seen a map of Louisianna Made by him which was handsomly executed; I am personnally acquainted with Mr. Soulard and did hear of him repeatedly since I saw him at St Louis; from all I know or have heard of him, I have reason to believe that he is a man of honour and probity. Should government repose a sufficient Confidence in him his wish would be to hold the office of surveyor in that Country. I have the Honnour to be Sir with great respect your very humble Svt,
John B C. Lucas.2
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. Antoine Soulard (1766–1825) was appointed surveyor general of Upper Louisiana under the Spanish government in 1795 and was continued in the same post by the U.S. government (Jackson, Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 155 n. 2; Soulard to the land commissioners, 5 Nov. 1806, in Carter, Territorial Papers, Louisiana-Missouri, 14:29–34). Lucas wrote a similar letter to Gallatin on the same day “lest the Detail which I have given you orally Concerning mr. Soulard should be out of your recollection” (DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1801–9, filed under “Soulard”).
2. John Baptiste Charles Lucas (1758–1842) was a Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, 1803–5. Jefferson appointed him district judge for the northern district of the Louisiana Territory (later, Missouri Territory), in which post he served from 1805 to 1820.