1From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 5 November 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Would it not be better to leave out of the Naval militia bill all the passage beginning ‘And in time of war either actual or imminent Etc. and ending ‘shall have the immediate command of them.’ it would be much more likely to pass if confined for the present to harbor defence, and if hereafter there should be a visible necessity of extending the duties of the Naval militia to our ships of war,...
2From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 15 June 1808 (Madison Papers)
A search has been made for the paper alluded to in your letter of the 13th. instant, which is just received, and it is not to be found in this Office. Indeed, it is not recollected that such a paper was left here by Genl. Smith. I am &c. DNA : RG 59—DL—Domestic Letters.
3From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 2 January 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Can you get me at Baltimore a gross of good claret and order it round here, to serve me till I can recieve a supply from Philadelphia, which at this season is quite precarious. health and best wishes. PrC ( DLC ); endorsed by TJ in ink on verso.
4From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 9 August 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday your favor of the 5th. and am truly sorry that my error in addressing the answer to the Master mariners of Baltimore was the cause of any uneasiness. I now inclose the correction you are so kind as to recommend, open for your perusal, & hope it will be satisfactory. will you be so good as to seal & deliver it? mr Nicholas and his family left this neighborhood on the day...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 15 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson requests the favor of Genl. Smith to dine with him on Saturday the 19th . at half after three, or at whatever later hour the house may rise. The favour of an answer is asked. Privately owned.
6From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 26 September 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Glendye a presbyterian clergyman from Ireland, who settled two or three years ago at Staunton about 40. miles from this place, understanding that there is or will be a vacancy at Baltimore, proposes to go there to offer himself. my personal acquaintance with him is small, but I have had abundant attestations of his character from others. he is a man of excellent character, goodhumoured,...
7From James Madison to Samuel Smith, March 1807 (Madison Papers)
The treaty lately concluded between the American and British Commissioners being in a situation to admit of deliberation on its several articles, it is thought highly advisable to avail the Executive of such observations on those relating to commerce and navigation as your intelligence and experience on those subjects will enable you to afford. You will render an acceptable service therefore...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 1 November 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Bowdoin has not yet proceeded to Madrid, nor will he until further orders, which will not be sent him soon—in the mean time he takes his stand at Paris. but mr Erving, I expect, left London for Madrid in September, where he will act as Chargé des affaires till mr Bowdoin goes on. with him I expect you are personally acquainted, however lest you should not be I have written him a line which...
9From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 22 August 1807 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of the 20th. inst. to the Secretary of State has just been received at this Office. I have carefully looked over the files of Messrs. Monroe & Pinkney’s Communications, both the joint & seperate ones, and have not been fortunate enough to meet with the American Intercourse bill, to which you allude; nor have I found in the letters of these Gentlemen any intimation of their sending....
10From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 13 November 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 5th. has been recieved, and not to keep under suspence the person who has offered the gun-powder, I observe that I have from my first coming into office recommended to the Secretary at War never to buy powder ready made, because it will not keep, but to lay in as great a stock as possible of salt petre and sulphur. he assures me our present stock of these articles are equal to any...
11From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 25 March 1807 (Madison Papers)
I duly recd. your favor of the 14. and thank you for the candor of your remarks. The enclosed will inform you that it has been thought proper to ask your ideas as to the Commercial articles of the Treaty. The Contents of the Instrument are not precisely such as you suppose; as to the E. Inda. trade particularly. As to impressments also, the question here is understood to turn not on form, but...
12From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 7 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
The list of the vessels detained by embargo at Bourdeaux to which you allude was originally received from Mr. Skipwith, who of course has access to the materials from which it was drawn up, and being the public Agent will doubtless make every use of it, which may be necessary: but it seems proper to suggest that the documents which might have been sufficient for the purpose to which the list...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, [25 July 1801] (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 23d. came to hand last night. I am unacquainted with the particular conduct of young Yznardi, but if it has been strongly improper I wish his retirement: because having rejected a midnight nomination there, the person substituted should be above exception. I see but one remedy, which is to make mr Yznardi, the father, Consul. [I am] persuaded he can render us better services than...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 26 March 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
According to what I had augured, I have this moment recieved mr Jones’s refusal of the Secretaryship of the navy. in mine of two days ago, I mentioned to you this fear, & that in that event I must avail the public of your kind offer to accept the office for a while. I now take the liberty of repeating my request that you will be so good as to come on on Saturday, that we may have a...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 24 June 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 22d. is recieved the last night. mr Buchanan shall recieve the appointment of Commercial agent to the isles of France & Bourbon as desired. mr Stacey’s being one of the midnight appointments is suppressed on that ground. mr Lewis who actually holds the former commission will resign. to make this easy to him I wish not to issue the new commission till his resignation comes in,...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 30 July 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I kept up your letter of the 23d. till the return of Genl. Dearborne enabled us to give to the question of lending arms a serious consideration. we find that both law and expediency draw a line for our guide. in general our magazines are open for troops, militia or others, when they take the field for actual service. besides this a law has expressly permitted loans for training volunteers who...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 21 April 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Our friend Kosciuzko, and your antient fellow souldier, on leaving this country requested me to appoint & superintend his agent for remitting to him the proceeds of his property in our funds. mr Barnes whom I appointed, is too ill at present to do business, and we wish to avail ourselves of the public vessel going from Baltimore to remit the General 1000. D. as he is in want, presuming on the...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 5 March 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
This is meant merely as a private suggestion to hasten the proceedings of the committee on Indian affairs of which you are chairman. the act regulating intercourse with the Indians expired the day before yesterday. in the mean time we are told the Govr. of E. Florida is preparing to enlist men in Georgia for an expedition against the Creeks. should the interval between the expiration & renewal...
19From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 30 October 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 27th. and inclose the letters as you request. My conversation with Captn: Barney was intentionally as general as I could make it. It had in view to satisfy him that requests such as his could not, according to a general & necessary rule, be complied with, to divert his conjectures from any particular source of the information recd. and to leave him under an...
20From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 27 August 1807 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 20th. has been forwarded to me from the office of State, whence an imperfect answer was given. The Amn. intercourse act was never recd. from London; nor did I ever get a sight of it. There is much confusion, and some contradiction in the accts. relating to our affairs as republished from British papers. Having for a long time been without official information, I am unable to...
21From James Madison to Samuel Smith (Abstract), 25 March 1805 (Madison Papers)
25 March 1805, Department of State . “As the name of Genl. W. Stewart does not appear in the list of decisions by the Commissioners at Paris, it is probable that the claims on his behalf appear in that of some Agent, who cannot be ascertained here.” Letterbook copy ( DNA : RG 59, DL , vol. 14). 2 pp. Gen. Walter Stewart (ca. 1756–1796), known as the “Irish Beauty,” fought throughout the...
22From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 12 April 1807 (Madison Papers)
I have received & thank you for your very valuable observations on the commercial articles of the depending treaty inclosed my letter of . On a close attention to the Article relating to the trade with enemy Colonies, so many points affecting the commerce of the U. S. appear to be involved, that I take the liberty of enclosing a copy of that article also, and of asking your ideas with respect...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 10 October 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 7th: came to hand last night. I do not recollect having recieved advice of any books delivered Capt. Rogers for me. if you have no other way of discovering for whom they are, I should think you had better open them, & a [very superficial] note of the contents would satisfy me whether they were intended for me. if they are they should come here. the two former boxes you were...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 17 April 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 9th. inst. I recieved your’s of the 2d. and acknoleged it by return of post. yesterday your favor of the 6th. came to hand. the orders for the sale of the vessels which are to be sold, for the equipping three others for sea, & the laying up others are all right. I shall really be chagrined if the water into the Eastern branch will not admit our laying up the whole seven there in time of...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 20 October 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor on the subject of the brig Lucy has been recieved. I regretted extremely the trouble which my letter of the 15th. had proposed to you in a moment when your afflicted state was not known here. the knolege of your unfortunate loss came here in the evening after my letter had been put into the post office. I was instantly sensible how ill-timed it had been. the philosophy which would...
26From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 15 October 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
The selection of a successor to mr Purviance was made before the claims of other competitors were known. it was made without enquiry, because none was necessary where the person was so well known. I return you mr Lowry’s letter. nothing can be more inveterate than the discord at St. Louis. if it were lawful to remove every officer that has been appointed, I believe it the only step which could...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 9 July 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of June 27. came to hand in due time. I now inclose you the commission for mr Buchanan which you observed would be wanting about this time. I would rather the appointment should be kept out of the newspapers until we recieve mr Lewis’s resignation which we daily expect. After the trouble you have been so good as to take with the Navy department, and the compleat disposition you have...
28From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Smith, 4 May 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved your favor covering some papers from Genl. Wilkinson. I have repented but of one appointment there, that of Lucas, whose temper I see overrules every good quality & every qualification he has. not a single fact has appeared which occasions me to doubt that I could have made a fitter appointment than Genl. Wilkinson. one qualm of principle I acknowledge I do feel, I mean the union of...
29From James Madison to Samuel Smith, February 1807 to March 1807 (Madison Papers)
...The Treaty lately concluded between the American and British Commissioners being in a situation to admit of deliberation on its several articles, it is thought highly advisable to avail the Executive of such observations on those relating to commerce and navigation as your intelligence and experience...will enable you to afford...particularly: 1st to the actual operation of the...
30From James Madison to Samuel Smith, 25 March 1807 (Madison Papers)
The Treaty lately concluded between the American and British Commissioners being in a situation to admit of deliberation on its several articles, it is thought highly advisable to avail the Executive of such observations on those relating to commerce and navigation as your intelligence and experience on those subjects will enable you to afford. You will render an acceptable service therefore...