Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0382

William C. C. Claiborne to Thomas Jefferson, 4 June 1810

From William C. C. Claiborne

New-Orleans June 4th 1810

My Dear Sir,

I have heard with great regret, that you should have been disturbed in your Retirement, by that restless and I fear most unprincipled man Edward Livingston.

The Affair of the Batture, has assumed a Shape I had not anticipated; But whatever View of it may be taken, I feel assured (if the principles of immutable Justice should prevail) that the pretensions of Mr Livingston will be found unjust, and the Conduct of the late President perfectly correct.—

[I do] not know, that it is in my power, to give any information upon the Subject, that would be useful;—But Should additional testimony or Documents from New-Orleans, be desired, I should be happy in being the Medium of obtaining them.—

I leave this City in five or six Days for Richmond, to return hence about the 25th of this month, for the purpose of completing a settlement of my Accounts, and early in July, I calculate on the pleasure of paying my respects to you in person.—

With best wishes for your health and happiness.—
I remain Dr Sir, With the greatest Respect Your faithful friend

William C. C. Claiborne

RC (DLC); ink stained; at foot of text: “Mr Thomas Jefferson Monticello”; endorsed by TJ as received 10 June 1810 and so recorded in SJL.

In his endorsement and in SJL, TJ suggested that this letter was actually written in May. However, Claiborne probably got the date right and instead mistakenly indicated he was writing from new-orleans rather than Washington, D.C. His reference to traveling from this city to Richmond and back and then to Monticello, all in about four weeks, and his intention to settle my accounts in the city from which he was writing, both indicate that the letter originated in Washington. In January Claiborne had been granted a leave of absence from Orleans Territory between May and October or December (Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, John C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, 1962– , 29 vols.: Congress. Ser., 17 vols.; Pres. Ser., 5 vols.; Sec. of State Ser., 7 vols description ends , Pres. Ser., 2:136–7).

Index Entries

  • Batture Sainte Marie, controversy over; W. C. C. Claiborne on search
  • Claiborne, William Charles Coles; leave of absence search
  • Claiborne, William Charles Coles; letters from search
  • Claiborne, William Charles Coles; on E. Livingston search
  • Claiborne, William Charles Coles; procures batture documents for TJ search
  • Claiborne, William Charles Coles; settles accounts with federal government search
  • Claiborne, William Charles Coles; visits Monticello search
  • Livingston, Edward; W. C. C. Claiborne on search
  • Monticello (TJ’s estate); Visitors to; Claiborne, William C. C. search