1From James Madison to William Eustis, 7 March 1809 (Madison Papers)
The enclosed commission will inform you that I have taken the liberty to nominate you to fill the Office of Secretary of War, vacated by the resignation of General Dearborn, and that the Senate have compleated the appointment. I transmit the Commission with a hope that I shall have the pleasure of learning that your Country will have the benefit of your services in that important station. I...
2Robert Williams to William Eustis, 12 May 1809 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
12 May 1809, Boston. Asks the secretary of war to intercede with JM on behalf of William Stanwood, who has been arrested “for allowing goods to be landed from his Vessell prior to entry at the Custom House.” This was Stanwood’s first voyage as master of a ship, and he was not only inexperienced but also sick “in body and Mind, being just on the recovery from the Yallow feaver.” Clemency from...
3From James Madison to William Eustis, 30 August 1809 (Madison Papers)
Several considerations appearing to render it expedient that the Commander in Chief, now with the Army in the Territory of Orleans, should be at the Seat of Government, as soon as the prerequisites to his setting out, will permit, you will please to transmit him instructions to that effect. Should the correspondence between the Navy Dept. and Capt: Porter, not have been otherwise communicated...
4From James Madison to William Eustis, [ca. 14 September 1809] (Madison Papers)
If this should find you in Boston, will you be so good as to make the proper payment for me, to the Editor of the Patriot, who has sent me his paper hitherto, and which I wish to be continued. Mr. Jackson, it seems does not think proper to open himself, untill he shall have presented his credentials & been formally recd. nor does he show any solicitude to hasten this preliminary. Presuming...
5Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 6 October 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Sollicited by a poor man in an adjoining county who states his case in the inclosed letter, & truly, as far as I can learn, I take the liberty of putting it under cover to you, in the hope you will be so good as to put it into the hands of the proper clerk, that whatever is right may be done, &, if nothing can be done, that the clerk may certify the grounds, so as to inform the applicant & put...
6From John Adams to William Eustis, 18 March 1810 (Adams Papers)
I am very much obliged to you for your kind Letter of the tenth of this Month and the very curious Intelligence in it. The Powers of Chicanery that are evoked to drown it, prove that it is thought important. Perhaps it may be, but I have not a Sight Clear enough to perceive it. Where would be the Difference between Mr Jackson and his Successor, if both should be useless. There may be some: if...
7Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 30 May 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
In the action brought against me by E. Livingston on the subject of the batture , the counsel employed desire me without delay to furnish them with the grounds of defence that they may know what pleas to put in. to do this a communication of the papers in the several public offices, material to the case, is very essential. will you be so kind as to have selected such of those deposited in your...
8From James Madison to William Eustis, 17 July 1810 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 17 July 1810. Acknowledged in Eustis to JM, 29 July 1810 . Inquires about orders given to U.S. Army troops marching to Pittsburgh.
9From James Madison to William Eustis, 20 July 1810 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your letter of the 16th. answering one from Genl. Wilkinson of the 14th. of which a copy was inclosed. Your objections to his request seem to evince the irregularity of it. Nor do I perceive its importance to his object. As the examination of the Officers, if present, being ex. parte, wd. of course be without cross examinations, their testimony may be taken where they are, with...
10From James Madison to William Eustis, 10 August 1810 (Madison Papers)
I have just recd. from the War office a copy of the letter of July 12. from Lt. Colo. Sparkes, the original of which addressed to you, had been forwarded. The present Mail allows me but a moment, to say that the request to have the garrison at Fort Stoddart reinforced, seems to be amply justified by the circumstances on which it is founded; at the same time that it accords with other...
11From James Madison to William Eustis, 16 August 1810 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 16 August 1810. Acknowledged in Eustis to JM, 26 Aug. 1810 . Inquires about the authorship of a disrespectful note and forwards a letter from George Colbert.
12From James Madison to William Eustis, 30 August 1810 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 19th. A long letter, now with the Dept. of State, from Judge Toulmin, confirms the reality of a projected expedition from his neighborhood agst. Mobille; which he considered however as suspended, if not abandoned. The inclosed copies of letters from Govr. Holmes, & Secretary Robinson, will give you the latest information of what is passing on the other side of...
13From James Madison to William Eustis, 7 September 1810 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 26. That of the 19th. Ult. has been already acknowledged. Having written to Washington for the precedents in the case of calling out the Militia, & employing the regular force, to execute the Act of 1794. agst. unauthorized enterprizes on foreign nations, I have recd. a copy of Genl. Dearborns letter to Govr Greenup, now inclosed. In your absence from the Office,...
14From James Madison to William Eustis, 20 August 1811 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. yours of the 13th. I am glad to learn that you are so well satisfied with the ⟨present⟩ state of the armories; and that an inconveniency to the U.S. can be relieved by so seasonable a measure as that of distributing arms to the States. It is particularly agreeable also that the important works for the defence of N.Y. are so near their completion. Will it not be well to institute...
15From James Madison to William Eustis, 24 August 1811 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. yours of the 21. with the letters from Govr. Harrison, and herewith return the latter. As the exhibition properly managed, of an imposing force on the Northern frontier beyond the Ohio, may in several views, be of critical importance at the present juncture, I concur in your opinion of the measure and of the expediency of applying Boyd’s Regiment in aid of it. The late caution to...
16From James Madison to William Eustis, 8 September 1811 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 2d. was duly recd. The course which the B. Govt. pursues, particularly in sending a Squadron to our Coasts, with such menacing indications, calls for our vigilance in every respect; and incidents may ensue, which would make a stronger claim on the services of the Members of the Ct. Mart: at Frederick town, than is made by the Object of that Court. It is so desirable...
17From James Madison to William Eustis, 15 September 1811 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. yours of the 11th. inclosing a letter from Mr. Jones acting as Judge Advocate at Frederick Town. As the case of Genl. Wilkinson is in possession of the Court Martial, who will judge of the extent of their own jurisdiction, as well as decide on the merits of the questions within it, no instructions seem to be requisite, in the present stage of the proceeding; unless it be in...
18From James Madison to William Eustis, 21 September 1811 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 21 September 1811. Acknowledged in Eustis to JM, 25 Sept. 1811 . Gives instructions relating to the attendance of officers at the court-martial of James Wilkinson.
19Peter Gansevoort to William Eustis, 5 December 1811 (Madison Papers)
It is intimated here, that the two senior Officers of the Light Artillery are soon to be appointed, and that in all probability, they will be selected from the line of the Army. I am not authorized to make any application in favor of Major Porter and indeed he is totally ignorant of this Letter, but as I discover great anxiety in him for promotion, particularly in the Artillery, I think it...
20Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 25 January 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I reject a multitude of applications for recommendations to office, but now and then a case occurs which cannot be declined. the inclosed letter is from a friend of my youthful days, & one of our most worthy citizens. of the son I know little, but if like his father he should be a good man. the father seems to speak of him with the candor for which he is remarkeable. mr Duval having staid with...
21From John Adams to William Eustis, 27 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
Permit me to introduce to you Mr. Richard Cranch Norton, a young Gentleman of liberal Education at our old Alma Mater. His name will inform you of his genuine puritanical blood. He is a nephew of your neighbor Chief Justice Cranch. He has a brother whose name is Edward Norton and both of them Sons of a Learned Divine of Weymouth, whose Orthodoxy can be surely no impeachment of his Patriotism....
22Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 9 February 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty of forwarding to you the inclosed letter which proposes to place three young gentlemen on the list of candidates for military appointments in the new army to be raised. of them personally I know nothing. with their family I am well acquainted. it is among the very respectable ones of our state in point of character, standing & property. the writer of the inclosed letter is...
23From John Adams to William Eustis, 18 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
Give me leave to enclose to you a Letter from a Gentleman whom I knew in former Life but have not lately seen. I knew his Grand Father, his Father, his Uncle and his Brothers and himself all of genuine old New England Blood You probably know personally more of him than I do. If it should be consistent with the public good in the Presidents opinion and yours I should hear with pleasure of his...
24Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 23 February 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed presents one of those cases which it is not in my power to refuse being the channel of communicating . the writer is the son of a very early and intimate friend & fellow-student, to whom, were he living, I ought to refuse nothing. of the writer personally I never heard any thing, nor ever saw him: but I think he must be personally known to mr Nelson & mr Basset , two of our...
25Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 2 May 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
Among the candidates for commission in the army now to be raised, M r Archibald C. Randolph proposes to offer himself. he had a commission of Captain in that which was to have been raised in 1799. and I have no doubt that the testimonies of his merit on which that was granted are still to be found in the War office. to these he will be able to add others equally respectable of the present day....
26Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 6 June 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
Visiting occasionally a possession I have between New London and Lynchburg , & making considerable stays there, I have had opportunities of learning the situation of the public military stores near the first of those places. they are in an old log house about a quarter or half a mile from the town (which is itself of 2. or 3. families only) the person authorised as keeper & recieving the...
27From John Adams to William Eustis, 15 July 1812 (Adams Papers)
On the 27th of Jany I had the honor to recommend to you a young Gentleman for an Ensigns commission in the army. My success on that occasion emboldens me to adventure once more, I say success, because I hear a very pleasing account of the conduct of the Ensign—of the esteem & confidence of his superior officers, & his success in the recruiting service. Old New England blood you know is very...
28From Abigail Smith Adams to William Eustis, 5 August 1812 (Adams Papers)
I address you upon a subject of much delicacy and which from circumstances which must be well known to you makes me diffident in presenting to your view the oldest Revolutiary Feild officer now Living. I presume I need not name to you his former Services, nor the loss of property which his Family sustaind by the Enemy, nor the wounds he received in the Service, or those qualification, which so...
29Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis, 24 August 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty of adding a the name of Nicholas B. Pryor of Tenessee to the probably long list of candidates for military appointment, and inclose the documents he has furnished me with as to his character, and a letter from Col o W. P. Anderson whom I suppose to be Col o of the 8 th regiment, in which it is mentioned that there have been some recommen resignations. I believe mr
30From James Madison to William Eustis, 5 September 1812 (Madison Papers)
The death of Mr. Mifflin has produced the inclosed applications for the vacancy in the deputy commissiarte [ sic ] held by him. It is probable they will meet others addressed to yourself. If Irvin is to reside or be chiefly in Philada. it does not appear very essential that the office should be filled immediately, if at all. You can judge best. Mr. Coxe has again been brought to my attention;...