1To Alexander Hamilton from Jonathan Lawrence, Junior, 4 May 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
The father of his Country being now Invested with the full powers of his Office, I presume he will therefore very soon make the necessary Arrangements in the Revenue, let me entreat you therefore my Dear friend to exert yourself for me, with the President, the Number of Applicants I find are so very many, that it will be necessary to be early for fear of disappointments. Excuse me my Dear Coll...
2To Alexander Hamilton from George Washington, 5 May 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I beg you to accept my unfeigned thanks for your friendly communications of this date—and that you will permit me to entreat a continuation of them as occasions may arise. The manner chosen for doing it, is most agreeable to me. It is my wish to act right; if I err; the head & not the heart, shall, with justice , be chargeable. With sentiments of sincere esteem & regard I am Dear Sir Your...
3From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 5 May 1789 (Washington Papers)
I beg you to accept my unfeigned thanks for your friendly communications of this date—and that you will permit me to entreat a continuation of them as occasions may arise. The manner chosen for doing it, is most agreeable to me. It is my wish to act right; if I err, the head & not the heart, shall, with justice, be chargeable. With sentiments of sincere esteem & regard I am Dear Sir Your Obedt...
4To Alexander Hamilton from Jonathan Lawrence, Junior, 6 May 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I have been at a stand whether to forward to you the Enclosed, or not, for fear you might Imagine me troublesome. Necessity has at length over Come my delicate feelings, and I have concluded to transmit it to you, with an Anxious hope that you will Interest yourself in behalf of Old Servant to his Country, who has sacrificed health and fortune to Serve his Country and now finds himself reduced...
5To Alexander Hamilton from Philip Schuyler, 20 May 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Your letter by last nights post is come to hand, but not that relative to the Election in the Southern district. If there is a majority of 300 in our favor in the Southern district, indeed if the votes there are ballanced, we have every reason to conclude that we shall be victors. We have Accounts here that at the poles in some parts of Westchester and Orange the tickets for Governor Lieut...
6James Barcklay to Alexander Hamilton and Balthazar De Haert, 22 May 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Brookhaven [ New York ] May 22, 1789 . “The Cases between Wells, and Wickham, & myself have been long enough in Court to have been determined, yet by fraudulent delays I know not how they stand.… I mean not to direct, but to desire proper care to be taken to prevent fraudulent tricks and delays, so that I may have my Money which they mean to cheat me out of.…” ALS , Hamilton Papers, Library of...
7To Alexander Hamilton from Samuel Loudon, 22 May 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Tho’ you may have no predilection to serve one printer more than another, as all of them, may have been obliging to you—yet, give me leave to mention a few Arguments, which I shall offer to convince you that my claims are better founded than some others, now candidates for the public printing. 1. I have one of the best offices in this City—consequently, having good hands, can do Printing work,...
8To Alexander Hamilton from Robert Smith, 31 May 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Baltimore, May 31, 1789. Acknowledges receipt of a letter from Hamilton enclosing “a Bond from Mrs. Hammond of Baltimore to Thomas & Richard Lee of Leeds bearing date the 20th. Sepr. 1788.” ALS , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. Smith was practicing law in Baltimore at the time this letter was written. In 1801, he was appointed Secretary of the Navy by Thomas Jefferson. Letter not found....
9To Alexander Hamilton from George Washington, [4 June 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
[ New York, June 4, 1789. Letter not found. ] “List of Letters from G— — Washington to General Hamilton,” Columbia University Libraries.
10To Alexander Hamilton from Susanna, Ruth, Joseph, Nelly, and John Cockle, 12 June 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, June 12, 1789. Authorize Hamilton to “become security to Mr Robert Boyd for a Certain Sum of money left us as a Legacy by our late Grand Father John Cockle of Jamaica on Long Island.” ALS , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. At the bottom of the letter is a bond in the writing of H and signed by John Cockle.
11To Alexander Hamilton from Josiah Crane, 12 June 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, June 12, 1789. “… [During the American Revolution] I Lodgd. at piramus in New Jersey. Early the Next morning we were Alarmd. by a party of the British, where I narrowly Escapd. with my life, and was Deprived of all I had in the World Except a few Loan office Certificates.… I am now A Ruind. man, and if my Country Shoud. not think that I merit Some Little Relief for the Support of my...
12To Alexander Hamilton from Morgan Lewis, 24 June 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I am informed the Inhabitants of New York have it in Contemplation to make Mr King one of our Senators. Under this Persuasion I have thrown it out in Conversation to several of the Country Members & have found it very generally disapproved of, so much so, that I am satisfied it cannot at present be accomplished. I am afraid, too, it would interfere with the Appointment of Genl. Schuyler, in...
13To Alexander Hamilton from William Hull, 29 June 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Newton [ Massachusetts ] June 29, 1789 . Requests Hamilton to accept “Mr. Charles Jackson, Son of General Michael Jackson,” as a law clerk. ALS , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. Hull, after service in the American Revolution, practiced law in Newton, Massachusetts.
14To Alexander Hamilton from Robert Troup, [12 July 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
I arrived here on Friday night. I can do no business with the court of errors so anxious is the Legislature to adjourn. It is generally thought that the appointmen⟨t⟩ of Senators will be completed tomorrow or next day at farthest after which nothing will keep the members together except some Indian business which has just turned up. When our friends met it seems they judged it most prudent to...
15From John Adams to Alexander Hamilton, 21 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
M r Charles Adams, my Second son, the Bearer of this Letter, I beg leave to introduce to you.— He took his degree at our University of Cambridge this Year, and is destined to the Study of the Law.— I wish to get him into some office in New York, and should give the Preference to yours But there are two Contingencies, one possible the other probable in the Way. The first is that Congress may...
16To Alexander Hamilton from John Adams, [21 July 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
Mr Charles Adams, my second son, the Bearer of this Letter, I beg leave to introduce to you. He took his degree at our University of Cambridge this year, and is destined to the Study of the Law. I wish to get him into some office in New York, and should give the Preference to yours. But there are two Contingencies, one possible the other probable in the way. The first is that Congress may...
17Promissory Note from William Duer, [29 July 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
Forty days after Date I promise to pay to Alexander Hamilton on order for Value received the Sum of Two thousand Specie Dollars. ADS , New-York Historical Society, New York City. Duer, financier and merchant, had been appointed secretary of the Board of Treasury in March, 1786. He was soon to serve under H as Assistant to the Secretary of the newly organized Treasury Department. H’s signature...
18To Alexander Hamilton from Samuel Jones, [5 August 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
The Duties to be collected are imposed only upon Goods imported into the United States after the first of August. Consequently no Goods imported on or before that Day are charged with those Duties. And I am of Opinion that all such Goods may be carried to and landed at any other Port of the United States Duty free. The Act regulating the Collection of the Duties requires the Master or Person...
19Receipt from John Murray, 15 August 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, August 15, 1789 . On this date Hamilton wrote and Murray signed a receipt which reads as follows: “the above account is in consequence of directions given me by Mr. Hamilton from motives of Charity to provide for the burial of Abbe Mott & the amount is now paid to me by him Aug 15. 1789.” DS , in writing of H, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. Murray was a New York City merchant....
20To Alexander Hamilton from Richard Harison, [September 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
The Subject which you have mentioned was in a great Measure new to me. However I cannot hesitate as to the Validity of a Bond given to the United States, the People of which I think form one great Body politic for all the important Purposes of Government. The Constitution speaks of “Controversies to which the United States Shall be a Party” as forming a Branch of the Judicial Power; and I can...
21Appointment as Secretary of the Treasury, [11 September 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
Know Ye, that reposing special Trust and Confidence in the Patriotism, Integrity, and Abilities of Alexander Hamilton of the City of New York in the State of New York, Esquire, I have nominated, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, do appoint him Secretary of the Treasury of the said United States, and do authorize and empower him to execute and fulfil the Duties of that...
22To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Walker, 15 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I have not had much time to consider the Subject on which I promised to give you my opinion nor to make the necessary previous enquiries. I will however give you my thoughts as they occur at the moment. The public Accounts under the old System were divided into several branches say 1st. The Army Accounts.—comprehending only the Pay & Commutations of the Line of the Army. 2d— the Accounts of...
23To Alexander Hamilton from Richard Peters, 16 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
[ September 16, 1789. On October 11, 1789, Hamilton wrote to Peters : “I duly received yours of the 16 of September.” Letter not found. ] Peters, who had served as secretary and president of the Board of War during the American Revolution, was speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly when this letter was written. He had recently declined the office of comptroller of the Treasury. In April, 1792,...
24To Alexander Hamilton from William Allibone, 17 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, September 17, 1789. States that the port of Philadelphia lacks funds for the maintenance of aids to navigation in the Delaware River. Asks that United States funds be used for that purpose. ALS , RG 26, Lighthouse Letters Received, Vol. “A,” Pennsylvania and Southern States, National Archives. Allibone was master warden of the port of Philadelphia.
25To Alexander Hamilton from Oliver Wolcott, Junior, 17 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
I have had the honour to receive your favour of the 13th instant, by which I am informed that I have been appointed Auditor in the department of the Treasury. I embrace this first opportunity to give you notice that I have proceeded to this place on my way to New York, and that immediately upon my arrival there, I will do myself the honour to wait on you, for the purpose of acquiring such...
26To Alexander Hamilton from Sharp Delany, [19 September 1789] (Hamilton Papers)
I acknowledge the recpt of Yours by Mr. Duer of the 13th Inst— one by the Post covering a Letter to the Comptrolle[r]—and another directing a return of the Duties in my office. The Letter to Mr Eveleigh shall be forwarded by the first Vessel and in respect to the Amt of Duties, I would beg leave to mention I furnished Your Assistant Secy Mr Duer with an Account therof in order to promote the...
27To Alexander Hamilton from Christopher Gore, 20 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Be pleas’d to accept my sincere acknowledgments for the politeness and attention, you discover’d in rectifying the mistake made in a conversation with mr Badcock. To lie under the imputation of acting in a character different from the one I assum’d was painful—to be consider’d in this light by one whose reputation is the boast of America was the most distressing of all circumstances that coud...
28To Alexander Hamilton from John Rice, 20 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Boston, September 20, 1789. On October 5, 1789, Hamilton wrote to Rice : “Your Letter of the 20th of September has duly come to hand.” Letter not found. ] Rice was deputy collector of customs at Boston. In August, 1789, Benjamin Lincoln, the collector at Boston, was named by Washington to be one of three commissioners to negotiate a treaty with the southern Indians. In the autumn of 1789,...
29To Alexander Hamilton from Tobias Lear, 21 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
By the command of the President of the United States, I do myself the honor to transmit to you the enclosed letters, which have been received by him, the subject of which come properly under the cognizance of the Treasury Department of the United States. The letters enclosed are, one from Mr. Leonard De Neufville dated June 1789. relating sundry transactions between himself & Partners and the...
30To Alexander Hamilton from Joseph Whipple, 22 September 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, September 22, 1789. Encloses report on customs duties. Promises to transmit quarterly statements of tonnage and impost duties. Copy, RG 56, Letters from the Collector at Portsmouth, National Archives. Whipple was collector of the state impost from 1785 to 1789, and United States collector of customs at Portsmouth from 1789 to 1798. H had requested this report in...