1John Adams to William Carmichael, 22 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letters you did me the Honour to write me from Madrid the 15. Jan. and the Feb.— I am very glad that M r Barry and M r Fitch are pleased with your Civilities to them: But I never knew any Thing of M r Fitch’s Note, nor of the Watch, nor did I ever introduce either of them to you, with a Thought of their making you presents. and I agree with you that presents upon Such...
2From John Adams to William Carmichael, 29 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
M r Samuel Watson, a Citizen of the United States of America and Settled at Charlestown South Carolina as a Merchant Sailed from thence about two Years ago on board a Vessell bound to the Havannah and nothing has been heard of him or Vessell Since, till lately, a Gentleman from the Havannah has reported that a M r Watson from Charleston was taken in the Bay of Mexico and carried into...
3IV. The American Commissioners to William Carmichael, 12 September 1785 – 11 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
M r. Barclay will deliver you this letter in his way to Morocco. We have appointed him to this negotiation in hopes of obtaining the friendship of that State to our country, & of opening by that means the commerce of the Mediterranean, an object of sufficient importance to induce him to accept of the trust We recommend him & Col o. Franks who goes with him to your attention & assistance, and...
4From Benjamin Franklin to William Carmichael, 15 December 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Henry E. Huntington Library; press copy of LS and transcript: National Archives I am much concern’d to find by your Letter to my Grandson, that you are hurt by my long Silence, and that you ascribe it to a suppos’d Diminution of my Friendship. Believe me, that is by no means the case; but I am too much harassed by a Variety of Correspondence together with Gout and Gravel, which induces me...
5From Benjamin Franklin to William Carmichael, 26 August 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I have received your kind Letter of the 11th. Inst. with one from the Cte. de Campomanes enclos’d, wch. I shall answer in a few Days. Your Namesake is gone to England; but I think he wrote to you before he went. I expect him back in 4 or 5 Weeks.— I suppose he acquainted you that Mr. Jefferson is arrived. He has brought Commissions joining him with Mr...
6From Benjamin Franklin to William Carmichael, 11[–15] October 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Press copy of ALS and copy: American Philosophical Society I have just received the honour of yours of the 25th past, and shall communicate it as you desire to my Colleagues, tomorrow. I think you did right in mentioning to the Minister the Nature of our Commission, &c. In my last I sent you a Copy of our Letter to the Count d’Aranda. Herein I inclose his Answer, in order to keep you fully...
7Enclosure: Floridablanca to William Carmichael, 24 November 1784 (Washington Papers)
The King has not only condescended with pleasure to permit the extraction of the Jack Ass which you sollicit on acct of General Washington But further his Majesty desirous that this Commission should be executed to the entire Satisfaction of so distinguished a personage, has ordered me to look out for & place at your orders two of the best of those Animals, in case that an accident should...
8From George Washington to William Carmichael, 10 June 1785 (Washington Papers)
It is with grateful pleasure I sit down to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 25th of March covering a triplicate of your letter of the 3d of December (which is the first that has been received), & a copy of the Count of Florida Blanca’s note to you. I feel myself under singular obligation to you sir, as the mean of procuring two Jacks of the first race, to be sent me; but my...
9From George Washington to William Carmichael, 19 December 1785 (Washington Papers)
One of the Jacks with which his Catholic Majesty was pleased to present me, has arrived safe; & the enclos’d to his Minister is a testimony of my gratitude for this singular mark of his royal notice—I pray you Sir, to do me the honor of presenting it. I hesitated a while, whether to express my sense of this obligation at first, or second hand; but considering the value of it, I determined on...
10From John Jay to William Carmichael, 28 January 1784 (Jay Papers)
Your letter of the 12 th . October: was delivered to me in England at a time when I was so ill, as to write only to M rs . Jay— That Circumstance and the Constant Expectation of receiving the Letter you intended to write when the Appraisement you was making of my Effects should be finished, but which I have not yet rec d ., are the Causes which have delayed my writing to you since.— It is not...
11From John Jay to William Carmichael, 4 January 1787 (Jay Papers)
My last to you was written on the 24 November & together with the was committed to the Care of M r Rendon, who then expected to sail from Philad a . ^ take his passage in ^ a spanish Frigate which was then soon to sail from Philadelphia. But the weather becoming so severe as to freeze the Delaware, he has Returned to this Place an in order to go in a Merchant Vessel, that will leave this port...
12From John Jay to William Carmichael, 23 September 1788 (Jay Papers)
I have had the Honor of rec g & communicating to Congress your Letter of the 29 April last, as well as your former one preceding ones of 3 July & 19th Aug t . The Intelligence which accompanied the first of the two last is relative from our unfortunate Captives at Algiers is interesting, and there doubtless was propriety in your forwarding it to this office. As to all Questions as to the Paper...
13[From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 16 August 1784] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 16 Aug. 1784 . An entry in SJL under this date has a line drawn through it followed by: “[recalled the letter.]” The canceled entry reads: “[Aug.] 16. Mr. Carmichael at Havre on the subject of Limosin. See copy.” It is possible that this letter dealt with TJ’s having been cheated by a porter at Havre (see TJ to William Temple Franklin, 18 Aug. 1784 , note.]
14[From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 2 November 1784] (Jefferson Papers)
[Paris, 2 Nov. 1784 . Entry in SJL reads: “Wm. Carmichael. Madrid. Inclosing letter—news, adjournment Congr. Separn. Commee. E. Ind. trade—ask sentiments of Span. court on navigation of Missisipi.” Not found; enclosure not identified.]
15[From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 15 December 1784] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 15 Dec. 1784 . Entry in SJL reads: “Mr. Carmichael. à Havre to know if it is stopped at Havre.” Not found; “it” refers to a copying press mentioned in TJ’s entry for a letter to John Holker, this date, written just above the entry for the letter to Carmichael.]
16[From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 30 January 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 30 Jan. 1785 . Entry in SJL reads: “W. Carmichael. State of American affairs viz. impost—Conn. established it when 12. shall have done the same—cession of territory by Virga. and N. Cara. probability of further cessions—act of Congr. in nature of Magna charta—purchase of 6. nations—this enables to open land office which will pay domestic debt. Impost will pay forign debt—principles...
17[From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 17 April 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 17 Apr. 1785 . Entry in SJL reads: “Mr. Carmichael. Acknolege receipt of his of Mar. 29. and Apr. 4. Papers relative to Algrs. sent to Congress—books. Send me note of what will cost, except those which are at common prices and which may be bought—account of Virga. act for surrendering citizens committing offences in other countries. Made principally to restrain our people as to Span....
18[From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 3 May 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 3 May 1785 . Entry in SJL reads: “Wm. Carmichael. Receipt his of Apr. 19. Rh. isld. passed impost imperfectly.-N.Y. double duties on British bottoms-not passed impost. Georga. brought in bill for impost-Moultrie Govr. S.C. Reed of Pensva. dead-Indian purchase said to be to meridian of falls of Ohio but I doubt it. Mr. A. minister at Lond. Smith Secretary of legation-Dr. F. leave to...
19From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 22 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of April 4. came to my hands on the 16th. of that month and was acknowleged by mine of May 3. That which you did me the honour to write me on the 5th. of April never came to hand till the 19th. of May, upwards of a month after the one of the day before. I have hopes of sending the present by a Mr. Jarvis who went from hence to Holland some time ago. About this date I suppose him to...
20To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael, with Enclosures, 27 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I received on the 15th. May the Letter you did me the honor to address me the third of that month and should sooner have replied to it, had I not expected to avail myself of a private conveyance from hence, by which I might write with greater security, than I can do by the Post. It is with the greatest satisfaction that I find you are disposed to cultivate an intercourse, which for the reasons...
21From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 18 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of June 22. with a P. S. of July 14. Yours of June 27. came to hand the 23d. of July and that of July 28. came to hand the 10th. inst. The papers enclosed in the last shall be communicated to Mr. Adams. I see with extreme satisfaction and gratitude the friendly interposition of the court of Spain with the emperor of Marocco on the subject of the brig Betsey, and I am...
22VIII. American Commissioners to William Carmichael, 12 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Barclay will deliver you this letter in his way to Morocco. We have appointed him to this negotiation in hopes of obtaining the friendship of that State to our country, and of opening by that means the commerce of the Mediterranean, an object of sufficient importance to induce him to accept of the trust. We recommend him and Colo. Franks who goes with him to your attention and assistance,...
23From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 18 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favour of the 29. Sep. came safely to hand: the constant expectation of the departure of the persons whom I formerly gave you reason to expect has prevented my writing as it has done yours. They will probably leave this in a week, but their route will be circuitous and attended with delays. Between the middle and last of November they may be with you. By them you will receive a cypher by...
24From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 25 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I did myself the honour of writing to you on the 18th. inst. Since that date it has become probable that Mr. Lamb and Mr. Randall will set out for Madrid before Mr. Barclay will be ready. You will probably see them between the middle and last of November. I took the liberty of solliciting Count d’Aranda for passports for these gentlemen, which might protect their baggage from being searched....
25From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 4 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing you on the 18th. of October and again on the 25th. of the same month. Both letters, being to pass through the post offices, were confined to particular subjects. The first of them acknoleged the receipt of yours of Sep. 29. At length a confidential opportunity arrives for conveying to you a cypher ; it will be handed you by the bearer Mr. Lambe. Copies of it are in...
26From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 8 December 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a copy of a letter of mine to Mr. Grand which will explain to you a difficulty which arose as to a bill of exchange to which your name was subscribed. Considering myself as no ways authorized to direct the funds of the U.S. in France I had originally refused to intermeddle at all. But Mr. Grand would not pay at all then. I thereupon have undertaken to advise him till I can...
27From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 13 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour of receiving on the 1st. inst. your favor of Dec. 17. I had before that, in a letter of Dec. 8. explained to you the cause of the bill not being paid which appeared here in your name, so far as I had been obliged to meddle in it. My letter to Mr. Grand which I inclosed to you, will have shewn you that I advised him to follow what had been his practice as to your bills. I do...
28From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 5 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
A visit of two months to England has been the cause of your not hearing from me during that period. Your letters of Feb. 3. to Mr. Adams and myself, and Feb. 4. to me had come to hand before my departure. While I was in London Mr. Adams received the letters giving information of Mr. Lamb’s arrival at Algiers. At London we had conferences with a Tripoline ambassador now at that court, named...
29From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 20 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of the 5th. of May by Baron Waltersdorff. Since that I have been honoured with yours of Apr. 13. May 16. and 18. The present covers letters to Mr. Lamb and Mr. Randall informing them that the demands of Algiers for the ransom of our prisoners and also for peace is so infinitely beyond our instructions that we must refer the matter back to Congress, and therefore praying them...
30From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 22 August 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of June 16. July 15. 18. and 31. I have the honour now to acknowlege. I have been for a month past so closely employed that it has been out of my power to do myself the pleasure sooner of writing to you on the several subjects they contain.—I formerly wrote you the reason why Mr. Grand had not paid your bills, that is to say, the want of a letter of advice. As to the notary’s...
31From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 22 September 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Jefferson’s Compliments to Mr. Carmichael and begs the favor of him to convey the inclosed letters. He has recieved his letter of the 4th. of Septr. and is in hopes that one which he had written to Mr. Carmichael on the 22d. of August will have answered some of his enquiries. An indisposition likely to continue some time will necessarily retard his answer to the rest. He begs Mr....
32From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 26 December 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
A note from me of the 22d. of Sep. apprised you it would be some time before I should be able to answer your letters. I did not then expect it would have been so long. A dislocation of my right wrist three or four days before that has disabled me from writing till lately, and I now write in great pain and only in cases of necessity. I am to acknolege the receipt of yours of Sep. 29. Oct. 3....
33From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 18 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was dated Dec. 26. since which I have been honoured with yours of Dec. 17. I now inclose you a duplicate of the vote for the recall of Mr. Lamb. I take the liberty also of putting under cover to you our confirmation of the Marocco treaty together with a joint letter to Fennish. The fear that Mr. Barclay might not be at Madrid has occasioned my giving you this trouble as well as...
34From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 26 May 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Being thus far on my tour through the seaports, I find here a letter from Colo. Smith, informing me of his having passed this place on his way to Madrid. As I believe you are not acquainted with each other, give me leave to recommend him to your attentions, not as a matter of formality but with all the warmth which his uncommon merit deserves. His good sense you will immediately perceive, but...
35From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 14 June 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Having got back to Paris three days ago, I resume immediately the correspondence with which you have been pleased to honour me. I wish I could have begun it with more agreeable information than that furnished me by Mr. Grand, that the funds of the United states here are exhausted and himself considerably in advance, and by the Board of treasury at New York that they have no immediate prospect...
36From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 25 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
The copy of your letter of July 9. and that of Aug. 22. came to hand together. The original of the former I never received. My last to you was dated June 14. I heard indirectly that Mr. Grand had refused to pay a bill of yours , but he never said a word to me on the subject, nor mentioned any letter of yours in consequence of it. I have stated the matter to the board of treasury . I also wrote...
37From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 15 December 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I am later in acknoleging the receipt of your favors of Oct. 15. Nov. 5. and 15. because we have been long expecting a packet which I hoped would bring communications worth detailing to you, and she arrived only a few days ago, after a very long passage indeed. I am very sorry you have not been able to make out the cypher of my letter of Sep. 25. because it contained things which I wished you...
38From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 1 February 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I have a moment’s warning only of the departure of Mr. Symonds for Madrid, which place however he will not reach till the month of April, which is another reason for my making this letter merely the vehicle for a cypher which I can answer for in point of correspondence with mine. I take the liberty at the same time of recommending the bearer hereof to your notice. I have the honour to be with...
39From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 3 June 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of Apr. 14. and 29. and May 8. have lately come to hand. That of Jan. 29. by M. de Molinedo had been left here during my absence on a journey to Amsterdam. That gentleman was gone, as I presume from my being unable to learn any thing of him. I had been led to Amsterdam in order to meet with Mr. Adams and to endeavor in conjunction with him to take arrangements for answering the...
40From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 12 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last to you, I have been honoured with your’s of the 18th. and 29th. of May and 5th. of June. My latest American intelligence is of the 24th. of June when 9. certainly and probably 10. states had accepted the new constitution, and there was no doubt of the 11th. (North Carolina) because there was no opposition there. In New-York ⅔ of the state was against it, and certainly if they had...
41From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 25 December 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
A sick family has prevented me, for upwards of a month from putting pen to paper but in indispensable cases, and for some time before that I had been waiting to receive American news worth communicating to you. These causes have occasionned my silence since my last which was of the 12th. of August, and my leaving unacknoleged, till now, your several favors of July 24. Aug. 14. Sep. 9. and Nov....
42From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 4 March 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of the 25th. of December. Tho’ the establishment of packet boats with you, and suppression of them with us, puts it in your power perhaps to give me better details of American affairs than I can you, I shall nevertheless continue to communicate to you what I know, persuaded it is better you should hear a thing twice than not hear it at all. I mentioned to you in my last that...
43From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 25 March 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Rutledge, the son of Governor Rutledge of South Carolina, will have the honour of delivering you this. I suppose you must have been personally acquainted with his father, but surely so by reputation. It would suffice therefore to announce his son to you, in order to obtain your attentions and friendly offices for him. It is to gratify myself then that I add my sollicitations to the same...