To James Madison from Paul Hamilton, 17 April 1811
From Paul Hamilton
Navy Departt April 17th. 1811
Sir
The Accountant of the Navy has requested me to transmit to you the accompanying papers, which are intended to vindicate him from the Charges alledged against him in the Memorial of Mr. Hanson.1 An actual inspection of the Documents in the Office of Mr. Turner, which I made immediately after you left the Memorial of Mr. Hanson with me, authorizes me to say that, the Memorialist is altogether in error. I have only to add that, if Mr. Hanson had pursued the proper course you would not have been troubled; and that his business could have been closed without the necessity of a Complaint. I have the honor to be, Sir, with great respect & attachment yrs.
Paul Hamilton
RC and enclosures (DLC). RC docketed by JM. For enclosures, see n. 1.
1. Hamilton enclosed Thomas Turner’s “Remarks … in Reply to Mr. Hanson’s Memorial to the President,” 17 Apr. 1811 (6 pp.), in which the accountant stated that before receiving Hanson’s 12 Apr. note he had no cause to suppose that Hanson was dissatisfied with the settlement of his accounts as purser between 1804 and 1809. Turner went on to describe the circumstances of two adjusted charges and enclosed copies of related correspondence: (1) Hanson to Turner, 12 Apr. 1811 (2 pp.); (2) Hanson to Gabriel Duvall, 12 Apr. 1811 (3 pp.); (3) Duvall to Turner, 3 Apr. 1811 (1 p.); (4) Turner to Duvall, 15 Apr. 1811 (3 pp.); (5) Turner to Thomas Tingey, 18 Mar. 1811 (1 p.); (6) Tingey to Turner, 25 Mar. 1811 (1 p.), enclosing (7) a copy of Tingey to Hanson, 26 Aug. 1808 (1 p.); (8) an account for hospital stores furnished by Hanson for the John Adams, 8 Aug. 1805, with Turner’s objections to its irregularity and showing his deductions (3 pp.); and (9) Hanson to Turner, 10 Apr. 1811 (1 p.), enclosing (10) a copy of a voucher for $203.50 made out to Hanson by Andrew Balmain for pay and rations in 1809 and certified as a true copy by Lund Washington (1 p.).