1To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 2 May 1809 (Madison Papers)
In the instructions to the several commanding Officers to lay up the gun boats, they were required to report to this Department, their respective opinions of the qualifications of the sailing masters recently appointed to command gun boats, and we are now receiving their reports accordingly. With your approbation I will proceed to dismiss all those of whom unfavorable reports have thus been...
2To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 4 May 1809 (Madison Papers)
With your approbation the enclosed letter to Comre. Rodgers will be forwarded and a similar proposition will be made, through the commanding officers, to all the supernumerary meritorious sailing masters. I incline to the opinion that the Government can retain the greater portion without any expence; and thus, on emergency, have a corps of valuable men, selected from personal knowledge of...
3To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 8 May 1809 (Madison Papers)
In answer to Mr. Macgregor’s letter to you —I have informed him that there is not, at this time, any vacancy. The case of the son of W. G Anderson was attended to a few days since. The son is prodigiously clever—but unhappily for him, by severe exposure in gun boats, he has nearly lost the use of his limbs. I have, in consideration of his merit & sufferings, attached him to the Norfolk...
4To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 12 May 1809 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
12 May 1809, Navy Department. James Owen, “lately appointed a surgeon’s mate in the navy,” has arrived in Washington too late to join the frigate United States before her departure. An extract of a letter from Commodore John Rodgers to Goldsborough, critical of Owen, is enclosed. “With your approbation I will dismiss him, allowing him his expences back to his home.” Letterbook copy ( DNA : RG...
5To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 14 August 1809 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
14 August 1809, Navy Department. The chief clerk transmits copies of a letter from Capt. David Porter and Goldsborough’s reply. Goldsborough has submitted Porter’s letter to the secretaries of state and of the treasury, who have approved his reply. Letterbook copy ( DNA : RG 45, Letters to the President). 2 pp. Enclosures not found.
6To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 19 August 1809 (Madison Papers)
In the absence of the Secry. of the navy, I have the honor, in pursuance of his written instructions to me, to lay before you a statement of the navy appropriations. By reference to that statement you will perceive, sir, that the appropriations for “Repairs of Vessels” & for “Contingent expences” are nearly exhausted. Under the last law of congress, making provision for these objects, great...
7To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 20 September 1809 (Madison Papers)
As you are probably less occupied now than you will be on your return to the seat of Government, I take the liberty of transmitting, for your perusal, the accompanying papers. Altho’ you may not, at this time, approve the project, yet it will I hope afford you pleasure to find that we have in our navy men of columbian ambition. The writer of these papers is not, I am persuaded, inferior in...
8To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 7 November 1809 (Madison Papers)
The secretary of the Navy having been unexpectedly detained in South Carolina by the extreme illness of two of his family, & it being probable that he will not be here for some days to come, it appears to me to be my duty to submit, for your consideration, the accompanying papers. No 1. which affords a view of the Navy appropriations to the ⟨4⟩th ins inclusively A statement of the Warrants...
9To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 9 November 1809 (Madison Papers)
The most prompt attention shall be paid to your instructions; but permit me, sir, respectfully to observe, that it will take many days to prepare the statements required: those which can be furnished, by the Executive branch of the Department, shall be ready, by the time the Secretary of the Navy shall return—those which the Accountant alone can furnish may not be prepared at so early a day....
10To James Madison from Charles W. Goldsborough, 9 November 1809 (Madison Papers)
I almost fear that I may be considered troublesome; but I beg that you will attribute my frequent applications to you, to an anxious desire to leave no duty unfulfilled—to anticipate what the Secretary, if present, would have performed. To enable the Department to comply with the enclosed requisition, to prepare the Navy Estimates for the year 1810, it is essential that we should know whether...