Enclosure: Recommendation of James Leander Cathcart [ca. July 1818], enclosure no. 1 in James Leander Cathcart to Thomas Jefferson, 27 August 1821
Enclosure
I
Recommendation of James Leander Cathcart
[ca. July 1818]
We the undersign’d having a satisfactory knowledge of James Leander Cathcart Esqr either personally, or by character from Gentlemen in whom we place confidence, & from his public character, do recommend him to the President of the United States, & to the heads of Departments, & especially to the Secretary of the Navy, as a fit candidate for the office of Purser or Paymaster of the naval depôt under contemplation of being soon establish’d—
We are induced to this measure from Mr Cathcarts long, & as we have reason to believe, his faithful services & the privations experienced by him during eleven years captivity in Algiers, & upwards of twenty one years in public service since, mostly in unprofitable situations, in which we understand that he has given satisfaction to the several administrations under whom he has had the honor to act: to which we may add, that he has arrived at an age, which as we conceive after his long services abroad, entitles him to a settlement at home, especially as he has a family of nine1 children to provide for—
Further from the present state of Commerce and from what may be conjectured of its future state at Cadiz, we are inform’d that it does not afford sufficient to defray the expense of Clerk hire, much less for the support of a numerous family,2 where from his office he must inevitably be exposed to a greater expense than if in a private station—
As Mr Cathcart’s talents must be well known to government, it is only necessary to add, that as he has received a nautical education, & being well acquainted with maratime affairs in general, we are led from this consideration, as well as the foregoing, to recommend him as a candidate for the appointment he solicits, or any other which his long services may seem in the opinion of the President to merit—
| Sign’d by | ||||
| Wm Jones late Secretary of the Navy |  |
Philadelphia | ||
| A. Murray; Commodore | ||||
| Geo Latimer late Collector, now Prest of an Insurance Compy | ||||
| Rd Dale late Commodore | ||||
| Thos Leiper | Merchant | |||
| Hugh Calhoun | do | |||
| Chandr Price | do | |||
| Saml Carswell | do | |||
| Willm Lynch | do | |||
| Saml Hayes | do | |||
| L Clapier | do | |||
| J. Carey | do | |||
| Robt Waln Prest of an Insurance Company | ||||
| Joseph S Lewis Merchant— | ||||
| Matthew Lawler late Mayor of the City | ||||
| John Leamy Prest of an Insurance Company | ||||
| Isaac Worrell Merchant | ||||
| John Connelly do | ||||
J. Bloomfield General, late Governor, and now one of the Representatives from the State of New Jersey—
| Robt Gilmore Merchant |  |
Baltimore |
| R. Smith late Secretary of the Navy & of State— | ||
| Wm Patterson Merchant | ||
| J A Buchannan do | ||
| Chas & Peter Wirgman do | ||
| John Hollins Prest of an Insurance Company | ||
| Robt Oliver Merchant |
Saml Smith Genl Member of Congress from Maryland
| Gentlemen of the Navy3 on a separate copy of the above | ||
| I Chauncey Laurce Evans S Angus Ed Trenchard 4 |
|
To the preceding was added the verbal, & very strong recommendations of the three Navy Commissioners, Commodores Rodgers, Decatur, and Porter, & had the concurrence of the Secretary of the Navy, but as the grand naval depôt on the waters of the Chesapeake has not been establish’d, the appointt has not been made—5 |
| J. Renshaw | ||
| A J Dallas | ||
| B T Hoffman | ||
| James A Hamilton | ||
| Rd Smith 6 | ||
These recommendations, with all the others hereafter mention’d are deposited in the Navy department
Tr (DLC: TJ Papers, 213:38039–40); entirely in Cathcart’s hand and subjoined to covering letter, with subsequent enclosures conjoined; undated; at head of text: “Copy”; at foot of text: “PTO” (“Please Turn Over”). Tr (DLC: Madison Papers); in an unidentified hand. Tr (MHi: Adams Papers); in an unidentified hand. Tr (MiEM: Charles William Cathcart Papers); in an unidentified hand.
j a buchannan was James A. Buchanan, while b t hoffman was likely Beekman V. Hoffman.
1. Number corrected by Cathcart in DLC Trs to “Ten,” with a note keyed to this point in text with an asterisk.
2. Trs in Madison Papers, MHi, and MiEM here add “abroad.”
3. Line ends here in Trs in Madison Papers, MHi, and MiEM.
4. Trs in Madison Papers, MHi, and MiEM: “Trenchaw.”
5. Instead of this and final sentence of document, Madison Papers Tr reads “The three Navy Commissioners Commodore Rodgers, Decatur, and Porter, recommended me in person, the President desired me to deposit my recommendations in the Navy Department, the Secretary of the Navy promised his influence, but the appointment has not been made.” Trs in MHi and MiEM closely follow Madison Papers text.
6. Trs in Madison Papers, MHi, and MiEM here add “Henry Echsner.”
Index Entries
- Angus, Samuel; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Bloomfield, Joseph; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Buchanan, James A.; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Calhoun, Hugh; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Carey, J.; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Carswell, Samuel; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Cathcart, James Leander; recommendations of search
- Cathcart, James Leander; seeks position search
- Chauncey, Isaac; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Clapier, Lewis; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Connelly, John; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Dale, Richard; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Dallas, Alexander James; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Decatur, Stephen; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Echsner, Henry; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Evans, Laurence; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Gilmor, Robert; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Hamilton, James A.; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Hayes, Samuel; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Hoffman, Beekman Verplanck; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Hollins, John; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Jones, William (ca.1761–1831); recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Latimer, George; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Lawler, Matthew; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Leamy, John; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Leiper, Thomas; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Lewis, Joseph Saunders; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Lynch, William; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Monroe, James (1758–1831); and appointments search
- Murray, Alexander (1755–1821); recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Navy Department, U.S.; applications to search
- Oliver, Robert; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Patterson, William; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Porter, David; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Price, Chandler; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Renshaw, James; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Rodgers, John; as president of U.S. Board of Navy Commissioners search
- Smith, Richard; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Smith, Robert (1757–1842); recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Smith, Samuel (of Maryland); recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Thompson, Smith; and appointments search
- Thompson, Smith; as secretary of the navy search
- Trenchard, Edward; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Waln, Robert; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Wirgman, Charles; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Wirgman, Peter; recommends J. L. Cathcart search
- Worrell, Isaac; recommends J. L. Cathcart search