1To John Adams from Peter Stephen Duponceau, 28 June 1819 (Adams Papers)
I feel exceedingly honored as well as gratified by your kind notice of my humble labours. Your Letter, which I shall preserve with Care, will be a proud Testimony to my descendents, that their Ancestor enjoyed the esteem of one of the most illustrious among the illustrious founders of this great Empire. I have not read either Bryant’s Analysis nor Dupuis’ Culte Universal, but Shall read them...
2To John Adams from Peter Stephen Duponceau, 12 July 1819 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with your letter of the 5th. inst. If you have felt pleasure in recognizing in me the friend & pupil of a Man whom you knew & esteemed; you may judge of my Satisfaction, in discovering that his modest mind had not escaped your just discernment. He was all that you describe; to all Mankind he was an enlightened instructor; to me he was almost a father, for he loved me with filial...
3To John Adams from Peter Stephen Duponceau, 19 April 1821 (Adams Papers)
The honor you have done me by noticing my weak productions & encouraging my endeavours to be useful to a Country to which I am under So many & Such great obligations; a Country that has kindly received me into its bosom, & treated me (a stranger) as a child of the family, emboldens me to take the liberty of presenting you with a Copy of the proceedings which have taken place on the opening of...
4To George Washington from Peter Stephen Duponceau, 22 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
I think it my duty with every good American to congratulate Your Excellency on the late glorious Success of the allied Armies under your Command. Be pleased to accept of my most Sincere felicitations. I have much lamented, Sir, that the ill state of my health has prevented me from sharing with the rest of my fellow-soldiers the fatigues and dangers of this Campaign. Finding it at last...
5To James Madison from Peter Stephen DuPonceau, 15 November 1810 (Madison Papers)
I had the honor of mentioning to you when you was last in this City in 1805. that I had made, for my private use, a Translation of the first Book of Bynkershoek’s Quæstiones Juris Publici . I have Since been induced to publish it, & I beg leave to present you with the first Copy of it that has issued from the press. It is an homage due to the Statesman who has best understood & appreciated the...
6To James Madison from Peter Stephen Duponceau, 26 November 1808 (Madison Papers)
I received the enclosed Print this morning from New York under a blank cover. By whom, or for what purpose it has been Sent to me, I cannot tell. But I think that I cannot make a better use of it than by transmitting it to you immediately. Permit me, at the Same time, to communicate to you a Short extract of a Letter which I have received from Robert R. Livingston, Esqr. dated Clermont, the...
7Peter S. Du Ponceau to James Madison, 25 October 1828 (Madison Papers)
Mr LeVasseur having undertaken to write an Account of the Journey of Genl Lafayette thro’ the United States, sends to me regularly the Chapters of his book, as fast as it progresses, that it may be translated & published in this Country. In the 15th. Chapter, containing the Account of the General’s Journey to Monticello and Montpelier, he introduces the Memorial & Remonstrance, which it is...
8Peter S. Du Ponceau to James Madison, 14 April 1832 (Madison Papers)
I beg leave to introduce to your acquaintance, Mr Fournier, an Advocate of the Paris Bar, and his friend Mr D’Orsay, a Gentleman of a respectable family in France, both men of information & such as we like to see—travelling thro’ our Country, whither they have come partly on business, & partly for the acquisition of Knowledge. They are desirous of seeing in you one of those Fathers of our...
9Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 14 November 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
It is a duty no less pleasing than honorable to me, to address you on behalf of the Historical & literary Committee of the American Philosophical Society , in the Capacity of their Corresponding Secretary. You have, no doubt, been informed of the recent establishment of this Committee, & of the views & objects for which it has been instituted. If not, you will receive full information on the...
10Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 8 February 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
The letter which you did me the honor to write to me on the 22 d ult o was duly laid before the Philosophical Society & the Historical Committee at their Successive meetings. The Committee met last night, & I have it in charge to return you thanks in their name for the very acceptable present of M r Hawkins ’s Sketch of the Creek Country, & the generous offer which you have made of Such other...
11Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 17 February 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received the letter which you have done me the honor to write to me on the 26 th ult o . It would have done great pleasure to the Historical Committee to have contributed to the restoration of the interesting MS. of which your letter gives an account; but the one in their possession, and which, by their order, I have the honor to enclose, is entirely different from that which you...
12Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 5 December 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
The two letters which you have done me the honor to write to me, dated the 6 th & 7 th ultimo , have been laid by me before the Historical Committee of the Philosophical Society , together with the valuable Manuscripts which accompanied them. They have directed me to return you their warm thanks for these fresh instances of your enlightened & unwearied Zeal in the Cause of Science &...
13Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
In the last letter which I had the honor of writing to you, I omitted to return you thanks in the name of the Historical Committee for the very interesting MSS. which you had the goodness to forward to them on the Subject of opening the Isthmus of Darien . They are fully Sensible of its value & importance, & beg leave to tender you their thanks, with the assurance that your injunction on the...
14Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 5 January 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I do myself at present the honor merely to acknowledge the receipt of your Letter of the 30 th ult o . The Committee are highly Sensible of the value of your Correspondence & of the important aid you have been pleased to give them Since their institution. They have expressed their S Grateful Sense of it in a report to the Society , which will be presented at their meeting on Friday next,...
15Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 6 January 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the honor to answer your Letter of the 30 th ult o . The Committee , I have no doubt, will be as much pleased as I am to find that there is a probability of Supplying the deficiencies of their Copy of the Westover MS. You will render them great service if you can procure for them the loan of that which you have lately received. It will be carefully used & punctually returned. I beg...
16Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 22 January 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
The Historical Committee met last night, when your Letter of the 30 th ult o & my answers of the 5 th & 6 th inst. were laid before them. They have ordered me to reiterate to you the thanks which I had already anticipated for the many favors which they have received at your hands, & particularly for the Communications accompanying your last . Your Memoir on the boundaries of Louisiana was...
17Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 24 January 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received the Letter you have done me the honor to write to me on the 17 th inst. There is no part in which the two MSS of the line in our possession are both alike defective; what is wanting in the one is supplied by the other as far as they respectively go; but I ought to observe that the MS. which you have had the goodness to deposit with us is not So Satisfactory or So full as the...
18Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 14 February 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the satisfaction to inform You that the Volume of the Society ’s Transactions now in the Press will be out in the Course of next Week. In the mean while I have the honor of enclosing to you the Printed sheets which contain a Report of the Historical Committee , in which you will find a feeble expression of their gratitude for the patronage with which you have honored them & the favors...
19Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 24 February 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received the Letter you have done me the honor to write to me on the 19 th inst, including the parts of the History of the line, which were deficient in our MS. I regret that I innocently put you to the trouble of having 16 pages Copied more than was necessary. For the passage which You could not find, & for which you looked according to my letter to the date of the 9 th of March is in...
20Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 14 April 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the Satisfaction to inform you that the Historical Committee has received from M r Biddle , the MSS. of Lewis & Clarke . I enclose a Copy of the Letter with which he accompanied them, with some Memoranda by M r Vaughan at foot. This enclosure dispenses me from the necessity of stating further particulars. The Society & its Committees go on with Zeal & Spirit.
21Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 9 June 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor of enclosing to you the Prospectus of the first Volume of our Historical Transactions now in the press. You will see by it that your Alumni are not idle, & you will, no doubt, rejoice in the good effects of the encouragement which you have constantly given to our Society , & particularly to this Committee , who Still solicit the continuation of your patronage. RC ( DLC ); at...
22Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 1 March 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
I am ordered by the Historical Committee to inform you that they have caused to be transmitted to you a Copy of the first Volume of their Transactions, which I understand the Bookseller has already forwarded by Mail. This was rather done irregularly, their order having been anticipated by one of their officers. I have now the honor to request in their name your acceptance of the Book as a...
23Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 12 July 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received the letter you have done me the honor to write to me dated the 7 th inst. enclosing a Vocabulary of the language of the Nottoway tribe of Indians , which I shall not fail to lay before the Historical Committee at their next meeting, & in the mean while, I am free to anticipate their cordial thanks for your unwearied & effectual exertions in promoting the great cause of American...
24Enclosure: Peter S. Du Ponceau’s Comparison of Indian Numerals, [ca. 12 July 1820] (Jefferson Papers)
Indian Numerals The Onondago is taken from Zeisberger’s Grammar The Mohawk from Luther’s Cathechism , Swedish & Delaware with a Short Mohawk Vocabulary 1. Nottoway — Unte = Onondago — Skata = Mohawk =
25Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 13 July 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Du Ponceau has the honor of enclosing to M r Jefferson , a Short Comparative Vocabulary of the Nottoway & Iroquois idioms. Few words will be found in which the Analogy is not Striking. It may be carried farther, but he believes this will be Sufficient to Shew the affinity which exists between those languages. M r D. regrets that his Stock of Tuscarora words is very Scanty, as these...
26Enclosure: Peter S. Du Ponceau’s Comparison of the Nottoway and Iroquois Languages, [ca. 13 July 1820] (Jefferson Papers)
Affinities of the Nottoway language with the Iroquois Dialects Nottoway Nottoway The Sun Aheeta , Tuscarora. Heita The Moon Tethrake , Onondago,
27Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 18 July 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
I hope I shall not be considered intrusive in communicating to you the Substance of the answer I have just received from M r Heckewelder to a Letter I wrote to him on the Subject of the Nottoway Indians. He thinks with me they are of the Iroquois, not of the Lenape family. He considers their name Nottaway , to be the Same with Nadowési or Naudowessie the denomination which the Chippeways (a...
28Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 12 September 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
The Vocabulary of the Nottoway language which you have had the goodness to send to me , has only encreased my thirst for more. There are, you Say, yet in Virginia remnants of the Mattaponey & Pamunkey Tribes—If vocabularies of those could be obtained, it might lead to interesting results. The Nottoways, I have no doubt, were the ancient Tuscaroras, who the two others were, remains to be...
29Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 9 October 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty of introducing to you in the person of M r L. C. Vanuxem , the bearer hereof, a young American, who to a mind formed by nature for the Philosophical Sciences, unites the advantages of a regular Scientific education in the best Schools & under the best professors abroad. He is lately returned from Paris where he was three Years engaged exclusively in the Study of Chemistry &...
30Peter S. Du Ponceau to Thomas Jefferson, 14 December 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Du Ponceau presents his respects to M r Jefferson , & has the honor of Sending to him at the request of M r Pickering a cop corrected sheet of his Essay on an uniform Orthography of Indian languages, to be Substituted for the Same Signature in the copy formerly Sent , which is now cancelled. RC (