RC (DLC); partially dated; at foot of text: “Mr Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received from the Treasury Department on 23 Oct. and “Comptroller. Surveyor & Inspector Tombstone. Surveyor Smithfield” and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) Samuel Tredwell to John Steele, collector’s office at Edenton, 11 Sep. 1802, informing the comptroller that he has received the commission for James Clark as surveyor at Tombstone sent on 15 July; he has written Clark several times but has not received an answer; he understands that Clark has been elected to represent Bertie County in the North Carolina General Assembly; Judge David Stone, upon learning of Clark’s candidacy, spoke to Tredwell “of another Gentleman in case Mr Clark did not accept the Appointment” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR). (2) Tredwell to Steele, collector’s office at Edenton, 13 Oct., learning that Clark declines to serve as surveyor and inspector at Tombstone, he returns the commissions and instead recommends Jehu Nichols, who lives near the place and is spoken of approvingly by Stone “as a fit person to fill the office” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Nichols John to be Surveyor & Inspector of the revenue for the port of Tombstone N.C. v. James Clarke decld”). Other enclosures not found.

SOME DAYS AGO: see Gallatin to TJ, 19 Oct.

WHAT ANSWER SHALL BE GIVEN: see John Steele to TJ, 30 Sep., and the enclosed copy of his letter to Gallatin of the same date, received on 14 Oct. by TJ.

John Steele on 14 Oct. wrote David RAWN of his resignation. Rawn, characterized by William Duane as an “Exterminator,” received the letter on 23 Oct. and immediately conferred with Gallatin (Henry M. Wagstaff, ed., The Papers of John Steele, 2 vols. [Raleigh, N.C., 1924], 1:325–7; Gallatin, Papers description begins Carl E. Prince and Helene E. Fineman, eds., The Papers of Albert Gallatin, microfilm edition in 46 reels, Philadelphia, 1969, and Supplement, Barbara B. Oberg, ed., reels 47–51, Wilmington, Del., 1985 description ends , 6:354–5).