Thomas Jefferson Papers
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To Thomas Jefferson from Robert Smith, 13 November 1804

From Robert Smith

Navy Department 13 Novr. 1804

Sir,

Agreeably to your letter of the 10th ins, & the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 9th ins, therewith sent to me, I have the honor to enclose a statement of the circumstances attending the destruction of the frigate Philadelphia, with the names of the officers & the number of men, employed on the occasion.

I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir, Yr. mo ob st.

Rt Smith

RC (DNA: RG 233, PM, 8th Cong., 2d sess.); in a clerk’s hand, signed by Smith; at foot of text: “President of the United States.” Recorded in SJL as received 14 Nov. with notation “Resoln H.R. on Tripoli.” FC (Lb in DNA: RG 45, LSP). Enclosed in TJ to the House of Representatives, 15 Nov.

your letter: no letter from TJ to Smith on 10 Nov. has been found or is recorded in SJL.

On 9 Nov., the House passed a resolution requesting that the president forward “the names of the officers and the number of men who were employed in the destruction of the frigate Philadelphia, in the harbor of Tripoli, together with a statement of the circumstances attending that event.” In SJL, TJ recorded his receipt of the House’s resolution on 9 Nov. with notation “the enterprize on the Phila.” (JHR description begins Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, Washington, D.C., 1826, 9 vols. description ends , 5:10-11; Annals description begins Annals of the Congress of the United States: The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … Compiled from Authentic Materials, Washington, D.C., Gales & Seaton, 1834-56, 42 vols. All editions are undependable and pagination varies from one printing to another. The first two volumes of the set cited here have “Compiled … by Joseph Gales, Senior” on the title page and bear the caption “Gales & Seatons History” on verso and “of Debates in Congress” on recto pages. The remaining volumes bear the caption “History of Congress” on both recto and verso pages. Those using the first two volumes with the latter caption will need to employ the date of the debate or the indexes of debates and speakers. description ends , 14:682-3).

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