1To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 2 October 1800 (Adams Papers)
Your Excellency will doubtless remember that in the representation I made to your last year of service preformed by me in the revolutionary war, I Omitted a considerable part which I might have related with intention to have it made up by a copy of a certificate I had received from Major General Gates under whose Orders I acted one whole year—You may also remember Sir that I informed you I had...
2To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 13 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor to enclose to you, the oath I have taken the second time since I was appointed a Captain in the Navy. The first was taken before Judge Willson in Phila—on or about the 11th of June 1794 and was handed by me, to General Knox at the War Office; and it is likely that it may now be found among the files of that office I have also drawn up a short but Summary statement of my...
3To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 12 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
Premit me to request the favour of your Excellency to grant Docr. St Medard a Warrent as Surgeon in the Navy of the United States. I had not the smalest conception untill this moment, that he had remaind untill this day without one, or otherwise should have apply’d for one yesterday, the Docter has ben in the Constitution ever since last December, and his long experience in his profession in...
4To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 9 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
The foregoing sheets contain exact copies (as I believe) of my Commission in the Navy the last War, an Official notice of my Appointment under the present form of Goverment, the letter of Suspension of my pay as Captain, and some Correspondence between the Honorable the Secretary of the Navy & myself on the subject of Seniority—But considerable conversation has taken place Between the...
5To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 8 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
Since my Letter of the 3d. in answer to your Excellency’s favor of the 1st: Inst. I took the Liberty in a note to suggest, whether it might not be deemed best as the ship Constitution was now ready for sea, Except as to her number of men, to have that compliment made up out of the Boston. I also then ment to convey an Idea that I had been authorised by the Secretary of the Navy, to pospone the...
6To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 3 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I was Last evening honored with your favor of the 1st. Inst. covering a Letter from the Secretary of the Navy, and a Commission to me of Captain and another to Cotton Thayer of second Lieutenant of Marines, which Last was duly delivered. I am highly gratify’d with your Kind wishes for my Success & Glory and more so by your Expressions of Confidence that I shall do honor to the station I now...
7To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 3 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
In obedience to what I conceived to be your wish, when last I had the honor of seeing you, I have made such enquiry— with respect to the Characters of Captain’s Tallman, and Double, as my circumstances would admit of— Being closely confined to the Ship, I have not had that oportunity to gain a very general knowledge respecting them. But from all I have learned; I was confident that they would...
8To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 1 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
If it should be the Pleasure of the President of the united States, or the Secretary of the Navy, to place Lieut. Knox as the Junior, or an Extra Leiutenant either Temporarily, or Perminently It would be exceptable to to me. MHi : Adams Papers.
9To Alexander Hamilton from Silas Talbot, 13 May 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Very soon after I Left your office Last week I wrote to the Secretary of the Navy and Stated to him that I found it impossible for me to embrace the Service in the Station which it appear’d to be his intention to place me, and therefore I beged Leave to decline the Service altogether and added my request to him that he would be pleased to communicate such my desire to the President and the day...
10To Alexander Hamilton from Silas Talbot, 15 January 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
New York, January 15, 1799. “The relative Rank of several persons who have been honored with an appointment as Captains in the Navy of the United States not having as yet been seeded by the Honorable the Executive, and as some of those Officers claim of right the same rank, it follows of course, that, the good of the service requires this difference of opinion to be settled. It being the wish...
11To George Washington from Silas Talbot, 31 January 1790 (Washington Papers)
My motives for presuming to address you at this time is to solicit your particular favor & notice so far as to take into consideration the propriety of my being again employed in some public service in case any should offer, in which I might be thought adequate to the performance of. I have been Informed Sir by a member of Congress, that new arrangements will probably take place in some or all...
12To Thomas Jefferson from Silas Talbot, 20 November 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Johnstown, New York, 20 Nov. 1788. Asks TJ to inquire about his two sons, Cyrus and George Washington Talbot, who are volunteers in the French navy. Mr. Jay informed him that he had written TJ on this subject some time ago. Talbot missed seeing the boys when the fleet was in Boston last September; has forwarded $200 through La Forest to “the Governor” of Normandy for money advanced to them at...
13To George Washington from Silas Talbot, 8 July 1782 (Washington Papers)
Doubtless Your Excellency will remmember that in February eighty, I did myself the Honour to wait on You (in Company with Colo. Barton) at your Quarters in Morristown New Jersey. The motives that induce’d us to trouble your Excellency at that time, was a hope we Entertaind that Your Honour would be pleas’d to Appoint us to some command in the Army, by which means We might have it in our power...
14To John Adams from Silas Talbot, 5 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your Excellency will find by the date hereof that it Comes from a prisoner, and which is the cause of my present address, therefore on the Confidence of your favour, beg leave to inform you, that in October last being then in, and having the command, of the Arm’d Ship of war Called the Genl. Washington, in which Vessel I had the misfortune to be captur’d by his Brittannick Majesties Ship...
15To Benjamin Franklin from Silas Talbot, 4 June 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Your Excellency will by the date hereof that it comes from a prisoner, and which is the cause of my present address, therefore on the Confidence of your favor, beg leave to inform you, that in October last being then in, and having the Command, of the arm’d Ship of War, called the Genl. Washington, in which Vessel had the Misfortune to be Captured by his...
16To John Jay from Silas Talbot, 4 June 1781 (Jay Papers)
Your Excellency will find by the date hereof that it comes from a prisoner, and which is the cause of my present address, theirfore on the Confidence of your favour, beg leave to inform you, that in October last being then in, and having the Command, of the Arm’d Ship of war, called the Genl. Washington, in which Vessel had the Misfortune to be Captured by his Brittannick Majesty’s Ship...