George Washington Papers
Documents filtered by: Period="Washington Presidency" AND Correspondent="Hamilton, Alexander" AND Correspondent="Washington, George"
sorted by: date (descending)
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-21-02-0266

To George Washington from Alexander Hamilton, 31 January 1797

From Alexander Hamilton

[New York] Jany 31. 1797

Dr Sir

My late situation exposes me to applications which I cannot resist without appearing unkind. It is understood that Mr Walker is about to resign the place of naval Officer.1 Mr Jonathan Burrall Mr Rogers (Walkers Deputy) and Col. Giles (the present Marshall) have all three mentioned the subject to me and requested me to express my opinion of their qualifications to you.

As to Mr Burrall there is no doubt he will be in every sense an excellent appointment—I believe as a man of business on a large scale he may be superior to either and his character is irreproachable—He is now Cashier of the Office of Discount & Deposit is respectably connected by marriage much esteemed & has been an old servant of the public.2

Every thing that I have heared of Mr Rogers’ moral character and capacity for business is entirely in his favour. I have no doubt he is fully worthy of the appointment—is a remarkab[l]y accurate accountant & has had long experience in the particular Office—The place is more necessary to him than to either of the others—His station in society generally is inferior to that of the other two.3

Mr Giles you know—I have no doubt he is entirely competent to the Office—he pleads as a merit his perseverance in his present Office though for a long time it was unproductive & he considers the continuance of the present emoluments which are now well enough, as uncertain—they arising from particular circumstances—He is however not quite decided in his wishes on the subject; by tomorrow he will decide.4 I have the honor to remain Most respectfully Sir Very Obed. serv.

A. Hamilton

ALS, DLC:GW. No reply to Hamilton from GW has been found.

1Benjamin Walker, who had served since 1789 as the naval officer for the port of New York, announced his resignation when he wrote GW from Philadelphia on 1 Feb.: “The situation of my private affairs obliging me to reside in the Country, I am under the necessity of requesting, that this Letter may be considered as a resignation of the Office which I hold, of Naval Officer of the District of the City of New York—at the same time I take the liberty to mention that Mr Richard Rogers, who has served as my Deputy from the first establishment of the Office, means to offer himself as a Candidate to succeed me.

“It would be injustice in me not to mention to you the very high opinion I entertain of this Gentleman. to his unremitted attention & superior abilities it is owing, that the business of that Office has been conducted in a manner that has fully answerd the Ends for which it was Established, saved immense sums to the public and at the same time given universal satisfaction.

“Mr Rogers is so universally esteemed and his abilities are so well known that I have not a doubt but his pretensions will be supported by the most respectable Characters of the City and should he be so fortunate as to meet your approbation I have no hesitation in saying he will be an acquisition to the United States.

“Altho’ I have endeavourd to make the best return I could for all your favors, by a faithfull discharge of the duties assignd me—yet feeling as I do how much I owe to the protection you have afforded me during the many years I have been in public service, I cannot omit this opportunity of returning you my sincere thanks, and of assuring you that I shall thro life entertain a gratefull sense of all your favors” (ALS, DLC:GW).

2Jonathan Burrall (1753–1834) served as commissioner for settling accounts of the quartermaster general and commissary departments from 1786 to 1789 and as assistant postmaster general from 1789 to 1792. In 1792, Burrall became cashier in the New York Office of Discount and Deposit of the Bank of the United States, and served in that capacity until its charter expired in 1811. When the New York legislature incorporated the Bank of America in 1812, Burrall was chosen its first cashier. In 1815, he became vice president of that bank. Burrall was married to Frances Amelia Wickham, the daughter of William Wickham, a prominent attorney, landowner, and judge in New York State. An obituary, printed in the Baltimore Patriot & Mercantile Advertiser for 28 Nov. 1834, notes that in all “stations in life,” Burrall “exhibited great strength of understanding, persevering industry, and the most distinguished integrity.”

3In a letter to Treasury Secretary Oliver Wolcott, Jr., written on 26 Jan. from New York, William Seton also recommended Richard Rogers as naval officer: “I have understood that … Mr Walker means to resign and that the appointment of his present Deputy Mr Richard Rogers is very much his Wish—I beg leave to bear my testimony to Mr Rogers’s ability to fill the office & to assure you that I know no one so fit or … more agreable to the Mercantil Interest of this City” (DLC:GW).

Richard Rogers (c.1748–1820), a clerk in the New York naval office, had been a Loyalist employed in the British Court of Admiralty in New York during the Revolutionary War. On 17 Feb., GW nominated him to replace Walker as naval officer for the port of New York. The Senate approved the nomination on 20 Feb. (see GW to the U.S. Senate, 17 Feb., and the source note to that document). Rogers held that post until President Thomas Jefferson removed him from office in 1803 (see Rogers to Jefferson, 16 May 1801, and Denniston & Cheetham to Jefferson, 12 June 1801, in Jefferson Papers description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. 41 vols. to date. Princeton, N.J., 1950–. description ends , 34:126–27, 316–17).

4Aquila Giles had served since 1792 as federal marshal for the District of New York. His term expired by the end of 1796, when GW reappointed him. Giles continued in that post for another term (see GW to the U.S. Senate, 21 Dec. 1796, and n.15).

Index Entries