To Thomas Jefferson from Samuel Livermore, 4 December 1793
From Samuel Livermore
Philadelphia, 4 Dec. 1793. The President has informed him that a commission has been sent to New Hampshire appointing his son United States district attorney for that state. While the appointment was intended for his eldest son, Edward St. Loe Livermore, the commission was mistakenly made out to his youngest son Arthur. By the President’s direction he has informed both sons of the mistake and now relates his order that a corrected commission be issued.
RC (DNA: RG 59, MLR); 2 p.; at foot of text: “The Hon Mr Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 4 Dec. 1793 and so recorded in SJL.
Samuel Livermore (1732–1803), a Massachusetts native who graduated from the College of New Jersey, moved to New Hampshire and began a long career as a lawyer and officeholder, including service as state attorney general before and during the Revolution, chief justice of the state superior court, 1782–90, delegate to the Continental and Confederation congresses, 1780–82 and 1785–86, and member of the United States House of Representatives, 1789–93, and Senate, 1793–1801, with two terms as president pro tempore of the latter ().
TJ had sent the commission to Arthur Livermore on 23 Nov. 1793 in a brief covering letter from Germantown (PrC in DLC, in the hand of George Taylor, Jr., unsigned, with “Arthur Livermore Atty. New Hampshire” at foot of text, the day of the month and endorsement being added in
ink by Taylor; FC in Lb in DNA: RG 59, DL; not recorded in SJL). The President nominated Edward St. Loe Livermore as District Attorney for New Hampshire on 14 Feb. 1794, and the Senate confirmed him three days later (, i, 148).