1To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 23 November 1816 (Madison Papers)
I feel the utmost reluctance to address you upon a subject of a personal nature or about one with whom I am nearly connected. My feelings & distress are such, that I cannot forbear to do it, and I trust to your goodness to pardon the liberty I am about to take. The eldest son of my brother George, who has serve’d in the army eight years & risen to the command of a Regt. has been involved in...
2To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 18 October 1816 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to inform you that you are appointed one, of the Visitors of the Central College in Albemarle, and to forward you the enclosed Commission. It is hoped that it will not be inconvenient for you to undertake the Execution of this office. I am, Sir, With great respect, Your Humble Servant RC and enclosure ( DLC ). RC and enclosure in a clerk’s hand, signed by Nicholas. Cover...
3To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 30 September 1816 (Madison Papers)
I feel great reluctance in giving you the trouble of what I consider a personal application. The second daughter of my sister Norton (who you may remember at Mr. Randolph’s) married a Mr. Armistead, a gentn. who was bred a Merchant, but was unfortunate in business and obliged to retire to the country, where he has for several years supported his family by his labour. The event of a law suit by...
4To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 30 May 1816 (Madison Papers)
By a resolution of the General Assembly of Virginia, the President and Directors of the Literary Fund are requested to digest and report a system of public education, calculated to give effect to the appropriations made to that object by the Legislature, and to comprehend in such system the establishment of one University, and such additional Colleges, Academies and Schools, as shall diffuse...
5To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 10 May 1816 (Madison Papers)
Nothing could induce me to give you so much trouble, but, a belief that your desire to serve our Country will cause you to pardon it. An act of the last Assembly directs an accurate Map of the State to be made, from actual surveys. I am anxious to have it well done and as economically as possible. With these views, I should be very glad to avail myself of any surveys made or to be made by the...
6To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 28 April 1816 (Madison Papers)
Be pleased to accept my cordial thanks for the inquiries you have made as to an engineer for this state. I am obliged to Mr. Latrobe for the information he has given it is very satisfactory and will be useful. Before I wrote to you I took the liberty to enclose to the Secretary of State a letter to Mr. Adams, and to request the Secretary to have inquiries made through our ministers, as to the...
7To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 2 April 1816 (Madison Papers)
As you no doubt are informed, the last assembly made large appropriations of money to the internal improvement of this state, to ensure the judicious application of this money, it is essential that we shoud be able to command the services of one or more able civil engineers. Among the citizens of this State, I have looked in vain for such a man, and I fear there is no native of the U.S....
8To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 4 March 1816 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to enclose to you a resolution of the Assembly of the State of Virginia, instructing the Governor of the Commonwealth earnestly and respectfully to submit to you, the importance of effectually providing for the defence of the Chesapeake Bay. Your knowledge of the Chesapeake Country, its population, the value of its products and its importance in a political and commercial...
9To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 14 August 1815 (Madison Papers)
I had the pleasure to receive your favour of the 2d. instant at this place a few days past. When my son desired to be named for the consulate at Leghorn, he beleived that office was or wou’d be vacant. Under the same impression, I took the liberty to make the application to you in his favour, contained in my letter from Richmond. I am sure Sir, you beleive me incapable of wishing a deserving...
10To James Madison from Wilson Cary Nicholas, 28 July 1815 (Madison Papers)
The fortunate and happy restoration of peace, has caused all those whose patriotism alone induced them to engage in the military service of their country, to resume their former occupations. Of that number is my son Robert Carter Nicholas, lately a Lt. Col in the army of the U.S. When the war commenced he had lately returned from Italy, where he had been twelve or eighteen months, with a very...