James Madison Papers
Documents filtered by: Author="Lee, Henry" AND Recipient="Madison, James" AND Period="Madison Presidency" AND Correspondent="Madison, James"
sorted by: date (ascending)
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/03-06-02-0469

To James Madison from Henry Lee, 4 August 1813

From Henry Lee

Barbadoes Aug 4th. 13

My dear Sir.

I feel daily & hourly the effect of your & Admiral Warrens goodness to me, & my heart constantly avows the grateful sense of your & his goodness.1

Had I not escaped from my country, the climate must have finished me ere now.

As it is, I am much bettered & have the agreable prospect of being restored to my usual health & strength.

Altho a state of war interposed obstacles to my execution of my views, which seemed to be insurmountable yet they were over come as soon as communi[ca]ted to you & the British admiral.

It cannot but follow, that as long as I live, I shall seize every opportunity to testify my personal respect & gratitude.

The Cartel going from hence to the chesapeake enables me to send to you some very fine madeira five years old with a green Turtle the largest I can procure & the character of captain Randlet assures me that he will with great pleasure safely deliver them.

I embrace the opportunity with delight, happy always whenever I can in any way administer to your accomodation. Accept my prayers for your health & prosperity. Your faithful friend & much obliged Servt.

H: Lee

I cannot yet see accurately & must beg your excuse for mistakes & errors in writing.

RC (DLC); Tr (Vi). RC docketed by JM; enclosed in Charles Carter Lee to JM, 9 May 1831, with the following explanation: “I have been so fortunate as to obtain, to day, some letters & papers sent by my father from the West Indies, many years ago. The trunk which contained them, & all the letters, were opened before they fell into my hands; & I took the liberty of reading that which I now forward, as it was enclosed to my brother unsealed. I despair of ever being able to find the wine it alludes to; but I assure you that I relinquish with great regret the hope of being instrumental in procuring for you any thing which might be conducive to your health.” Tr in the hand of Charles Carter Lee. Printed under the date of 24 Aug. 1813 in Henry Lee, Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States (New York, 1870), 54–55.

1See Letter of Introduction for Henry Lee, April 1813, and n.

Index Entries