To James Madison from James Monroe, 4 April 1805
From James Monroe
Aranjuez april 4. 1805
Dear Sir
I heard last night of Mr. Lee at Bordeaux that my dispatches from that place on my way here original & duplicate1 to you, have both miscarried, one set in the brig george which was wrecked in the bay of Biscay, the other in the ship mars captn. Wilson, on the coast of Ireland.2 I regret this extremely3 because I began to hope daily of hearing from you in reply. I have since sent by Mr. Gorham as well as I recollect, every paper that was material, except my official letter to you.4 I can send nothing of importance not in cypher by the mail, & have not time at this moment to put it in cypher or indeed else much that I cod. wish to say. I begin to think these peoples hands tied. I shall5 soon find how this is and in case it is so proceed direcly to Paris where it is probable propositions will be made to prevent my passing6 the channel while things are7 unsettled. Captn. Dulton is returnd but nothing important has happened since. Without something of a crisis nothing could be hoped for8 you shall hear from me soon again. I have been much hurt and disappointed that my very full communications from Bordeaux have miscarried by so fatal a disaster. I am sincerely your friend & servant
Jas. Monroe
RC (DNA: RG 59, DD, Spain, vol. 8); partial Tr (DNA: RG 59, DD, Spain, vol. 7); partial letterbook copy (NN: Monroe Papers). Italicized words are those encoded by Monroe and decoded here by the editors (for the code, see
4:352 n. 1). Decoded interlinearly by Wagner. Minor differences between the copies have not been noted.1. See Monroe to JM, 16 and 18 Dec. 1804, 8:386–96, 402–3.
2. In the Tr and letterbook copy, the names of the ships and locations of the wrecks have been omitted.
3. Tr has “extremity.”
4. Tr and letterbook have “of November 27th” inserted here. For that letter, see 8:329–33.
5. Encoded “went”; Tr and letterbook read “will”; decoded “shall.”
6. Encoded “carseng”; decoded “crossing”; Tr and letterbook read “passing.”
7. Encoded “thing hy”; decoded “things are”; Tr and letterbook read “things are.”
8. The Tr and letterbook copy end here.