To James Madison from James Monroe, 22 January 1806
From James Monroe
London Jany 22. 1806.
Dear Sir
It is this moment reported and is I think unquestionably true that Mr. Pitt is dead.1 He is said to have expired this morning. The complete disorder of his bowells, and of his digestive faculties, were the simptoms which attended his last moments. It is more than presumeable that the failure of his measures on the continent may have been the real cause of them & of his death. The parliment convened yesterday. I enclose you a copy of the speech wh. was delivered by commissioners, to both houses.2 The death of Mr. Pitt is a very important event, the [illegible] of which you will readily perceive. I send this to Deal in the hope it will be there in time to be forwarded by Mr. Clark in the remittance.3 I am dear Sir yr. fri[e]nd & servt
Jas. Monroe
RC (DNA: RG 59, DD, Great Britain, vol. 12). Docketed by Wagner, with his note: “death of Mr Pitt.”
1. Although rumors of his demise began to spread on 22 Jan., William Pitt did not die until the morning of 23 Jan. 1806 (James Greig, ed., The Farington Diary, 3rd ed. [8 vols.; New York, 1923–28], 3:142).
2. Monroe enclosed a clipping of the 21 Jan. 1806 speech of the lords commissioners to the joint houses at the opening of Parliament reporting that the Royal Navy had been extremely successful, especially in defeating the combined French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar, regretting the loss of Lord Nelson in the battle, presenting the several treaties entered into with European allies against France, submitting estimates for the ensuing year to be laid before the House of Commons, and urging parliamentary support of continued military efforts on the continent against France (printed in , 1st ser., 6:1–4).
3. The Remittance arrived at New York on 21 Mar. 1806 in 52 days from London (New-York Commercial Advertiser, 22 Mar. 1806).