1To James Madison from William Willis, 11 October 1804 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 11 October 1804. Described in Daniel Brent to Willis, 23 Oct. 1804 (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 14), as inquiring into the status of Willis’s accounts. Brent told Willis that his account had been adjusted at the Treasury and that a draft for the $214.81 balance due would be transmitted to him in Boston.
2To James Madison from William Willis, 27 June 1806 [letter not found] (Madison Papers)
¶ From William Willis. Letter not found. 27 June 1806. Acknowledged in JM to Willis, 1 July 1806 , as having to do with a claim on the Spanish government.
3To James Madison from William Willis, 27 August 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
27 August 1803, Barcelona . His last letter informed JM that “Leonard had arriv’d here and that he was soon to take possession of the Consulate.” Has given up the office but wishes to be reinstated once his “innocence and exertions for the common interest” of his country are established. “I am inform’d every day that Mr Leonard has secret instructions to arrest me and send me to the U.S.… I...
4To James Madison from William Willis, 7 September 1803 (Madison Papers)
I have been much afflicted with many anonymous letters some of them very threatning. But I am more at a loss respecting your private favor of the 28th. of May than any other, as there has been a frigate here from the Squadron and altho I Spent part of my Time with the officers Especially with the Captain Rogers, Nothing was said to me on the subject of your letter These things seem very...
5To James Madison from William Willis, 9 August 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
9 August 1803, Barcelona . “I have duly Rec’d your private favour of the 28 of May and altho the subject is very afflicting to me yet I cannot withhold my gratitude to you for your information & advice. My Opinion is the same with yours that the forging papers with the seal of the United States on them is a very serious crime. And It gives me real pain to find that the President has been so...
6To James Madison from William Willis, 11 October 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
11 October 1803, Barcelona . “I have been … confin’d to my bed with a malady caus’d by the bad medecine given me last winter to destroy me.… I with difficulty write: but as the subject is very interesting to the U S I suffer a little pain to serve my Country.” Understands that France intends “to obtain the Floridas from Spain by which means they will gain an important Port between the...
7To James Madison from William Willis, 18 January 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
18 January 1804, Barcelona. “I still remain here in order to hear from you and to obey your Commands if you have any to give me. I know not yet how to account for what Mr Leonard assured me on his word of honor which was that he was appointed to supercede me as Consul or acting Consul and that you told him I was displaced &c with many other things which are too numerous for a letter. I have...
8To James Madison from William Willis, 9 October 1802 (Madison Papers)
Since mine of the 19th. of Sept. inclosing with it the false Register and Mediterranean pass that I demanded & obtained from Capn. Thos. Lewis, and mine of the 29th. of the same month, I have Receiv’d from Capn. Mills the Papers mentioned; but none of them are either signed or sealed. I shall send you some of them in a few days. I am trying all in my power to find to a Certainty the Authors,...
9To James Madison from William Willis, 18 July 1801 (Madison Papers)
I have Rec’d a letter from the secretary of the treasury; informing me, that my account was referred, to the accounting officers of the treasury, but that the allowing it depended on their having authority from you, Sir. I have therefore to request the favor of you Sir, to inform me whether it is agreeable to you to give directions for their allowing me those small accounts. It seems the...
10To James Madison from William Willis, 12 October 1802 (Madison Papers)
Imediately after writing my Letter to you upon the Subject of the insolent Letter from Lewis I thought it best to sommons both Lewis & Baker, In order that they should appear together and to answer to the interrogations that I should put to them and, to commit Lewis for his insolent Letter, Lewis remaind silent; but Baker returnd the following insulting reply, I inclose you the sumons and...
11To James Madison from William Willis, 20 August 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
20 August 1803, Barcelona . Announces the arrival of John Leonard to take over the duties of the consulate. Has “aided him in being Rec’d here.” “I have private information that he is authoriz’d to arrest me as soon as he takes the office which will be on Monday this I must submit to as to all other Evils. My fate is peculiarly hard to be accus’d of acting against the interest of my Country,...
12To James Madison from William Willis, 22 October 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
22 October 1803, Barcelona . Wrote last on 11 Oct. , expressing his belief that “the french Government have an intention of procuring the Floridas from spain.” Is “confident this is the case, and if they procure it, they will have a situation which will Enable them in case of a rupture to destroy our trade with the Mississippi by have [ sic ] a large extent of coast between our other cost and...
13To James Madison from William Willis, 20 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
John Leonard Esqr. has arriv’d and as it appears to be the Wish of the president that he should take charge of the Consulate I offer’d it to him the moment of his arrival and have aided him in being Rec’d here. I have private information that he is authoriz’d to arrest me as soon as he takes the office which will be on Monday. This I must submit to as to all other Evils. My fate is peculiarly...
14To James Madison from William Willis, 20 October 1802 (Madison Papers)
I herewith Enclose you another Blank Conterfeit Register and Mediteranean Pass No. 2. I have not yet been able to find any thing more respecting the Plate of the Register Seals &c. My Vice Consul Mr. Stirling having disobey’d my orders in this investigation I shall dismiss him tomorrow. Had he acted as I orderd him the other Plate if in this Place would probably have been found. I have not yet...
15To James Madison from William Willis, 4 May 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
4 May 1802, Washington. “From some of the remarks you made, in the Conversation I had the honor to have with you this day; I have reason to beleive that some misinformation has been given you, of my leaving Barcelona.… When I left Barcelona, I had hopes of finding some property in Europe, belonging to James Muirhead & Co of Charleston, for whom I had made very large advances.… Even with all my...
16To James Madison from William Willis, 15 December 1802 (Madison Papers)
The principle object of thi s letter is to transmit you the within Coppy of a Circular letter Rec’d from Tunis by way of Italy and also to Enclose you the Coppy of an aff i davit of Mumford & Bowen befor e Mr. Cathalan the Object of which is expressed at the bottom of it. I have no late information of the Cruising Ground of the Pyrates of Tripo ly but Some time in October they wer e off Malta...
17To James Madison from William Willis, 16 May 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
16 May 1804, Washington. “The many strange methods that have been adopted, by a Vilanous, and active combination, to ruin me, makes me regrett your being occupied, at the hour you appointed for me to call on you—a few minutes would have been sufficient to have convince’d you that the characters that were named, as my accusers merit no credit, as they are the persons who are implicated, in the...
18To James Madison from William Willis, 25 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
Mr. John Leonard has arrived here. As it seem’d to be the wish of the Government that I should give up the Consulate to him I have done it and shall attend the Orders of the president. I have secret information that Mr. Leonard has power to arrest me and send me to America. This I submit to. It has been my fate to love and Serve my Country with Zeal, and to lay under the imputation of a most...
19To James Madison from William Willis, 13 July 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
13 July 1803, Barcelona . Has heard nothing from Tripoli. The Algerines have captured a number of British ships “On account of their Papers not agreeing with the forms Last sent out.” Has ordered Capt. James Mills to deliver his ship’s papers, “but he has absolutely refus’d to do it.” Benjamin B. Mumford has set out for Bordeaux, “Leaving Baker & Ogden & Schwartz their agents” in Marseilles....
20To James Madison from William Willis, 22 April 1801 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed copy of a circular letter from Consul OBrien at Algiers, will explain to you the unpleasant state of our affairs in this quarter. There is no doubt that the Dey of Tripoli has in some measure been prompted to declare war against the United States by European influence, as all the powers that are concerned in commerc⟨e⟩ are desirous of amas[s]ing the golden harvest of the...
21To James Madison from William Willis, 4 June 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
4 June 1804, Boston. “Since my last of the 16th of may at Washington I have had the honor of Receiving a letter [not found] under your cover for which I return you many thanks. “I will esteem it as a very great favor of you Sir to inform me whether it is agreeable for you to comply with the request I made you in my letter for coppies of all the doccuments that have been sent to you respecting...
22To James Madison from William Willis, 29 September 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
29 September 1802, Barcelona. Transmits a copy of his 19 Sept. dispatch, since which nothing new has occurred. “I have not yet been able to get the Papers and Plate Promised me from the Person who has told me he has them,… but I am Confident he will make no bad use of them. As Soon as I get them, I Shall enclose a Set of them to you, and Shall Send the Plate.… The Name of the person who has...
23To James Madison from William Willis, 27 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
My last inform’d you that Mr. Leonard had arriv’d here and that he was soon to take possession of the Consulate and have done all in my power to aid him in the commencement of his office. He says he was appointed to supercede me in office and that you informd him the office was vacant. In consequence of this I have given up the office to him, but as I wrote you some time past that I wished to...
24To James Madison from William Willis, 3 September 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
3 September 1803, Barcelona . Has delivered his office to Leonard, his successor. Leonard “assur’d me, that … I was displaced on account of a suspicion of my knowing, or having been active in passing false papers.” “But millions of dollars would not even have tempted me to permit any such thing. Mr Leonard after my having done every thing in my power to have him Rec’d with respect has proved...
25To James Madison from William Willis, 24 January 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
24 January 1804, Barcelona. “I am Still at a loss respecting your Esteem’d private letter of the 28th of May as I have not since heard any thing of the arrest you spoke off. It gave me much pain but I am in hopes that the truth has appeard and that my innocence is evident. I had an anonymous letter a little time before I received your sa[i]d letter which anonymous letter corresponded nearly...
26To James Madison from William Willis, 5 June 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
5 June 1804, Boston. “Since mine of yesterday I have thought best to enclose you my accounts with the United States and a Bill of Exchange for the ballance which you will Oblige me by accepting and inclosing to me at this place, I trust my accounts are so small that they will meet with no objection I have been as frugall as Possible and this account includes all my charges in supporting my...
27To James Madison from William Willis, 8 November 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
8 November 1803, Barcelona. Not having heard from JM on the subject of JM’s letter of 28 May and not having been arrested “gives me hopes that the president is sattisfied since that date of my innocence.” “My accusers appear to have formd a complot and agreed on a mode of ruining me, the most cruel and Vilanous that could be imagined, first to robb and destroy me with M[e]dicine in my food &...
28To James Madison from William Willis, 6 August 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
6 August 1803, Barcelona . Has just learned “that an English master of a Vessell here has a Set of American Papers.” Will try to acquire them and find out where the captain got them if the report is true. Suspects “the English Vice-Consul who is a Catalan, may have furnish’d” them, or “he may have got them from Mills, as he is very intimate with him.” Will apply to the authorities “on monday …...
29To James Madison from William Willis, 15 December 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
15 December 1802, Barcelona. Notes that the principal object of this letter is to transmit the enclosed copy of a circular letter received from Tunis via Italy. Also encloses a copy of an affidavit [not found] of Benjamin Mum-ford and William B. Bowen sworn to before Cathalan, the purpose of which is expressed at the bottom of the affidavit. Has no recent information of the “Cruising Ground of...
30To James Madison from William Willis, 18 July 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
18 July 1804, Boston. “I have Rec’d a letter from the secretary of the treasury, informing me, that my account was referred to the accounting officers of the treasury, but that the allowing it depended on their having authority from you, Sir. I have therefore to request the favor of you sir, to inform me whether it is agreeable to you to give directions for their allowing me those small...