1From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 10 July 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
It is represented to be expedient that some permanent partition & appropriation should be made of the public buildings at New Orleans for the accomodation of the public functionaries. the Government house should doubtless be ascribed the Executive. there are then the Legislature of the territory, the courts of justice, the custom house, the military corps. the military & marine hospitals...
2From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 23 May 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly recieved the memorial and petition of the House of Representatives of the Missisipi territory, praying that measures may be adopted for procuring to the citizens of the US. settled on the navigable rivers running into the bay of Mexico the free navigation of those rivers to & from the ocean. early in the last year, having recieved an application from the inhabitants themselves,...
3From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 17 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
After writing my letter of the 9th. I recieved one from mr Pitot in the name of the N. Orleans Canal company, which ought to have come with the printed report, stating more fully their views, and more explicitly the way in which we can aid them. they ask specifically that we should lend them 50,000 D. or take the remaining fourth of their shares now on hand. this last measure is too much out...
4From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 7 July 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
In a letter of the 17th. of April which I wrote you from Monticello, I observed to you that as the legislative council for the territory of Orleans was to be appointed by me, and our distance was great an early communication on the subject was necessary: that it ought to be composed of men of integrity, of understanding, of clear property & influence among the people, well acquainted with the...
5From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 29 October 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I send the inclosed letter under the benefit of your cover, & open, because I wish you to know it’s contents. I thought the person to whom it is addressed a very good man when here. he is certainly a very learned & able one. I thought him peculiarly qualified to be useful with you, but in the present state of my information I can say no more than I have to him. when you shall have read the...
6From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 13 July 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
You will recieve from the Secretary of state a commission as Governor of the Mississipi territory, an office which I consider as of primary importance, inasmuch as that country is the principal point of contact between Spain & us, and also as it is the embryo of a very great state. independant of the official communications which the Secretary of state will make to you from time to time, I...
7From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 7 January 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of Dec. 2. since which I have recieved yours of Octr 27. Nov. 1. 4. 10. 19. & 25. in mine went two blank commissions for the legislative council, and the Secretary of state will by this mail send you two others. you will fill them up at your discretion as nearly as you can on the principles before explained. this of course includes my approbation of the appointments...
8From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 7 March 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
I ask the favor of you to deliver the inclosed letters to the President of the Council & Speaker of the H. of Representatives of the Missisipi territory. they contain answers to the resolutions they were pleased to forward to me. I am gratified by their testimony to the world that I have done right in refusing to continue Governor Sargeant. as to his statement of the conversation between him...
9From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 17 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Before you recieve this you will have heard thro’ the channel of the public papers of the cession of Louisiana by France to the US. the terms & extent of that cession, as stated in the National Intelligencer , are accurate. in order to obtain a ratification in time I have found it necessary to convene Congress on the 17th. of October. before that time it will be necessary for me to procure for...
10From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 14 March 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of Jan. 29. was recieved yesterday, and I have just time to drop you a line as I am setting out on a short visit to Monticello. you apologise to the Secretary of state for troubling him with documents in confutation of the Accuser. we perfectly understand the game which is playing against you, we know every man concerned in it, and I only lament, sincerely lament the name of one...
11From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 26 May 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letter to you was of the 26th. of March. since that I have recieved yours of Feb. 17. and Mar. 25. with respect to Dr. Sibley who was the subject of the last, I observe two specific charges: 1. that he left his wife but it does not appear whether the separation was through the fault or the will of her or him. 2. that he attempted to marry again. this is a charge of weight, but no proof...
12From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 10 March 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Being in the moment of my departure for Monticello where I shall be one month, I take time barely to write you on the subject of La Fayette’s lands. Congress have passed a law which requires that he shall take his grant in portions of not less than 1000 acres each. by your letter of Dec 22 & the plan it seems that the vacant lands on both sides the Canal of Carondelet may amount to not more...
13From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 10 July 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty of putting under your cover a letter to mr Reibelt, and I leave it open for your perusal because you will judge from it the ground on which he really stands. after reading be so good as to stick a wafer in it, & let it be dry before delivery that he may not know it has been sent open to you. he is a very learned man, a sincere republican, & I believe a very honest &...
14From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 16 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
General Dearborne being on a visit to the province of Maine, your letter to him (the date not recollected) was sent to me from his office, and, after perusal, was forwarded to him. as the case of the five Alibamas, under prosecution for the murder of a whiteman, may not admit delay, if a conviction takes place, I have thought it necessary to recommend to you in that case to select the leader,...
15From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 10 February 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 23d. of December I nominated to the Senate of the US. Joseph de Ville Bellechasse John W. Gurley John Baptiste McCarty Jean Noel Destrehan Pierre Sauvé to be members of the legislative council for the territory of Orleans, being five of the ten persons named to me for that purpose by the House of Representatives of the Territory. Messrs. Bellechasse McCartey, Destrehan & Sauvé were...
16From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 3 May 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been informed from different quarters that judge Sprigg intended to resign his seat on the bench of Orleans, which I learn with real regret, as I set high value both on his abilities and integrity. should he retire, I will ask the favor of you to propose to him the inclosed commission: but should he not retire, I would pray you not to mention that such a commission has been thought of;...
17From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 6 May 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The evasions of the preceding Embargo laws went so far towards defeating their objects, and chiefly by Vessels clearing out coastwise, that Congress by their Act of April 25. authorised the absolute detention of all Vessels bound coastwise with Cargoes exciting suspicions of an intention to evade those laws. there being few Towns on our sea-coast which cannot be supplied with flour from their...
18From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 2 December 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you last on the 28th. of Oct. since which I have recieved your favors of Sep. 8. 27. & Oct. 5. & 22. I observe you have recieved the resignations of Boré, Jones & Dow, as members of the Legislative council. I therefore now inclose you two commissions with blanks for the names. thinking it important that the settlements in the country should be represented wherever proper persons can be...
19From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 18 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you yesterday, and in the evening recieved your favor of June 23. as I am just now setting out to Monticello to pass two months there, I am not able to turn to your letters; but as far as my memory can be trusted I think I have not recieved the one in which you say you had applied for my approbation of your paying a visit to Tennisee. if I had, I should certainly have answered it...
20From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 18 June 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson takes the liberty of putting under the protection of Governor Claiborne’s cover the inclosed letter to the President of the legislative council & Speaker of the House of Representatives of Orleans, and salutes him with friendship & respect. DLC : Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
21From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 24 May 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
The within being for communication to your H. of Representatives when it meets, I inclose it in this which is of a private character. the former I think had better be kept up until the meeting of the Representatives, lest it should have any effect on the present critical state of things beyond the Atlantic, altho’ I have indeavored to make it as inoffensive there as was compatible with the...
22From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 30 August 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Various circumstances of delay have prevented my forwarding till now the general arrangements for the government of the territory of Orleans. inclosed herewith you will recieve the commissions. among these is one for yourself as Governor. with respect to this I will enter into frank explanations. this office was originally destined for a person whose great services and established fame would...
23From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 3 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I pray you to read the inclosed letter, to seal & deliver it. It explains itself so fully that I need say nothing. I am sincerely concerned for mr Reibelt, who is a man of excellent understanding and extensive science. if you had any academical birth, he would be much better fitted for that than for the bustling business of life. I inclose to Genl. Wilkinson my message of Jan. 22. I presume...
24From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 30 March 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress at a former session gave to the Marquis de la Fayette as his military donation 11,520. acres of land to be located North of the Ohio. by the paper inclosed you will percieve they have changed the location to any unappropriated lands in the territory of Orleans. it is believed to be very important that the location be made on the most valuable lands to be found, inasmuch as it might...
25From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 26 March 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 14th. inst. being the moment of my departure on a short visit to this place, I wrote to you on the subject of locating the lands of General Lafayette, and particularly to have immediately surveyed the vacant lands adjacent to the canal of Carondelet on both sides, & either touching, or near to the city. if I recollect rightly they were upwards of 600. as. I omitted, what I meant to have...
26From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 20 December 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
You will recieve your formal instructions from Genl. Dearborne: this is private of course & merely for your more full information. you already have a general knolege of the insurrection prepared by Colo. Burr. his object is to take possession of N. Orleans, as a station from whence to make an expedition against Vera Cruz & Mexico. his party began their formation at the mouth of Beaver, from...
27From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 28 October 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
By the same post which brought your letter announcing the death of mr Trist, I recieved one from mr Gelston covering a petition from merchants & other respectable characters of New Orleans praying the appointment of Wm. Brown his deputy to the office. I was singularly pleased to find the inclination I should have felt for making this appointment justified by an application entitled to so much...
28From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 9 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have lately seen a printed report of the Committee of the Canal company of N. Orleans, stating the progress & prospects of their enterprize. in this the US. feel a strong interest inasmuch as it will so much facilitate the passage of our armed vessels out of the one water into the other. for this purpose however there must be at least 5 ½ feet water through the whole line of communication...
29From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 17 July 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
After sending off my letter of the 7th. inst. I found I had omitted to give you some explanations which it is proper you should recieve on the subject of the letter of your’s communicated by me to Congress , which got into the newspapers in a falsified shape. the two houses had under deliberation some subject, at the time I recieved that letter, on which I knew the contents of that letter...
30From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 16 January 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your unacknoleged letters of June 17. July 14. Nov. 13. prove me an unpunctual correspondent. it is not that I do less than I might, but that there is more than I can do. in the first place I pray you to deliver the inclosed answer to the Address of the H. of R. of Orleans which is a duplicate of what I forwarded by a former post. I then thought that by the succeeding one I might send on the...
31From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 18 March 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
It is understood that under the former government of Louisiana there was an appeal in judiciary matters from the Governor to the Governor genl. at Cuba. the writer of the inclosed probably presumed that this was now to the President of the US. this is an error. no authority has as yet been constituted paramount that of the Governor. while such is the situation I have thought it best in such...
32From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 17 April 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
As before you recieve this, you will have seen the act for the government of Louisiana, I need give no account of it. altho’ it is not to come into force ’till Oct. 1. yet it will be necessary for us to have every thing prepared to go into action on that day, and as the legislative council is to be appointed by me, it is necessary I should be informed beforehand who will be the proper persons...
33From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 27 April 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter is confidential, but not official. it is meant to give you a general idea of our views as to N. Orleans, of which you will recieve the particulars from the Secretary at War, whose instructions nothing here said is meant to controul should they vary in any particular at the meeting of Congress I recommended an arrangement of our militia which, by giving as a selection of the younger...
34From Thomas Jefferson to William C. C. Claiborne, 14 July 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
In the moment of my departure for Monticello I recieve letters from Capt. Lewis by which I percieve he has sent about 6. or 8. packages, filled with very curious subjects from the upper country of the Missouri, to St. Louis, from whence they will be embarked for N. Orleans to your care, to be forwarded to me. altho’ I know you will give them all possible attention, yet I could not avoid...
35From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 20 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
It being understood that Morales means to settle himself at New Orleans, and that his temper and his treasures, his connections and his views, may render him a mischievous member of the society, his removal to some other part of the United States, where he would be unimportant and harmless, would be agreeable to the President. Perhaps it may be in your power to bring this about, without...
36From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 12 March 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of the 31st. of January has come to hand. The information it conveyed respecting the importation of Negroes was communicated to Congress together with the letter it enclosed from Mr. Leonard. The doubts which have arisen respecting the Ship from St. Domingo have relation, as far as yet appears, to two points—1st. whether the passengers ought to be permitted to come up to New...
37From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 30 November 1807 (Madison Papers)
In pursuance of the act of Congress of the 3d. of March 1807, to prevent settlements "being made on lands ceded to the United States, until authorized by law", the enclosed instructions, which you will please to deliver, have been given to the Marshall of the Orleans Territory, to remove immediately by civil power, from the Batture in front of the suburb St. Mary, any persons who shall be...
38From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 12 November 1804 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
12 November 1804, Department of State. “I have received your several letters dated 16th. 23d. & 25th. Septr. , two of the 21st. of the same, also those dated 3d. 5th. & 8th. of October last.” [The remainder of the letter is nearly identical to JM to Cato West, 12 Nov. 1804 .] Letterbook copy ( DNA : RG 59, DL , vol. 14); Tr ( Ms-Ar
39From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 18 November 1805 (Madison Papers)
You will find enclosed a list of your letters which remain unacknowledged. From the public papers you will have learnt the unfavorable result of the negotiations for the settlement of the controversy with Spain. In truth Mr. Monroe left Madrid without being able to accomplish any object of his mission; the councils of Spain obstinately rejecting our demands & declining not only to accept our...
40From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 6 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your several letters of the 17. 20. & 27 Decr. & 2d. Jan. have been successively received. They were not acknowled[g]ed from time to time as they came to hand, because instructions from the President having been fully given on the subject of obtaining possession of Louisiana, it only remains to learn the result of your proceedings and to communicate his sentiments thereon. These are contained...
41From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 30 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
The President having thought proper to avail the U. States of the continuance of your services by appointing you Governour of the territory of Orleans, in pursuance of the late Act of Congress for erecting Lou[i]siana into two territories, and providing for the temporary Govt. thereof I have the pleasure of inclosing the Commission for that purpose, with a commission providing for the...
42From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 14 January 1805 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 14 January 1805. Described in Jefferson to Claiborne, 7 Jan. 1805, as containing two blank commissions for members of the Orleans Territory legislative council; acknowledged in Claiborne to JM, 26 Mar. 1805 (Carter, Territorial Papers, Orleans , 9:363, 426–27).
43From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 26 July 1802 (Madison Papers)
Herewith inclosed is a copy of the agreement entered into on the 24. April last between the Commissioners on the part of the United States and those on the part of Georgia, duly authorized for that purpose, which agreement was ratified by the Legislature of that state on the 16. of June last. According to the Act of Congress of May 10. 1800 The commissioners of the U. States authorized to...
44From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 31 October 1803 (Madison Papers)
You will find herewith a copy of the late Treaty with France ceding Louisiana to the United States which has been duly ratified and the ratifications exchanged; and two Commissions, one authorizing yourself and General Wilkinson jointly or seperately to receive possession, the other vesting in you alone the power necessary for the immediate Government of the ceded territory. Copies of the act...
45From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 1 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have received your letters of the 15th. 16th. & 21st. of March. Letters lately received from our Ministers at Paris and Madrid communicate the agreeable information that the King of Spain has formally receded from his objections to the transfer of Louisiana to the United States. The emoluments and allowances which you are authorized to charge the United States in consequence of your removal...
46From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 7 January 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
7 January 1805, Department of State. “I have the honor to acknowledge your letters of the 18th. 23 , 24 , & 26 Novr. Though as a matter of courtesy the permission to Govr. Folch and his officers to pass through New Orleans, could not be declined, yet it never could be understood that as to them it was intended or even possible for you to dispense with the operation of the laws or the...
47From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 22 February 1802 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to enclose you a Commission, ⟨con⟩stituting David Latimore a Member of the Legislativ⟨e⟩ Council of the Mississippi Territory, in the room of ⟨Adam⟩ Bingaman, & request that it may be forwarded to h⟨im.⟩ With much respect, I have the honor to be Sir, Your most obt. Servt: Tr ( Ms-Ar : Claiborne Executive Journal). Winthrop Sargent had described Bingaman in November 1800 as...
48From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 25 February 1805 (Madison Papers)
Your several letters of the 8th. 10. 11. 15. 23. & 31 Decr: & 1. 5. 6. 13 &. 14 of January have been successively received; the most of them after having been long on the way. The steps taken by the Spaniards as communicated in those of the latest dates, for strengthening and advancing their military posts, justly claim attention. Whatever the motive may be, the tendency of them cannot be...
49From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 29 November 1802 (Madison Papers)
I commit to your particular attention the inclosed letter to Mr. Hulens which covers one from the Spanish Minister here, on the subject of the late decree at N. Orleans against the deposit of American merchandize at that place. The letter to Mr. Hulens is left open, that you may know the light in which this proceeding is viewed by the President and the steps taken in consequence of it. You...
50From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 11 March 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
11 March 1803, Department of State. “In addition to the despatches from the Spanish Minister here to the Government and the Intendant at New Orleans which you will herewith receive, I am requested by Mr. Pichon, the French Charge d’Affaires to forward a letter to the Governor of that place on the same subject. With his approbation it is left under a flying seal, that, you may have an...