To James Madison from Benjamin W. Crowninshield, 23 May 1815
From Benjamin W. Crowninshield
Washington May 23d.1 1815.
Dear Sir
By yesterdays mail, I sent you copies of a corrispondence, which had taken place between the Coms of the Navy Board, & myself, which I thought extraordinary, because, I did not perceive what was the object of it, unless it was, to control the Dept., for I had consulted some one of them, upon every measure that was necessary, in my opinion, to ask their advise, & we was harmonising very pleasently together, as I believed, until the enquiry was demanded, of what I was doing with the squadron, said to2 destined for the meditn.—to day I transmit another letter since recd from the Board, which, will close all corrispondence with the Board, untill I recd Instructions from you.3
In all this business, I have been guided by the Advice of Col Monroe & Mr Dallas; & which coincided with my own, it was not rash on my part, but was called for, in order to protect the Dept from ruin. I am very respectfully yrs
B W Crowninshield
RC and enclosure (DLC). For enclosure, see n. 3.
1. In his 27 May 1815 reply, JM referred to this letter as that of the “24. instant.”
2. Crowninshield evidently omitted a word here.
3. Crowninshield enclosed a copy of a 23 May 1815 letter from Capt. John Rodgers (3 pp.), stating that the commissioners “certainly did not intend any thing hostile to the feelings, nor any infringement on the Just perogatives of the Honourable, the Secretary of the Navy.” Since no urgent business was before them, Rodgers wrote, the commissioners would adjourn pending receipt of JM’s decision on the matter.