1Barbé-Marbois Letter Written with Jm’s Collaboration, 9 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Pennsylvania Packet , 11 June 1782; also Virginia Gazette Virginia Gazette, or, the American Advertiser (Richmond, James Hayes, 1781–86). , 22 June 1782). David C. Claypoole, editor of the Packet , introduced the letter to his readers with this foreword, probably supplied by JM: “The following Extract of a Letter written from Philadelphia, by a Gentleman in Office to one of the...
2John Beckley to Edmund Randolph, [20 June] 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC (McGregor Library of University of Virginia Library). Cover addressed to “Edmund Randolph Esq:.” Absence from Richmond for ten days and inability to fulfill JM’s request for a copy of the Virginia General Assembly’s printed journal covering the recent sessions led Randolph to ask John Beckley, clerk of the House of Delegates, to prepare a summary of its proceedings for JM’s information ( JM...
3From Christopher Calvert, with a Note by Jefferson to the Attorney General, 25 February–21 March 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
South Quay, 25 Feb. 1781 . “Agreeable to the within information,” Calvert has seized the trunk and has found no letters in it, but rather a quantity of “valuable dry Goods”; wishes to know what is to be done with them. By law the Naval Office is open from ten to three; this prevents Calvert from attending muster; and, on account of his feet, he believes himself entitled to exemption from...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Randolph, with a Memorandum by Jefferson, 9 February 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
As your excellency and the council probably have not access to Vattel, on whose doctrines this hasty answer is founded, I shall inclose the paragraph from his work, which treats of the right of soldiery to booty. They seem to amount to this: that booty does in strictness belong to the commonwealth; but that late usage has divided it among the captors, military stores excepted. Now I believe,...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Edmund Randolph, 16 September 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received your letter of the 7th. inst. That mentioned to have been sent by the preceding post has not come to hand nor two others which Mrs. Randolph informs me you wrote before you left Virginia, nor indeed any other should you have been so kind as to have written any other. When I received the first letter fr[om the President of C]ongress inclosing their resolution, and mentioning...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Edmund Randolph, 18 July 1783 (Jefferson Papers)
I am sorry you have been at the trouble of sending an express to me for information as to the transactions between the Executive and Nathan as I am satisfied I do not recollect a single fact that you are not already possessed of. In the winter of 1779. 1780. Mr. Nathen presented us some bills drawn by Genl. Clarke, Colo. Todd and perhaps others, which he said he had taken up at New Orleans or...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Edmund Randolph, 15 February 1783 (Jefferson Papers)
You will be surprised to hear I am still in America. The vessel, in which Ct. Rochambeau and Chastlux went, having been destined for Cadix it was thought more adviseable for me to take my passage in the Romulus which was to sail within a few days. This was concluded the rather as at the sailing of the Emeraude I had not got half through the necessary communications. The French fleet having...
8From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 25 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. The cover is missing. Randolph wrote his own name in the lower left-hand margin of the first page of the manuscript. Probably many years later JM or someone at his bidding placed a bracket at the beginning of the first paragraph and another bracket at the close of the fifth paragraph to designate that portion of the letter for...
9From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 24 March 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover addressed, “Edmd Randolph Esqr. per Express. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “Jas. Madison jr. Congress. private March. 24. 1783.” The express by whom I send this conveys to the Governor the welcome event of a general peace. The preliminary articles were signed on the 20th. of Jany. The day to which hostilities are limited is omitted in the abstract of the...
10From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 10 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison Novr. 10. 1782.” Only a portion of the cover is extant. On it, in JM’s hand, appears “The honble Edmun Fav’d. by Col: Bassett.” For “Col: Bassett,” see JM to Randolph, 12 November 1782, n. 1 . I put under this cover the Newspaper of saturday last, and a poetical production of N. England which has much applause bestowed on it. We...
11From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 15 April 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison. April 15th. 1783.” My letter by a private hand who left this place a few days ago together with late public letters will have fully apprized you of the decisive events which have taken place in favor of peace. The paper inclosed will amuse you with the bickerings in the British parliament on that subject. Genl....
12From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 5 August 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison Aug: 5. 1783.” Your favor of the 18th. ult. which my last did not acknowledge was in the mail & was shortly after recd. Your succeeding one of the 25th. inclosing the pamphlet came to hand yesterday. The Gazette which I inclose will give you a sight of the Philada. Address to Congress and their answer. Since I left...
13From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 2 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover addressed to: “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond Favd. by Mr. Nathan.” See n. 10, below. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison jr. Philad: Decr. 2. 1782.” The italicized words are those which JM encoded in the official cipher. The Secy. of F. Affairs communicated to me a few days ago his determination speedily to resign his office He asked me in the course...
14From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 3 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “[J]. Madison jr. Decr. 3. 1782.” Except where noted, words or parts of words italicized are those encoded by JM in the official cipher. Applications from the States of N. Hamshire & Massachusetts concerning the old paper of which they hold a surplus have called the attention of Congress once more to...
15From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 3 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). In JM’s hand. Cover missing. Letter is unsigned. Docketed by Randolph, “Sepr. 3. 1782.” He evidently showed the letter to the Reverend James Madison, who wrote above the docket, “Septr. 22. 1782 JMadison,” possibly the date when the clergyman received the letter. Apparently upon recovering the letter, Randolph crossed out the “22” and wrote “3” above it. The...
16From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 4 March 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison March 4, 1783.” The italicized words are those written by JM in the Randolph code, for which see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (6 vols....
17From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 14 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison Novr. 14. 1782.” Below this date JM added, probably many years later, “to E. Randolph.” By a line dropped for the post, tho’ perhaps too late to get into the mail, and by another by Dr. Tucker who soon followed, I informed you of the reappointment of Mr. Jefferson, that the act passed unanimously & without even an...
18From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 6 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison, 6th. May 1783.” Many years later JM or someone at his bidding placed a bracket at the close of the fourth paragraph, probably to designate that the letter to that point should be published in the first comprehensive...
19From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, [7] May 1782 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin ed.] Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 125–26). The enclosed gazette details all the information which we have received relative to the parliamentary advances towards a negotiation with the United States. The first reports which issued from the packet which brought them, were of a very different...
20From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 9 April 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The cover is missing, but the contents permit no doubt that JM was writing to Randolph. I had promised myself the pleasure of a line from you by this post but find by a letter from Mr. Jameson that you had not arrived at Richmond at the time of writing for it. I have inclosed to Mr. J. the paper of this morning which contains all the news current without doors....
21From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 10 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Addressed to “E. Randolph Esqr.” Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison. Septr. 10. 1782.” Except where otherwise noted, the italicized words were written by JM in the official cipher. The loss of the French 74 in Boston Harbour presented an occasion which was embraced by Congress, of making a small requital to their Ally for...
22From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 30 June 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by JM and addressed to “The honble Edmund Randolph Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J Madison June. 30. 1783.” My last informed you of the mutinous insult which was offered to Congs. on the Saturday preceding. On the Evening after the insult Congs. met and resolved that the Executive Council sd. be informed that in their...
23From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 4 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). In the second volume of this collection, beginning with folio 73, are four pages of a letter written by JM and dated “June 4th. 1782.” Although the cover is missing, the contents permit no doubt that Randolph was the addressee. Folio 42 of the third volume of JM’s manuscripts in the Library of Congress seems to be an additional page containing a postscript to the...
24From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 12 November 1782 (second) (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover addressed to “The honble Edmd. Randolph favd. by Dr. Tucker who will deliver it himself if he can—if not by the hand of Col: Monroe.” This cover was docketed by Randolph, “Novr. 12. 1782 J Madison.” On the fragment of a second cover there appears, certainly not in Tucker’s and seemingly not in Monroe’s hand, “[Ho]nble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Resolved...
25From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 15 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison jr. Oct: 15. 1782.” Probably many years later, after this letter was returned to him, JM wrote below Randolph’s docket, “contains Lovell’s cypher.” Words or parts of words which JM encoded in that or the official cipher have been italicized in the present copy. The third paragraph of the...
26From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 2 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed, “James Madison. 2d July 1782.” The cover is missing. The italicized words are those that JM wrote in the official cipher. The confidential & circumstancial communications in your favor of the 20th. of June have afforded me much pleasure. Those which relate to the scheme of garbleing the delegatetion were far from surprizing me. In...
27From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 11 September, 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Addressed by JM to “Edmund Randolph Esqr Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “JMadison Sept: 11. 1782.” Accompanying this manuscript in the Library of Congress is a copy of the letter, apparently made by a clerk, with a few corrections and comments in the hand of William C. Rives, author of the first major biography of JM. The Gentleman by whom I wrote this morning...
28From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 22 April 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned and lacks a complimentary close. Cover franked by JM and addressed to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison. April 22. 1783.” The mail of yesterday like the preceding one broungt no letter from you. I just understand that a Frigate from France is at Chester, but what intelligence she brings & particularly whether she brings a...
29From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 18 August 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison Aug: 18. 1783.” I have not this week any more than the last the pleasure of acknowledging a favor from you. Perhaps I may find one at Princeton when I get there. On thursday a question for returning to Philada. was put and decided in the Negative by a large majority. The friends of the measure foreseeing its fate, and supposing that...
30From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 6 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Lacks complimentary close and signature but is in JM’s hand. Docketed, “J. Madison. June 6. 1782.” Addressed: “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond. Favd. by Mr. Webb.” Mr. Webb being detained till this morning I enclose you the gazette of it. You will find a singular extract from Lord North’s Butchet. The Speech was delivered on the 11th. of March. It must have been Mr....
31From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 11 March 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover missing, but the letter was docketed “James Madison March 11, 1783” by Randolph. The words written by JM in the Randolph code are italicized in the present copy. For that code, see JM to Randolph, 7 Jan. , and hdn.; 4 Feb. 1783 , and n. 10. Your favor of the 1st. inst: came to hand yesterday but unaccompanied by that of the preceding...
32From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 22 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Addressed by him to “The honble Edmd Randolph.” Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “J Madison. jr. Octob: 22. 1782.” Unless otherwise noted, the italicized passages are those encoded by JM in the official cipher. As JM stated in the first paragraph of this letter, his quotation from the commission of Alleyne Fitzherbert is only a...
33From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 14 May 1782 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Madison Papers). Above the date line of his transcription, the anonymous copyist wrote “To Edmund Randolph.” Someone also unknown, while checking the four pages of copy against the now missing original, interlineated two omissions (see nn. 9 and 10) and then wrote at the top of the first page, “a Duplicate letters both corrected the same Sep 14, ’38.” See Papers of Madison William T....
34From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 15 July 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by him and addressed to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison July. 15. 1783.” Many years later, after recovering this letter, JM wrote “1783” on the docket under Randolph’s indistinct notation of that year. Yesterdays post brought me no letter from you. The Contents of the inclosed paper make up...
35From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 30 August 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned, but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr” and addressed by him to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison Aug: 30. 1783.” We hear nothing from Europe that can be depended on relative to the definitive Treaty, nor any thing from N. York as to the time of its evacuation. A Pamphlet has lately come over from G. Britain...
36From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 18 February 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison Feby 18. 1783.” In the first paragraph, the words are italicized which JM enciphered in the Randolph code. I am glad to find by your favor of the 7th. instant that the necessity of a readoption of the impost...
37From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 23 April 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The words written by JM in the official cipher are italicized in the present copy. Although the letter is incomplete, the missing portion apparently contained only a few concluding words and JM’s signature. I am at length assured of your safe arrival at your destination by your favor of the 11 continued on the 13th. The little necessity I understand there was for...
38From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 8 April 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover addressed by him to “E. Randolph Esqr.” Carried to Richmond by “a private hand” ( Delegates to Harrison, 10 Apr. ; JM to Randolph, 15 Apr. 1783 ). Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison jr. April 8th. 1783.” Your favor of the 29th. ult: was duly recd. yesterday. Your apprehensions from the article in favor of British Creditors, correspond...
39From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 9 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. The cover is missing. Docketed by Randolph with his own name only. The italicized words are those written by JM in the official cipher. Late in his life JM or someone by his direction bracketed the first and third paragraphs of this letter, thus designating them for inclusion in the first edition of his papers ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin...
40From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 21 July 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The fragment of cover is stamped “ free ” and addressed in JM’s hand to “Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J Madison.” Upon recovering the letter many years later, JM added “July. 21. 1783” to the docket. This will serve merely to prevent a chasm in my correspondence, having nothing whatever of consequence to make a subject of it. We hear nothing from...
41From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 18 March 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed by Randolph, “J Madison.” Below this appears “March 18, 1783,” probably in the hand of Randolph’s clerk. In his old age JM added after his name on the docket, “X in part,” without further specifying what part of the letter he designated for later publication. In the earliest comprehensive edition of his writings, the first and last...
42From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 7 January 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by “J Madison, Jr.” and addressed to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “Fm J. Madison Jan: 7 1783.” At the top of the page of the letter, above the date, JM wrote “Randolph, Edm.” Unless otherwise noted, the italicized words are those written by JM in the Randolph code, for which see Papers of Madison...
43Account with Edmund Randolph, [ca. 1 May] 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). At the top of this undated, torn, and water-stained scrap of paper, Randolph wrote “Madison to Randolph E.” On the reverse of the sheet, “J. Madison” appears twice in Randolph’s hand and also a “32.” What this numeral connotes is unknown. Being sharp in outline, the “3” can hardly be a vestige of an “8” which, in combination with the “2,” might have represented the...
44From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 22 January 1782—Misdated (Madison Papers)
Letter misdated. 22 January 1782[3]. The manuscript of this document is now missing. A printed copy is in Madison, Papers (Gilpin ed.) Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 111–12. Many years after writing the letter, JM selected at least a portion of it for inclusion in the earliest edition of his papers. Either JM misdated the letter a year too...
45From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 10 April 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). JM wrote on the cover only his own signature and “Edmund Randolph.” On the cover in another hand appears also “Favd. by Mr. Sitgreaves” ( Delegates to Harrison, 10 Apr. 1783, n. 1 ). Randolph docketed the cover of the present letter, “J. Madison. April 10, 1783,” and wrote “J. Madison” in the left margin of the text. The important contents of the inclosed paper were...
46From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 24 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. Cover missing. Randolph docketed the letter, “Sepr. 24. 1782.” Although the text is on folio 12 in LC : Madison Papers, III, the quotations enclosed with the letter are on folio 24a in Volume II. Number 24b of that volume comprises two other folios on which, for his own files, JM drafted and largely encoded the fourth paragraph of the...
47From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 18 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The cover is missing and the letter is not docketed. I recd. no letter from you yesterday nor shall I receive any for that week unless it be through the channel of Rivington’s Gazette, the Post having been robbed of his mail on Saturday eving last in Maryland. I hope your letter did not contain anything not in Cypher which is unfit for the public eye. The policy...
48From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 26 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison Novr. 26. 1782.” Except where otherwise noted, the italicized words are those enciphered by JM in the official code. The Governor in his letter to the Delegates of the 8th. of the prest. month, after observing that the great scarcity of cash in Virga. will put it out of her power to comply with the demands...
49From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 25 February 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). In JM’s hand but lacks signature, cover, and docket. The contents of the letter and the handwriting of the interlineated decoding permit no doubt that Randolph was the recipient. Words italicized in the text are those enciphered by JM in Randolph’s code. For this code, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of...
50From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 23 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The letter lacks a complimentary close and signature. Words italicized in the next to last paragraph of the letter were written by JM in the Lovell cipher. The cover is franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr Richmond.” For a time the cover was used as a wrapper for a number of letters, because it is docketed by Randolph,...