To George Washington from Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 22 October 1795
From Oliver Wolcott, Jr.
Treasury Depart: Octob: 22d 1795.
The Secretary of the Treasury respectfully transmits to The President of the U. States for his approbation, an abstract of sundry purchases of oil made for the use of the Lighthouses in the U.S. accompanied with a Letter from the Commissioner of the revenue of the 7th instant on that subject.1 It is the opinion of the Secretary that the Interest of the U.S. has been consulted in the said purchases of oil. All which is respectfully submitted.
Oliv: Wolcott Jr
Secy of the Tr[easur]y
LB, DLC:GW.
1. Tench Coxe’s letter to Wolcott of 7 Oct. enclosed the abstract of oil purchased, “which will make a full supply” to May 1796. Coxe claimed, “It may be safely affirmed that the same quantity & quality of oil, can not now be procured at the same prices” (DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Letters). The abstract reported purchases by Benjamin Lincoln, William Allibone, Joseph Whipple, and Coxe amounting to $7,692.21 (DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Deeds and Contracts). On 23 Oct., GW’s secretary Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., wrote Wolcott to inform him “that the said purchases meet the approbation of the President” (DLC:GW), and on 24 Oct., Wolcott wrote to Coxe that GW had approved the purchases (DNA: RG 26, Lighthouse Deeds and Contracts).
In his letter to Wolcott of 23 Oct., Dandridge also enclosed several unidentified recommendations for office and expressed GW’s “desire … if no other & better characters have occurred for said offices, that Commissions may be prepared.”