1Proceedings of Sinking Fund Commissioners, 26 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Sinking fund on the 26th day of December 1795; Present, The President of the Senate, The Secretary of State, The Secretary of the Treasury. A Report of the Secretary of the Treasury was read, as follows. “That to provide for the payment of the Interest on the public debt which will fall due at the close of the present year, it will be necessary to...
2To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 19 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
(private) This morning I received the inclosed letter from Mr Dayton, expressing fully his opinion of Mr Israel Ludlow, whose application for the office of Surveyor General I had the honor lately to transmit to you. While it must be acknowledged that Mr Dayton is perfectly competent to pronounce accurately on the character of a man so well known to him as Mr Ludlow must be, it is proper for me...
3To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 21 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully returns to the President his report on the claims of the Cohnawagas, or Seven Nations of Canada, with the draught of a letter which he thinks proper to go from the department of war, with the report, to the Governor of New-York. The Secretary also transmits a press copy of the report, to be lodged in the war-Office, which will enable the Secretary of War to...
4To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 6 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
To the President of the United States, The Secretary of State respectfully makes the following brief representation of the affairs of the United States in relation to Algiers. When Colonel Humphreys left America in April 1795, he was accompanied by Joseph Donaldson Esqr. who had been appointed Consul for Tunis and Tripoli; and him Colo. Humphreys was authorized to employ in negociating a...
5To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 17 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed letter from Mr Paleski, the Prussian Consul being marked “duplicate,” I suppose the Original may have already fallen under your notice. I thought it proper however to lay it before you: at the same time it appears to be so clear a case, that I have written an answer to Mr Paleski, suggesting that the prolonging of a treaty is tantamou[n]t to the making of a treaty, in which the...
6To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 21 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
On the 16th instant I received from Governor Jay, an answer to my letter of the 3d relative to the intended negociations with the Onondagas, Cayugas & Oneidas for the purchase of their lands. In my letter was inclosed the opinion of the Attorney General, that those negociations could not lawfully be had without the intervention of the government of the United States. A copy of the Governor’s...
7To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 20 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the U. States three papers of nominations. To that respecting the Spanish treaty he wished to have added a name for a commissioner for the spoliations: but is not satisfied about a suitable character. He has examined the Constitution of Pennsylvania & by that, the office of Mayor of Philadelphia, which comprehends the office of a...
8To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 2 November 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have the honour to lay before you the form of a pardon for Mitchell & Vigol, insurgents, for your signature. The petition inclosed for their pardon was received after you had decided to grant it. Some letters from Mr FitzSimons, & from me to Mr Deas are also inclosed for your information. I will wait on you to-morrow morning upon these subjects; and am most respectfully Sir Your obt servt...
9To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 2 October 1795 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I was honoured with your letter of the 28th ulto. In my letter of last Monday I inclosed the copy of the treaty made by General Wayne and an extract of every thing relating to it from his letter of the 9th of August. The messenger who brought it was a discharged serjeant of dragoons, who did not leave Greenville till the 26th (or thereabout) and who brought letters to some people...
10To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, November 1795 (Washington Papers)
Topics which have occurred to the Secretary of War as proper to be noticed at the opening of the ensuing session of Congress. 1. The treaty of peace effected by General Wayne with the Indians northwest of the river Ohio. 2. The continuance of peace with the Cherokees. 3. The formal agreement entered into by Mr Seagrove and the Chiefs of the Creek Indians for putting an end to their...
11To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 30 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
Two vessels are to sail for England this week—one, as intended, to-morrow, and one on Thursday: by each a set of the dispatches for Mr Pinckney will be forwarded. Supposing that the Chevalier de Freire would be apprized of opportunities for Lisbon, I applied to him. Such direct conveyances rarely occur: He generally sends his letters to the care of his correspondent at Falmouth. I expressed to...
12To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, c.17 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
William Claiborne, of the State of Tenassee—to be district judge. Recommended by General Marshall—and strongly by Colo. Carrington. David Campbell, late a Judge of that Territory, is recommended for District Judge, by a Mr Roane the friend of James Ross Esqr. who relies on his discernment & probity in the recommendation. Elias Backman, a merchant of Gottenburg in Sweden, to be Consul for that...
13To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 11–12 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Last Saturday I received from Colo. Monroe a letter dated the 24th of July, in which he refers to a former one, in which he transmitted copies of M. Delacroix letter to him & his answer, on the question, Whether the House of Representatives of the United States had passed a law to carry the British treaty into effect? At the same time Mr Monroe expressed his opinion that this letter originated...
14To John Adams from Timothy Pickering, 19 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
By the direction of the President of the United States, I have the honor to inclose a report of the Director of the Mint, suggesting the expediency of some alterations in its establishment, to render it less expensive to the public, and more accommodating to depositors. The report is accompanied with statements of the gold, silver, and copper coins issued from the mint from its commencement to...
15To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 7 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State with great pleasure lays before the President of the United States the inclosed letters just received from Colo. Talbot, which confirm the utility of his mission, & the good-will of the British naval officers. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters. No reply to Pickering from GW has been found. The letters to Pickering from Silas Talbot, the U.S. agent in the West...
16To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 22 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed letter came under cover to me from Wm Lithgow Attorney for the district of Maine, which he says contains his resignation. Daniel Davis Esquire of Portland is a lawyer well recommended by the Members of Congress to suceed Mr Lithgow, & I think has been doing the business of the office since Mr Lithgow’s indisposition prevented his attending the courts. The enquiries concerning a...
17To Thomas Jefferson from Timothy Pickering, 8 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
To remove objections at the auditors office to the settlement of my demand for the repayment of the money paid S. Bradshaw who went express to Kentuckey for the return of the election there of President and Vice-President—be pleased to favour me with a certificate that I employed and paid him at your request. I am respectfully sir Your most obedt. servt. RC ( DLC ); at foot of text: “The...
18From Timothy Pickering to Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., 30 June 1795 (Washington Papers)
I mentioned to the President to-day the request of Mr Boudinot that the President would sign 50 diplomas for the New Jersey Cincinnati. The President thought he had signed that number during the late session of Congress. The inclosed papers will show that General Knox was to request it: but I suppose the blanks were never sent to the President. For I now find in this office one bundle...
19To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 20 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have just received a letter dated the 17th from Judge Benson: He accepts the place of third Commissioner under the fifth article of the British treaty, and was to set out yesterday for Passamaquoddy, to meet there the other Commissioners on the third of October. The trust, he remarks, is not incompatible with his present office; and interfering with it only for a short time, his acceptance...
20To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 14 March 1795 (Washington Papers)
As the carved work for the frigates should be relative to their names, and will require a length of time to accomplish—there being but a single Carver here competent to the work for the frigates building at Philadelphia, Baltimore and Norfolk—the Captains, with Mr Humphreys the Constructor at this place, have represented the necessity of an early designation of the names of the Frigates. To...
21To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 13 May 1795 (Washington Papers)
The subject of the letter dated March 18. 1795, from Harry Innes Esqr. of Kentuckey, to the President of the United States, with the letter of James Smiley inclosed therein, has been considered by the Secretary of War; who now respectfully reports to the President. That by the letters of the late Secretary of War, the accounts of the service of scouts were directed to be certified on oath, by...
22To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 23 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the pleasure to present to the President a letter received this morning from Colo. Humphreys, by which it appears that Capt. OBrien & hands with the treasure are safe at Tripoli—and that the Dey of Algiers has demanded the delivery on pain of making war: there can be little doubt of the recovery of the money, seeing the Dey considers it as the property of the...
23To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 31 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to inclose a letter from our Consul at Cadiz, with one for the President. The secretary recollects a Colo. Tatem’s calling on him last summer. He said he had been formerly in the southwestern territory—talked about very valuable maps of the U. States or some of them which he had made and was making; but needed pecuniary aid to complete & publish his...
24To Thomas Jefferson from Timothy Pickering, 28 February [1793] (Jefferson Papers)
Mr: Bradshaw has just returned with an Answer to your letter to the Judge of the district Court of Kentucky. He says he arrived at Lexington, on the 27th: of January. Mr: Innes being from home, Bradshaw was detained until the 8th: of February; and then waited three days for company through the wilderness. The bearer Mr: Bradley will present to you the receipt for the fifty dollars which I...
25To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 16 July 1796, enclosing Timothy Pickering to Alexander Hamilton, 16 July 1796 (Jay Papers)
Some doubts having arisen on the mode of executing the 5th article of the British treaty, relative to the river S t . Croix, I wrote this morning a letter to Colonel Hamilton on the Subject, and requested him to converse with you. But he may chance to be absent; and as M r . Howell will in the course of two or three days be returning to Rhode Island through your city, I thought it expedient to...
26To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 26 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of War respectfully lays before the President a letter to Mr Adet, in answer to his of the 19th inst. Mr Wolcott approves of it. The Secretary of War will wait on the President at nine o’clock, to receive his orders on the subject. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters. The docket states that Pickering wrote the letter “doing the dutyes of the Secrety of State” (see GW to...
27To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 6 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to inclose a letter of Oct. 16. received this day from Mr Adams at the Hague. The following passage is in a letter recd this day from the Consul of the U. States at Falmouth in England, dated Novr 26th: “A vessel arrived to-day from Lisbon, and the master reports that at Madrid the populace would not permit Lord Bute to depart, and that the Spanish and...
28Timothy Pickering to Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., 14 December 1795 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of War prays Mr Dandridge to lay before the President, the reports No. 1. 2. 3 & 4, for the two Houses of Congress. No. 5, on the frigates I shall myself present to the President in perhaps half an hour. No. 6. on the fortifications will require a further examination; but will be ready to-morrow morning. The reports of the Directors of the mint will be ready to send in this...
29To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 15 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the United States, the letter of resignation of Mr Benjamin Joy, late consul of the United States at Calcutta; and the recommendations of Mr William James Miller late of Philadelphia, now established at Calcutta, as a fit person to succeed Mr Joy in the Consulate. In addition to the testimonies inclosed in favour of Mr Miller,...
30To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 18 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
The Pittsburg mail is arrived, but no letter from General Wayne. I suspect he has sent dispatches by an officer who is taking the route thro’ the Wilderness. Mr Hodgden this moment mentions the intelligence he had from his neighbour Mr Vanuxem, a mercantile agent for the French, who told him last evening, that the Secretary of the French Legation here said that a national vessel had arrived at...
31From Timothy Pickering to Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., 13 April 1795 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary has this moment received Mr Dandridge’s note of this morning, enquiring whether the Secretary had come to any resolution on Govr Mifflin’s letters &c. The answer is in the negative. The Secy received that letter &c. last Saturday evening; and to expedite the departure of Capt. DeButts, was yesterday engaged in draughting the form of a long treaty to aid General Wayne in his...
32To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 1 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to lay before the President of the United States the opinion of the Attorney General, that a secretary may be allowed to a Minister Resident, or Chargé des Affaires. The Secretary has considered the situation of our affairs with the Barbary powers, & particularly with Algiers, and the necessity of a consul to reside there. That altho’ Mr Barlow desires to...
33To Alexander Hamilton from Timothy Pickering, 17 December 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
I enclose the papers before handed to you respecting Ichabod Grummans claim, and a new and more accurate statement of his income by which it appears that on the principal admitted in his case, he may ask an indemnification of nine hundred & thirty one dollars 78 cents for the loss which he sustained by the sickness which lately prevailed in Philadelphia. I am &c. LC , RG 28, Letter Books,...
34To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 7 April 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully requests the President of the United States to grant him an order on the Secretary of the Treasury for Two thousand dollars, to enable him to continue the payment of the expences attending the procuring of copies of the proceedings of the British Courts of Vice Admiralty in the cases of captures by the armed vessels of that nation. ALS , DNA : RG 59,...
35To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 21 October 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your letter of the 14th relatively to the fever which has raged so fatally in this city. “Accurate information” of its state it may be impossible to obtain. But I am warranted by Doctor Rush’s opinion, grounded on his own practice and the information of other physicians, that there is an abatement of it by at least one half. For a number of days preceeding the last...
36To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 24 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honor to lay before the President of the U. States this day received from Mr Adams & Mr Deas. Mr Bond informs the Secretary, that neither Major Beckwith nor any other person is coming from Canada on the subject of the posts. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. Pickering likely enclosed...
37To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 19 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President of the U. States the draught of an answer to the Grand Master of Malta. If approved & signed, the Secretary proposes to commit the same to the care of M. Maisonneuve who desires to be Consul at Malta, who forwarded the letter from the Grand Master, and to whom Mr La Colomb (who is settled in Philadelphia) will send the packet by a...
38To John Adams from Timothy Pickering, 30 January 1795 (Adams Papers)
The President of the United States has instructed me to communicate, in confidence , to the Senate, the dispatches from Major General Wayne herewith transmitted, dated the 23d of December last, and which were received on the 28th instant. I have the honor to be, / Sir, / with great respect, / Your obedient Servt: DNA : RG 46—Records of the U.S. Senate.
39To Alexander Hamilton from Timothy Pickering, 28 March 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
General Post Office, March 28, 1794. “I have reviewed my calculations respecting Ichabod Grumman’s claim for an allowance on Account of the loss he sustained in carrying the mail between Philadelphia and New York, by reason of the fatal sickness in the former city, during the last Autumn; and seeing no cause for alteration in the statement, I now request your approbation, in writing , as you...
40To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 15 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday I received another letter from Mr King—it is dated the 16th of August, covering a duplicate of the former, and saying that he had heard nothing from Mr Monroe respecting the letter from the Directory to Mr Barthelemy, so interesting to the commerce of neutral powers: and this silence was the only circumstance that left him a hope that the letter in question is not genuine. At the...
41To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 21 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
I wrote you on Friday, informing that on that day two vessels were to sail for England carrying the two copies of the treaty ratified and the papers which were to accompany them, and one packet for Mr Monroe, to be forwarded by Mr Deas. A second will be sent to Mr Monroe by the first vessel to Hamburg; and the others by the first conveyances to France. The letters to Mr Pinckney are not yet...
42To Alexander Hamilton from Timothy Pickering, 24 September 1796 (Hamilton Papers)
I have just received your letter of the 21st relative to Mr. Pitcairn. As soon as the President had determined to change our Minister at Paris, I considered it not less necessary to make a change in the Consulate; and Mr Pinckney will go thither with the requisite powers on this subject. I have mentioned to him Mr Pitcairn as the gentleman whom he may safely and advantageously employ in the...
43To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 16 May 1795 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed letter from Governor St Clair was received yesterday by post. The proposed visit of the Chiefs of the Sioux, Puans &c. will be postponed of course, at least for one year— unless they come forward without an invitation or consent. Were it otherwise, I should doubt the expediency of the visit. All the means of attaching those numerous Indian nations to the United States it would...
44To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 2 February 1796 (Washington Papers)
At the request of the Chairman of the Committee on the bill for regulating trade with the Indian Tribes, I furnished him with a copy of Governor Blount’s letter mentioning the intended intrusions on the Cherokee lands; and also with a copy of the Attorney General’s letter to me on that subject. The chairman called upon me last evening, and suggested, that if the President officially...
45To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 7 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of War respectfully informs the President, that if Mr Wolcott has completed the information he undertook to obtain relative to Spanish commerce, there will be nothing to prevent the President’s commencing his journey to-morrow. For it is found impracticable to prepare instructions for further negociations with G. Britain, the instructions & correspondence of Mr Jay being...
46To Thomas Jefferson from Timothy Pickering, 2 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I am honoured with your letter of yesterday’s date, respecting the delinquency of the post rider between Richmond and Charlottesville. Mr. Davis had some time ago informed me of his irregularities and defects: but soon afterwards wrote me that it appeared he had been so poor as to be unable to provide suitable horses: tho’ he had then accomplished it; and expected such assistance as would...
47To James Madison from Timothy Pickering, 12 May 1796 (Madison Papers)
I have this morning received a letter from Colo. Monroe, covering the account of the sums paid for books &c. for the department of war, amounting to 2570 livres & 6 deniers. I have sent the letter and account to the Secretary of War, on whom is devolved the duty of making payment. The account transmitted with the books was made out in Assignats. That now received gives the rates of...
48To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 10 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State has the honour to lay before the President of the United States the draught of a letter to Colo. Humphreys, with such of his communications as are referred to and necessary to elucidate the remarks in the letter. The Secretary also presents a letter from Joseph Sterlitz resident of New-York, communicating the request of his partner & uncle Philip Mark to be favoured with...
49To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 20 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
The President will read with pleasure the postscript of the inclosed letter from Robert Montgomery our Consul at Alicante, which I have received this day—excepting what relates to the capture of another American vessel by Tripo⟨li⟩ concerning which however Mr Barlow’s words are consoling. The last sentence broken by the seal I read thus—“I have taken now what I think will be effectual measures...
50To Thomas Jefferson from Timothy Pickering, 11 February 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
I have this day committed to Mr. Samuel Bloodworth, son of the Senator from North-Carolina, the original certificate of the President of the Senate, of your being elected Vice-President of the United States, which he is specially charged to deliver to you in person. But for the greater certainty of your receiving this notice, I have thought it expedient to convey to you a copy of the...