From James Madison to James Barbour, 15 December 1825
To James Barbour
Montpellier Decr. 15. 1825
Dear Sir
The inclosed1 speaks for itself. Should there be an opening at West Point, the pretensions of young Lewis2 are certainly very respectable, and, as you know, respectably vouched. I do not trouble the President, because your communication as far as the occasion may require will be sufficient. Health & prosperity
James Madison
RC (owned by Henry N. Flynt, Greenwich, Conn., 1961); draft (DLC). RC addressed by JM to “The secretary of war.” Minor differences between the copies have not been noted.
1. In the draft JM placed an asterisk here and wrote at the bottom of the page: “*a letter of Decr. 7. from Jno. H. Peyton of Staunton recommendg. Ben: Lewis for the Mil: Academy at W:P.”
2. John Benjamin Lewis (1810–1853), the son of Revolutionary War veteran John Lewis and owner of the Sweet Springs in Virginia (now W.Va.), and Mary Preston Lewis of Smithfield, was admitted to West Point in 1826. He returned to his birthplace as a physician, and postmaster, 1837–43. Lewis organized the Sweet Springs Company in 1836 and built a large hotel, but by 1842 he was obliged to mortgage the property: It was finally sold in 1852. He then moved to Charlottesville, where he died (Dorman, Prestons of Smithfield and Greenfield in Virginia, 65–68, 285–86; William Ward, comp., List of Cadets Admitted into the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., from Its Origin till September 1, 1886 … [Washington, 1887], 41).