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Enclosure: James McHenry to John Adams, 31 May 1800

[Enclosure]
James McHenry to John Adams5

War Department 31 May 1800

The Secretary of war respectfully takes the liberty to transmit to the President of the U. States, a statement of his recollection of the substance and incidents of the conversation which passed between them the evening preceding the resignation of his office, committed to writing immediately afterwards.

He also transmits copies of sundry papers having reference to certain parts of that conversation, to wit:

A. Wm. Barry Grove’s letter to the secretary of war, dated the 8th instant.6

B. Governor Davies list of persons in North Carolina, to whom it would be proper to grant commissions in the army.7

C. Extracts of letters from General Pinckney relative to the selection & list aforesaid, dated the 17 Jany. & 10 Feby 1799.8

D. Secretary of wars letter to Major Stagg, at New York dated the 24th instant.9

5LS, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston; LS, letterpress copy, James McHenry Papers, Library of Congress; Df, James McHenry Papers, Library of Congress.

6Copy, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston.

Grove was a Federalist member of the House of Representatives from North Carolina from 1791 to 1803.

7William R. Davie to McHenry, January 17, 1799 (copy, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston).

8Charles Cotesworth Pinckney to McHenry, January 17, February 10, 1799 (extracts, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston).

In the letter of February 10, 1799, Pinckney enclosed a “List of Persons in North Carolina, applying for Commissions in the Army now to be raised” (copy, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston).

9McHenry to John Stagg, Jr., May 24, 1800 (copy, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston).

Stagg was former chief clerk in the War Department.

In addition to the enclosures mentioned in this note and in notes 6, 7, and 8, McHenry also enclosed to Adams the following two documents: Stagg to McHenry, May 26, 1800 (ALS, James McHenry Papers, Library of Congress; copy, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston); a clipping from the Gazette of the United States, and Philadelphia Daily Advertiser, February 27, 1799. See note 34.

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