1From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 3 January 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed letter shews the writer to be really a curiosity. I think he might be told that you had communicated to me the substance of his letter: that the information relative to the olives & to Genl. Gadsden was very gratifying to me. that as to the gunboats, (his 3d subject) that mode of defending our harbours would probably be pursued: that the boats will not all be on one model, but...
2From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 16 December 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
The letter of the Little Turtle to Genl. Wilkinson is so serious, that I suppose it should be answered. among other things I imagine it will be proper to have said to him that tho’ the US. will always protect the Indians in the right to their lands so long as they chuse to keep them, yet they have also always professed themselves ready to buy whenever the Indians chuse to sell. that it will...
3From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 2 December 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I return you mr Griswold’s letter. the measure he proposes is exactly to reverse our politics. instead of inviting Indians to come within our limits, our object is to tempt them to evacuate them. I suppose the smoothest answer would be that being connected with the English in friendship, good faith requires that we should not interfere with the inhabitants of their territories, nor attempt to...
4From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 9 November 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I think Colo. Hawkins should be made to understand that we act between the Indians only as friends and mediators; but not as parties in their disputes. that certainly we should not go to war against either party in behalf of the other. the Creek nation is merely a collection of the remains of many others. it is probable the division among the parts of the nation have their foundation in a...
5From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 1 November 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been able to give the inclosed so little time that the suggestions of alteration which I make are merely for your consideration. in order to keep the subject clear I would propose to transpose the paragraphs so as to touch 1st. on their Civil powers generally. 2d. intrusions on land. 3. the military. 4. the militia. for this purpose I suggest something like the following. Section 1. to...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 6 September 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
The Spanish government has adopted all the angry passions of Yrujo respecting the act of Congress for the collection district at Mobile, and has written a letter to Pinckney in a stile which renders more serious measures possible. in this situation it behoves us to have every man at N. Orleans who can be spared from other places. not recollecting the force we have there actually, can you by...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 30 August 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I think we had agreed on the following lists of Commandants for Louisiana George Hammond of Georgia } to be Colonels Return J. Meigs of Ohio Gibs of Massachusets Richard Kennon of Virginia John M. Scott of Kentucky } to be Majors Seth Hunt of N. Hampshire I now inclose you the commissions which I recieved for signature from your office yesterday evening. when you shall have filled them up &...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 19 August 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
A candidate for the office of Genl. Irvine is now presented of a higher order than we have before had. I do not know how far Colo Miles may possess that mercantile fitness which the duties of the office call for, but on all other points he stands on so high ground as to overrule the charitable inclinations we might have felt for other candidates. the respectability of his character, and his...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 12 August 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson incloses to Genl. Dearborne more candidates for the succession to Genl. Irvine. he has just recieved a letter from mr Dupont the father in which is the following paragraph. ‘continue your friendship to me. extend it to my children. I hope you have your powder made and your saltpeter refined at their manufactory 1. because it is without comparison the best in the US. and one of...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 8 August 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I last night recieved the account of Genl. Irvine’s death , and at the same time the inclosed applications for the continuance of the office in his family, which are certainly very strong. the single one in behalf of Capt Jones must be merely idle, as it is most improbable that he would accept of it. I inclose the whole however for your information. Irvine is a real loss to us. Not having...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 3 August 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter from mr Boudinot to whom an answer is promised as soon as I shall hear from you on the subject. I think this mr Blackburn called on us, and recieved such assurances as then gave him satisfaction. as we have in other instances encouraged the cooperation of the Quakers in Indian civilization, it is to be considered whether we may with advantage do the same with other sects...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 29 June 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed papers came in the letter from Capt Lewis which I sent you: but not having been able to read this till last night they are now sent, and are interesting.—I cannot make out whether the party of Osages who were killed were some of those deputed to us. if they were not, it would carry us farther into Indian concerns, than we would wish to go, to take serious notice of it. if the...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 27 June 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a newspaper with a Lexington article respecting the Osage chiefs. Govr. Harrison in a former letter I think proposed the purchasing all the Piankishaw lands on the Ohio. this would be infinitely preferable to nibbling about the Saline. I doubt the expediency of buying the Pioria lands West of the Missisipi, unless a bargain could be made at the same time with some other tribe to...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 23 June 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson asks the favor of General Dearborn to Meet the heads of department at the Secretary of States Office to day at 10 oclock on the Subject of the infraction of Jurisdiction by the British Frigate Cambrian at New York. RC ( THaroL ); in William A. Burwell’s hand; addressed: “General Dearborn”; endorsed by Dearborn. infraction : on 19 June, DeWitt Clinton wrote to Madison regarding...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 6 June 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
The division of Louisiana into districts relating to the military as much as to the civil administration, will you be so good as to consider those proposed by Governor Harrison, and we will then consider the subject. my idea would be not to fix precisely the dividing line between the districts, as we have not information enough for that, but to use such a mode of designation for these as we do...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 3 June 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday your favor of the day before. with respect to the slanders in which the two mr Hunts were implicated, I assure you on my sacred honour that I never heard one word uttered but from mr Granger and one other person, who does not reside in this part of the country, nor is any way connected with the government; and the sole object of his communicating with me was to engage me...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 27 April 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter from Capt Barron at Westpoint, on which be pleased to do what you think right. The object of the kind enquiries in your letter of the 19th. is no more. she left us on the day of the date of my last letter to you. this event will occasion my stay here to be about a week longer than I had originally intended. I suppose it will still be a fortnight before I shall be with...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 17 April 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday your favor of the 12th. the duties proposed to be levied on us by the Spanish Government at Mobille, require certainly very serious attention. their bearings on what we had determined to do at Baton rouge, must come into consideration at the same time. the want of papers here to remind me exactly of the regulations we had established, and the distressing situation of my...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 15 April 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
As soon as I possibly could after my arrival here, I prepared the general instructions for our mission up the Arkansa & Red rivers, but could not make a fair copy of them in time for the last post. they are inclosed in the letter to mr Dunbar which I send open for your perusal, and then to be forwarded to him. it will enable you to see and to supply what is deficient, and to alter whatever on...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 8 April 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Just as I was leaving Washington, I received the inclosed letter from Colo Matthew Lyon , the suggestions of which I think well worthy our attention, as it is certainly better to prevent Squatters on the lands in the district of Louisiana (as yet it is upper Louisiana) than to have them removed after they shall have firmly established themselves. at present the Spanish laws are in force there....
21From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 1 April 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Will you be so good as to consider & direct how the 3000. D. may be apportioned in the details of the Arcansa expedition ? to wit how much for pay, for instruments & other articles of outfit which cannot be furnished from the military fund, & how much may be laid out in light articles for barter & presents to the Indians. this last article should be made as large as the fund will admit....
22From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 3 March 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
On the vacating of Judge Pickering’s office I shall be obliged to nominate another before the rising of the Senate. J. Langdon has recommended Sherburne . a much more powerful representation is made against him and in favr. of Jonathan Steele. tho’ it is probable the witnesses attending the impeachment from that state may have been prepared to give particular opinions, yet perhaps in a free...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 29 February 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Some compliment being proper for the militia of Tennissee who went to Natchez under the command of Colo. George Dogherty may not something like the following be said on the part of the President in a letter from the Secretary at war to Colo. Dogherty or to the Governor of Tennissee? ‘the President has seen with great satisfaction the willingness with which the militia under your command [or...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 17 February 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Altho’ the communication of the within to me might be considered as confidential, yet it is so important that Wilkerson’s maneuvres should be understood that I send it for your perusal, in confidence also. he is turning on us the batteries of our friends in aid of his own. the business of the Commission terminated on the 16th. of Jan. when the order for the upper posts was given, as that...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 13 February 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his friendly compliments to Genl Dearborne returns him Govr. Mc.kean’s letter; to whom he may say for the Govr’s satisfaction that the letter had been communicated to Th:J. who said that some vague intimation of the purport mentd in the letter had been formerly dropped to him, but it was so little noted that neither the person, nor manner can now be recollected: that...
26From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 9 February 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
It is represented to me on the part of a person of the name of Solomon Sessum living at Tarburgh in N. Caroline, in independant circumstances, but himself & wife both old, that Roderick Sessums their son was, in the year 1795, during a fit of intoxication, enlisted by a Captn. Rickard then recruiting in that quarter. that being at Natchez in 1800, when his time was to expire, the father with...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 9 February 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Considering that we have shortly to ask a favour ourselves from the Creeks, the Tuckabatché road, may we not turn the application of Hawkins to our advantage, by making it the occasion of broaching that subject to them? he might be directed to say to them that we furnish with pleasure the several articles which he has asked for their use: that there is nothing we have more at heart than to...
28From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 29 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I am very much pleased to find that the Choctaws agree to sell us their country on the Missisipi, and think we ought to accept it to any extent they will agree to, only taking care the price be not too high. they are poor; and will probably sell beyond what will pay their debts, so as to be entitled to an annual pension, which is one of the best holds we can have on them. their strength & the...
29From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, with Jefferson’s Note, 20 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Will General Dearborne be so good as to recommend some person? or will it be better for him to retain the papers & consult the republican members from Maine ? [ Note by TJ :] Dudley Broadstreet Hobart of Gardener recommended by Genl. Dearborne, who candidly states that he is his son in law, but the applicn is from many respectable persons of the neighborhood, & the only competiton is a young...
30From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 7 September 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I now return you the proceedings of the courtmartial held at Fort Jay with an approbation of the sentence against Lt. Van Renslaer, & a remission of the corporal punishment of Ferguson & Rush as you advised. I am sensible of the risque we run in returning to Washington before the commencement of the [frost?] but the collection & copying of documents & other preparations for the meeting of...