1. See JM to Jefferson, 14 May 1806. On 14 May 1806 Robert Smith told Jefferson that John Rodgers had retained in the Mediterranean the ships that had been tentatively ordered home on 12 Oct. 1805 but that Smith’s 22 Mar. 1806 letter informing Rodgers there was no danger of further hostilities meant the ships would be coming home. Smith told Jefferson that he was holding a merchant vessel he had chartered to carry supplies to the Mediterranean while he awaited Jefferson’s decision about the 12 Oct. order and that Melimeni might return home in a small Navy Department brig that could be transferred to the State Department and then given to the Bey in lieu of the captured xebeque (Knox, Naval Documents, Barbary Wars description begins Dudley W. Knox, ed., Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers (6 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1939–44). description ends , 6:426). Jefferson wrote two 19 May 1806 letters to Smith (DLC: Jefferson Papers): The first discussed Jefferson’s position on the subjects covered in the correspondence between Smith and Gallatin enclosed with Smith’s 14 May letter, as well as his reaction to letters from John Rodgers that Smith also enclosed. Jefferson also laid out suggestions for reducing the navy from a war footing to a peace footing on the basis of decisions reached at a cabinet meeting on 2 May, discussed steps to be taken depending on whether the bey decided for peace or war, transmitted some ideas from Joel Barlow’s letter, and suggested that Melimeni might not be happy with a small brig, and that it was important that he be returned home “personally satisfied”; the second explained that he was sending the letters via hired express and authorized Smith to pay the going rate, adding that JM had lately sent an express, so Smith could probably use that payment as a guide.

2. See Barlow to JM, 13 May 1806.