To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 22 February 1800
From Peter Augustus Jay
New York 22 Feby. 1799 1800
Dear Papa
I wrote you a few lines on coming to town—1 Since then I have agreed with Mr Munro to go into partnership with him in his Chancery Business for six Months— I am to to conduct it with his assistance & do all the Labor ^Solicitors Business^—& am to retain one half of the Solicitors fees— If at the end of the six Months both parties are pleased with the Agreement, it will be continued—2
I have recd. a Letter from Majr Lyons3 which says nothing respecting the House, but contains the following Paragraph viz. “Majr Holly & myself have with the advice of others thought best to inform you that Enoch Mead whose Name we gave you as Majr. to be appointed in Col. Delavans4 reg[imen]t should be null & void, that his conduct of late does not entitle him to any Promotion but on the contrary much censure & we are well assured of late that if he is appointed we shall have many more enemies than by a large Majority than he possibly can make friends— We have likewise thought proper to recommend Nicholas Haight of Bedford in the room of Nathaniel Brown as Brown expects to move away”—5
Cae Cæser who left me last ^the^ year before last has sent me a Message by another black man ^who delivered it to Mrs. Munro just before my Return^ that he had gone a sailor to the Cape Francaise where he was impressed & is now a Drummer in Toussaint’s Army, that ^he^ is very ill used & extremely desirous to get away— return to me—6
I hope that Mama’s health improves—7 My Love to her & the family—I am &c
P. A. Jay.
Govr. Jay
Dft, NNC (EJ: 11459). Endorsed. For JJ’s reply, see his letter of 3 Mar. 1800, ALS, IaU (EJ: 13348).
1. Letter not found, but JJ probably referenced it in his letter to PAJ of 22 Feb., when he noted, “You have gratified us much by the Letter you wrote the Day of your arrival.” JJ to PAJ, 22 Feb. 1800, ALS, NNC (EJ: 90035).
2. JJ approved of the partnership between his eldest son and nephew, and he therefore encouraged PAJ to prolong it beyond a six-month period. JJ to PAJ, 3 Mar. 1800, ALS, IaU (EJ: 13348).
3. JJ noted in his reply, “The Majr. Has at Length answered my Letters, with much apparent, but with little real Temper—”, JJ to PAJ, 3 Mar. 1800, ALS, IaU (EJ: 13348).
4. Jesse Holly (c. 1753–1823) of Bedford and Enoch Mead served under Lt. Col. Daniel Delavan (1757–1835) in the Westchester County militia regiment. Delavan had led this regiment since at least 1792. Holly assumed command of the unit in 1800 for a few months when Delavan was temporarily removed as colonel before being reinstated to his former rank and post. While Holly served as commandant, Enoch Mead was appointed as first major. In 1802, Delavan was promoted to brigadier general, and his regiment once again reverted to Holly’s command. That same year, Enoch Mead was removed and replaced as first major because another officer in the unit had seniority over him. Hastings and Noble, Military Minutes, 1: 223, 507, 518, 544, 580, 622.
5. Nicholas Haight (1760–1818) of Bedford and Nathaniel Brown served as officers in Delavan’s, and later Holly’s, militia regiment. Haight replaced Brown as captain when the latter moved. Commission of Nicholas Haight, 16 Apr. 1800, DS, NN: New York State Militia (EJ: 01084); Hastings and Noble, Military Minutes, 1: 518.
6. Cæsar, an enslaved young man, served in the Jay household in 1797. He went to Albany when JJ moved there as governor, but was reported as behaving improperly there, being “noisy, grumbling and indisposed to work”. JJ returned him to PAJ in New York City to either retain as his servant or sell as he saw fit. Cæsar requested not to be sold, but evidently was transferred to other employment or ran away. JJ remarked on Cesar’s predicament to PAJ: “I pity Cæsar notwithstanding his Faults, but ^am^ at a loss how to relieve him from his present Situation— If any way of doing it should occur to you, mention it. Have we a consul there? If so, perhaps an application supported by proper Documents, might thro’ him be made with some prospect of success—.” No details of his travel to or from Haiti have been found, but Cæsar did return to New York and worked as a slave at the home of Peter Jay in Rye. He was freed in 1824 after the death of Peter’s wife, Mary Jay. He then took the name of Cæsar Valentine and remained at the Rye farm as PAJ’s employee. JJ to PAJ, 2 Oct. 1797, Tr, NyKaJJH (EJ: 11395); 26 Oct. 1797, PC; 3 Mar. 1800, ALS, IaU (EJ: 13348); 24 Oct. 1811, Dft, NNC (EJ: 11525); Charles W. Baird, Chronicle of a Border Town: History of Rye, Westchester County, New York, 1660–1870 … (New York, 1871), 186–87; Horton, Listening for Clarinda, 90–92, 111–13.
7. In a letter written on the same day to PAJ, JJ noted “Your Mama was this morning more than usually unwell— this Evening she is much better.” In his reply to PAJ’s letter, JJ provided an update on SLJ’s health, observing “I wish I could say that your Mama’s Health improves. She is better than when Maria left us—but I do not think her Strength exceeds what it was a month ago.” JJ to PAJ, 22 Feb., ALS, NNC (EJ: 90035); 3 Mar. 1800, ALS, IaU (EJ: 13348).