To Thomas Jefferson from John Page, 3 November 1804
From John Page
Richmond November 3d. 1804.
Sir,
In compliance with the advice of council contained in the inclosed extract from their journals I have to recommend mr. Samuel Brooks to the attention and remuneration of the Federal Government, for his meritorious services rendered to the United States, by his labourious and hazardous enterprize in detecting and bringing to conviction Thomas Logwood, actually and successfully, to an alarming extent, engaged in counterfeiting and circulating the Bank notes of the United States, as also their Eagles, and the double Guineas of France; and for his circumstantial information, by which not only more than twenty thousand Dollars of the said Counterfieted Notes and a number of the said Eagles and double guineas were taken from Logwood, but the names of his accomplices and places of residence of several of those most dangerously active amongst them have been correctly ascertained, by means of which, til within a few days, hopes had been entertained of apprehending their Engraver, and his most useful and active accomplices in the state of North Carolina. How these hopes were frustrated the letter from Mr. Moore a copy of which is herein also inclosed will discover.
I am Sir with high respect and Esteem your obedt. Servant
John Page
RC (DLC); in a clerk’s hand, closing and signature by Page; endorsed by TJ as received 7 Nov. and “Brookes” and so recorded in SJL. FC (Vi: Executive Letterbook). Enclosures: (1) Extract from journal of Virginia Council of State, 16 June, advising that Samuel Brooks receive $500 “for the labour expence, and danger” he incurred in disrupting the counterfeiting scheme, and requesting that Page recommend Brooks to the president for the “attention & Remuneration of the Federal Government” (Tr in DLC: TJ Papers, 141:24468). (2) Copy of Thomas Moore to Page, Columbia, S.C., 9 Oct., reporting on efforts against the counterfeiters implicated by Logwood; Moore states that instead of taking “active steps” to use the papers that Page sent as a means to imprison the counterfeiters, North Carolina governor James Turner sent them to other parties; before Moore obtained them, the papers fell into the hands of a suspect in the counterfeiting network, who carried off some of the copies; Moore notes that the papers offered insufficient evidence to arrest anyone in North Carolina, as there were no affidavits; since the nature of the papers became clear to the counterfeiters, they have shown no fear of authorities; some have used fake bank bills to procure slaves and other property from Virginia; Moore mentions a plan to pursue the “next gang of them” into Virginia and seize them upon the first use of counterfeit bills (RC in Vi: Executive Papers).
For Samuel Brooks, see Page to TJ, 12 Apr.