1James Madison to Henry Lee, 3 March 1834 (Madison Papers)
private Your letter of Novr. 14. came safely tho’ tardily to hand. I must confess that I perceive no ground, on which a doubt could be applied to the Statement of Mr. Jefferson which you cite. Nor can it I think, be difficult to account for my declining an Executive appointment under Washington and accepting it under Jefferson, without making it a test of my comparative attachment to them;...
2James Madison to Henry Lee, 26 November 1833 (Madison Papers)
I received Sir, on the 9th instant your letter of Sepr. 15th. and enclose copies of such of your father’s letters to me, as are embraced by your request. They are entire with the exception of one from which the conclusion was cut off for an autographic collection. Finding that my files do not contain copies of my letters to your father, as is the case with his files and his letters to me, I...
3James Madison to Henry Lee, 14 August 1833 (Madison Papers)
private I have recd. your letter of June 5th. under cover of one from Mr P A. Jay of New York. I find that you have been misled on the subject of Mr Jefferson’s letter to me of Decr. 28. 1794., by an unlucky misprint of Jay for Joy (G. Joy in London) the writer of the letter to which Mr. Jefferson refers. This letter has no reference to Mr. Jay nor to any thing that could be within the scope...
4From James Madison to Henry Lee, 24 September 1827 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of Augst. 24 was not recd. till a few days ago. I regret that I can not throw a ray of light on the cause and circumstances of the delay which attended the order to Genl. Jackson of July 18. 1814; having no recollections enabling me to do so, nor access to any document if there be any, that could assist them. I can only therefore express my wish that the occurrence may be traced...
5From James Madison to Henry Lee, [16] February 1827 (Madison Papers)
I recd. Sir, some days ago your letter of the 2. Inst: to the object of which I have not been able to give an earlier attention. With your purpose of giving a historical character to the events of a very critical period of the war of 1812, you are very properly anxious to obtain whatever information may contribute to the authenticity and accuracy of the work; and I cannot but wish for your...
6From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 30 May 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 25 th came to hand yesterday, and I shall be happy to recieve you at the time you mention, or at any other, if any other shall be more convenient to you. Not being now possessed of a copy of Gen l Lee’s memoirs, as I before observed to you, I may have misremembered the passage respecting Simpcoe’s expedition, and very willingly stand corrected. the only facts relative to it...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 27 May 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
Since the date of my last letter to you I am enabled to add a little informn to that then given. the rev d mr Jared Sparks formerly pastor of the Unitarian church in Baltimore & lately editor of the N. A. Rev. passing to the South for his health informed me in a lre from Northfolk that he contemplated a publicn on the American revoln, and should avail himself of the journey he was on to obtain...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 15 May 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
The sentiments of justice which have dictated your letters of the 3 d and 9 th inst. are worthy of all praise, and merit and meet my thankful acknolegements. were your father now living and proposing, as you are to publish a second edition of his Memoirs, I am satisfied he would give a very different aspect to the pages of that work which respect Arnold’s invasion and surprise of Richmond in...
9From James Madison to Henry Lee, 29 November 1825 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. Sir, yours of the 19th. instant. I need not repeat my commendation of your purpose to devote your talents to literary pursuits. And the tasks you now mark out for your pen, will doubtless inspire its best efforts. The campaign of Niagara in 1814, and the naval achievements in the Mediterranean, are both of them distinguished by their patriotic & Historic Attractions; and you are...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 28 June 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 23 d is recieved. the inclosed paper will inform you in detail of the matters necessary to be known to those who propose to enter any of the schools of the University. the number of students as returned to me on the 23 d inst. was 92. since which 5. others have arrived, and they come in almost daily. with respect to the degree in which the sciences will be taught here, I...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 8 May 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Apr. 29 has been duly recieved, and the offer of mineralogical specimens from mr Myer has been communicated to D r Emmet our Professor of Natural history. the last donation of the legislature to the University was appropriated specifically to a library and apparatus of every kind. but we apply it first to the more important articles of a library, of an astronomical, physical, &...
12From James Madison to Henry Lee, 31 January 1825 (Madison Papers)
The urgency indicated in your last letter as to the request in a former one having quickened my attention to the subject, I have at length looked enough into the evidence that the Movement of the Southern Army from Deep River to the Santee in the Campaign of 1781 was suggested by your father, to be satisfied of the fact; the more readily admitted from the acknowleged traits of his military...
13From James Madison to Henry Lee, 14 January 1825 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. Sir yours of the 6th. inst. and have looked over the printed Sheet inclosed in it. Of the literary character of the paper, I may express a laudatory opinion, without risk of contravening that of others. As a political disquisition, it embraces questions both of magnitude and of nicety, on which opinions may be various, and of which a critical review does not lie within the compass...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 6 September 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
In your letter of Aug. 26. you suggest a disposition, among other lines to write that of my self, with an assurance that any materials I could furnish would be used with care and candour: of this I am satisfied and that the subject would be treated with more talent and partiality than it would merit. but in truth, Sir, I possess no such materials. I have gone on thro’ life acting as well as I...
15From James Madison to Henry Lee, 4 September 1824 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. Sir your letter of Aug: with a copy of the Address reported by the Committee of a late Meeting at Fredericksburg, for which you will please to accept my thanks. I am not surprized at your purpose of adopting literature as your favorite object. It will always be found a source not only of rich enjoyment, but of public distinction & usefulness also where there is a union of...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 10 August 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly received your favor of the 14 th and with it the prospectus of a newspaper which it covered. if the style and spirit of that should be maintained in the paper itself it will be truly worthy of the public patronage. as to myself it is many years since I have ceased to read but a single paper. I am no longer therefore a general subscriber for any other. yet to encourage the hopeful...
17From James Madison to Henry Lee, 25 June 1824 (Madison Papers)
I have received, sir, your letter of the 18th. inclosing the proposal of a new publication under the title of “American Gazette & Literary Journal.” Of the prospectus I cannot say less than that it is an interesting specimen of cultivated talents. I must say at the same time that I think it concedes too much to a remedial power in the press over the spirit of party. Besides the occasional and...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 16 May 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson returns his thanks to mr Lee for the copy of the Campaign of 1781. in the Carolinas, and the list of errata of impression which he has been so kind as to send him. the subject is interesting and will be read with pleasure. with his thanks he prays him to accept the assurance of his great respect and esteem. ViHi .
19From James Madison to Henry Lee, 12 May 1824 (Madison Papers)
J. Madison has recd. Major Lee’s note of the 4th in which reference is made to a contemplated new Edition of his Father’s Memoirs. The events embraced by the Memoirs will occupy so large and so important a space in the History of our Independence, that an exhibition of them from such a source cannot be made too full or too free from error. J. M. would accordingly not only feel a pleasure, but...
20From James Madison to Henry Lee, 22 April 1824 (Madison Papers)
J. Madison acknowledges with thanks the receipt of the volume which Major Lee has been so good as to send him. He delays the perusal of it till he can precede it by that of the work which it reviews. If injustice, however occasioned, has been done to the Memory of General Lee, a vindication of it cannot but be acceptable to one whose friendship contracted with him at the earliest date, was...
21From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 1 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of Jan. 17. came to hand last night. if I ever saw or heard of a mr Norris of Baltimore, I do not remember either his name or person. I never saw or heard of any list of names of the adherents of Burr; still less of one containing your name. I never have seen, or heard your name coupled with Burr’s but in a newspaper paragraph mentioning that you were gone from Stanton to join him,...
22From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 29 September 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
On being informed by you that mr James P. Cocke was the person who had repeated from me the circumstance of the transaction between mr Washington, mr Strode & yourself which has given you uneasiness, I applied to mr Cocke to state what he had understood me to have said, perfectly satisfied of his correctness. I have this moment recieved from him the letter which I now inclose. you will see by...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 24 April 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
After delivering my letters to Dr. Jones, I recieved one from mr Thomas Strode, to whom I presume the father had mentioned what had passed between him and myself here. my enquiry of him here had arisen merely from the accident of his coming here while my letter to you was still in my own hands, and to refresh my own memory as to what had been stated to me. I did not suppose he would have given...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee, 29 March 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your second letter of Feb. 24. relates to an incident which certainly I had not expected to see connected with my name. I do indeed recollect that some years ago, in a conversation at mr Strode’s, and with his family alone, it was mentioned by one of them, and in a very innocent way, that mr Washington had been lately there, and had asked mr Strode to shew him his farm. that in the course of...
25From Alexander Hamilton to Henry Lee, 7 March 1800 (Hamilton Papers)
The letters to which you allude in yours of the 5th. instant have never been seen by me. The truth is that I pay very little attention to such Newspaper ebulitions, unless some friend points out a particular case which may demand attention. But be assured once for all, that it is not easy for these miscreants to impair the confidence in and friendship for you which are long habits of my mind....
26From Alexander Hamilton to Henry Lee, 3 May 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of 24 March with the one subsequent to it both on the concerning the Recruiting service. The pains and trouble you have given yourself in this business call s particularly for my thanks and obligations. with the regard I remain Dr Sir Yr obed Sert. ( Df , in the handwriting of Philip Church, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress).
27From Alexander Hamilton to Henry Lee, 18 February 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
The inclosed letter to Colonel Parker will explain to you the plan upon which it is deemed expedient to pursue the recruiting service within the State of Virginia. It would be very pleasing to me, if you could yourself make it convenient to digest the arrangement which is referred to the Colonel. In this case, the letter need not be sent to him, unless you think his cooperation may be useful...
28From George Washington to Henry Lee, 11 January 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 26th Ulo has been received, & nothing from you since; which is embarrassing to me in the extreme; for not only the nomination of Ch——f J——but an As——te J——dge and Se——y of W—— are depending upon the answer I expected. And what renders the want of it more unfortunate, if any thing can add to my present perplexity on the occasion is, that the first Monday in next month which...
29From John Jay to Henry Lee, 11 July 1795 (Jay Papers)
Accept my cordial thanks for the friendly Congratulations expressed in your obliging Letter of the 30 of last month, which I rec d . Yesterday— It was obvious to me when I embarked on my late mission, that so many Circumstances combined to render pacific arrangements with Great Britain unwelcome to certain Politicians and their Partizans both here and elsewhere, that their approbation of any...
30From Alexander Hamilton to Henry Lee, 19 December 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Philadelphia, December 19, 1794. On December 31, 1794, Lee wrote to Hamilton and referred to “your favor of the 19th. Decr.” Letter not found. ]