11To James Madison from Samuel Stanhope Smith, [November 1777–August 1778] (Madison Papers)
This is the first time I have had an opportunity to write to you since your election to your new & honourable office. I rejoice that your country has been able, in spite of all your modesty, to discern your merits; & that she has had virtue enough to place you in a station where your talents will not be useless to her. Altho I could wish you had the same opinion of yourself that others have, &...
12To James Madison from Samuel Stanhope Smith, 15 September 1778 (Madison Papers)
I have read over your theoretical objections against the doctrine of moral liberty; for practically you seem to be one of its disciples. I remember the manner in which you have formerly expressed yourself upon that intricate subject. And indeed they express the difficulties that occured to me in attempting to resolve it. I reasoned without hopes that the solution I have given it is at least as...
13To James Madison from Philip Mazzei, 13 June 1779 (Madison Papers)
There was in the copy of the Cipher you gave me twice 8 . It may perhaps be so in my original. I have converted one of the 2 in 81. I have likewise added the j besides the v , & so completed the Alphabet consisting of 26 letters, & not of 24. I wish therefore that you will keep the inclosed, & destroy the other, to avoid misunderstanding. I have put my papers with a 4 pounds ball in a bag to...
14To James Madison from Philip Mazzei, 18 June 1779 (Madison Papers)
With a disturbed mind I am now going to write to you on topics not very agreable. Mr. Penet told me, that although the Capn. was a scotchman, all the crew were Americans. Perhaps it was so at that time, but at present we have no more than 2. Americans on board, one of which is the cabbin-boy. We have an Italian & a Spaniard (who came on board on my account) & a frenchman; all the rest are...
15To James Madison from Philip Mazzei, 19 June 1779 (Madison Papers)
After a Tour of about 400. miles by land & water, since I left you, I am at last safely arrived, at York. And as my next stage will be, in the opinion of every one, at New-York, I beg you will do me the favour to ride here to morrow-morning with Dr. Mc.Clurg to consult, or rather to advise me upon an Idea of mine, which I cannot communicate by letter. Pray, give yourself this trouble; the...
16Credentials as a Delegate to Continental Congress, 14 December 1779 (Madison Papers)
Resolved that James Henry, Joseph Jones, James Madison jn. and John Walker Esquires, be appointed Delegates to represent this Commonwealth in Congress untill the first Monday in November next, in the room of the Gentlemen who have resigned; they having been so elected by joint ballot of both Houses of Assembly. Teste. December 14th: 1779. John Beckley C. h. d. Agreed to by the Senate A Copy...
17To James Madison from David Jameson, 21 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I had the pleasure to receive two letters from you the 15th, one dated the 2d by Post & the other the 9th by the return messenger I am sorry to find one of my letters has not got to your hands —in it I told you I applied to Mr Blair and the Attorney and offered to pay for the Books you had from Dunmores Estate Mr Blair referred to the Attorney and...
18To James Madison from David Jameson, 26 July 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). In my last I inclosed you the Journals so far as they were printed, and some other papers, since that I have recd. your favour of the 11th., and now agreable to your request inclose you the papers last published at our printing offices. it will be very agreable to me to continue this weekly Although our Capes & Bay are infested with privateers...
19To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 26 July 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Boyd, Papers of Jefferson Julian P. Boyd et al ., eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (16 vols. to date; Princeton, N.J., 1950——). , III, 506–7). With my letter to the President I inclose a copy of the bill for calling in the paper money now in circulation, being the only copy I have been able to get. in my letter to the delegates I ask the favor of them to furnish me with...
20To James Madison from George Mason, 2 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). By late Letters from Europe I understand a Treaty of Alliance will soon be concluded between his Catholic Majesty & the United American States, upon which it is presumed Congress will find it necessary to appoint a Consul in Spain, for the Superintendance & protection of our Trade: Shou’d this be the Case, I beg leave to recommend Mr. Richard Harrison as a very...
21To James Madison from Reverend James Madison, 3 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). I recd. your last of ye 18th. July, as well as ye preceeding, enclosing ye European Intelligence. I hope at last ye Blessings of peace cannot be far from us. If Russia adheres to her Memorial, and ye. Dutch have not lost their antient spirit, if ye Irish too proceed in their reasonable & just Demands, wh. I have no Doubt they will, because they are reasonable & just,...
22To James Madison from David Jameson, 13 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I recd. your favour by Mr Webb the moment I was setting out for York. I did not return from thence till a few days ago, is the reason you have not heard from me When I left Richmond I deld. the wart. I had obtained for £20,000 to the Governor who promised to get the money as soon as it was struck and send it on if a safe conveya. offered. Col...
23To James Madison from David Jameson, 16 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I wrote to you the 12t. or 13t. by a private hand, since which I am favoured with yours of the 1st. I acquainted you with the reason of my silence for sometime past and mentioned to you that the £20,000 for which I had taken out a wart. was sent by Col Bland for the Virga Delegates By a letter from the French Minister to the Govr. I find reason to...
24To James Madison from David Jameson, 23 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I have to acknowledge your favour of the 8th. mentioning the reports from the West Indies. Notwithstanding our Bay is so closely watched by the Enemy’s private armed Vessels we have had some arrivals, and they give us reason to believe Jamaica is invested by the combined Fleets. If it is, I must suppose so great an Armament will find little...
25To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 27 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Although the originals of this letter and, with few exceptions, the more than one hundred others which Pendleton wrote to JM are probably no longer extant, three partial collections (of which at least one is independent of the other two) are available. About 1890, Frederick B. McGuire of Washington, D.C., who had in his possession a considerable portion of...
26To James Madison from David Jameson, 30 August 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I have not had the favour of a letter from you by this weeks post As Col Senf & Maj Magill went on with Gen. Gates’s letter to Congress giving accot. of our disaster in Carolina, and could give you the particulars I did not write on the occasion. Since they left this place we have recd. a letter from Gen. Stevens, he dates from Spinks’s about 70...
Letter not found. 1 September 1780. In the Madison Miscellany in the Library of Congress are lists, probably prepared under the direction of Peter Force, which mention a one-page letter from Forsyth to JM on this date. The writer in all likelihood was Major Robert Forsyth (1754–1794), continental deputy commissary of purchases from Virginia, and soon for Greene’s southern army, who became a...
28To James Madison from David Jameson, 13 September 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I have recd your two favours of the 23d & 29th. ult. since my last, and am very glad to find you were getting into better health We have had nothing lately from the Southward but what you will find mentd. in Dixons Paper. We are very anxious to hear something more from Chas. Town. should there be a French or Spanish Fleet there, something may yet...
29To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 19 September 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). I must Request you will so far oblige me as to enclose me every week Dunlaps paper or either of the others containing any thing worth reading. Mr. Dunlap told me he would furnish you with the papers for me. I must also request you to send me the monthly Jou[r]nals as soon as printed and such information of the proceedings from time to time as you may think necessary....
30To James Madison from David Jameson, 20 September 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I was favoured with yours of the 5th. by Post. It may not be amiss to mention to you that the post comes to Newcastle within eighteen Miles of this place on Wednesday, and we do not get the letters till the Monday following—after the rider has been down to Wmsburg. The Governor had a promise that there should be an alteration in the post route, or...
31To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 25 September 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). I am made very happy by yr obliging favr of the 12th promising to indulge me in the desireable correspondence; since I requested it I have been informed you have ill health, I cordially wish its speedy restitution, but intreat you’l not Injure it by devoting to me too much of that small portion of time which health as well as vigor of mind requires should be...
32To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 1 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Since my last I have yr favr of the 19th & can’t conceive where the great Fleet of our Allies are? they must have left the Windward Islands, & Rodney have been deceived by them if they did not come to America, As he would not otherwise have ventured to leave those seas: We hear nothing further of them to the Southward. I hope they are not in a state of such...
33To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 2 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). I thank you for your favour of the 19th. ult. and the inclosures. It was really a mortifying circumstance to find the French Fleet converted into twelve British Ships of the line and four Frigates from which nothing can effectually relieve us but the arrival of a superior number of French Battle Ships and unless these come I fear many of our people not only here but...
34To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 8 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). I have yr obliging favr of the 26th past, I know not when my first letter, after you kindly accepted my proposed correspondence, should have reached you, but be assured I have not miss’d a week since, nor shall I unless sickness prevents me, being a very Punctual tho’ not an entertaining correspondent; at this time I have not a word of foreign or domestic...
35To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 9 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). I think you acted very prudently in declining to press on the part of Virginia the Resolutions I left for the Consideration of Congress, had I been present I should have done the same as I had no intention when they were offered that Virginia should appear anxious about them whatever my opinion might be as to their propriety or Justice. I meant to leave them to the...
36To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 17 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). We must place the taking Col. Andre among the fortunate occurrances during the present war[.] a more wicked and ruinous combination could hardly have been formed if the accounts published in the papers are generally true[;] and the three honest militiamen who rendered us the service should be rewarded An attack early the last week of the Ague and fever will prevent...
37To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 17 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). I am anxious to hear from you, since missing that pleasure last week, I fear the General sickness of the Citizens has reached you. I shall be happy to learn it proceed from any other cause. The story we have of Gen. Arnold’s corruption is indeed shocking to humanity & I wish much to know the utmost consequences of the discovery, as far as they are manifest &...
38To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 23 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). Since my last I have not only received yr favr. of the 10th but that of the 3d, when I supposed you had not written, also reached me after a Circuitous trip to Richmond, & removed my fears for yr want of health. I have no particulars of the Affair at Charlotte, mentioned in my former, but its authenticity seems confirm’d, & as our recruits are March’d that way, I...
39To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 24 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). I very sincerely thank you for your Friendly and regular Correspondence. when I am in Richmond which I am in hopes to be the last of this week (being sufficiently recovered from my late indisposition as to be able to take the Bark) I will endeavour to make you amends by a communication from time to time of our proceedings in Assembly and such southern intelligence as...
40To James Madison from David Jameson, 25 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Rives Collection of Madison Papers). I recd. your favour without date inclosing the paper of the 10th. You will see by the paper inclosed that we are invaded, since the paper went to press we are certainly informed that the Enemy have landed Men on both sides Elizabeth River. they landed with the greatest confidence—did not fire a Gun—were within speech of the people on shore. What...