1To James Madison from William Bradford, [13] October 1772 (Madison Papers)
FC (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). The RC is not known to exist. Given below is the text of the first letter copied by William Bradford in his commonplace book. On page 1 of this notebook he wrote, “Letters to and From Mr. James Maddison jr. From October the seventh 1772 to July 28th … 1775 inclusive.” Unaccountably, Bradford misdated the present letter “October 7th 1773.” JM’s reply of...
2To James Madison from Philip Freneau, 22 November 1772 (Madison Papers)
If I am not wrongly informed by my memory, I have not seen you since last April. you may recollect I was then undertaking a School at Flatbush on Long Island. I did enter upon the business it is certain and continued in it thirteen days—but—“Long Island I have bid adieu, with all its bruitish brainless crew. The youth of that detested place, are void of reason and of grace, From Flushing hills...
3To James Madison from William Bradford, 1 March 1773 (Madison Papers)
You will pardon me for not writing sooner when I inform you that ever since I received your agreeable letter I have [been] roving from place to place without being able to find time to answer it. But I need make no apology, as I know your Goodness will excuse me without one. Puntuality [in] answering a letter is what Pope justly call[s] the ceremonial part of friendship which those who have a...
4To James Madison from William Bradford, 27 May 1773 (Madison Papers)
Tis with pleasure I find myself able to give you ample information concerning your Nassovian Friends, many of whom are now in town attending the Synod. Mr. Ervin has been sometime licensed & I hear is very popular in the back parts of Pennsylvania. He has lately commenced a strict Cadoganite; yet [in] spite of Cadogan his health is much impaired and he seems to be in the first stage of a...
5To James Madison from William Bradford, 12 August 1773 (Madison Papers)
I have just returned here from Philada where I have been this week past in a constant hurry occasioned by the marriage of a Sister. I now sit down to answer your agreeable Letter which I could not do sooner altho I greatly desired it; but I hope you will not follow a bad example but reprove my long delay by an early answer; for as I expect soon to determine what profession I shall engage in...
6To James Madison from William Bradford, 24 September 1773 (Madison Papers)
I was on the point of expostulating with you for you[r] long silence when I receiv’d your[s] of Sept 6 by the hands of our worthy friend mr Ervin. I am surprized & chagrined to find you have not received a letter I wrote about six weeks ago. You may remember you promised to give me you[r] sentiments about my employing my talents provided I explained myself more fully upon that head. Eager to...
7To James Madison from William Bradford, 5 November 1773 (Madison Papers)
Your last reached me in a very happy time as I was on the point of determining what profession I would choose & absolutely fixing my choice which had long been wavering between law & trade! As your sentiments coincided with those of my [other] friends I have begun the study of the law
8To James Madison from William Bradford, 25 December 1773 (Madison Papers)
The gratefull manner in which you mention the few trifles I sent you gives me a most sensible pleasure as it [is] a new proof of you[r] friendship. Beleive me my freind I esteem it [a] favor that you put it in my power to oblige; & therefore the best way of showing your gratitude will be to command me freely when I have it in my power to serve you. I am glad to hear you intend to cultivate an...
9To James Madison from William Bradford, 4 March 1774 (Madison Papers)
I purposely delayed answering yours of January 24th to this time that I might be better able to give you the Intelligence you wanted. I hope however it will reach you before you set out and perhaps time enough to be answered. I agree with you that a Student of Law should not to[o] much indulge his taste for polite-Learning as it has a tendency to make the mind averse to severer Studies. Yet...
10To James Madison from William Bradford, 1 August 1774 (Madison Papers)
I am sorry to find your letter confirms the accounts we have received of the depredations of the Indians; which I hope was a slight & private quarrell with Cressop & others; for such accounts as these generally increase in horror as the distance increases. I am apprehensive the death of Sir William Johnston (of which you must undoubtedly have heard[) will] be attended with disagreeable...
11To James Madison from William Bradford, 17 October 1774 (Madison Papers)
My silence has been long & perhaps you will tell me unkind; but I plead your release from strict pu[n]ctuality in bar to any reproofs of that sort: And do not think that I plead this because I [have] no better plea: but because It would take up more time than I can spare to tell you all the causes of my silence: yet they may be comprehended in two word[s] Sickness & Business. But tho they...
12To James Madison from William Bradford, 4 January 1775 (Madison Papers)
Agreeable to your request I waited on Mr Dunlap & stopd your paper [?] ours now follows [?] [ Got Ferguson at Bell’s and will send it as soon as possible etc] With regard to the Complaints of New-England Baptist I can learn nothing. I believe there was none. I suppose you have by this time read the Journal of the Congress by which you will see the Secresy was one of their first resolves; they...
13To James Madison from William Bradford, [3–6? March] 1775 (Madison Papers)
I would have answered your most acceptable epistle of the 20 Jany had not the conclusion given me hopes of “eer long hearing from you again.” You must have received a letter I wrote in the beginning of Jany. soon after you dispatched your last unless it be as long on its Voyage as the one I sent by Rutherford was. I thank you for Logan’s speech. I admire the nervous & untutor’d eloquence of...
14To James Madison from William Bradford, 4 April 1775 (Madison Papers)
Though the business that at present surrounds me on every side, makes writing inconvenient, yet I cannot let Mr. Hoops return without a few Lines to one I value so much. [Mr Dunlap’s paper &c] I send with this Furguson which I could not get for less than 12/ tho’ you will perceive it is somewhat soil’d. I also send the friendly address &c. & The other side of the Question. I dare not add more...
15To James Madison from William Bradford, 2 June 1775 (Madison Papers)
I have two of your epistolary favours to acknowledge[,] the one handed to me by the Revd Mr Smith, some time ago & the other since by Patrick Henry Esqr. I also received 22/6. & as it exceeds what Ferguson &c Cost I shall consider you as the Cestui que Use of the surplus. I have but little to tell you of the Congress; they keep their proceeding so secret that scarce any thing transpires but...
16To James Madison from William Bradford, 10 July 1775 (Madison Papers)
I did intend to have delayed writing to you till Mr Smith’s return to Virginia; but I believe that will not be early & I am not fond of delaying the discharge of an Epistolary debt. He was married last week to Miss Anna Witherspoon & proposes to spend some time at Princeton & at his fathers. He desired me to mention this to you lest you should suppose he had returned without calling upon you....
17To James Madison from William Bradford, [18] July 1775 (Madison Papers)
I wrote to you last week by the post. Mr Smith gives me an opportunity of sending you a few more lines which friendship will not allow me to neglect. I have seen the address to the six confederate indian Nations. It sets forth that our fathers left britain on the faith of Contracts which have been faithfully observed on our part, that the king’s ministers grew jealous of us, that they sent...
18Commission as Colonel of Orange County Militia, 2 October 1775 (Madison Papers)
By Virtue of the Power and Authority invested in us, by the Delegates and Representatives of the several Counties and Corporations in General Convention assembled, we, reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Patriotism, Fidelity, Courage, and good Conduct, do, by these Presents, constitute and appoint you to be Colonel of the Militia of the County of Orange ; and you are therefore...
19To James Madison from William Bradford, 20 May 1776—Summary (Madison Papers)
20 May 1776 . In “A Memorandum Book and Register, for the months of May & June 1776,” now in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, William Bradford wrote on 20 May: “… went to the town meeting where notwithstanding the badness of the day ther was a great number of inhabitants & it was resolved 1. That the present Government was inefficient 2. That the Assembly could not legally form a new...
20To James Madison from William Bradford, 3 June 1776—Summary (Madison Papers)
3 June 1776 . In his “Memorandum Book” (see 20 May 1776) Bradford wrote: “As my friend Maddison had desired me in his last to give him a sketch of the Constitution of this province and of that of Connecticut which might be useful to him as a member of Convention, I determined to return an early answer & wrote a rough draught of a Letter for that purpose. The constitution of Connecticut I...
21To 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, &...
22Virginia Treasurer’s Office Receipt, 22 January 1778 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
22 January 1778. JM receives for the use of Isaac Zane the sum of £180 for the county of Frederick. Ms ( Vi ). Entry in Treasurer’s Office receipt book. Signed by JM.
23To 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...
24To 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...
25To 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...
26To 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...
27Credentials 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...
28To 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...
29To 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...
30To 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...