From James Madison to William Matthews, 12 February 1827
To William Matthews
Montpellier Fe⟨bruary 12. 1827⟩
Sir
I recd. by yesterday’s mail your letter of the 8th. i⟨nstant and one⟩ at the same time from Genl. Cocke, inclosing yours to him on th⟨e proposed⟩ Military Instruction in the University. This last I return to you, with the sanction desired on the part of the Executive Committee of the Visitors.1 With respect
James Madison
Should Genl. Cocke have returned from his visit to the University, be so good as to hand the inclosed letter to the post office.
RC (ViU: Special Collections, Madison Papers). Torn along upper right fold. Conjectural date assigned based on JM to John Hartwell Cocke, 12 Feb. 1827, which was enclosed in this letter, and the postmark of Orange Court House, Virginia, 13 Feb. Addressed and franked by JM to Matthews at “Everettsville Albemarle County Virginia.” For enclosure, see n. 1.
1. JM enclosed Matthews’s ca. 15 January 1827 letter to Cocke (see Cocke to JM, 6 Feb. 1827, and n. 2), below which JM appended his signed sanction of Matthews’s plans, dated at Montpelier, 12 Feb. 1827: “I concur with General Cocke in opinion that William Matthews may, with the approbation of the Faculty, and subject to the further order of the Visitors, proceed with a School of Military Instruction in the University, according to the arrangements above proposed; and that he be allowed the use of an unoccupied Pavilion, under regulations to be prescribed by the Proctor” (Vi: Executive Papers); draft (DLC); Tr (ViU: Special Collections, Madison Papers); Tr (ViU: Special Collections). RC enclosed in Matthews to William Branch Giles, 27 Mar. 1827. First Tr in Dolley Madison’s hand, written at the top of JM to Cocke, 12 Feb. 1827. Second Tr in Arthur S. Brockenbrough’s hand; marked “Copy”; includes an asterisk after “above proposed” and a note at the bottom: “*A copy of the arrangements was handed into the Faculty.”