To James Madison from Albert Gallatin, [7 February 1805]
From Albert Gallatin
Saturday morning [ 7 February 1805]
Dear Sir
I enclose the copy of a note which I sent yesterday to General Turreau, and a letter I have this day received from him.1 No money can be paid to Buisson on advance without your permission, as your last letter on that subject, written in 1802 & enclosing Mr Lincoln’s opinion,2 which forbad any payment remains on the files of the office. If a payment is made, the two hundred dollars which you advanced should be included so as to cover the Same. You may direct therefore a payment of five hundred dollars taking care that he shall receive only three hundred. Respecfully Your’s
Albert Gallatin
Please to return the copy of my note to Gen. Turreau.
RC (DLC: Gallatin Papers). Docketed by Wagner “7 Feby. 1805. DuBuisson’s case.” Date assigned on the basis of Wagner’s docket; however, JM’s reply is dated Saturday, 6 Apr. 1805, and Gallatin may have written his note on the same day, in which case Wagner’s docket is unexplained.
1. The enclosures have not been found, but for Capt. Joseph Buisson’s claim for losses stemming from the capture of the Peggy, see Louis-André Pichon to JM, 30 Dec. 1801, , 2:354 and n. 1.
2. JM’s letter to Gallatin has not been found, but the enclosure had to have been Levi Lincoln to JM, 17 June 1802, , 3:313–17.