To James Madison from William Price, [ca. 31 December 1827]
From William Price
[ca. 31 December 1827]
Sir
From our former acquaintance, and Being a former Member of the Virginia Legislature With you some years past, at the request of Mr Rufus Stone,1 my Neighbour, who is desireous of Emigrateing to the province of Textus I recommend Him to you as a Gentleman of strict integraty Who seek through me a recommendation from you and Mr Monroe to the Government of That province this province being populated By such a veriety of people some who have Fled from there place of Nativity to avoid Paying of there Just debts and others to escape The punishment of there crimes thus constituing A verity of Charactors Mr Stone wishes to Avoid this sort of censure if any such should arise by seeking a recommondation from you dignitys so notorious over all the world I Pledge myself to you as well as to Mr Monroe that Mr Stone will come fulley up to the representation given by me I therefore request of you boeth such a Recommondation as you can feel perfecley to Give through the Honorable Gabriel Moore2 and Myself our representive in Congress the favour will Ever be highly appritiated by your friend and old acquaintance
William Price.3
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM. Undated; conjectural date assigned based on JM’s docket “1827” as well as on JM to Price, 10 Jan. 1828, and JM to Gabriel Moore, 10 Jan. 1828.
1. Rufus Stone’s move to Texas seems to have been successful, as one year later he entered into an agreement with Stephen F. Austin regarding a lead and silver mine that Stone had discovered (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, “Transcript of an Agreement between Stephen F. Austin and Rufus Stone,” 5 Dec. 1828, Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth217379/).
2. Gabriel Moore (ca. 1785–1845) was an 1810 graduate of the University of North Carolina who moved to Huntsville, Mississippi Territory, and established a law practice there. In 1819 that area became part of the new state of Alabama, and Moore served in the state house of representatives and the senate before becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1821–29. He served as governor of Alabama, 1829–31, but resigned to become a U.S. senator, 1831–37 (Sobel and Raimo, Biographical Directory of the Governors, 1:8).
3. The author could have been either William Price of Charlotte County or William Price of Henrico County. Both served alongside JM in the Virginia House of Delegates during the 1799–1800 session (, 419).