To Thomas Jefferson from Samuel Burchard, 7 March 1805
From Samuel Burchard
March the 7
Sir
I have sent to you to see ef I cannot be alowd a little more pention for what I reseve alrady is not sufisient to suport me and the tims is so very hard that I am not able to mak out Without a favour from thy hand I have lost my rite arm and it is rendered me intierly unable of performing any kind of laber it hapened at governors island
I Reseve but 60 dollars a year and I pay 50 for board and what is left is not sufisient to cloth me I am distressed for Debt upon the acount of giting clothing I am the Same Samuel Burchard Corporal in the late 2 R of A & E yoars
Samuel Burchard
Sir you must derict your anser to Middle town post new Castle county State of delaware
RC (PHi: Daniel Parker Papers); addressed in a different hand: “Thomas Jefferson President of the United Staes Washington City”; endorsed by TJ as received 21 Mch. and so recorded in SJL with notation “W”; also endorsed by TJ: “referred to Secy. War Th:J.”
Samuel Burchard (b. ca. 1778), a native of New Castle County, Delaware, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1798. He was injured at Fort Jay in New York harbor and was discharged with a pension as a corporal in June 1801 (DNA: RG 94, Regular Army Muster Rolls).
the late 2 R of A & E: the Second Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers, established by Congress on 27 Apr. 1798, was disbanded under the Military Peace Establishment Act of 1802 (, 1:552-3; 2:132-7).