To James Madison from William Eustis, 25 September 1811
From William Eustis
Washington Septr 25th: 1811.
Dr Sir,
Your Letter of the 21st instant was received yesterday. By the mail of the same day an order issued to General Hampton directing the attendance of all the officers named in the request of the Court Martial.1 A duplicate of the order was also confided to Lt Colo. Backus, a member of the court objected to by Genl. Wilkinson and discharged, who is ordered to the Southward to supply the place of one of the field officers ordered from that station, with directions to deliver it to General Hampton in order that the earliest notice may be given to the concerned.
The proceedings of the court martial in the case of Surgeon’s Mate Huston,2 as also the Letter from Jeffersonville Ky recommending Mr Wood for a commission in the army is received by the mail of this morning.
The West end of the city continues healthy—Capitol hill less so. Looking with impatience for your return which will relieve us from the quasi exile of the last two months, we are with our best respects to Mrs Madison, Dr Sir, your respectful
W Eustis
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. On 24 Sept. 1811 Eustis ordered Hampton to arrange for the attendance of those officers Wilkinson had requested as witnesses at his court-martial (see Eustis to JM, 14 Sept. 1811, and n. 1). Eustis added that “the limits assigned to Col Cushing under his arrest, will be enlarged to admit of his attendance. The court for his trial, which was adjourned to the first of December, will be adjourned to a more distant period” (DNA: RG 107, LSMA).
2. Eustis had forwarded the proceedings in the court-martial of Robert Huston to JM on 18 Sept. 1811. JM approved the findings of the court but remitted the sentence (Eustis to JM, 18 Sept. 1811 [PHi: Daniel Parker Papers; 1 p.]; Eustis to Leonard Covington, 25 Sept. 1811 [DNA: RG 107, LSMA]).