4951To George Washington from Jean-Baptiste Ternant, 29 August 1778 (Washington Papers)
When I accepted of the military offices proposed to me in this army, & undertook to discharge the duties of them as a volunteer, besides other motives, I had two chief objects in view: 1º to try my own self & learn from experience what I could not get with certainty from Theorical speculations, 2º to give your Excellency an opportunity of judging of my military abilities, talents &c.—how...
4952To George Washington from Christoph Daniel Ebeling, 10 October 1793 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency will kindly pardon the liberty I take, to offer You my Description of America. You know, it is the right, as it is the heartfelt pleasure of every freeborn feeling man, to admire the great and good benefactors of mankind. This pleasure I very often enjoyed, when I endeavoured to describe that country, whose daily increasing happiness is principally Your Work and that of those...
4953To John Adams from C. W. F. Dumas, 13 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
Après la Lettre que j’ai eu l’honneur de vous écrire hier, n’ayant plus rien à vous apprendre, pour le présent, des affaires publiques, mon intention étoit de vous écrire à loisir la semaine prochaine seulement, sur un arrangement à prendre quant à moi personnellement, en conséquence de ce que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de me dire la derniere fois qu’il en a été question entre nous,...
4954Robley Dunglison to James Madison, 14 February 1830 (Madison Papers)
I have the pleasure to inclose you the letters of Messrs. Brown & Long, which you were so obliging as to send me for perusal. I am glad that the latter Gentleman possesses the kind feelings towards us which he expresses. I have heard from him several times, and in all his communications he alludes to his great Interest for this Institution & for the Country. I regret very much that we are...
4955[Diary entry: 4 June 1767] (Washington Papers)
4. Do. & very warm—Do.
4956From George Washington to Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin, Baron [von] Steuben, 8 February 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have recd your favor of the 6th. Whether the duties of the assistant Inspectors will or will not admit of their performing other duties incident to Officers of their rank remains yet to be tried. Upon a supposition that they will—I shall consent to their being put upon the General Roster of the Army, and that they shall be, in their turn, eligible to command upon detachment or otherwise,...
4957From George Washington to the New York Convention, 17 October 1776 (Washington Papers)
Judging it a matter of the utmost importance to secure the passes thro the Highlands, I have sent up Monsr Imbert, a French Gentlemen, who has been placed in the Army as an Engineer by Congress, in order to take your directions respecting the passes & such Works as you may esteem necessary to preserve them. As the situation of Affairs in this State is rather alarming, I would beg leave to...
4958From George Washington to Thomas Newton, Jr., 12 October 1789 (Washington Papers)
A variety of avocations has prevented my giving an earlier acknowledgment to your letter of the 17th of July. I will now thank you, Sir, to furnish me with an Acct of the quantity & cost of the materials which have been placed on Cape Henry by the Commissioners appointed by the Assembly of Virginia, for the purpose of building a Light-house—as you have been so obliging as to offer to do it. I...
4959[Diary entry: 14 November 1770] (Washington Papers)
14. Came to the Captening or Fox Grape Vine Creek distant about 10 Miles.
4960To James Madison from Thomas Tenant, 16 January 1813 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
16 January 1813, Baltimore. Writes as “a resident merchant in the city of Baltimore” and as “the owner of the Brig or vessel called the Herald that was captured on the twenty fifth of December last, on the American Coast by a British Squadron, being then in the prosecution of a voyage from Bordeaux in France to the port of Baltimore.” Requests JM’s permission to “dispatch a vessel in the...
4961From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 11 March 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
The small pox at Richmond has cut off the communication by post to or through that place. I should have thought it Davies’s duty to have removed his office a little way out of town, that the communication might not have been interrupted. Instead of that it is said the inhabitants of the country are to be prosecuted because they thought it better to refuse a passage to his post riders than take...
4962To Benjamin Franklin from the Conde de Aranda, 6 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society L’ambassadeur d’Espagne ne pouvait point oublier l’invitation de Mr. Franklin pour samedi, il desirait meme le moment d’y concurrir avec la plus grande satisfaction. Mr. le chevr. del Campo profitera egalement de ses bontès. A l’egard du jeune Mr. Campos s’il etait de retour pour ce jourla, puisqu’il est atendu d’un jour a l’autre il sera bien flatè du...
4963To John Adams from Samuel Allyne Otis, 5 May 1792 (Adams Papers)
I hope this will find you agreeably reposing at your pleasant Seat after a tedious and fatiguing Session—which however is not ended nor do I know when it will be. They have agreed to Saturday next but such long speechifications as took place on the excise &c will protract the time two or three weeks.—The Senate are almost unemployed and wish for a recess, but it will hardly do for them to...
4964From James Madison to William Pinkney, 21 July 1808 (Madison Papers)
I have little to add to my private letter of the 15th. by the B. Packet, a copy of which is inclosed. Great efforts have been made to render the Embargo unpopular, and to prosecute evasions & violations of it. These efforts have not ceased & have not been without a certain degree of effect. With the means used by our own Citizens have been united great exertions from the Canadian & N. Scotia...
4965To Thomas Jefferson from Moustier, 6 November 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Le Roi ayant jugé à propos de me nommer en qualité de son Ministre Plénipotentiaire à la Cour de Berlin, j’ai reçu l’ordre de Sa Majesté de prendre congé de Mr. Le President des Etats-Unis en lui addressant la lettre par laquelle elle me rappelle de ma mission auprès de ces Etats. J’ai l’honneur de vous prier, Monsieur, de vouloir bien lui remettre ma lettre et de faire valoir auprès de lui...
4966From Benjamin Franklin to David Hartley, 21 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : M.H. Venables, Bristol, England (1976); copy and transcript: Library of Congress I received duly yours of the 2d Inst. I am sorry you have had so much Trouble in the Affair of the Prisoners. You have been deceived as well as we. No Cartel Ship has yet appear’d. And it is now evident that the Delays have been of Design, to give more Opportunity of seducing the Men by Promises and...
4967To Alexander Hamilton from William S. Smith, 27 December 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I have the pleasure to enclose a Letter from Doctr. Samuel Finley soliciting the acceptance of his resignation as Surgeon of the 12th. I advocated his appointment & felt myself obliged when he was complimented with it, I have calmly weight him in the balance, and to my great mortification, he kicks the beam I have alway’s had a friendship for him but I cannot indulge myself further on that...
4968From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I called at Gunston hall. The proprietor just recovering from a dreadful attack of the cholic. He was perfectly communicative, but I could not in discretion let him talk as much as he was disposed. I proceeded to M. Vernon and had a full, free, and confidential conversation with the President. The particulars shall be communicated when I see you. He declares himself quite undecided about...
4969To James Madison from Samuel Meeker, 4 December 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
4 December 1802, Philadelphia. States that “considerable doubts” have arisen regarding admission into Great Britain (except for export) of foreign cotton, imported and reshipped from the U.S. and carried directly there, because of the act passed by Parliament on 22 June 1802. The interests of U.S. merchants are so “materially connected” with the interpretation of this act that it is “important...
4970To Alexander Hamilton from Oliver Wolcott, Junior, 17 October 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
I judge it proper to keep you apprised of every thing material which occurs in the department and therefore enclose you copies of two letters from the Secretary at war on which Mr. Coxe has requested that 37,000 dollars may be advanced to the Contractor for rations and 15,000 or 20,000 dollars to the Contractor for cloathing for the year 1795. As there is no special appropriation, it will be...
4971To Benjamin Franklin from Harvard College, 16 June 1772: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from William C. Lane, “Harvard College and Franklin,” The Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts , X (1907), 238. <June 16, 1772: The President and Fellows vote to extend their thanks to Franklin for the gift of Dr. Priestley’s History and Present State of the Discoveries Relating to Vision, Light, and Colours (London, 1772), and to request Dr. Winthrop to forward a...
4972To Thomas Jefferson from Renaud, 6 March 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Paris, 6 Mch. 1789 . Presents, as requested by TJ, an account of what he has furnished to M. Paul Jones. RC ( ViWC ); in French; 2 p.; endorsed. Recorded in SJL as received 7 Mch. 1789. The enclosed statement is missing; it was forwarded to Jones by TJ on 23 Mch. 1789 . See Jones to TJ, 9 Sep. 1788 . TJ’s request, if in writing, has not been found and is not recorded in SJL , but is explained...
4973Samuel J. Harrison to Thomas Jefferson, 1 October 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
From the Rapid increase of the Commerce, Wealth & population of Lynchburg —the present Banking Capital thereof, is found to be quite insufficent—In Consequence of which, the Citizens, at a Publick Meeting held yesterday at the Court house; determined to Send Delegates to Philadelphia , for the purpose of Making application to the president & Directors of the Bank of the United States ; for the...
4974To George Washington from Major General Lafayette, 31 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
in Consequence of A Note from me the Admiral Came to Last evening, and defensive ideas Gave way to offensive plans—our Conversation was long and is not yet ended—But I hasten to write you a Summary of what past Betwen the Count, the Chevalier, and Myself. I first Began in My own name to Give them a pretty exact Account of the Situation we were in three Months Ago, of the Super natural efforts...
4975From Thomas Jefferson to George Hay, 7 September 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved late last night your favor of the day before & now re-inclose you the Subpoena. as I do not believe that the district courts have a power of commanding the Executive government to abandon superior duties & attend on them, at whatever distance, I am unwilling by any notice of the Subpoena to set a precedent which might sanction a proceeding so preposterous. I inclose you therefore a...
4976To John Adams from Leray de Chaumont, 25 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
D’après Le desir que vous avez temoigné hier devant moy de Retourner a L’amerique et Les inconvenients d’estre pris en Chemin et Conduit Chez vos ennemis J’ay Jugé que Le Sejour de Passi ne vous plairoit peutestre pas, et si vous aimiez mieux habiter unne franche Campagne. J’ay dans le Blesois unne terre meublée que Je n’habite pas, Je vous offre avec plaisir de vous en Laisser le Maistre tant...
4977From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 3 March 1761 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have wrote to you and [to] my Friends per Capt. Hammet. [My] Letters are in a little Box directed for you. There are also in the Box two Books to be delivered to Mr. Coleman. Hearing that another Vessel is [to] sail about the Same time, I write [this] by her, just to let you know [that we] are well, and have wrote fully as above. My Love to all. I am,...
4978[To Thomas Jefferson from Edward? Archer, 3 January 1781] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Swan’s Point, 3 Jan. 1781. The 1816 version of TJ’s Diary of Arnold’s Invasion (Document I in Notes and Documents Relating to the British Invasions in 1781, printed under 31 Dec. 1780) contains the following entry under 3 Jan.: “8. aclock P.M. Received letter from E. Archer Swan’s point that at 12. aclock that day they [the British fleet] were at anchor a little below Jamestown.” Archer’s...
4979Thomas Jefferson to Mary Daingerfield, 30 November 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
As the year is now drawing to a close & it will not be convenient for me to continue to hire all the negroes which I have heretofore hired from yourself & miss Dangerfield , I think it my duty to inform you of it. I should be willing to hire Tom & Edmund again. the rest, or the whole, if it is your pleasure, shall be delivered to your order at the end of their term; shall be discharged with...
4980To George Washington from Brigadier General Charles Scott, 6 October 1778 (Washington Papers)
I recd Your favor of Yesterdays date Late last night—I can hardly Suppose that the Fleet could possably have Saild without our Hearing of it. however every thing possable Shall Be immediatly don in order to know with Certainty whether that is the Case, particular attention Shall also be paid Respecting the disease. Capt. Leavenworth who was expected on Sunday last, is not Yet Come. I am afraid...