Abraham Runnels to Thomas Jefferson, 22 January 1823
From Abraham Runnels
St Barts 22 January 1823.
Sir.
By a letter which you did my Son, then at N. York, the honour to write him under the 3 November 22, I perceive you received that, I had the honour of addressing to you in September L.P. And, that, having taken the requisite information from Baron Stackelberg, to whom I took the liberty of referring you without notice of it to him, you had, condescendingly, communicated the result to the Secretary of State. My Son being now in the W. Indies, I expect to be joined by him every moment. He mentions that before he left America he had transmitted his address to you: that should he have obtained an Agency for either of the british colonies enumerated in my solicitations to you for the weight of your name in his favour, the appointment may follow him. Having not, yet, had any particular communication from him, I know not if he applied to the department of State for the effect of your intercession. Under this uncertainty; and under the impression that it is my duty to address that Department—I take the liberty of doing so, now, under your protection.
Accept, Sir, my best acknowledgements for your readiness to further the views of a Father, for the promotion of a cherished child, whose ability to do so himself, has been sadly paralyzed by untoward fortune. And receive, if you please, the homage of my most profound respect.
Runnels
RC (MHi); endorsed by TJ as received 2 Mar. 1823 and so recorded in SJL. RC (MoSHi: TJC-BC); address cover only; with FC of TJ to John B. West, 8 Mar. 1824, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Equire Monticello Virginia”; franked; stamped “SHIP”; postmarked Norfolk, 19 Feb.
l.p.: “last past.”
On this day Runnels wrote to secretary of state John Quincy Adams to inquire about the results of TJ’s intercession “to obtain for my Son Mr George Runnels the appointment of Commercial Agent for the U.S. at Trinidad St Vincents, St Lucia, or St Kitts, I perceive that he has, obligingly, transmitted to you the result of a communication to him from Baron Stackleberg the Minister for Sweden, near your Government. Will you, Sir, have the goodness to instruct me of the fate of my Son’s application to you” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1817–25; endorsed as received 7 Mar. 1823).
Index Entries
- Adams, John Quincy; and appointments search
- Adams, John Quincy; as secretary of state search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation to search
- patronage; letters of application and recommendation to TJ search
- Runnels, Abraham; letter from search
- Runnels, Abraham; seeks appointment for son search
- Runnels, George; seeks appointment search
- Stackelberg, Berndt Robert Gustaf; as reference for A. Runnels search
- State Department, U.S.; and consular appointments search