To Thomas Jefferson from Robert Hewes, 17 November 1802
From Robert Hewes
Boston Novmr. 17th. 1802
Sr
I make free to do myself the Honour to present your Exelency by the hand of my Frind Doctr. Eustis one of my Books of the Horse Sabre Exercise—made by the French and Austrians—which is a Compleat defence for man and horse—if you Should see fitt in a General order to make it the Exercise of our Cavalry—I have a Large Number of the Books on hand and will allso Teach one man of Each Company if they Apply to me—at present—our Cavalry are truely Millitary Monsters haveing no Sistem of Exercise. I have allso sent one Book to the war Office to General Dearborn—who you will please to Converse with upon the Subject. as to Myself—my Frind Doctr. Eustis has known me from a Child and will Give you all the Nesesary Information. Sir, Being Like Other Citisens, one of the Great Majority of the Nation, who are frinds to the present Administration I take the Liberty to Subscribe myself your Frind and humb. Serv.
Robt. Hewes
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 8 Jan. 1803 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: Rules and Regulations for the Sword Exercise of the Cavalry, revised and corrected by Robert Hewes (Boston, 1802; , No. 3028).
The son of a prosperous Boston tallow chandler, Robert Hewes (ca. 1751–1830) established a variety of business enterprises during his life, including a glue factory, a soapworks, and one of the pioneering glass manufacturing establishments in the United States. He was also well known as a fencing instructor, especially in the use of the cavalry sword. Besides his edition of Rules and Regulations, Hewes also published a revised and corrected edition of An Elucidation of Regulations for the Formations and Movements of Cavalry in 1804 (; Boston Columbian Centinel, 27 Oct. 1798, 16 Mch. 1803; Boston Constitutional Telegraphe, 23 Dec. 1801; , No. 6240).