To Thomas Jefferson from John Gaillard, 25 May 1805
From John Gaillard
Charleston May 25th. 1805.
Sir,
Mr Lehré a Resident of Charleston & one of its members in the State Legislature having expressed an Intention of passing through Virginia I beg leave to be permitted to introduce him to your acquaintance.—This Gentleman is well acquainted with the political state of things in this Country & has contributed much by his exertions to the success of the republican Interest.
I am, Sir, very respectfully, yr. obt. Servt.
John Gaillard.
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 24 Sep. and so recorded in SJL, where TJ connected it by a brace and notation “recd. by mr Lehré” with entries for letters received the same day from William Johnson of 25 May, William Butler of 30 May, Peter Freneau of 2 June, Thomas Moore of 28 June, and an undated letter from Paul Hamilton.
John Gaillard (1765-1826) served in the South Carolina legislature from 1794 until 1804, when he was chosen to succeed Pierce Butler in the U.S. Senate. Taking his seat in January 1805, Gaillard remained in the Senate until the end of his life. His tenure included several terms as president pro tempore (Biog. Dir. Cong.; N. Louise Bailey and others, eds., Biographical Directory of the South Carolina Senate, 1776-1985, 3 vols. [Columbia, S.C., 1986], 1:539-40).