Robert Smith to Thomas Jefferson, [11 November 1805]
From Robert Smith
Monday [11 Nov. 1805]
Sir,
Among the papers I left with you this morning you will find a Statement of the expenditures this year that had not been contemplated in the Estimate for the year 1805. Some of these you will perceive were imposed upon the Navy Department by Occurrences in the Mediterranian—Some by resolutions of Congress directing certain payments without making any appropriations—and some of them were incurred by your advice—
Notwithstanding these large extra expences I expected to have been able to go on without difficulties; because there was no reason to believe that the Tripolitan war would have terminated so soon and of course that the Frigates would not have returned before the meeting of Congress.
There not being money in the Treasury subject to my Control sufficient for the payment of the Crews of the Congress & Constellation I have ordered them to New-York to wait for Orders—This will give us time and the idea will be that their services are wanted on that station. And there is no Occasion to let every person learn the reason of this Movement—They can be employed on that station beneficially—
I did myself the honor of calling at your house to inform you in person of these particulars but you were once engaged and the other time you had rode out—I will call upon you tomorrow Morning about 10 OClock—
Respectfully
Rt Smith
RC (DLC); partially dated; endorsed by TJ as received 11 Nov. 1805 and “deficit for Frigates” and so recorded in SJL.
Smith left with TJ a one-page document, titled “Extra expenditures of the Navy Department, incurred during the year 1805, which have not been estimated for,” that showed a budget shortfall of $312,370. These expenses included $32,000 for captured ships that were put into commission in the Mediterranean, $35,000 for nine months of service for the nine gunboats that crossed the Atlantic, $47,000 for the two bomb vessels fitted out by Edward Preble, $63,760 for nine months of service of 400 men on the John Adams, $23,000 for six months of service for the John Adams, $16,500 for four months of service for the Hornet, $63,120 for construction of the Hornet and the Wasp, $2,000 pursuant to a resolution of Congress awarding a sword to Stephen Decatur and for two months of pay to the crew of the Intrepid, $20,000 pursuant to a resolution of Congress awarding a medal to Preble, a sword to the officers and midshipmen who “distinguished themselves in the attacks against Tripoli,” and one month of extra pay to the petty officers, seamen, and marines in Preble’s squadron, and $10,000 for bounties paid to seamen to induce them to serve, as wages on merchant vessels were much higher (MS in DLC: TJ Papers, 153:26851).