John Armstrong to Thomas Jefferson, 1 July 1818
From John Armstrong
Red-hook 1 July 1818
Dear Sir,
About the 1st week in May last I received a request from an old and useful friend, to whom I could not well refuse a kindness, solliciting from me a letter of introduction to yourself and another to Mr W. C. Nicholas. and adding, that he would set out for some of the watering places in your state about the 10th of that month. I accordingly gave him a few lines for each of you and committed to his care the enclosed letter in relation to Gen. K. To my great surprise in a visit I had from the gentleman yesterday, he replaced in my hands & as he received them, the two letters & the notice. With the Capriciousness of a Dyspeptic, he had altered the direction of his march and had entirely forgotten, that if anything arose to disturb his first intentions, he had engaged to forward by mail the letter marked 2. I much regret this circumstance, as it may have tended to disappoint Mr Julian’s expectations, which after all, are perhaps not less likely to suffer by the very scanty materials I am able to furnish. I have a number of the General’s letters, but they are written in bad English and have besides very little connexion with political events or public men.
John Armstrong
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 19 July 1818 and so recorded in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to William Wirt, 10 Nov. 1818, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esq. late President of The U. S. Monticello Virginia”; franked; postmarked New York, 9 July.
gen. k.: Tadeusz Kosciuszko. For julian’s expectations, see Marc Antoine Jullien to TJ, 30 Nov. 1817, and TJ to Armstrong, 20 Mar. 1818.
Index Entries
- Armstrong, John; and proposed biography of T. Kosciuszko search
- Armstrong, John; friend of engaged to deliver letter search
- Armstrong, John; letters from search
- Jullien, Marc Antoine; and proposed biography of T. Kosciuszko search
- Kosciuszko, Tadeusz (Thaddeus) Andrzej Bonawentura; proposed biography of search
- Nicholas, Wilson Cary (1761–1820); as Va. governor search