Thomas Jefferson Papers

Stackelberg to Thomas Jefferson, 29 October 1822

From Stackelberg

Washington le 29. Octobre 1822.

Monsieur le President!

Je m’empress d’accuser1 la reception de la lettre que Vous, Monsieur le President, a bien daigné m’adresser en date du 23m courant, relativement aux informations que vous avez bien voulu me demander consernant le Pere & fils Runnells de L’Isle St: Barthelemy.

J’ai l’avantage de connoitre Monsieur Runnells le Pere; très particulierement, et il me fait un plaisir infini d’avoir l’honneur d’assurer qu’il est un homme de la plus grande respectabilité, et de talent, dont vous, Monsieur le President, jugeres beaucoup mieux que moi, par la lettre qu’il a eu l’honneur de vous écrire. Son fils qui étoit fort jeune pendant mon sejour a St. Barthelemy, donnoit les plus belles esperances, et j’ai tout lieu de croire qu’il se rendra digne de la haute protection que son Pere a supplie pour lui.

Daigné me permettre, Monsieur le President, d’exprimer combien je me trouve heureux d’avoir l’honneur de vous temoigner mes très humble homages, et l’assurance de la très haute consideration, avec laquelle, j’ai l’honneur d’être

Monsieur le President

Votre très humble et très Obeissant Serviteur

Stackelberg

Editors’ Translation

Washington 29. October 1822.

Mr. President!

I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of the letter that you, Mr. President, deigned to send me, dated the 23rd of this month, kindly requesting information from me concerning the Runnels, father and son, from the island of Saint-Barthélemy.

I have the advantage of knowing the elder Mr. Runnels particularly well, and it gives me infinite pleasure to have the honor of assuring you that he is a man of great respectability and talent, of whom, Mr. President, you will judge much better than I, by the letter he had the honor of writing you. His son, who was quite young at the time of my stay in Saint-Barthélemy, was full of promise, and I have every reason to believe that he will prove himself worthy of the high protection his father has entreated for him.

Deign to allow me, Mr. President, to express how happy I am to have the honor of testifying to you my very humble respect, and the assurance of the very high consideration with which, I have the honor to be

Mr. President

Your very humble and very obedient servant

Stackelberg

RC (MoSHi: TJC-BC); endorsed by TJ as received 2 Nov. 1822 and so recorded in SJL. RC (MHi); address cover only; with FC of TJ to John Minor, 9 Jan. 1825, on verso; addressed: “Th. Jefferson. Ci-devant President des Etats Unis & & &. Monticello”; franked; postmarked Washington, 30 Oct. Translation by Dr. Genevieve Moene.

1Manuscript: “d’accusser.”

Index Entries

  • French language; letters in, from; Stackelberg search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation to search
  • patronage; letters of application and recommendation to TJ search
  • Runnels, Abraham; seeks appointment for son search
  • Runnels, George; seeks appointment search
  • Stackelberg, Berndt Robert Gustaf; as reference for A. Runnels search
  • Stackelberg, Berndt Robert Gustaf; letter from search