John H. Hall and Others to Thomas Jefferson, 20 July 1823
From John H. Hall and Others
Philadelphia July 20 1823
Most Distinguished &. Esteemed Sir.
Pardon the liberty we assume in thus addressing you, in doing which we feel a peculiar delicacy on the occasion, in consequence of not having the honor of a personal acquaintance, The subject of this communication is Colonel M. M. Russell a native of Virginia and formerly of the army in the late war with Great Britian a gentleman distinguished for his courage patrotism and many other amiable qualities, he has lately held the commission as Consul to the port of Riga. We sincerely regret to state that he has within but a short period been truly unfortunate having had every particle of his property distroyed by fire near this city which has reduced him with an amiable Wife and family to a distressed situation what adds to his misfortunes is that he is in a very ill state of health which deprives him of the exertion he could otherwise make for the mentainace of his family
He wishes to remove his family &. self to Richmond the place of his nativity but not having the means to accomplish his views it has been suggested by several of his friends in this city to make through them, an application to you to aid him in his present object, in troubling so distinguished1 a gentleman as yourself characteristic of so many virtues we feel all the defference imaginable and hope, Sir, that the purport of this letter may lessen the presumption we have taken in addressing it to you. We feel convinced that there is none in more need of charitable aid, than this truly unfortunate gentleman and none could be more worthy of it.
| J. H. Hall |
| Solomon Tobias |
| R. W. Harris |
| A. Baldwin |
| F. Smith |
| P.S. | J. H. Hall is the gentleman appointed to receive pecuniary aid for Col. Russell |
RC (DLC); in Hall’s hand, signed by him, Tobias, Harris, Baldwin, and Smith; endorsed by TJ as a letter from “Hall J. H. et al.” received 1 Aug. 1823 and so recorded (as from Hall alone) in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with Dft of TJ to Cummings, Hilliard & Company, 14 Jan. 1825, on verso; addressed in Hall’s hand: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr Late President of the United States Monticello Virginia”; franked; postmarked Philadelphia, 22 July.
Solomon Tobias (ca. 1791–1868), maltster, bitters manufacturer, and wine and liquor merchant, was born in South Carolina. He migrated permanently to Philadelphia in 1818 and, having failed in an attempt to obtain a military appointment despite a recommendation from Moses M. Russell, began his career as a merchant and maltster shortly thereafter. An opponent of Andrew Jackson’s presidential reelection bid in 1832, Tobias operated the firm of Solomon Tobias & Son by 1850. He retired around 1860 and at the time of his death owned personal property worth about $2,600 (Philadelphia Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser, 29 June 1818, 5 Oct. 1832; Calhoun, Papers, 2:360, 3:489; The Philadelphia Directory and Stranger’s Guide for 1825 [Philadelphia, 1825], 141; Desilver’s Philadelphia Directory, and Strangers’ Guide. 1831 [1831], 215; A. M’Elroy’s Philadelphia Directory, for the year 1850 [(1850)], 417; McElroy’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1860 [1860], 997; Gopsill’s Street Index and City Guide of the City of Philadelphia. 1876 [1876]; DNA: RG 29, CS, Pa., Philadelphia, 1830, 1850, 1860; Philadelphia Inquirer, 28 Jan. 1868; Philadelphia Wills and Probate Records, will no. 63, 1868).
Moses M. Russell (ca. 1793–1852), soldier, public official, and attorney, joined the United States Army as an artillerist in 1812. After seeing action on the Canadian frontier and as an adjutant to George Armistead during the bombardment of Fort McHenry, he achieved the rank of second lieutenant. Russell was discharged in 1815 and moved briefly to Georgia and South Carolina before his appointment two years later as United States consul at Riga, Russia (later Latvia). Citing concern for the health of his wife, Russell soon sought to exchange the appointment for a post in Tunis or Amsterdam. He resigned his consulship in 1819 without ever having reached Riga. By 1823 Russell had established himself in Philadelphia and its vicinity, working as an attorney and conveyancer by 1830 and retiring about 1850 (Heitman, U.S. Army, 1:853; Russell to James Monroe, 30 Mar. 1816 [DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1809–17]; New-York Columbian, 3 May 1817; JEP, 3:96, 98 [12, 15 Dec. 1817]; Russell to Richard Rush, 3, 22 May, 11 Aug. 1817, and Russell to John Quincy Adams, 21 Sept., 28 Oct. 1817, 26 May, 26 Aug. 1818, 15 Sept. 1819, all in DNA: RG 59, CD, Riga; DNA: RG 29, CS, Pa., Philadelphia, 1830–50 [with 1850 census listing Russell as a native of Pennsylvania]; Robert Desilver, Desilver’s Philadelphia Directory and Stranger’s Guide, 1830 [1830], 167; A. M’Elroy’s Philadelphia Directory, for 1840 [1840], 218; A. M’Elroy’s Philadelphia Directory, for the year 1850 [(1850)], 361; Philadelphia Public Ledger, 20 Mar. 1852; New York Evening Post, 22 Mar. 1852).
Similar letters seeking aid for Russell signed by Hall and individuals different from those who inscribed their names above were sent to James Madison and John Adams on 10 and 25 Oct. 1823, respectively (, 3:136–7; MHi: Adams Papers).
1. Manuscript: “distiguished.”
Index Entries
- Adams, John; charity requested from search
- Baldwin, A.; and aid for M. M. Russell search
- charity; donations to families in need search
- charity; requests to TJ for search
- Hall, John H.; and aid for M. M. Russell search
- Hall, John H.; letter from search
- Harris, R. W.; and air for M. M. Russell search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); charity requested from search
- Russell, Moses M.; charity for search
- Russell, Moses M.; family of search
- Russell, Moses M.; health of search
- Russell, Moses M.; identified search
- Smith, F.; and aid for M. M. Russell search
- Tobias, Solomon; and aid for M. M. Russell search
- Tobias, Solomon; identified search