To James Madison from Joseph Fenwick, 12 October 1801 (Abstract)
§ From Joseph Fenwick
12 October 1801, Georgetown. “Inclosed I have the honor to send you my account against the U. S. for sundry suplies and advances made by me while resident Consul at Bordeaux to divers americans & for the defence of their captured property amount due by the U. S. $10,001.83.1
“I have also presented to view in the account a Commercial comission of 2 ⅌Ct. on the gross amount of the property I persued the reclamation of thro’ the different Tribunals as noted in the Account—if compensation for attending to this business is allowed, & the one I have presented be reasonable it will be an addition of 8224.17 Dollars due me.
“My account is accompanyed with such notes & Justificative papers as I am possessed of in this Country if more details & other Documents are required by recourse to my Books in France I can & will furnish them, at least such as the nature of the Expedentures [sic] will admit of.”2
RC and enclosure (DNA: RG 217, First Auditor’s Accounts, no. 12,954). RC 2 pp. On the cover is a 22 Oct. 1801 note by Richard Harrison: “I have looked over these Accts. of Mr. Fenwick, and it is the Comptroller’s opinion as well as my own, that they cannot be settled untill he produces statements more in detail with regular receets for his Payments; or such other evidence as may be approved by the department of State.” For enclosures, see nn. For later correspondence concerning Fenwick’s accounts, see Harrison to JM, 28 Dec. 1803, , 6:239, 240 nn. 1–2.
1. The 12 Oct. 1801 enclosure (2 pp.) is a list of Fenwick’s charges against the United States amounting to 52,509₶ 4s.8d. livres tournois or $10,001.83.
2. Filed with this letter are supporting documents and vouchers numbered 1–68, several numbered and unnumbered documents apparently enclosed in Fenwick’s 14 Sept. 1798 letter to Timothy Pickering, a copy of that letter, letters from Albert Gallatin, Harrison, John Mason, John Maybin, Fenwick, and Wagner dealing with various aspects of the account, a list of documents and vouchers returned to Fenwick from the Treasury Department, another list of Fenwick’s charges, and an extract in Wagner’s hand of a 28 Sept. 1798 State Department circular dealing with consular expenses.