To James Madison from Charles Pinckney, 18 February 1812
From Charles Pinckney
February 18 1812 In Charleston
Dear Sir
I had the honour to recieve your polite & friendly favour of the 10th: ultimo1 & shall do myself the pleasure to write you more at length as soon as I see the Course our public affairs will take after you hear from Europe. My object at present is to mention the death of Judge Bee the Judge of this district, & to recommend John D Heath Esquire2 to fill his place, a Gentleman of the Bar of this State of very finished & extensive legal knowledge & abilities & who I am sure will do honour to the appointment should it be conferred on him.3
I avail myself of this Opportunity to renew to you my best Wishes for your honour & happiness. I recieved on thursday a letter from Mr Jefferson & it gave me great pleasure to see by it how happy he is, & that he is descending the Vale of life just in the Way that every great & good man would wish; & that at the End of your political labours You may do the same is the ardent Wish of dear sir with the greatest regard & most affectionate respect dear sr Yours Truly
Charles Pinckney
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM. Sent as enclosure in John D. Heath to JM, 19 Feb. 1812.
1. No letter from JM to Pinckney of 10 Jan. 1812 has been found, but it was probably a note in acknowledgment of Pinckney’s 18 Dec. 1811 letter to JM.
2. Maryland-born John Davis Heath had practiced law in Philadelphia and established himself with some difficulty in the same profession in Charleston in 1807. In 1812 he was a member of the South Carolina General Assembly and later served as a director of the Bank of South Carolina and as a private in the state troops during the War of 1812 (Edgar et al., Biographical Directory of the South Carolina House of Representatives, 4:274).
3. On 13 Mar. 1812 JM nominated Thomas Parker to replace Thomas Bee as judge of the district court of South Carolina (, 2:235).