To James Madison from Thomas Magrath, 7 September 1812
From Thomas Magrath
Washington City Septr 7—1812
Sir,
About the 25th ult I recd. a draught on me from the Bank of Columbia which I refused accep[t]ing not knowing what it was for & having no orders so to do, in conseq[u]ence of which I recd. the within letter which I thought to send you &c1 I remain Your Hble. Servt.
Thos Magrath2
RC and enclosures (DLC). For enclosures, see n. 1.
1. Magrath enclosed a 4 Sept. 1812 letter (1 p.) from the firm of Heth and Randolph stating that the draft for $404 that Magrath had refused to pay was for coal shipped at the request of Isaac Coles “for the use of the President.” Accompanying this is a letter from Henry Heth to Isaac Coles, 1 Sept. 1812 (1 p.; docketed by JM), explaining that he had shipped the coal requested and including a bill of lading dated 20 Aug. 1812 (1 p.) to show that the coal had been shipped, and an undated letter to Magrath from Heth and Randolph (1 p.; postmarked 22 Aug.; docketed by JM), also explaining that the coal had been shipped and asking Magrath to honor the draft.
2. Thomas Magrath was a Washington horticulturist who kept a nursery on Uriah Forest’s farm near Wisconsin Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue (Bryan, History of the National Capital, 1:597–98 n. 5).