To James Madison from Jesse Cross, 3 December 1815
From Jesse Cross
Washington City December 3rd: 1815
I Jesse Cross humbly Beseeched your Excellcy’s Clemency and mercy in pardoning my fault in taking a horse from the race field and had no intend of keeping him upon any account what ever.1 I the said Jessy Cross is a soldier in the army of the United States at Greenbase point under the command of colonel Bumford.
Your Excellency must know that I the Said Jesse Cross is in Jeal in this City and would be very thankful if your Excellency would be pleased to grant him your pardon.2
Jesse Cross
RC (DNA: RG 107, LRUS, C-1815).
1. Cross to JM, ca. 14 Nov. 1815.
2. Cross had been discharged from the army on 31 Mar. 1815. Reenlisting on 28 Aug. for five years as an ordnance artificer, he was jailed “by civil authority” on 19 Oct. 1815 and released on 13 Jan. 1816. He deserted from Greenleaf Point on 18 Aug. 1816 but returned to duty and remained in the army until 1819 (DNA: RG 94, Registers of Enlistments, 1798–1815, 6:31; DNA: RG 94, Registers of Enlistments, 1815–1821, 28:171).