To James Madison from Patrick Magruder, 16 March 1816
From Patrick Magruder
Washington, March 16 1816
Sir
The office of accountant of the navy department being vacant by the death of Mr. Turner, permit me to express a wish to be considered on the list of applicants to fill the duties of that station.1 I have thought it unnecessary to procure recommendation letters, as presuming I am sufficiently known to you. Reasons very urgent have prompted this application and are deemed unnessary[sic] to be stated. I am Sir, ⟨yrs⟩ with respect,
Patrick Magruder 2
RC (DNA: RG 45, Misc. Letters Received).
1. JM nominated Constant Freeman to replace Thomas Turner on 20 Mar. 1816 ( 3:38).
2. Patrick Magruder (1768–1819) attended the College of New Jersey and represented a Maryland district in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1805 and 1807. Between 1807 and 1815 he served both as Librarian of Congress and Clerk of the House. He resigned the latter position on 28 Jan. 1815 following a lengthy investigation by a House committee into the loss of the books and papers of that office, the loss of records and the collections of the Library of Congress, and his handling of expenses from the contingent fund during the British attack on Washington (, Miscellaneous, 2:245–46, 253–62, 263–66, 267–68).