301To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 25 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
All the letters which I have had the honor of writing to you for some time will I think have been uniform in shewing you my anxiety on two subjects, namely the settlement of the depreciation to be allowed on the payments which I had had made to the French government since the receipt of your letter of Sep. 2. 91. relative thereto & the retardment of the sums accumulating in the hands of our...
302To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 28 September 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
The affairs of France have continued to engross the whole attention of Europe as described to you in my last—and as if the operations of the other parts of this quarter of the globe were suspended by them every thing elsewhere seems to remain stagnant. The last accounts from Paris informed us only of the assembling of the convention—their forming—and discovering such symptoms as were expected...
303To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 9 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I must premise this letter by begging you a thousand pardons for the error committed in my last in stating from an oversight in subtraction that 36 taken from 54 left 28 —instead of 18 . According to that quotation therefore which you mention the depreciation that day was more than the fall of exchange & if adopted as the rule of indemnity would occasion a loss to the U.S. which is not the...
304To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 9 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last all communication has been cut off with France—no post since then has arrived, and no person has recieved an express from thence—so that nothing is known of what the convention has done except what has leaked through the different chanels that are not absolutely blocked up. The little that is known you will find in the Leyden gazettes inclosed, to which I beg leave to refer you....
305To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 12 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I send this letter in the hope of its overtaking Mr. Sterrett in London by whom I had the honor of writing to you on the 9th. I then informed you how long the French post had been interrupted and that it was supposed to be owing to the operations of the Austrian army in Flanders. It must now be attributed to some other cause, as we are officially informed of the raising of the siege of Lille,...
306To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 19 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
The time which has elapsed since my last has sufficed to shew that the combined armies are really retreating from France, but not to shew what is the real cause of this unexpected and unaccountable circumstance. Every body here remains still immerged in the sea of conjecture: each swims or sinks according to his hopes or fears. It would be useless to fatigue you with all the vague and...
307To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 22 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
In my last of the 15th. ulto. I treated in a manner which I fear you will have found much too diffuse, the subject then in question. In letters which are to cross the Atlantic I find it difficult not to run into that fault—and particularly as I have myself had so much more reason to complain of the laconicism than of the diffusion of my correspondents on that side of the ocean. Instead of...
308Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 26 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
After more than four weeks interruption some of the French mails in arrear were recieved here yesterday & we had hoped therefore that this day, being the regular postday, would have brought us the rest—in this we have been disappointed, & of course conclude that the post communication with Paris is not yet freed from all its obstacles. I therefore send by the way of England my acknowlegement...
309To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 27 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The French post arrived here the day before yesterday & brought some of the mails which have been so long detained on the frontiers. I received thereby several letters from M. Morris, from whom I mentioned to you in my last I was waiting with impatience to hear. It does not appear that he has seen the commissaries as I wished in order to satisfy himself that they had given credit to the U.S....
310Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 27 October 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
Notwithstanding the immense length & prolixity of my letter of yesterday it wd. have been continued if I had not been interrupted & detained until the hour of the post. You desire me to consider well before hand as to the obligations, whether I would wish to come to a settlement previously with the ministry, in fixing the value &c. If as you suppose the obligations are only three, nothing more...
311To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 27 October 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
We are still in the state, mentioned to you in my last, of certainty as to the retiring of the combined armies, and of conjecture as to the cause of it. The issue of the military operations has been the direct opposite of what I counted on in my prolix letter No. 111.—but one of the leading circumstances which I then mentioned seems more than ever probable; namely the scission between Vienna...
312To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 2 November 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of recieving yesterday your letter of the 28th. of August. Being desirous from its nature to answer it in the speediest manner possible, I do it immediately (without waiting for the account, for which I wrote yesterday to the commissioners, in the instant of recieving your letter) this day’s English post being the last which will be in time for the New-york packet of Wednesday...
313To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
The hope that this letter will be still in time for the N. York packet induces me to address you again by that conveyance. Since my last the French have made several attempts to enter the Pays bas, in all of which they have been defeated, and it becomes every day more and more probable they will not be more successful as the Austrian troops which were in France are forming strong posts in...
314To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday, from the Sec. of the treasury a letter of Aug. 28. in which he tells me the accounting officers of the treasury have represented to him that a regular account of all the monies recieved by me from the commissioners or which they have paid by my direction, would be requisite in the examination and adjustment of their accounts—and requests me therefore to furnish him with...
315To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 9 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
It was not my intention to have written to you by this post—but an account just recieved from the armies in Flanders (and which may be relied on) is so absolutely different from what my late letters would have induced you to expect, that I can not forbear communicating it. Dumouriez after an hot and bloody action has forced the Austrian army to give way and fall back towards Brussels. The...
316To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 16 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
You will be much less surprized to learn that the French have entered Brussels, than you no doubt were to learn their success at Mons mentioned in my last. The government having taken the alarm and retired to Ruremond, the Austrian army seem to have thought of nothing since but securing a retreat. Accordingly they have been retiring successively and in much disorder—passing by Brussels without...
317To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 29 November 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you on the 2d. of this month in reply to your letter of the 28th. of August recieved the day before. I was averse to writing to you again before I could transmit at the same time the account I then informed you I had written for to Amsterdam. The commissioners have assured me several times they are pushing forward as fast as they can the general account from the...
318To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 30 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of recieving the day before yesterday from Amsterdam, your letters of March 18. and Oct. 14—together with the papers accompanying them for me and two parcels for M. Carmichael. I shall lose no time in repairing to Madrid. The route through France is much to be preferred if there be a certainty of passing the Spanish frontier. I have already written to M. Morris and spoken to...
319To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 30 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I return you a thousand thanks for your friendly letter of Oct. 16 and its enclosed extracts of those of March 18 and April 24. I recieved it the day before yesterday from Amsterdam with the others accompanying it. I have written already to M. Morris and spoken to the French Minister, who is still here incognito as it were, to know if I can pass through France with the certainty of not being...
320To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 8 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
In my last of Nov. 30 I had the honor of informing you I had recieved on the 28th. the letters and papers relative to the Spanish business, and that I should lose no time in setting out for Madrid agreeably to your orders. I mentioned the steps I had taken in order to ascertain whether I could be assured of passing the Spanish frontier (in the case of a general prohibition) by writing to M....
321To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 17 December 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 29th. ulto by the English packet, the day after I had recieved the letters of the Secretary of State relative to the business in Spain. I expected then to be able, to set out from this place, much sooner. I have been detained by the answer from Paris not arriving as soon as it might have done & by my wish to recieve from the commissioners at Amsterdam &...
322To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 18 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 8th. inst. and I then expected to have left this place much sooner on my way to Madrid. I have been detained by the necessity of recieving an answer from Paris relative to the assurance of passing through France and by business that it was necessary to settle at Amsterdam previously to my departure. I proposed first taking that place in my way in which...
323To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 18 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
My public letter of this day will inform you of the causes of my being detained here till now. And that I leave this place certainly to-morrow for Madrid by the way of France. I mentioned in my last (private) of Nov. 30. how my affairs stood in Mr. Browne’s hands and my desire to have them placed in my own name. The reason he gave me for keeping them in his was to avoid the trouble of a power...
324To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 15 January 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I address this letter to you in your private character. It is merely to inform you of my being thus far on my way to Madrid. It will probably find you at Monticello. My last from the Hague will have informed you of the causes of my delay there after recieving your despatches for Spain. Nothing induced me to pass through France, but the inevitable desire to see the distressed and unfortunate...
325To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 3 February 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter from the Hague of the 18th. of Dec. will have informed you of my intention to set out from that place the next day and proceed to this by the way of France. This I have accordingly done, and have now the honor to inform you of my arrival here the day before yesterday, after completing my journey of 400 leagues. I was singularly and unexpectedly fortunate in meeting with no impediment...
326To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 5 February 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Madrid, February 5, 1793. On February 25, 1793, Short wrote to Hamilton : “I had the honor of writing to you on the 5th. inst from Madrid.” Letter not found. ]
327To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael and William Short, 19 February 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
It has been our intention for some time past to have commenced our joint correspondence with you—and we have only deferred it because we flattered ourselves from day to day that we should be able at the same time to inform you of some step taken in the negotiation with which the President has been pleased to charge us. Although our commission was recieved at Madrid so long ago as the 1st. of...
328To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 25 February 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 5th. inst from Madrid informing you that on my arrival there. I was overtaken by a letter sent from our Commissioners at Amsterdam, dated the 14th. of Janry. & covering your two letters to me of Nov. 5 & 26. They inclosed at the same time your letter to them of Nov. 5. authorising them in the case of my absence to open that addressed to me which they...
329To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 29 February 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
Since my last of the 25th. (of which a duplicate is inclosed) I have had the honor of recieving from Amsterdam yours of the 31st. of Dec. acknowleging the reciept of mine up to the 9th. of Oct. inclusive. I have nothing at present to add to the contents of my last letter having as yet recieved no further advice from the commissioners at Amsterdam. No answer from them to my letter of the 4th of...
330To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 6 March 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 3d. ulto. from Madrid announcing to you my arrival there on the 1st. Since then M. Carmichael and myself have written to you a joint letter of the 19th. ulto. informing you of such circumstances as had then taken place concerning the business with which we are jointly charged—and particularly of the nomination of M. de Gardoqui to treat with us. We...
331To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 22 March. 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
My late letters of the 4th. 25th. & 29th. of febry will have informed you of the state of the American affairs at Amsterdam as far as they were then known to me. I have been for some time in expectation of an answer from the commissioners that I might know what they had done or were like to do in consequence of my authorisation to open a loan for two millions of florins & in case of absolute...
332Enclosure: William Short to Wilhem and Jan Willink, Nicholaas and Jacob Van Staphorst, and Nicholas Hubbard, 22 March … (Hamilton Papers)
I recd. on the 19th. your letter of the 14th. of febry. inclosing 23. bills of exchange on acct. of the debt to this country wch. were immediately indorsed & given to the Minister of finance. By yesterday’s French post I acknowleged & answered you letter. To day I recd. your letter of the 19th. of febry. covering the secod. of the said bills. The length of time your two letters have been in...
333To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 30 March 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
I recieved yesterday from the commissioners at Amsterdam a letter dated the 26th. of february. It came by the way of England & Lisbon, the communication by post between Holland & France being intercepted. They had not therefore recieved the letters I had written to them by that route & they had not had time to have recieved such as had been written to them by precaution by the way of Lisbon....
334To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my arrival in this country I have written to you in your public character Feb. 3 and March. 6.—and M. Carmichael and myself have written to you also Feb. 19. I have delayed for some time resuming my private correspondence because I wished to know a little more of this residence before speaking to you of it—and because I have been indisposed ever since my arrival in this country—and have...
335To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 2 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you this morning by the way of Cadiz informing you of the distressing account which I have just received of the bankruptcy of the house of Donald & Burton. As you know that their agent Mr. Browne has in his hands, the whole of the funds for which my patrimonial estate was sold you will judge of the state of mind in which this places me. I wrote to you from the Hague Nov. 30—and Dec....
336To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 5 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you two letters on the 2d. inst. via Cadiz and Lisbon, each inclosing a power of attorney to you and asking the favor of you to do what you could for me in a case where I may be perhaps totally ruined—I mean the bankruptcy of Donald & Burton and consequently I fear of Mr. Browne. I was about answering your letter of Jan. 3d. and postscript 15th. in a disordered state both of body and...
337To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael and William Short, 18 April 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
When we had last the honor of addressing you we mentioned the delay which had taken place with respect to the business with which we are charged here. We then hoped that delay had ceased as we were just informed that His Majesty had designated the person to treat with us on his behalf. We have found ourselves however much mistaken in our hope. As soon as it was announced to us that M. de...
338To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael and William Short, 5 May 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Since our last of the 18th. ulto. we have had the honor of recieving the duplicate of yours of the 3d. of Novr. (the original has not yet come to our hands). The papers severally alluded to therein were recieved inclosed. Mr. Morris had forwarded them to us from Paris on the 4th. of March. The person he had charged with them having determined not to proceed further than Bayonne, these papers...
339To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 11 May 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
Your private letter of the 5th. of febry. forwarded to me by Mr. Pinckney was recieved yesterday. I hasten to reply to it because you observe therein that an investigation intended to prejudice you was begun with respect to the circumstances attending the last payment on account of the French debt, which in its progress might draw my conduct into question. Although as you observe very justly...
340To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael and William Short, 6 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
We have had the honor of writing to you jointly on the 19th. of feby.—18th. of April—and 5th of May. These letters were sent by duplicates, and went into very minute details of whatever had occurred here with respect to the business of our joint commission. Such conveyances as could with propriety be made use of have not presented themselves so as to admit of our writing more often—and the...
341To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my arrival in Spain I have had the honor of writing to you on the 3d. of feb. and 6th. of March. Nothing has since occurred which seemed to authorize my troubling you, except in my joint communications with Mr. Carmichael. The ordinary business of this mission has been followed by him of course exclusively, as well as his usual correspondence with you. The several state papers and public...
342To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 23 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The last private letter which I have had the happiness of recieving from you was of the 3d. of Jany. with a postscript of the 15th. I answered it on the 5th. of April (having previously acknowleged its reciept in my two letters of the 2d. of April) so minutely and went into such lengthy details and in so long, prolix and tedious a letter, that I have not had courage to take up my pen on the...
343To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 1 July 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The court having determined to transfer its residence from Aranjuez to this place I preceded it four days ago with the members of the corps diplomatique. I had the honor of writing to you last on the 7th. of June—that letter was sent by a person going from hence to England, who was to forward it from Lisbon or England as he should find best—together with a joint letter from Mr. Carmichael and...
344To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael and William Short, 15 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
In our last letter of the 6th. of June we had the honor of informing you of our having written a letter to Mr. Gardoqui on the 26th: of May, agreeably to his desire and in consequence of his promise to give us an immediate answer, to be transmitted officially to the President of the U.S. That answer though promised to us daily at every interview, was daily postponed until the court began to...
345To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 20 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter is merely to inclose you a copy of the convention between this country and England. For what reason I know not an uncommon degree of secrecy has been observed with respect to it, even since its being signed. And as yet very few persons even of the corps diplomatique have had a sight of it, or have even known with certainty, whether any such convention was really signed; although it...
346To Thomas Jefferson from William Carmichael and William Short, 29 September 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The despatches which you forwarded by Mr. Blake having been delivered to us we think it proper to make use of the first conveyance to announce it to you. This being by the ordinary post we shall send two copies of this letter by to-morrow’s mail being the first for Cadiz and Lisbon. Mr. Blake arrived at Madrid on the 24th. inst. The Court was to come the next day from St. Ildefonso to this...
347To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 October 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have had the pleasure of recieving by Mr. Blake your kind and friendly letter of July. 11th. I cannot too warmly express my grateful feelings on the subjects it treats of, and particularly for the new proofs it gives me of your friendship. The intelligence with respect to my funds in Mr. Browne’s hands was agreeable and satisfactory beyond measure and the more so as it was so much more than...
348To Alexander Hamilton from William Short, 17 October 1793 (Hamilton Papers)
The arrival of Mr. Blake whom the sec. of State has despatched from Philadelphia with letters for Mr. Carmichael & myself, being without any letter from you, & the letters he brought having shewn that several written from hence had not been recieved at the time of his departure, I think it may not be improper to state to you by him, those which I have had the honor of writing to & recieving...
349To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 7 November 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the pleasure of recieving by Mr. Blake your friendly letter of July 11th.—and answered it by one of a size so enormous that I should not have had courage to have sent it but for the recollection of your being now retired to private life. Although I have not since been so happy as to hear from you, and of course know nothing more of my affairs in Mr. Browne’s hands than there mentioned,...
350To Thomas Jefferson from William Short, 11 November 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
On reading over again my last letters of Oct. 7th. and Nov. 7th. I apprehend they may have conveyed an idea I did not intend. With the same absence of all kind of reserve, which has ever prevailed when I have been writing to you, I think it necessary to correct any error which may have been conveyed, and to express more clearly not my wishes but my idea. It might be concieved perhaps from...