11To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 28 December 1801 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
28 December 1801, Leghorn. No. 14. Sends enclosures “which will inform you of the trifling occurrences since my last.” Reports “we are amazingly fortunate that none of our merchant vessels have been captured,” as one of the Tripolitan cruisers has been as far west as Cartagena; President is at Toulon, George Washington at Naples, Philadelphia off Tripoli, and Essex guards cruisers at...
12To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 4 February 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
4 February 1802, Leghorn. Has drawn on JM for $453.09 in favor of John Shaw, commander of the George Washington . In postscript states that he has no news worth relating and is awaiting instructions from the president “with the same anxiety & impatience that a Mussulman awaits the prostrations of a pusillanimous christian chief, or that an Algerine Jew awaits the arrival of a Barbary Consul...
13To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 4 March 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
4 March 1802, Leghorn. No. 2. Has learned that the U.S. ship George Washington , which arrived 31 Jan. from Tunis and Naples and sailed a few days later with merchant vessels under convoy, reached Marseilles safely. The President was repaired at Toulon and has sailed for Gibraltar. Eaton arrived in Leghorn on the George Washington and remained until 28 Feb. He will stop at Naples “to determine...
14To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 5 March 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
5 March 1802, Leghorn. No. 3. States that “during Mr. Eaton’s delay at Leghorn he inform’d me that no consideration on earth could have sufficient weight to induce him to remain in Barbary a moment after our affairs were terminated with Tripoli…. I therefore request that I may be removed from Tripoli to Tunis as I presume I have a prior right to that appointment to any person in the United...
15To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 25 April 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
25 April 1802, Leghorn. No. 4. “The enclosed extracts from my correspondence & Mr. Eatons dispatches will inform you of our actual position, every thing seems to be in a train to promise apparently a satisfactory conclusion to this war which I assure you envolves serious consequences ’tho visibly it is of little moment. I have before observed that Tunis and Algiers have their eyes fix’d on...
16To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 9 May 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
9 May 1802, Leghorn. No. 5. Has not heard from “Barbary” but supposes Eaton persuaded Hamet to remain at Malta until the U.S. naval squadron arrives with instructions from the president. Has been informed that the Enterprize arrived “with dispatches at Gibraltar” and immediately went in search of the Boston , “who I presume is off Tripoli, but this is only conjecture as I have not been favor’d...
17To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 21 May 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
21 May 1802, Leghorn. No. 6. Acknowledges JM’s letter enclosing the 6 Feb. act for the protection of the commerce and seamen of the U.S. Encloses a copy of his dispatch no. 8 “& cannot imagine how it miscarried.” Has received no word from Barbary or about U.S. warships since his last dispatch. “I have kept myself in readiness to embark at a moments warning ever since the arrival of Comodore...
18To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 3 June 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
3 June 1802, Leghorn. No. 7. “Yesterday” he enclosed dispatches from Eaton through 4 May. Now encloses an extract of intelligence received from Tripoli “containing the most prominent transactions of that government from the 12th. of March to the 30th. of April,” to which he adds the following extracts from Eaton’s letter to him of 21 May. On the day before yesterday the Schooner Enterprize...
19To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 4 July 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
4 July 1802, Leghorn. No. 8. Enclosures A and B, along with his dispatch no. 7 which was forwarded by the Liberty on 3 June, relate all information of importance on U.S. affairs with Tripoli and Tunis. Tripolitan cruisers have been frequently at sea since the war began, and this at a time when the extent of American commerce “never was so valuable.” Has seen twenty-four American ships “in this...
20To James Madison from James Leander Cathcart, 15 July 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
15 July 1802, Leghorn. No. 9. Cannot find “words expressive of my feelings” about the capture of the brig Franklin by the Tripolitans. “It proves that we cannot evade the depredations of the most insignificant cruisers of the most insignificant Barbary State. What? after the pains that had been taken to defeat the projects of the Bashaw of Tripoli … had been attended with success … & we were...