401From David Cobb to Henry Knox, 30 October 1783 (Washington Papers)
I am directed by the Commander in Chief to inclose you his Farewell Orders, which he desires you to publish on the 2d day of next month; As the General will take measures for publishing them in the Philadelphia Papers, perhaps it will be better, that they come to the Public thro’ that Channel only, as thereby all incorrect Copies will be prevented from appearing. I am Sir with greatest esteem...
402From George Washington to Henry Knox, 2 November 1783 (Washington Papers)
You will readily conceive how much I have been chagreened, & vexed at a loss occasioned by the stupidity of the Postmaster at Princeton, when I tell you, that the original of which the enclosed is a duplicate, & the first draughts of all my public & private letters written in the Six Weeks preceeding; were lost with the Mail on Thursday Night last. Having many letters to write by the Post the...
403From George Washington to Henry Knox, 2 November 1783 (Washington Papers)
I had the pleasure to reply to your Letter of the 15th of October to go by the Post before the last, but by some neglect my letter was left out of the Mail and remained in the Post office untill the Evening before the last Post should have gone, when it was, with all the Easter Mail, stolen from thence—unfortunately too, all the Copies of my letters up to that day met with the same accident,...
404From George Washington to Henry Knox, 3 November 1783 (Washington Papers)
I do myself the honor to transmit you the proceedings of the society of the Cincinnati of the State of So. Carolina which I reced yesterday. I am sir Your most Obed. Servt DSoC .
405From David Humphreys to Henry Knox, 21 November 1783 (Washington Papers)
Upon an after consideration it is found necessary that a very discreet & intelligent Subaltern with a proper command should be sent as early as may be tomorrow Morng to take possession of the Works at Paulus Hook, which it appears by Sir Guy Carleton’s last letter are to be evacuated tomorrow. The Commander in Chief desires you will arrange this business & give the necessary Orders to the...
406From George Washington to Henry Knox, 3 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
The splendid display of Fire works last Evening was so highly satisfactory that I must Request you to present to Captain Price under whose direction they were prepared, and to the Officers who assisted him, my thanks for the great skill and attention shewn in the conduct of that business. I am Sir Your most Obedient Servant. MHi : Henry Knox Papers.
407From George Washington to Henry Knox, 4 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
The splendid display of fire works last Evening were so highly satisfactory that I must request you to present to Cap. Price under whose direction they were prepared and to the Officers who assisted them, my thanks for the great skill and attention shewn in the conduct of that business. I am Sir DLC : Papers of George Washington.
408From George Washington to Henry Knox, 4 December 1783 (Washington Papers)
Finding it essential to public Interest that you should superintend the Posts & Military affairs in this Department; untill some farther Arrangement or untill the pleasure of Congress shall be known; I therefore to request that you remain in Service untill the foregoing events shall place—in the mean time will be pleased to pay part attention to the enclosed In respectg a reformation of the...
409From John Jay to Henry Knox, 10 December 1781 (Jay Papers)
I thank you sincerely for your very friendly Letter of the 21 Oct r . last, which I had the Pleasure of recieving on the 7 th . Inst. I rejoice most cordially with you, and every other good American, in the important Event you communicate, and to which you had both the Honor and the Satisfaction of essentially contributing. General Washington has favored me with ^ copies of ^ the Articles of...
You will recieve herewith enclosed a Publication by M r Genet denying his having declared that he w d . appeal from the President to the People— a publication by us that we would shortly proceed to state the Evidence and Circumstances relative to that Transaction, and also our ^manuscript^ address to the public containing such Statem t .— we think it most ^more [ illegible ]^ expedient ^^[...
411From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 6 February 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed papers, stating the claims of John Jackson, an English pilot, on the justice and liberality of the United states, have been addressed to me. I can do nothing better than to forward them to you, as I suppose the claim to belong properly to your department. I formerly forwarded to the President of Congress an application from the same person, but never learnt whether any thing was...
412From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 12 September 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
In a letter which I had the honour of writing to the Secretary for foreign affairs some three or four years ago, I informed him that a workman here had undertaken, by the help of moulds and other means to make all the parts of the musket so exactly alike as that, mixed together promiscuously, any one part should serve equally for every musket. He had then succeeded as to the lock both of the...
413From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, [12 August 1790] (Jefferson Papers)
May I invite the three Chargés des affaires to attend the ceremony ? May they be permitted to bring respectable strangers of their nation with or without limitation of numbers? Do ladies go? If they do, Mrs. Otto must be named in the invitation to Mr. Otto. I will beg the favor of your answer to these queries and govern myself accordingly. Only be so good as have reserved for them a seat in a...
414From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 26 August 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
On the hasty view which the shortness of time permits me to take of the treaty of Hopewell, the act of cession of N. Carolina and the act of acceptance by Congress, I hazard the following sentiments. Were the treaty of Hopewell, and the act of acceptance of Congress to stand in any point in direct opposition to each other, I should consider the act of acceptance as void in that point: because...
415From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 24 November 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respectful compliments to Genl. Knox and incloses him a copy of a memoire sent him by Blanc the gunsmith who made the 6. fusils sent to Genl. Knox. It will explain to him more fully the extent of Blanc’s improvements. He incloses him also some certificates in favor of a Mr. Hastings Marks junr. of Virginia who would be glad of some commission in the federal troops to...
416I. The President to the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and War, 4 April 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
As the public service may require that communications should be made to me, during my absence from the seat of government, by the most direct conveyances, and as, in the event of any very extraordinary occurrence, it will be necessary to know at what time I may be found in any particular place, I have to inform you that unless the progress of my journey to Savannah is retarded by unforeseen...
417From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 19 July 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
When the hour of dinner is approaching, sometimes it rains, sometimes it is too hot for a long walk, sometimes your business would make you wish to remain longer at your office or return there after dinner, and make it more eligible to take any sort of a dinner in town. Any day and every day that this would be the case you would make me supremely happy by messing with me, without ceremony or...
418From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 22 July 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
It having been agreed among us at a former session of the board of arts that the descriptions to be inserted in patents should be handed to us separately at our lodgings to be examined at leisure and approved with or without amendments, I now hand on to you the inclosed which came to me from the Attorney General who had proposed some amendments to them; I have also proposed some of a trifling...
419From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 10 August 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the honor to return you the Petition of Mr. Moultrie on behalf of the South Carolina Yazoo Company. Without noticing that some of the highest functions of sovereignty are assumed in the very papers which he annexes as his justification, I am of opinion that Government should firmly maintain this ground, that the Indians have a right to the occupation of their Lands independent of...
420From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 2 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to Genl. Knox and incloses him a letter from a Mr. Thorn solliciting a military appointment. He knows no more of the writer than his letter expresses, and can not conjecture from that, of what state he is. He incloses also two letters from a Mr. Bowyer and Mr. Matthews (brother of the General) solliciting an appointment for a Mr. Gibson. The writers are...
421From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 28 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Th:Jefferson presents his compliments to Genl. Knox and asks the favor of him to peruse the letter he has prepared in answer to Mr. Hammond’s and to be so good as to suggest any alterations either of matter or manner which he thinks might be made to advantage. He begs his pardon for this trouble; but the importance of this first move in the business renders him anxious that it should be well...
422From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 22 June 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respectful compliments to the Secretary at War, and to the testimonies inclosed, can add his own that Thomas Divers therein is a man of worth, activity, and skill in accounts, and likely to be of service in the staff if there be any occasion for services in that department, more than already engaged. RC ( MHi : Knox Papers); addressed: “The Secretary at war.” Not...
423From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 2 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respectful compliments to Genl. Knox, and begs leave to submit to him the following paragraph of a letter from Mr. Hugh Rose a very respectable gentleman of Amherst county Virginia. ‘I must request you to make interest with General Knox to transfer John Newman from the Georgia to the Virginia pension list. He lost his arm at the siege of Savannah, and is allowed £15....
424George Washington to the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and War, 9 March 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Expecting that my private Affairs will call me to Virginia on or before the 25th of this month, I have to request that you will lay before me, previous to that time, such matters within your department as may require my attention or agency before I set out; as well as those which might be necessary for me to know or act upon during my absence from the Seat of Government (which will be about...
425From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 26 March 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The President having desired a meeting at the War-office yesterday, as you were apprised by his letter of the 21st. the Secy. of the Treasury, Attorney general and myself met, but knowing you were too unwell to attend, we agreed not to enter on the business submitted, till you should be well enough to assist us. I will beg the favor of you therefore whenever you shall be well enough, to be so...
426From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, with Proposed Circular to the Governors of the States, 21 May 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Sketch of a letter proposed to be written by the Secretary of war to the governors of the states, according to the ideas understood to have been expressed on the subject. Sir A case which has lately presented itself here, and may do the same in other parts of the union, renders it necessary for the General government to provide a remedy which may be prompt, adequate and always within reach. An...
427George Washington to the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and War, [12 June 1793] (Jefferson Papers)
As you are about to meet on other business, it is my desire that you would take the enclosed application into consideration. It is not my wish, on one hand, to throw unnecessary obstacles in the way of gratifying the wishes of the applicants. On the other it is incumbent on me to proceed with regularity. Would not the granting of a Patent then, which I believe is always the concluding act, and...
428From Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Hamilton and Henry Knox, with their Approvals, 19 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the Secretaries of the Treasury and war, draughts of two letters of this day’s date to the Ministers of France and England. He confesses himself not satisfied with the latter altogether, as it has somewhat of the appearance of evasion. The gentlemen will be pleased to propose any alterations either may desire, handing the letters round to him to be...
429From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 22 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have this moment received a letter from Mr. Hammond informing me that the court of Admiralty having determined against it’s own jurisdiction in the case of the ship William, he applies to the Executive to detain her, as having been taken within the limits of our protection. As this detention can only be by the Military, I take the liberty of submitting to you whether the Governor should not...
430From Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Hamilton and Henry Knox, with their Replies, 25 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to submit to the correction and approbation of the Secretaries of the Treasury and War, the inclosed draughts of letters to the French minister on the subject of the ship William and others in her situation, and to Mr. Hammond and Mr. Pinckney on the subject of the Snow Suckey. [ Replies by Alexander Hamilton and Henry Knox :] The letters to Mr. Hammond and Mr....
431From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 11 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to General Knox, and being entirely uninformed where Judge Symes should be directed to in Jersey he asks the favor of General Knox to put his direction on the inclosed, and his advice how it may be conveyed.—He has reflected on the proposition for publishing the rules of Aug. 3. and thinks the inserting them in the newspapers with some such preface as the...
432From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 22 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just received information that the ship Ann and Susan belonging to William Nelson & Co. citizens of New York with about 400 passengers on board, bound from Ireland to Philadelphia has been taken by the French armed vessel the Little Democrat and is brought into Newcastle in the state of Delaware. This capture was made on the 19th. inst. and consequently is within the rule which provided...
433From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 22 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just received a letter from Mr. Hollingsworth attorney of the district of Maryland with information that the Sans Culottes, fitted out at Charleston had taken and sent into Baltimore the Brigantine Maxwell of Kirkcudbright, commanded by Thomas Milrae. As the date of the information renders it probable that the case comes within the rule of restitution, I take the liberty of inclosing to...
434From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 10 September 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed memorial of Alexandr. S. Glass praying the exertion of the publick force to deliver to him his sloop the Betsey, prize to the Citoyen Genet, belonging to your department, I have the honor of inclosing it to you, & of being with great respect, Sir, Your most obedt. servt P.S. I inclose the letter of Mr. Soderstrom, who communicated the papers to me. PrC ( DLC ); at foot of text:...
435From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, [6] November [1793] (Jefferson Papers)
I have received from the representatives of Spain here information that the French privateer the Vainqueur de la Bastille one of those unlawfully constituted in these states, and therefore ordered to depart, has taken and brought into a port of North Carolina a Spanish brigantine bound from Carthagena to Cadiz, richly laden with money and merchandize, that Hervieux the commander proceeding to...
436From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 6 November 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
As it is possible that the measures complained of by the representatives of Spain as meditated to be pursued by La Chaise and others for attempting hostilities from Kentuckey against the Spanish settlements, may require the employment of military force by the Governor of Kentucky, I have the honor to inclose you my letter to the Governor, stating the facts handed me by the Spanish gentlemen,...
437From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 10 November 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to General Knox, and sends him some papers received last night by the President from the Govr. of North-Carolina, respecting the money and vessel taken from the Spaniards by the sloop l’Amée Marguerite (formerly the British sloop Providence prize to the Vainqueur de la Bastille, armed in the US.). It would seem from this as if both vessels should be given...
438From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, with Jefferson’s Note, 15 November 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson, with his respects to Genl. Knox, has the honor to inclose for his examination and amendment a letter to Mr. Hammond on the subject of the Roehampton, which has already been examined and approved by the Secy. of the Treasury and Atty. genl. Should Genl. Knox propose no amendment, Th:J. will be obliged to him to stick a wafer in the cover, and send it on to the post office. Should...
439From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 15 November 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to Genl. Knox press copies of his letters to the Attornies of Pensylva. and Delaware. Also the original of Mr. Kilty’s report. RC (Gilder Lehrman Collection: Knox Papers, on deposit NNP ); addressed: “The Secretary at War.” Not recorded in SJL . Enclosures: (1) Enclosure to TJ to George Hammond, 14 Nov. 1793 . (2) Texts of TJ to the District Attorneys, 10...
440From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 1 June 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
I recollect you were so kind as to undertake to give me an account of the success of an experiment made at Boston with a mill on the construction which was invented and contested by three different persons . Clarke of this state was one. A Physician of one of the Eastern states, whose name I do not recollect, was another. He had brought forward some other inventions. The third claimant was of...
441From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 8 April 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved with great satisfaction your favor of Mar. 9. which mr Pope forwarded by post, and proposed to follow it but he is not yet arrived here. I communicated to Genl. Gunn your friendly expressions respecting him. of the transaction to which they related I can say little, having, you know, neither ears to hear, eyes to see, or tongue to speak, but as the Senate direct me. I may say...
442From Thomas Jefferson to Henry Knox, 27 March 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved with great pleasure your favor of the 16. and it is with the greatest satisfaction I learn from all quarters that my inaugural Address is considered as holding out a ground for conciliation & union. I am the more pleased with this, because the opinion therein stated as to the real ground of difference among us (to wit, the measures rendered most expedient by French enormities) is...