To Alexander Hamilton from Lewis Tousard, 26 May 1800
From Lewis Tousard
Philadelphia May 26th. 1800
Sir,
I have the Satisfaction of informing you that the President of the U.S. has ordered Mr McHenry to make out for me the Commission of Lieut. Colonel of the second Regiment, and that of Inspector of Artillery.1 Your testified Friendship for me is a Warrant for the Pleasure this Information will give you.
I had the Honour of receiving your Letter of the 23rd. this Morning;2 I will immediately make all the necessary Preparations, and expect to start on the 28th with Lieut. Wolstonecraft and some other Officers.
With Respect and Consideration, I have the Honour to be, Sir Your obliged and humble Servt.
Lewis Tousard
Major Genl A. Hamilton.
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. On May 6, 1800, Tousard wrote to John Adams asking to be appointed lieutenant colonel of the Second Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers and inspector of Artillery (ALS, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston). On May 26, 1800, Adams ordered James McHenry to make out commissions for both positions for Tousard (LC, Adams Family Papers, deposited in the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston). In 1798 Tousard had asked H to recommend him as inspector (Tousard to H, August 7, November 19, 1798 [listed in the appendix to Volume XXII]). H had written to Adams in support of Tousard’s wish, but Adams had refused on the ground that Tousard was a foreigner (H to Adams, August 22, 1798; Adams to H, September 4, 1798 [both listed in the appendix to Volume XXII]). See also H to McHenry, first letter of December 20, 1798; McHenry to H, December 28, 1798; Tousard to H, September 16, 1799. On October 3, 1799, in a letter listed in the appendix to Volume XXIII, Tousard requested H’s help to secure the command of the Second Regiment, and on October 5, 1799, in a letter also listed in the appendix to Volume XXIII, he asked H’s help in becoming inspector. On November 6, 1799, in a letter to Tousard which is listed in the appendix to this volume, H stated: “I forbear to say any thing concerning the Inspectorship of Artillery as it is purely a matter of executive discretion. I have had repeated conversations on the subject with the Secretary of War.…”
2. In this letter, which is listed in the appendix to this volume, H informed Tousard that Caleb Swan had been instructed “to deliver to Lt. [Charles] Woolstonecraft, subject to your orders, bounty money for six complete companies of Artillerists.…” See H to Swan, May 23, 1800.