To Thomas Jefferson from George Latimer, 28 November 1801
From George Latimer
Custom House
Philadelphia 28th. November 1801
Sir,
I have the honor to enclose a Letter this day handed to me for you and also a bill of lading for three cases directed to you per the Ship Pennsylvania, York Master from Hamburg, together with an extract of a Letter to Messrs. Wachsmuth & Soullier of this City respecting the cases
Permit me to request that you will have the goodness to endorse and return to me the bill of lading that I may hand it to Captn York
In mean time the cases shall be brought to this Office with all the care that is possable so as to prevent injury to their contents which are represented to be of a fragile nature
The extract from Messrs. Wachsmuth & Soullier’s Letter shews that there is not any charge for freight to be made to you
It will afford me great pleasure to recieve whatever instructions you may be pleased to give respecting these cases
With the highest & most sincere respect, I have the honor to be Sir, Your obedient Servant
Geo Latimer
RC (MHi); at foot of text: “His Excellency Thomas Jefferson President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received 2 Dec. and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) Arnold Oelrichs to TJ, 14 Sep. (2) Extract of Barger Kramer & Rump to Wachsmuth & Soullier, 16 Sep. 1801, from Hamburg, regarding the shipping and freight charges as well as proper handling of three cases containing statuary for the president (Tr in DLC). Bill of lading not found.
George Latimer (1750–1825), a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, was a delegate to the Pennsylvania ratifying convention in 1787, a presidential elector in 1792, and a representative to the Pennsylvania Assembly from 1792 to 1799, serving as its speaker for five years. He lived at 85 South Sixth Street in 1801 and was the city’s customs collector from 1798 until his resignation in 1802 (Stafford, Philadelphia Directory, for 1801, 67; , 11 [1887], 219–20; , 1:282, 432; Vol. 33:458n, 670).
For the three cases, see Arnold Oelrichs to TJ, 14 Sep.