To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 5 November 1803
From James Madison
[5 Nov. 1803]
The Louisiana documents did not come from Mr. Gallatin till a day or two ago. I have this morning delivered 38 revised pages, which will go to the press, a few of which have been some time in the types. There will be abt. ⅓ or ½ as many more. No time will be lost. The bulk of the work will apologize to the House for the delay
RC (DLC); undated; address clipped: “The Presid”; endorsed by TJ as received from the State Department on 5 Nov. and “Louisiana documents” and so recorded in SJL.
The louisiana documents were compiled from letters sent by Daniel Clark in answer to queries composed by TJ and Albert Gallatin and also from information Gallatin and Madison obtained from other sources. Madison dispatched Jacob Wagner to draft a report that TJ submitted to Congress on 14 Nov. and that was widely published as An Account of Louisiana, Being an Abstract of Documents, in the Offices of the Departments of State, and of the Treasury (DNA: RG 59, TP, Orleans; , 9:49-54; Queries on Louisiana, at 9 July; William C. C. Claiborne to TJ, 24 Aug.; Gallatin to TJ, 8 Nov.).