To James Madison from Soliman Melimeni, 12 January 1806
From Soliman Melimeni
Washington. The 12th. January. [1806]
Esteemed Sir,
The Servant of The underwritten That had The dispute with The Barber of the hotel, yesterday Came to my house Mr. Brent, which called for The Barber whom Voluntarily pardoned My Servt. but my Servant not obeying my orders of good conduct I have in Consequence, determind to be Clear of him & in futre he will be Judged by yr. laws, if he offends.
Therefore you will please to be informed That My Servant Hadgi Mahomet is Cleared of my Service & is with his Money & Cloaths permited to depart my house & Service—you will Sir do me The favour to Certify in my Behalf—to the purport of This letter in order that it Should on this Occasion be, a Voucher to me, to Justify My Conduct & Motives, to Hamida Pascha my master.1
Soliman Melimeli [sic]
RC (DNA: RG 59, CD, Tunis, vol. 3). Year not indicated; conjectural year assigned based on Jacob Wagner’s docket “12 Jany. 1806.” Letter and English signature in Richard O’Brien’s hand; also signed in Arabic.
1. Filed with this letter is a 14 Jan. 1806 list (2 pp.; one page in Arabic; one in English, in Richard O’Brien’s hand; docketed by Wagner) of Melimeni’s household, which comprised two lieutenants, a secretary, a cook, a barber, a steward, three servants, and a translator, totaling eleven people including the ambassador. Although the copy in Arabic lists the translator as George, the copy in English reads: “Georgia—a Greek taken into service at Washington.” Irving Brant, a twentieth-century biographer of Madison, conflated contemporary rumors about the ambassador’s request for a harem, a 27 Sept. 1806 letter from JM to Jefferson on another matter, and O’Brien’s copy of the list into the assertion that Madison had hired a female companion for the ambassador. For a refutation of this assertion, see , 10:xxvii–xxviii). On 15 Jan. 1806 JM sent the list to Daniel Carroll Brent, marshal of the District of Columbia stating: “The enclosed list, containing the names of the persons who compose the Tunisian Legation and its Servants, having been registered in this office, I transmit it to you to be affixed in your office according to law” (DNA: RG 59, DL, vol. 15; 1 p.).