The Valedictory of President Jefferson: He Declares the Desired Legacy of His Administration And Wants His Secretary of War to “watch with me to the end”

He continues, “Indeed it would, for me, be a joyful annunciation to the next meeting of Congress, that the operations of defense are all complete…The 4th of March [1809]…You & I might both make our bow with approbation & satisfaction.”

We originally obtained this letter from the Dearborn descendants, and it has been in a private collection ever sense

Britain and France had been at war since 1803, after a brief hiatus from their previous conflict. Americans tried to remain neutral and keep up communications and trade with both countries. Unfortunately, the efforts weren’t successful, nor was President Jefferson’s attempts to get Britain and France to respect American sovereignty and neutrality. In 1806, France passed a law that prohibited trade between Britain and neutral parties, like the U.S., and French warships soon began seizing American merchant ships. In 1807, Britain retaliated, prohibiting trade between neutral parties and France. The British also began seizing American ships and demanding that all American vessels had to check in at British ports before they could trade with any other nation. America was getting the worst end of the deal on all sides. Along with their attempts to control trade, the British also tried to satisfy their need for sailors at America’s expense. Britain claimed the right to board American ships and take into custody men who were thought to be deserters from the Royal Navy. Most of the time, however, the British had no proof that the men they grabbed were really British deserters, and the U.S. government saw their actions as clear cases of impressment, the seizure of innocent men for forced service in a foreign navy. Shockingly, some ten thousand men were captured from American ships in this era.

The issues between Britain and the U.S. reached a climax on June 22, 1807, with the Chesapeake-Leopard affair. The American ship Chesapeake had just left Norfolk, Virginia, when it was stopped by the British warship Leopard. The Leopard’s commander, Salusbury Pryce Humphreys, demanded that the British be allowed to search the Chesapeake for three deserters rumored to be onboard. The Chesapeake’s commander, James Barron, refused. Humphreys was unwilling to take no for an answer, and the Leopard fired on the Chesapeake, killing three and injuring 18. Barron, unable to return more than one shot, was forced to surrender. The British boarded the Chesapeake and seized four men, only one of whom was actually British. Americans were furious, leading President Thomas Jefferson to remark, “Never since the Battle of Lexington have I seen this country in such a state of exasperation as at present.” America’s neutrality and basic rights as an independent nation were clearly being violated, and something needed to be done about it.

Jefferson didn’t want war, but he was willing to take two concrete measures. He hoped that an embargo would hit the British and French where it would hurt them the most, in the pocketbook, and asked Congress to impose one. So in December 1807 Congress passed and Jefferson signed the Embargo Act. It prevented all U.S. ships and vessels from obtaining clearance to undertake voyages to foreign ports or places. That meant that no needed Americans goods or supplies could reach the belligerents, and also represented an escalation of attempts to coerce Britain and France to stop harassment of American ships, respect American sovereignty and neutrality, as well as to pressure Britain to halt impressment of American sailors. This was a controversial move, as it had the impact of bringing American international trade to a standstill. The second measure was to shore up the defenses of American ports, to avoid their being taken by the British as in the Revolution. To accomplish this, Jefferson believed that a suitable naval force would consist of small gunboats that could defend the home waters of the United States.

Jefferson’s ally in this was Secretary of War Henry Dearborn. During the Revolution, Dearborn served on General Washington’s staff was present at the British surrender at Yorktown. As Jefferson’s term drew to a close, Dearborn considered resigning, thinking the job was essentially done. But Jefferson sought to dissuade him, asking I’m to stay on until their efforts to defend the country were complete, and also expressing reluctance to bring in a new man lest that tie the hands of his successor, who would prove to be James Madison.

Autograph letter signed, Monticello, May 25, 1808, to Dearborn. “There is a subject on which I wished to speak with you before I left Washington; but an apt occasion did not occur. it is that of your continuance in office. Perhaps it is as well to submit my thoughts to you by letter. The present summer is too important, in point of preparation, to leave your department unfilled, for any time, as I once thought might be done: and it would be with extreme reluctance that, so near the time of my own retirement, I should proceed to name any high officer, especially one who must be of the intimate councils of my successor, and who ought of course to be in his unreserved confidence. I think too it would make an honorable close of your term as well as mine, to leave our country in a state of substantial defense, which we found quite unprepared for it. Indeed it would, for me, be a joyful annunciation to the next meeting of Congress, that the operations of defense are all complete. I know that New York must be an exception: but perhaps even that may be closed before the 4th of March, when you & I might both make our bow with approbation & satisfaction. nor should I suppose that under present circumstances anything interesting in your future office could make it important for you to repair to it’s immediate occupation. In February my successor will be declared, and may then, without reserve say whom he would wish me to nominate to the Senate in your place. I submit these circumstances to your consideration, & wishing in all things to consult your interests, your fame & feelings, it will give me sincere joy to learn that you will ‘watch with me to the end.’ I salute you with great affection & respect.”

Dearborn stayed on, so Jefferson could make his bow – his farewell – with satisfaction. But their attempt to maintain peace was doomed ultimately to failure, as the War of 1812 broke out three years after they left office.

We originally obtained this letter from the Dearborn descendants, and it has been in a private collection since that time.