An Unpublished Letter of President James Madison to His Secretary of War Showing That Amidst Constant Pressures Before the War of 1812, He Was Thinking of Retiring
Likely dealing with French and British encroachments on American sovereignty was too burdensome, and he here looks to his retirement, after which he hopes that he and Dolley Madison might entertain the Eustis's
Eustis had been returning from supervising construction at the arsenal and armory at Harper’s Ferry
In 1811, the United States was not yet formally engaged in the conflict in Europe, part of the Napoleonic Wars, but a series of trade disputes and high seas spats had made American involvement, in retrospect, nearly...
Eustis had been returning from supervising construction at the arsenal and armory at Harper’s Ferry
In 1811, the United States was not yet formally engaged in the conflict in Europe, part of the Napoleonic Wars, but a series of trade disputes and high seas spats had made American involvement, in retrospect, nearly inevitable. The US became involved in the War of 1812. William Eustis would be Secretary of War for Madison at the start of that conflict, leaving in December 1812 when James Monroe took over. In 1811, Eustis was supervising extensive building of the armory at Harper’s Ferry.
Autograph letter signed, as President, August 10, 1811, Orange, VA, to Secretary of War William Eustis. “The enclosed letter is rendered of the less consequence by the antiquity of its date. I enclose it merely as belonging to the files of your office.
“We just learn that you and Mrs. Eustis, with Mr. and Mrs. H., have got back to Washington. We had a faint hope that you would all have taken a circuit back which would have brought us into your route. We indulge a much stronger one, that we shall be gratified with a direct visit during our retirement. Accept my best respects and tender them to Mrs. Eustis with the joint ones of Mrs. M. [Dolley].”
It is interesting to see that Madison, not yet done with his first term, was already thinking of retiring. Yet in the end he decided otherwise, winning a second term and remaining in office until March 1817.
The letter Madison enclosed (not present), was from James Voorhees, who considered himself “a persecuted Man,” having had “futile, and vexatious Charges” brought against him in a court-martial at Pittsburgh. He claimed that three members of the court were his “decided enemies” and had given testimony on the charges and writes not to influence Madison’s judgment, but in the hope that he would review the testimony of the majority of the court and do justice to a man who has faithfully served his country.
The published Papers of James Madison note that this letter had not been previously found.
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