To Thomas Jefferson from William Wood, 9 March 1805
From William Wood
March 9th 1805 Washington Citty
Worthy Sir:
I must take the liberty to Congratulate you on your Reelection to that Solemn & Important task as the Chief of So Great a Nation & I hope Sir that that God whse dominion is over all May be your Giude, Counselor, & Kind preserver though I belive You have Some Enemies yet Sure I am, Many there are that Implore the divine hand to bless you—I should be Very happy to Enjoy a Short Interview With Your Excelency but understanding you were about to depart for a little season I take the liberty Sir to Impart My desire by a few lines I Shall depart Shortly from this place & I understand by the land law pasd the last of the Session the Reserves made by Genral Wayne in the Indian treaty Were deposd With your Excelency to dispose of. Now Sir if you would Condescend to Grant a Settlement for about Twenty Familys in the 12 Mile Sqare Reserve on the Miami of the lake by Complying With the Terms of Sale My Wishes Signifyd in My Adress to you in decembr last Would be fulfild & the Wishes of a Number of Your Well Wishers. an Answer would be thankfuly Recd by your Excelency Obedient Servnt
Wim. Wood
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 9 Mch. and so recorded in SJL, where TJ listed letters received on 9 Mch. under 8 Mch.
William Wood may have been the individual of that name who helped found and became the first pastor of a Baptist church in Mason County, Kentucky, in the 1780s. Wood’s land speculation led to his exclusion from his congregation, and he appears to have shifted his attention to Ohio, although it is unclear if he ever settled there permanently (John H. Spencer, A History of Kentucky Baptists, 2 vols. [Cincinnati, 1885], 1:67-8; Cincinnati Western Spy, and Hamilton Gazette, 30 July and 8 Oct. 1800; Cincinnati Liberty Hall, 1 Jan. 1812; Washington, Ky., Union, 10 Sep. 1814).
land law: a reference to section 2 of the supplemental act “for the disposal of public lands in the Indiana territory,” which was passed on 3 Mch. The section authorized the president to have a ceded area “lying north and west of the Indian boundary” surveyed, subdivided, and offered for sale (, 2:343-4).
my adress to you: Wood may have accompanied a petition and letter to TJ from Ohio residents seeking his appointment as a missionary to Native Americans in the region (see Edward Tiffin and others to TJ, [before 22 Oct. 1804], and James McPherson and Isaac Zane to TJ, 22 Oct. 1804).