To Thomas Jefferson from Albert Gallatin, 26 June 1805
From Albert Gallatin
June 26 1805
Dear Sir
Donaldson, Penrose & Lucas appointed commissioners for upper Louisiana, and Thompson, Trimble & Vacher appointed for the western district of the Orleans territory have all accepted. Of the three appointed for New Orleans, we have received no answers from Gurley or Coburn, and Sebastian declines. His letter is now enclosed together with sundry recommendations received after the appointments had been made and which may assist in filling his place. Three agents must also be appointed; and I had contemplated James Brown for N. Orleans, Lewis for the western or red river district, and either Carr or Parke for upper Louisiana. When you shall have compared with the several recommendations already in your hands, I will wait on you in order to know the result.
Respectfully Your obedt Sert.
Albert Gallatin
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “The President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received from the Treasury Department on 26 June and “nominns” and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: probably Benjamin Sebastian to an unidentified recipient, Frankfort, Kentucky, 3 June, declining his appointment as a land claims commissioner for the eastern district of Orleans Territory due to the temporary nature of the office; he asks the recipient “to communicate my determination to the President” (RC in DNA: RG 59, RD; endorsed by TJ: “Sebastian, Benj. declines as Comr. of E. district of Orleans”). Other enclosures not identified, but see below.
Writing to Madison from Pittsburgh on 19 May, John B. C. Lucas expressed his determination to accept his appointments as both a land commissioner and a judge for Louisiana District (RC in DNA: RG 59, AOC; notation by TJ: “Lucas John B. C. accepts as Commr.”). John Coburn wrote to Gallatin from Mason County, Kentucky, on 9 June to decline his appointment as commissioner. Although he had actively sought a federal office, the temporary appointment would not permit Coburn to provide for his family. If he could unite the office with some permanent appointment, such as register, then Coburn would “thankfully accept” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR; torn; endorsed by TJ: “Coburn John declines Comr. [. . .]”).
sundry recommendations: in a letter to Dearborn dated 12 June from Washington, Kentucky, Daniel Vertner recommended local attorney Adam Beatty to fill the appointment that Sebastian declined (RC in DLC; endorsed by TJ: “Beatty Adam. to be Comr. East Orleans v. Sebastian”). Coburn wrote to Madison on 26 June to inform the president of General Henry Lee’s desire to fill Sebastian’s place as commissioner. Coburn described Lee as “among the most respectable of our Citizens” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Lee Genl. Henry of Kentucky to be Comr. of Orleans”).
John Breckinridge recommended William C. Carr to Gallatin in a 25 Apr. letter. He believed that Carr, a young attorney who was raised in Kentucky but now resided at Ste. Genevieve, would “well discharge the duties of the agent or recorder” in upper Louisiana (, 13:162n). William Henry Harrison, John Badollet, and Nathaniel Ewing recommended Benjamin Parke of Indiana Territory to Gallatin for an appointment as agent for upper Louisiana (Badollet and Ewing to Gallatin, 30 May 1805, in NHi: Gallatin Papers).