To James Madison from John Sibley, 10 August 1805 (Abstract)
From John Sibley, 10 August 1805 (Abstract)
§ From John Sibley. 10 August 1805, Natchitoches. “By the request of Governor Claiborne, I have the Honour of forwarding to you herewith, a coppy of a French Manuscript that by accident come into my possession.1 It was found Amongst the papers of the late Governor Messier of the Province of Taxus;2 he died at St. Antonio, & after his death his family return’d Again to Natchitoches where they had before lived, And this Manuscript was brought in amongst his private Books and papers, I procur’d it from his Son Athanaise de Messier esqr.2 a very worthy Man now the Treasurer of this County. It is written in a clear handsome hand in a large folio Bound Volum, with wide margin. The Original is now in my possession. The expence of Coppying it is $85. (viz).
| Pierre Graciole’s acct. 25 days @$2. | $50 |
| 25 days boarding ditto | 25 |
| Paper Stationry &c | 6 |
| Mr. Vin P(ie)re. 2 days comparing the Coppy. | 4 |
| $85.″ |
RC and Tr (DLC: Jefferson Papers). RC 1 p.; docketed by Wagner. Tr docketed by Jefferson.
2. Parisian native Athanase de Mézières (d. 1779) was one of the French army officers retained by Spain after that country took control of Texas and Louisiana. A longtime resident of Natchitoches, he served as lieutenant governor of that district from 1769 to 1779 (Athanase de Mézières and the Louisiana-Texas Frontier, 1768–1780, trans. and ed. Herbert Eugene Bolton, 2 vols., Spain in the West [Cleveland, 1914], 1:79–80, 84 n. 104, 121).