To James Madison from Simon Theus, 15 March 1806 (Abstract)
From Simon Theus, 15 March 1806 (Abstract)
§ From Simon Theus. 15 March 1806, Charleston, South Carolina. “Agreeably to your instructions1 I have purchased the Rice intended for the Bey of Tunis and Shipped it on board the Schooner Comfort Capt. Charles Drummond addressed to the care of the Collector at Norfolk with a request to inform you of its arrival.
“The Rice is of prime quality and put up in 22. whole and 6 half barrels in good Casks and well coopered as ⅌ bill enclosed, and in addition to the cost the charge for Draying from the Custom House, Wharfage on Shipping and freight making in the whole $719.75/100 which sum I have charged to the Department of State in the Books of the Customs.”2
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, CD, Tunis, vol. 3); RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 217, First Auditor’s Accounts, no. 17,927). First RC 1 p.; marked “(Copy)”; docketed by Wagner, with his note: “Rice for Tunis.” Second RC, postmarked 31 Mar., has Wagner’s 7 Apr. 1806 note on Theus’s accompanying invoice: “The above expense was incurred by order of the Secretary of State: The rice has been received at Norfolk & is intended as a present to the Bey of Tunis.” For enclosures, see n. 2.
1. See JM to Theus, 13 Feb. 1806.
2. The enclosures (6 pp.; docketed by Wagner) are a bill of lading for twenty-two whole and six half-barrels shipped on the schooner Comfort, Charles Drummond; an invoice for $672.50 for th rice and $47.25 for shipping and handling; Henry Bennett’s invoice to Theus for the $4.62 ½ for handling; Drummond’s receipt for the rice; a $.63 bill from the wharf for shipping; and a bill from Dart & Simons for $672.50 for the rice.