To James Madison from St. George Tucker, 1 December 1813
From St. George Tucker
Richmond Decr. 1. 1813.
Dear Sir,
The enclosed paper was this day recieved by me from my friend Mr. Jos: C. Cabell, who is now in Williamsburg, in whose hand writing I percieve it to be, and probably was copied by him from the original affidavit.1 If the subject of it be of such importance in your opinion, as that it would be your desire to have the original transmitted to you, I will use my best Endeavours to procure it for you.
I beg that you will obligingly excuse this Intrusion, and accept my most cordial & respectful good wishes for your health & happiness. I am very respectfully, Sir, your most obed. Servt.
SG Tucker
RC (DLC). Enclosure not found, but see n. 1.
1. Tucker evidently enclosed a copy of an affidavit sworn by a Capt. Williams before magistrate John Tabb Smith of Elizabeth City County, stating that while a prisoner of the British in the Bahamas, Williams had witnessed “the sale of negroes taken from the vicinity of Norfolk and Hampton.” JM’s copy of the affidavit was sent to the U.S. peace commissioners at Ghent to aid their efforts to obtain indemnification from Great Britain for slaves taken from the United States during the war ( 3:701–2, 750–51).