1803-1823
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
Access to the originals is restricted. This collection is available as color digital facsimiles (see links below).
Abstract
This collection consists of 16 letters, including 14 to William Eustis from U.S. presidents and others and two letters between his wife Caroline (Langdon) Eustis and Dolley Madison.
Biographical Sketch
William Eustis (1753-1825) was a physician, politician, and diplomat. He studied medicine under Dr. Joseph Warren and served as a military surgeon in the field during the American Revolution, including at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Eustis served as a Massachusetts representative, 1788-1794; U.S. representative, 1801-1805 and 1820-1823; secretary of war under James Madison, 1809-1812; minister to the Netherlands, 1814-1818; and governor of Massachusetts, 1823-1825.
In 1810, William Eustis married Caroline Langdon (1781-1865), the daughter of Woodbury and Sarah Warner (Sherburne) Langdon. The Eustises had no children.
Collection Description
This collection consists of 16 letters, including 14 to William Eustis and two between his wife Caroline (Langdon) Eustis and Dolley Madison. Included are letters to William Eustis from Elbridge Gerry and James Sullivan about Eustis's work as U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts related to the Louisiana Purchase; James Monroe about the Marquis de Lafayette, trade with the Netherlands, and personal matters; Henry Dearborn about the arrest of Aaron Burr for treason in the Burr Conspiracy; John Quincy Adams about his break with the Federalist Party and support of Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807, as well as personal matters; Thomas Jefferson about resolutions from citizens of Boston in support of the Embargo Act and U.S. neutrality in the war between England and France, Eustis's appointment as secretary of war, and Federalists in the North threatening to secede; James Madison about the nation's armories and fortifications before the War of 1812, the possibility of imprisoning Native Americans as hostages, and other matters related to the war; Paul Hamilton about his retirement, Albert Gallatin and Russian mediation in the War of 1812, and personal matters; and Lafayette about his interest in America and the French Chamber of Deputies. Letters between Caroline (Langdon) Eustis and Dolley Madison relate to Eustis's activities in Europe and Madison's responsibilities as First Lady, her life in Washington, D.C., and mutual friends.
Acquisition Information
Gift of an anonymous donor, April 2019.
Restrictions on Access
Access to the originals is restricted. This collection is available as color digital facsimiles (see links below).
Other Formats
This collection is available as color digital facsimiles.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Invitation from Thomas Jefferson to William Eustis to dine on Friday, 21 Oct. 1803. Printed document completed in manuscript.
Letter from Elbridge Gerry (Cambridge, Mass.) wishing William Eustis (Washington, D.C.) luck in the U.S. House debate on the Louisiana Purchase and asking for information about land in Ohio.
Letter from James Sullivan (Boston, Mass.) to William Eustis (Washington, D.C.) recommending General [William] Hull for an appointment in Louisiana and discussing the advantages of appointing a New Englander.
Letter from James Monroe (London, England) to William Eustis introducing the bearer, Mr. Barnard, and discussing negotiations for the Monroe-Pinkney Treaty.
Letter from Henry Dearborn (Washington, D.C.) to William Eustis about the appointment of [Lemuel] Trescott [as collector at Machias, Me.] and the escape and recapture of Aaron Burr in February 1807.
Letter from John Quincy Adams (Washington, D.C.) to William Eustis about Adams's break with the Federalist Party and support of Thomas Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807, the reasons for his decision, and articles in the newspapers related to the embargo.
Letter from Thomas Jefferson (Washington, D.C.) thanking William Eustis (Boston, Mass.) for resolutions of Republican citizens of Boston in support of the Embargo Act of 1807 and discussing reasons for the embargo, including violations of U.S. neutrality by England and France, as well as misinformation about the policy.
A transcription of this letter is available at http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-9538.
Letter from Thomas Jefferson (Monticello, Va.) to William Eustis forwarding a solicitation from a poor man, congratulating Eustis on his appointment as secretary of war, and criticizing Federalists in the North threatening to secede.
A transcription of this letter is available at http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-01-02-0455.
Letter from James Madison (Montpelier, Va.) to William Eustis about the nation's armories and fortifications and a possible visit by Osage and Choctaw chiefs.
Letter from James Madison (Montpelier, Va.) to William Eustis (Washington, D.C.) about justifications for the imprisonment of Native Americans as hostages, the capture of Fort Wayne, a possible expedition against Upper Canada, and the reputation of William Hull after the surrender of Fort Detroit.
Letter from Paul Hamilton (Washington, D.C.) to William Eustis (Boston, Mass.) about Eustis's retirement, Hamilton's appointment as commissioner of loans for South Carolina, Russian mediation to end the War of 1812, and the possible appointment of Albert Gallatin as negotiator.
Letter from Caroline (Langdon) Eustis (the Hague, the Netherlands) to Dolley Madison about an invitation to attend the coronation [of William I] at Brussels, Belgium.
Letter from Dolley Madison [Washington, D.C.] to Caroline (Langdon) Eustis about Madison's responsibilities as First Lady, her life in Washington, D.C., and mutual friends.
Letter from James Monroe (Virginia) to William Eustis about Paris, the Marquis de Lafayette, trade with the Netherlands, Col. [James] Morrison of Kentucky, and news of family and friends.
Letter from the Marquis de Lafayette (La Grange, France) to William Eustis (Brussels, Belgium) about Lafayette's interest in the U.S., an attack on an American ship [possibly the Firebrand] by a Spanish squadron, other international news, and debates in France's Chamber of Deputies.
Letter from John Quincy Adams (Quincy, Mass.) to William Eustis (Roxbury, Mass.) declining an invitation to the theater in order to stay with his father John Adams and promising to visit Eustis before returning to Washington.
Preferred Citation
Letters to William and Caroline Eustis, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.