2 March 1790

King, Rufus, 1755-1827

Manuscript letter

Title: to Nathaniel Tracy

Signed secretarially by Rufus King, Elbridge Gerry, and Henry Knox. Discusses the financial situation of Nathaniel Tracy and states that they are averse to taking on the payment of his debt owed to Major Gibbs. They believe that paying Gibbs will lead to Tracy's other creditors expecting payment as well. Will try to stop the proceedings of Gibbs against Tracy and will assist Tracy with expenses while at Hartford. In the hand of William Knox. Signer of the U.S. Constitution.

GLC02437.04526

27 April 1791

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Isaiah Thomas

Acknowledges receipt of Thomas's letter of 13 April 1791. Knox writes, "I have always conceived your proposition relative to your note to Mr. Flucker to be [equitable]," and that he himself would not hesitate to accept it. He has written to William Duer on the matter. Hopes there will be no legal impediment to accepting the offer. Signature clipped.

GLC02437.04931

1 October 1792

Troup, Robert, 1757-1832

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Informs Knox about William Duer's status regarding issues concerning their land agreement. Notes he has [Duer] been arrested by the Marshall. Mentions Duer bringing the issue before officials. "Free" stamped on address leaf with no signature.

GLC02437.05634

04 July 1800

Ticknor, Elisha, 1757-1821

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Ticknor expresses his disappointment in not receiving a "consinement" from Knox "sufficiently large by the 15th ult. [June] to discharge the half of the Note" that Ticknor holds against Knox. Ticknor reminds Knox that "this Note has been due a long time." Ticknor asks that Knox send him something that "can get the money -Lime or Lumber etc."

GLC02437.07433

22 April 1801

Tucker, Thomas, fl. 1801

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Expresses his disappointment in Knox's son's (likely Henry Jackson Knox) behavior. Apologizes for handing the money to Knox's son, noting it only encourages him. Discusses terms for Knox repaying the money.

GLC02437.07521

16 April 1802

Thorndike, Isaac, fl. 1802

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Informs Knox he sent a young gentleman to collect on a note that Knox owes.

GLC02437.07727

February 13, 1805

Tudor, Frederic, 1783-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Writes to urge Knox to renew a note showing money he owes to Tudor. Warns that if he refuses, Tudor may have to take "unpleasant measures."

GLC02437.07909

February 14, 1805

Tudor, William, 1750-1819

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Explains why he parted with a note of Knox's. May have given it to his son [Frederic] to help finance his son's business ventures (see GLC02437.07909). Discusses his own financial hardships, and apologizes for having to extricate himself from their financial arrangements in this way.

GLC02437.07910

14 August 1805

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Israel Thorndike

Unsigned, but handwriting suggests the author is Henry Knox. Writes that he received Thorndike's last letter, and though he wished Thorndike could have visited, he was happy Thorndike and his family have arrived at home safely. Discusses his attempts to collect money to repay Thorndike's note, and the arrangements he is making for repayment.

GLC02437.07963

February 17, 1788

Swan, James, 1754-1830

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Swan relates the details of his passage to France. He had planned to avoid conversing with people from Boston, but ran into people he knew aboard ship. Received introductions from French nobility during his passage. Asks for news related to the United States Constitution. Discusses his debt, stating his interest in obtaining a consular position to an unspecified location in Europe. Notes that the merchants' wives are the most extravagant in their spending, while the higher order are "very prudent & oeconomical, tho' showy." Discusses letters of introduction, mentioning two previous…

GLC02437.03801

27 December 1790

Swan, James, 1754-1830

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Swan has enclosed a plan "advantageous" to both the U.S. and France and wishes Knox to exert his influence over President George Washington and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton to agree to it. Swan also sends "the bankers' letter to me, the Commission or agency in which, I sacredly engage to pay to you." In a postscript dated 30 December Swan asks Knox, "pray sound Mr. Jefferson on this, or get some one to do it. I am affraid of him, merely because Mr. Short may have misled him."

GLC02437.04810

30 October 1787

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Swan

Returns Swan's account against John Campbell, "who has been liberated from Goal by an oath of Insolvency & gone to Europe." (Swan had a dispute with Campbell; see GLC02437.03437). Says he does not know what the charges of Colonel [Alexander?] Hamilton are on this business, but will let Swan know when he finds out. Supports the new Constitution, and believes it will be adopted ultimately. Adds, "Should Massachusetts & the other Eastern states embrace it eagerly much evil would be avoided." Date from docket.

GLC02437.03690

March 29, 1788

Swan, James, 1754-1830

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Swan refers to his attempts to meet with merchants and manufacturers in France. He writes, "The reason why the French in this Quarter, have not been able to sell their manufrs. as low as the English, I saw in a moment,- there is not that invention & care used as in Great Britain, to save labour- People being plenty they continue to employ them, because they have done it for a long time." Discusses the replacement of human labor with machines in French manufacturing. Notes that the Marquis de Lafayette has offered to write Swan letters of introduction. He hopes his memorial on French and…

GLC02437.03830

3 January 1789

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Swan

Thanks him for his last letters. Apologizes for not writing to him about private matters, but alludes to the fact that the custom in Europe (where Swan is) is for the post officers to open the mail, so he did not feel comfortable going into detail. Hopes very sincerely that Swan is able to extricate himself from financial difficulty and "avail yourself of the rising prosperity" of the United States. Mentions that he has been in Boston and Swan's wife and children are in perfect health. Discusses the new Constitution of the United States, explaining that the legislatures of New York and…

GLC02437.04068

27 May 1791

Swan, James, 1754-1830

Autograph letter

Title: to Henry Knox

Swan says he wrote Knox letters on 27 December 1790 and 23 and 27 January 1791. Mentions new ministers from France arriving in America. Their primary goal is to address the U.S. debt to France. Discusses how they could find 40 million dollars to pay the debt. Claims "The circumstances of the finances of france, render this matter nearer at heart, than when first proposed. The deficiency in the Revenue with the expence, was not then known: it is now severely felt." Says if there ever was a moment the U.S. could help France, this is it. Claims borrowing from Amsterdam is not cheap at the…

GLC02437.04960

7 March 1793

Taylor, William, fl. 1793-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Reports that the interest of Thomas Goldthwait in the Penobscot lands came into his hands part by purchase and part by a debt owed to Taylor's father, Nathaniel Taylor. Claims he now owns 1/5 of the township of Frankfort along the Penobscot River. Says it is more fully described in the agreement made with the heirs of the late Brigadier Waldo dated 1766. Believes the unknown legal situation has kept people from buying plots, but that "there are many persons every season who make temporary settlements, strip the Land of its valuable Timber and all the Cord-Wood which is near to the Water,…

GLC02437.05845

17 May 1796

Swan, James, 1754-1830

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Reminds Knox that he needs a sum of money Knox owes him by 1 June. Declares that if his finances were not tightly arranged, and if his credit were not endangered, Swan would not be so insistent.

GLC02437.06743

18 August 1799

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to William Sullivan

Knox received Sullivan's letter of 6 August 1799 (GLC02437.07291). Knox thinks Sullivan meant to talk about "Mr. Stephen Gorham's suit against me, instead of Amorys." Knox is unprepared to pay, as are Henry Jackson and Benjamin Lincoln. "General Jackson," Knox writes, "might act as my attorney, and perhaps obtain a bondsman for me as well as himself." Knox says he is awaiting payment himself and talks of how "excellent" his plots of land for sale are.

GLC02437.07297

25 November 1799

Swan, Hepzibah Clarke, 1757-1825

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Mrs. Swan tells Knox that the time has come for him to pay heed to the agreement he made with her to "purchase of me the twenty five thousand acres of land which you formerly sold to Genl. Jackson." Mrs. Swan is in great need of the money. She says the sum total of what she is owed is fifty thousand dollars but she would accept less right now "rather than be incumbered with lands which I know not how to manage."

GLC02437.07329

29 December 1799

Sullivan, William, fl. 1799-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Sullivan received Knox's letter of December 22. He tells Knox, "by General Jackson you will receive a memorandum concerning the bills of Winthrop Mackay and Derby." Sullivan goes on to describe the arrangements with these men and how Knox can get the advantage. Sullivan details the deals so that Knox knows how he can plead his cases. Mr. Derby seems the most fair according to Sullivan.

GLC02437.07347

January 12, 1800

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Sullivan

Knox acknowledges the articles that Sullivan sent him and his wife. Knox also tells Sullivan, "if Thomas Flucker is not gone onboard of any of the Vessells of [near] I pray you to remit immediately the fifty dollars to Mr. Pemberton at Billerica to pay his bills there." Knox encloses the deed for "Mrs. Waldo instead of the one which you have as in that the boundaries are not right." Mentions his disputes with Mackay, Derbey, and Lowell.

GLC02437.07354

22 June 1800

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Hepzibah Clarke Swan

Knox apologizes to Mrs. Swan for any inconvenience she has endured due to the inability of Knox to get vessels to transfer her cargo. Knox hopes that in the near future he can pay the freight. He promises to pay her "every cent I owe."

GLC02437.07430

February 11, 1805

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Hepzibah Swan

Writes to Mrs. Hepzibah Swan, wife of his friend James Swan, to discuss money due to her. Mentions dealings with General [Henry] Jackson.

GLC02437.07906

15 April 1805

Sullivan, William, fl. 1799-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Discusses a court case brought by a Mr. Storer against Knox, and the likelihood of a final judgment against Knox.

GLC02437.07931

1798

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to H. Swan

Informs Swan that he was unable to pay back some money and discusses other financial business. Date previously inferred, written in pencil.

GLC02437.08095