18 March 1789

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Record of John Langdon's accounts as Continental Navy agent, presented to the Board of the Treasury]

Duer, assistant secretary of the treasury department, transmits a copied "Statement of the accounts of John Langdon Esq. with the Secret and Commercial Committees of Congress." Conveys information pertaining to accounts kept and stores received for navy purposes, stating "Upon the whole, both the Cash and Store Accounts appear to me to be as regular as could possibly have been expected, and this has been owing in a great measure to his having made them out and transmitted them to his employees from time to time as the transactions occurred." Copied from the records of Benjamin Walker, a…

GLC06530

February 3, 1783

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Discusses supplies and mentions a visit.

GLC02437.01887

22 December 1786

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Writes that Knox's "note becomes due this day" but the man from the Bank has not "called with it, prevented I suppose by the weather- of course I can not send it to you till Monday- I now send you one hundred and Seventy seven Dollars in Bank Paper." Declares that he will send the balance Monday.

GLC02437.03386

1 November 1789

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Knox

Sends Knox an account of his due bill for $150. Docket notes that this document relates to salary.

GLC02437.04404

17 December 1789

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Informs Knox that Mr. Flint (possibly Royal Flint) will be delivering money to him "towards the Reimbursement of the Two thousand and Five hundred dollars; lent for the Presidents household." Further discusses the transaction.

GLC02437.04442

13 May 1790

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Asks Knox to lend him money and forwards him a receipt.

GLC02437.04603

16 July 1790

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Encloses cancelled notes (not included), and discusses financial business in detail. Writes, "My Frenchmen drain me of cash, as I find it impossible to sell bills in France-"

GLC02437.04654

January 25, 1791

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Informs Knox he will provide Morris (either Gouverneur or Robert) with a receipt for Knox's note. Says Morris will show Knox Duer's letter to Alexander Hamilton. Notes he would have written a longer letter if it wasn't for his "old Complaint" that affects his writing.

GLC02437.04837

27 April 1791

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph note signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Duer asks Knox for a loan of a check for "six hundred Dollars," which Duer will return to Knox the following Saturday. J. Geary signed on verso for receipt of the check for William Duer.

GLC02437.04932

24 May 1791

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written by Duer to Secretary of War Knox. Reports that General Henry Jackson is going to Philadelphia, presumably because of the problematic speculation deal sponsored by Duer. In reference to the business problems between Duer and Knox, Duer says that William Constable has agreed to "combine" with him. Hopes Knox will hold off doing anything because "I have an operation which I will Communicate when we meet, that will make the Speculation solid, and productive; but then all arrangements must be within our own Controul." Pledges that he still stands by his promise. Says the parties are…

GLC02437.04956

2 June 1791

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph document signed

Title: [Land purchase instructions for Henry Jackson and other agents]

Document is apparently written in Duer's hand and signed by both Knox and Duer. Docket is in Knox's hand. Document provides instructions to their agents for the purchase of a tract of land in Maine. Docket suggests General Henry Jackson was one of the agents. Knox and Duer tell their agents to alter the contract if circumstances warrant, but to avoid any major changes, especially in terms of price. They permit them to incur whatever expenses are necessary to quickly complete the transaction, and add that they will be reimbursed. They give advice on how to handle the committee of the…

GLC02437.04970

2 June 1791

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph document signed

Title: [Principles of agreement between Henry Knox and William Duer and the state of Massachusetts]

Agreement of Knox and Duer to purchase lands in the District of Maine from the state of Massachusetts. Written in Duer's hand. The major stipulations include: an equal stake in the investment for both parties, a desire to pay only 12 cents per acre in no less than five annual installments, that only Knox and Duer are directors of this purchase with William Constable being given the option to join them during a six-month period after the purchase, and that Henry Jackson and Royal Flint are to serve as agents for the purchase. Goes on to provide stipulations that "subordinate parties" will…

GLC02437.04971

25 July 1791

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph document signed

Title: [Agreement to purchase one million acres of land in Maine]

Legal document written in William Duer's hand. Signed by Duer, Henry Knox, Royal Flint. Knox also signed for Henry Jackson. The document states the four parties to the agreement "agree with each other upon honor to be equally concerned in the purchase of one million of acres of land in the Province of Maine - no parties to be admitted to this concern without the consent of the subscribers." The location of the land is to be determined by the parties. They also agree to make proposals in joint concern for the land belonging to the Indians on each side of the Penobscot River.

GLC02437.05084

27 August 1791

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Reports that this letter will be delivered by Madame de la Val and Mr. de la Roche who will communicate provisional articles "I have Enterd into with them for commencing a French Establishment on the Lands we have purchased." Says the present state of France ought not to be neglected "and while the Climate of the Tract we have purchased may not be so Congenial to the French, as the Scots." Believes the Scots will become large purchasers of land in their tract and "All that is necessary is to give a Reputation to the Affair in the first Instance." Believes the purchase in question will…

GLC02437.05134

22 August 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Promises Knox he will not sell any of his own shares in their joint business before offering them first to Knox. Makes arrangements with Knox on how he will come up with the necessary amount of money.

GLC02437.05424

29 April 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Manuscript document

Title: to War Department [in French]

Note on the docket declares that this is a copy of a letter Colonel William Duer sent to Mr. [Despreminet] without the authority of Henry Knox. Mentions Madame de Leval and Mr. de la Roche. Docket is an Autograph document signed by Knox, stating, "a copy of a letter to Mr D [Despreminet] by W Duer 1792 without authority from H Knox - given to me this day by Bacler delaVal 18 [March] 1793."

GLC02437.05435

5 May 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Discusses a conversation he had with General [Henry] Jackson about business, but feels he needs to speak to Knox directly about their arrangements. Considers their attempts to purchase land in Maine. Comments on his own character and the damaging nature of his debt. Mentions a land purchase by Mr. [Samuel] Ogden.

GLC02437.05448

10 May 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph note signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Money order to pay fifty dollars to a Peter Hasenfrats.

GLC02437.05455

8 June 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Account between William Duer and Henry Knox]

Ledger outlines accounts between Duer and Knox from 1791-1792.

GLC02437.05498

June 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph document signed

Title: [Proposition for Henry Knox]

Duer signs in text as "Mr. Duer." Presents a proposal for Knox to relinquish to Duer "his Right in the Pre Emption of Two million acres of land made of the State of Massachusetts of by Henry Jackson and Royal Flint..." Discusses in detail seven different features of the proposal, mostly covering financial aspects of the deal.

GLC02437.05524

8 July 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Manuscript letter

Title: to Henry Jackson

Discusses his lack of funds to purchase Henry Knox's land claim and other business in regards to land. Noted as a copy and written in Jackson's hand.

GLC02437.05531

6-13 September 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Manuscript document

Title: [Copies of correspondence]

Copies of correspondences between William Duer, Henry Knox, Royal Flint, and Henry Jackson detailing the progress of their land deals and Duer's financial instability. Also includes details on the land agreements involving Madame de Leval and Monsieur la Roche. In the first correspondence, dated 12 September 1792, Duer writes to Jackson and Flint discussing a contract he drew up for Knox involving land deals between Knox, Roche and Leval. The second letter, dated 13 September 1792, Flint forwards a packet (not included) to Jackson which was originally between Knox and Duer. The packet…

GLC02437.05607

6 October 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Marked "Confidential." Apologizes for not answering Knox's letter sooner. Discusses his difficulty in keeping to his part of the contract with Knox. Is unable to find funds to buy a tract of land. Describes his circumstances and why he is unable to buy the land as he had hoped. Also discusses his future and the likelihood of his imprisonment and the effect it will have on his family.

GLC02437.05643

16 October 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Manuscript letter

Title: to Henry Jackson

Informs Jackson that Henry Knox has agreed to give Madame de Leval and Mr. de la Roche deeds for portions of Trenton and "No. 8" (both in present-day Maine). Instructs Jackson, "To enable her further to place the Germans, you will assist her to take possession of no. 15." States that Leval and de la Roche are not to make any application to the State without consulting Knox and Duer. Written in Henry Jackson's hand and marked as a copy.

GLC02437.05655

19 October 1792

Duer, William, 1747-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

States that [Samuel] Shaw and [Thomas] Randall are considered "transient merchants," thus their credit is not considered good for long engagements. Discusses a financial matter with Knox, and notes that he hopes to see Knox before he leaves.

GLC02437.05656