- Williams— Lewis
- Caldwell
- Binney— Amos
- Whittlesey— Elisha
- Porter
- Wistar
- Bateman. Ephriam
- Prall
- Metcalfe Thomas
- Kelly
- Silsbee Nathaniel
- Bates Joshua
- De Graff John T
- Wood, of Albany
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The Morning was still cold, but in the course of the day, moderated again
to the usual temperature of Spring— In the Garden, vegetation, still
drooping under the continued frosts— The Strawberries however, are
coming into blossom; which I first observed this morning— One more plum
tree, piercing the surface of the earth is in my Eastern seedling bed.
Still doubtful whether those that had come up are yet alive, or killed
by the frost— The ground is much caked, and cracked by the frost; and
yet is covering itself with weeds— I found under one of the old Cherry
trees in the yard, a number of small trees coming up from Stones, fallen
from the tree— Also a number of stones on the ground which have
apparently lain there over the winter— I picked up about 30 of these,
and found most of them on putting them into a tumbler of water sunk to
the bottom— I planted 12 of them in seedling pot N. 3— The day was
absorbed by an unusual number of visitors— Lewis Williams, member of the House from North-Carolina,
introduced a Mr
Caldwell from that State— Mr Whittlesey of Ohio,
Mr Porter (I
believe) and Mr
Wistar of Philadelphia. Mr Bateman
- Dyer— William B
- Bartlett— Ichabod
- March
- Champomier
- Willis
- Wing— Austin E
- Cass— Lewis
- Amory. Rufus G
- Hoops Adam
- Southard— Samuel L
- Bailey— John
- Sprague— Peleg
the Senator from New-Jersey, Mr Prall, Editor of the Trenton
True American: General Metcalfe
of Kentucky. Mr
Kelly, Mr Silsbee the Senator from
Massachusetts, Mr Joshua Bates, a partner of Mr J.
Baring, Son of Thomas
Baring, in London— Mr Bates
brought me a Letter recommendatory from F.
C. Gray; and told me he was originally from Weymouth—
Three or four other persons came with one and another of these members
of Congress, but their names escape my recollection. Mr De
Graff, from New-York, introduced Mr Wood of Albany. Mr
Bartlett, of New-Hampshire, Mr March formerly of that
State, but now of the Island of Madeira— These and Mr Willis were all transient
visitors. The rest came upon business— Mr Binney to talk of his claims
for the Settlement of his Accounts— He said there were many precedents
of allowances precisely the same as those he claimed— I said, if so
there was no occasion for the accounting Officers to appeal to me— He
said their only reason was the magnitude of the amount— I mentioned to
him the Acts of Congress making the allowances to several of the States,
and to the late Vice-President
Tompkins—he was very averse to going to Congress; saying
that he could not expect to obtain it of them, unless after four or five
years of constant pursuit, with all that loss of time, and infinite
trouble to himself— I told him I would converse with the Secretary of
the Navy upon his claim, and do any thing for him that I could,
consistently with my duty— Mr Champomier, the Roman
Catholic Priest of Vincennes, came to solicit a subscription for the
building of their Church— Mr Wing the Delegate from the
Territory of Michigan, came with Governor
Cass, who took leave, being about returning home— They
both expressed much solicitude about the appointment of a Collector at
Detroit— I told them I was undetermined between a person recommended by
Mr Wing, and a Mr
Beecher strongly recommended by Mr Sloane, and others of
the Ohio Delegation— They expressed a strong reluctance at the
appointment of a person not a resident of the District— Mr Amory
came in behalf of his Son in Law Captain
Freeman of the Marine Corps— He read and left with me a
Letter from Coll. Henderson, to the Secretary of the Navy
containing his Argument to sustain his right of appointing the
Staff-Officers of the Corps, and allegations against the official
conduct of Captain Kuhn, the
Paymaster of the Corps— Also a Letter from Captain Freeman, offering
himself as a candidate for either of those Staff-Offices, and
complaining that they were now held by Officers his juniors in the
services, and even in rank— Mr Southard was afterwards here
and I conversed with him on the subject— I had not seen, or had
overlooked Coll. Henderson’s Letter among
the papers heretofore examined, by me— I had not been aware that there
were any charges of official delinquency against Kuhn— Mr Southard explained them in part to
satisfaction— He had brought over the list of the Navy Nominations to be
made to the Senate— We agreed that I should omit for the present the
nominations of the Marine Corps staff, to give time for further
explanations on the part of Kuhn— Major
Hoops brought me his Letter and project of systematic
reform in the service of Military Store-keeping— Mr Bailey of
Massachusetts and Mr Sprague of Maine were successively here in the
Evening— Of the 29 visitors received this day, seven were upon business
of various kinds; but all of very subordinate importance. This continual
bustle, and incessant change of objects that occupy the mind is
oppressive upon the Spirits, and very fatiguing— It has however the
advantage of preserving one from brooding over cares and anxieties which
beset my path as at this time— It is the transition from this
tempestuous gale to the calm of Solitude, and dereliction, which I am to
expect as one of the severe trials that await me— But in looking forward
to the Prospects whether of public or of private life, without an
interposition of Providence, which it were absurd in me to expect, I am
reduced to wish myself the end of Agricola; to be spared the agony of witnessing the
futurity before me— Mr Rush sent me the Petition of Hewlett Story upon which I entered an
order of discharge on payment of costs—