A Guide to a Timothy Pickering Letter 1797 June 6 Pickering, Timothy Letter, 1797 June 6 11163

A Guide to a Timothy Pickering Letter 1797 June 6

A Collection in
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 11163


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Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Special Collections Department

Repository
Special Collections, University of Virginia Library
Accession number
11163
Title
Timothy Pickering Letter 1797 June 6
Physical Characteristics
1 item
Language
English
Abstract
This collection consists of a two-page autograph letter, June 6, 1797, from Timothy Pickering (1745-1829), U.S. Secretary of State, Philadelphia, to James Wood (1741-1813), Governor of Virginia, concerning the British blocade of the French frigates Medusa and Insurgent in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Timothy Pickering Letter, 1797, Accession #11163, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This letter was purchased by the University of Virginia Library from Jerry Showalter, Ivy, Virginia, on December 19, 1994.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of a two-page autograph letter, June 6, 1797, from Timothy Pickering (1745-1829), U.S. Secretary of State, Philadelphia, to James Wood (1741-1813), Governor of Virginia, concerning the British blocade of the French frigates Medusa and Insurgent in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia.

Pickering refers to a copy of a letter dated May 22, 1797, from the French Vice-Consul at Norfolk to Governor Wood, which was forwarded by the Consul General of the French Republic to himself, requesting that Wood determine which of the belligerent parties would remain within the jurisdictional line of the United States until twenty-four hours after the ships of the other party had sailed.

Pickering expresses the desire of President John Adams that the response of Wood to this letter be based on the circular letter from the State Department dated April 16, 1795, and the act of the President dated June 18, 1794. The President wants Governor Wood to notify the British commander of these rules so that they can "preserve the just rights of sovereignty of these states, as well as to afford to the French no real ground of complaint that we have not maintained an impartial neutrality."