Archive:Eli Whitney Letters

Dana Merrill of the Gallery of History auction house has supplied to me copies of four letters to/from Eli Whitney. Three of these obviously pertain to Eli⁷ WHITNEY, inventor of the cotton gin, and the fourth to his grandson

Eli⁹ WHITNEY. Here are transcribed the full texts of each letter.

                                   18 Aug 1814

Dr Sir,

     I understand you expect shortly to go to
Pittsburg and be absent from Washington for some
time--will you have the goodness to let me know
about the time you will leave the seat of Govt.
and when you will return--and I will regulate my
correspondence accordingly--I do not expect you
to answer all my letters--I have lately sent you
several hasty [ones?] for the purpose only of
communicating to you the ideas which accured to
me at the moment and am at all times

                    Sincerely your

                     E. Whitney

Coln Wadsworth

P.s. The Boxes are all prepared and the muskets
may be delivered with the utmost dispatch.

The addressee was Col. Decius Wadsworth, of the Ordnance Department, U.S. Army. He and Eli Whitney were close personal friends, according to From Under Iron Eyelids: The Biography of of James Henry Burton, Armorer to Three Nations', by Thomas K. Tate

---

                       New Haven 20th Nov. 1819
                            Saturday Evening



Sir,

       I wish you to call & see me at my
     House in N.H. as soon as you can
     possibly make it convenient--I have
     something important as it respects your
     interest to communicate to you--
     - If you can come in on Monday
     Morning so as to be at my House by
     8 oClock, you had better be here at that
     time ----     Your friend &c

                     Eli Whitney


Mr. Wyllys Elliott
     Northford

---

                          New Haven 16th July 1823


     Sir ----
     
           Vouchers for a further delivery of
       500 muskets will be found herewith
       inclosed, whereupon be pleased to direct a
       remittance of six thousand five hundred
       Dollars to be made to
                           Yr very respectful & very
                                Obdt. Servt.
Honbl. J. C. Calhoun
  Secy of War                   Eli Whitney

The addressee was John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, the famous orator, senator, and presidential candidate.

---

                      WILLIAM H. TAFT
                      NEW HAVEN, CONN.

                                     February 8, 1917



Dear Mr. Whitney:

           Can you attend an important conference-luncheon
with a group of representative men of New England whom I am
inviting to meet me Sunday, February 11th, at 2 o'clock, at
the Hotel Taft, to consider a large constructive program
arising out of the present war?

           Mr. John G. Mott, together with Mr. Brockman and
Mr. Eddy, who have been engaged in conducting the great work
in the prison camps of Europe and with the armies of the
countries now at war, will meet with us to consider a large
and far-reaching program to help the nations suffering from
the war and to devise, if possible, some adequate means
through the Y. M. C. A. and in other ways of fulfilling our
Christian obligation to the nations which are in such need at
this critical time.

           As the meeting is likely to be one of far-reaching
importance, I hope that you will without fail plan to be
present at the luncheon and the conference following, and that
you can send your acceptance.

                        Very sincerely yours,


                        Wm. H. Taft



Eli Whitney, Esq.,
New Haven, Connecticut.

The letter-writer was the former President of the United States who, at the time of the letter, was a professor of law at Yale University.