Archive:Eli Whitney Letters
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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.
Copyright © 1999, 2006, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.
