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LOT #42085 |
Starting Bid: $10,000
James Monroe Autograph Letter Signed...
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Description
On the Eve of the War of 1812, Secretary of State James Monroe Responds Urgently to the Savannah Riots
James Monroe Autograph Letter Signed ("Jas Monroe").
Three pages, 8 x 9 3/4 inches; "Washington Dept of State";
December 7, 1811.A dramatic and urgent letter from James Monroe, then serving as Secretary of State, addressed to William Bellinger Bullock, Mayor of Savannah, concerning violent clashes between American citizens and French sailors at a moment of rising international tension on the eve of the War of 1812. Monroe pens, in full:
"Sir:
The President has heard with great surprise and regret of some late occurrences at Savannah, which, as represented to this Government by the French Minister, are calculated to bring a stigma on the United States, and perhaps to endanger their Peace.
The Public Prints and Private Letters have suggested some extenuating circumstances in favor of our own citizens, but from all the accounts which have reached us, none of them however being official, it is to be inferred, that a most extraordinary and unlawful Riot has taken place at Savannah between the Masters and Crews of certain American vessels, joined by some of the citizens of the town, and the Crews of two French Privateers, then in the Port, which did not terminate until several persons were killed, and both the Privateers burnt.
Under these circumstances it is proper that the events which led to or attended the Riot should be fully and fairly investigated by this Government, and that the most prompt and effectual measures should be taken to support the authority of the Laws, by bringing to punishment those who may have violated them.
I have it therefore in charge from the President to instruct you, immediately to set on foot the necessary judicial investigation, to ascertain, as far as is practicable, all the circumstances which led to or attended this Riot, and to omit no steps which your judgment or experience may suggest, to bring the offenders to justice, and to rescue the United States from the reproaches which might otherwise be attached to their character and laws.
The enclosed [not present] is a translation of a paper communicated to me by the French Minister. It will serve to shew you the view which has been given to him and by him to this Government of the late occurrences at Savannah. This paper is intended solely for your own use, and will serve in part to guide you in the enquiries you are to make.
To enable me to reply to the French Minister, with a knowledge of the material facts connected with this unfortunate affair, I must request you to send to me as soon as practicable, a statement of them, supported by affidavits, which, in case of the absence of the District Judge, may be taken before the Mayor of Savannah or any Justice of the Peace in that place. To this statement you will be pleased to add such observations as may serve you best calculated to elucidate it.
I have the Honor to be respectfully,
Sir, your very obed. Servt.
Jas Monroe."
The events to which Monroe refers were the Savannah Riots of November 1811, a violent three-day conflict between American sailors and the crews of French privateers docked in the harbor. The fighting escalated rapidly, resulting in multiple deaths and the destruction of two French vessels. The causes of the riot remain disputed to this day, as contemporary accounts varied widely depending on the reporters' national allegiance. French officials insisted on the innocence of their sailors, while other, perhaps more salacious, reports traced the outbreak to a brawl between seamen at a local brothel.
For Monroe and the Madison administration, the incident created a serious diplomatic crisis. At a time when the United States was already moving toward open conflict with Great Britain, the prospect of simultaneous hostilities with France posed a grave threat. In addition to ordering the investigation described here, Monroe formally apologized to the French government on behalf of the United States. Nevertheless, tensions remained high. In March 1812, news reached Washington that a French naval squadron had burned two American merchant vessels at sea, an act widely interpreted as retaliation for the Savannah incident. The episode brought the United States dangerously close to conflict with France just as it prepared to declare war on Great Britain only days later.
This letter thus captures a moment of extraordinary diplomatic fragility. It reveals Monroe confronting the immediate consequences of violence at home while attempting to prevent its escalation into a broader international crisis. In doing so, it highlights the precarious position of the young republic as it navigated competing pressures from the major European powers.
Condition: Very good. Evenly age-toned with flattened folds. Minor ink corrosion and edgewear (including separations and chips) affecting a few letters. Evidence of repair on the verso of each leaf. Overall an attractive example.
References: Hill, Peter P. "The Savannah Riots: A Burning Issue in Franco-American Hostility, 1811-1812." The Georgia Historical Quarterly 88, no. 4 (2004): 499-510.
Auction Info
2026 June 19 The John H. Freund Americana Collection Signature® Auction #6331 (go to Auction Home page)
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