Sold- President Monroe Seeks to Discharge “my duty, with advantage to my country”

He prefers a man who has “served his country in our revolutionary struggle”.

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James Monroe was one of the most diligent public servants in the nation’s first half century. When appointing officials, he sought the best men, and not merely relying on others, often set about the task of finding them and assuring himself that they were the right people for the job.

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Sold- President Monroe Seeks to Discharge “my duty, with advantage to my country”

He prefers a man who has “served his country in our revolutionary struggle”.

James Monroe was one of the most diligent public servants in the nation’s first half century. When appointing officials, he sought the best men, and not merely relying on others, often set about the task of finding them and assuring himself that they were the right people for the job.

…Represented to have served his country in our revolutionary struggle, & to have been wounded in an action near Jamestown. This service gives him a claim of great force

When the post of Collector at Petersburg, Virginia opened up, he wrote a prominent member of that community requesting his opinion of the leading candidates. That man was Thomas Shore, Postmaster of Petersburg, whose father (referenced below by Monore) was physician Dr. John Shore, Mayor and Controller of the Port of Petersburg at various times. At the request of President-elect Thomas Jefferson, the elder Shore helped successfully test and promote in America use of the experimental process of smallpox vaccination developed by Dr. Edward Jenner in England. Mordecai Barbour, a prime candidate, was an officer in the Revolution, serving under the command of General LaFayette. He was an officer in the Culpepper County militia at the siege of York and conveyed the prisoners to Winchester. Barbour’s father had been a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and his son John became the Governor of Virginia.

Autograph Letter Signed as President, Washington, March 10, 1824, to Thomas Shore, headed "confidential," and showing much about Monroe’s leadership style. "The friendship which existed between your father & myself, and the confidence with which your character inspires me, will explain my motive in writing to you this letter. The vacancy in the office of Collector at Petersburg occasioned by the death of my late friend General Jones, has produced an extensive competition among men of real merit, several of whom are personally known to me, and for whom I have esteem. One of them, Mr. Mordecai Barbour, less known to me personally than two or three others, is represented to have served his country in our revolutionary struggle, & to have been wounded in an action near Jamestown. This service gives him a claim of great force, provided his character in all other respects is such as to justify his appointment. I wish therefore that you would be so good as to communicate to me freely and without delay  your opinion on this subject, & also the estimation in which he is held by the citizens of the town. Among the other candidates, there are several between whom it would be painful to discriminate. Among these, Mr. Peterson stands on ground which seems to justify a preference in his favor, provided his qualifications are deemed adequate. The circumstance to which I allude is the office which he now holds, that of surveyor of the customs. I mention him only in the event that it should be deemed improper to nominate Mr. Barbour. I wish you to communicate to me responding to the standing of these gentlemen, and of the others who are candidates for the vacant office to aid me in the discharge of my duty, with advantage to my country, and to give satisfaction to my fellow citizens of Petersburg &?and the neighboring country."

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