The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-07-01
ComMoDoRs TRuxroN,
Navy Department, ]
18th March, 1903.

nave received with real concern your let.
| ter ofthe Sd inf. notifying your determination
| to quit the tervice, unlefs you can have an adj
| dit'onal captain to command your "Trip under
| you. The condition, fir, is inipofiibe. 1t is
well known that from the Reduction of the Off
| GERS in Purfuance of the aa of Congrefs of the
lat FELTON,, there is not at this time within the
United States a captain of the navy that we
could require to take fecondary ftation on
board hip. As this mnft have been known
to you cannot but conGder your notification
| as abiolutc. 1t to be regretted ths. it had
| not been made at an earlier period, 70 as to have
allowed me TO aik from you re. confederation
of the fubject But ut this moment, when the
hip Is aImoit ready to depart, neither the ob-
Jeet ct her deitinatton, nor the expenses of the
delay will allow time for negotiation. would
prciume 100, that you had deliberately viewed
the cafe under all its afpe6ts, and that no CON
alterations which 1 could prefent, would be
new TO your mind. II remains then for one,
however reluctantly, to acquiefce in your de-
termination, and to Ieilen as mach as pofIbIe
the exPence and injury, which fuch notihca-
ton at this point OF tune may occaGou, by diff.
patching, as / have done, orders TO captain
Morris at Bolton TO repair Immediately to Nor
folk aud to atume the command of the Chefa-
peake. Uatil his arrival have committed the
charge of the ihip TO Lieutenant Smith.
have the honor to be,
Your mott obedient fervapt,
r. SMITH.
To this letter, thus accepting his relignation.
the Secretary or the Navy received from COM
modore Truxton an anfwer, dated March %.
1902, of which the following is an extract Of
what relates to the point in queftion.
" am honored with your letter of the 9Th.
and note its contents, which is well. The on
ly part oft that feel hurt at is your mention
OF regret that did not make known TO YOU me
determination at an earlier period. 1t is not
however neceHary for me to dwell much on the
iubjcct, now the buGGefs is fettied, bur multre
mark that the cold reception of the PreGdeut at
Wilmington, and the conduct met there (un-
neceiiary to mention there) was far from induc-
ing me to believe that the appointment held
was congenia to the feelings Of MIR. Jefferfon."
Three years and half after commodore
Iruxtoh had thus quit the fervice, the follow
ing letter with its enclofures, was addreGed
by him to the navy department.
OFFICIAL.
Hon. ROBERT Smith, Efa.
Secretary ofthe Navy.
Philadelphia, Sept. Z, 1906.
never intentionally wrote an ambitious let
ter in my life that remember, but have ever
wiihed TO be explicit in every thing. Il
At the time wrote to YOU my letter of the
Sd of March, 1909, from Norfolk, / was ex-
tremeiy unwell, although I kept about as much
as could, to facilitate the frigate's equipment
and departure for the ftation fhe was intended.
was, however, finally obliged not only tn 90
to and remain confined in my chamber for
time, but to my bed--and after being removed
to veifel when fcarcely couvalefcent, and
reaching my farm in New Jerfey, / was again
copfqed in the fame manner for length of time.
and few, Vt any, not even phyficians, expected
that liquid ever again be reRored 10 nv u(i, al
health. In the 0ate Of health then that I was
in, and the fate of mind too, when wrote IN
you on the Sd Of March aforefaid-it is po(Iible
my letter in fome particulars may have appeared
to you ambiguous, or wanting farther explana-
tion--hut the intention of that letter was Gmplv
to communicate to you my defire of leave to
reiinqoIlh the command on the Mediterranean
ieryice, without fecond captain being furniCb
ed me, and it would have been immaterisJ To
me, whether he had been of the 1T, Cd or sd
grade, full captain---mafter commandant, or
lieutenant commandant.
The enclofed letters from my friend, Charlie,
Bddle, Efq. and from commodore Dale-..the
former wrote to at the fame time I wrote 10
you from Norfolk as already mentioned ON this
fubjett, and when / wrote to feveral other gen.
temen, and with whom have often converted
lince, will corrobaraie my explanation of nv
letteI OI the 90 OF March, l9O2--.and the latter
gentleman, who was to have relieved in the
Mediterranean, arrived in Hampton Roads from
off that fervice with the frigate Prefident, 7
think ON the very day captain Morris received
from me the command of the Chefapeake, and
he, commodore Dale, very well recolleGs that
then fad to him, and on all occalions fnce
have faid to him, when that fubieGl has been
inpodnced, that ] merely withdrew from the
Mediterranean command, becaufe I deemed
farther aid than was furniihed necefIary for that
iervlce, and that had at no time any intention
OF refgning my comniHion, or leaving tine ge-
neral fervice Of the navy, otberwife Mould have
mott certainly forwarded to you my commit
Ton, as IS ufual when 4 relignatiou is made,
But permit me, 6r, to add further that no lei,
ter written by me after took command CT the
Cheiapeake prior or fubfequent to that of the
sd of March aforefaid, public or private, which
has any thing in It conveying IN appearance o
the fmalIeh intention in me Of reCgnine m,
| Handing IN the navy. 1t would be uCeleis fo
me TO add any thing farther in this letter thar
| pray you write one fully of my litustion, anc