Scope and arrangement
Timothy Pickering (1745-1829) was a Massachusetts statesman who served variously as colonel in the Continental Army, United States Secretary of War, and United States Secretary of State. The Timothy Pickering papers consist mainly of letters written by Pickering in the 1780s and 1790s in a professional capacity, with Samuel Hodgdon and Jedidiah Huntington being his most frequent correspondents. Earlier papers document the conditions and movements of the Army, 1780-1781, and include bills for services and supplies signed by Pickering as Quartermaster General. Letters relative to his duties as Secretary of War discuss the acquisition of provisions and munitions. Letters and documents created during his tenure as Secretary of State include "an estimate of the expence of negociating a treaty with the French Republic," 1799, and "Principles which should govern in choosing a president of the United States." Later material relates to personal and family matters, including an 1827 letter to Virgil Maxcy asking for advice in the growing of hops. Also present are autographs, seals, and receipts.