Partly-printed vellum DS as president, one page, 13.75 x 17, September 11, 1800. President Adams appoints James Dodge “a Surgeon in the Navy in the service of the United States.” Signed at the conclusion by Adams and countersigned by Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert. Intersecting folds, one through a single letter of signature, scattered creases and toning, and a couple small pinholes of paper loss, otherwise very good condition. The paper seal is partially worn and soiled, but intact.
Four years after receiving this appointment, Navy Surgeon John Dodge joined the legendary Commodore Edward Preble aboard the USS Constitution in the Bay of Tunis. Active in the Second Battle of Tripoli Harbor, Dodge also played a key role in the ensuing diplomatic negotiations with the Barbary States, serving as charge d’affaires at the court of Tunis. An excellent document appointing a surgeon whose technical and diplomatic skills would be put to use in America’s first international actions since the Revolution.
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