1To John Adams from Alexander Townsend, 2 April 1818 (Adams Papers)
I take the liberty to request, that you wd. at your leisure favour me wh. the chronology of the events of your life . Unless your own hand does this, I fear it will be done but imperfectly. Me it wd. cost some research. Many who have them in memory, have not your ability to put them on paper. I am aware, you never can become your own biographer. A life spent in forming materials for history,...