Mr. Gorham and Mr. Russel, Agents of the Town of Charlestown, have presented to Congress a Petition from the unfortunate Inhabitants of that Place, praying for a Compensation for their Losses. The Petition was drawn in very decent and handsome Terms, containing a lively Description of the Distresses to which the unhappy Petitioners are reduced, from a State of Ease and Affluence; and the...
I had this Moment, between two and Three o’Clock, the Honour of your Letter of this Days Date, requiring my Attendance, on the Hon. House of Representatives. Some particular Circumstances, render it inconvenient for me to Sett off this Afternoon, but tomorrow Morning I will do myself the Honour of waiting on the Honourable House. Mean Time I am, your humble Servant RC ( NN :Emmet Coll.). James...
3From John Adams to James Warren, 25 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
This Express carries a new Plan of an Army. I hope the General Court without one Moments delay will Send Commissions to whole Corps of their Officers, either by Expresses or Committees to New York and Ticonderoga, that as many Men may be inlisted without delay as possible. It may be best to send a Committee with full Powers to each Place. There is no Time to be lost. I inclose you a sett of...
4From John Adams to James Warren, 12 August 1777 (Adams Papers)
I see by the Papers, our Assembly is called, and conclude it is now Sitting. The Letters we receive from G. Schuyler, are enough to frighten any Body who does not know him. G eneral W ashington Says that all the Regiments from N.H. and M.B. are at the Northward and yet, Schuyler tells Us he has not above 4000 Men. I hope this Matter will be investigated. I believe Gates will find greater...
5From John Adams to James Warren, 6 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
Dr. Jackson, by whom this will go, is a Manager of the State Lottery, and is bound to the New England states, to forward the Sale of the Ticketts. He wishes to be recommended to proper Persons for the Purpose. If you can assist him with your Advise you will do a public service. I can give you no News—but the Skirmish at Spanktown. This State of Pensilvania, have at last compleated their...
6From John Adams to James Warren, 5 October 1776 (Adams Papers)
Yours of September 19. came duely to Hand. You have raised every fifth Man to march to New York. But to what Purpose, Should you send forth Your Thousands and Tens of Thousands of Men, if they are all to run away from the Enemy when they come in Sight of them? If whole Brigades, Officers and Men are to run away, as Fellows’s and Parsons’s did on the fifteenth of September, throwing away their...
7From John Adams to James Warren, 18 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
There is a Part of your Letter of 22 of Feb. which I did not remark upon in a Letter I wrote this Afternoon and Sent to the Post Office. It relates to our Navy, a Subject which has ever lain near my Heart. It is of the last and highest Importance to Us. If there has been any Negligence, in the marine Department, I am Sorry for it: I have heard continual Complaints for a great while: But...
8From John Adams to James Warren, 2 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
Dr. Brownson, a Delegate from Georgia, in Congress, and a worthy, Spirited, sensible Man A Native of Connecticutt will deliver you this. He will be able to tell you much News, because he intends a circuitous Journey by Albany, and the New Hampshire Grants who have lately made themselves a state to Boston. The British Daemons have received a little Chastizement in Connecticutt. RC ( MHi...
9From John Adams to James Warren, 21 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
It is not easy to penetrate the Designs of the Enemy. What Object they have in View, cannot certainly be determined. Philadelphia, most probably and Albany. They have near Ten thousand Men in the Jersies, at Brunswick, Amboy, Bonamtown, and Piscataqua: the two last Posts, are very near their main Body. I think, but may be mistaken, that they will not hazard, an Attempt upon this City, or...
10From John Adams to James Warren, 24 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
This Morning, a Vessell has arrived in this City with 6800 stand of excellent Arms and 1500 Gun Locks, belonging to Congress and 1500 more private Property. These last We have ordered to be bought. This News you may depend on, the Letters were brought into Congress, in the Midst of a Debate concerning a Resolution to impower the General to procure Arms wherever he could find them. Thus, it...
11From John Adams to James Warren, 3 February 1777 (Adams Papers)
It may not be a Mispence of Time to make a few Observations upon the Situation of Some of the States at this Time. That Part of New York which is yet in our Possession is pretty well united, and pretty firm. The Jerseys have recovered from their Surprize, and are lending as much Assistance as can well be expected from them. Their Assembly is now Sitting, and are Said to be well disposed to do...
12Intelligence from London, 31 January 1777 (Adams Papers)
I flatter myself with the Pleasure of hearing from you Soon, and in the mean Time, I wish to convey to you a Piece of important Secret Intelligence, relative to the Situation of this Court with Spain and which I procured in Such a Way, as I gave my Honour I would not repeat it to any one, on this Side of the Water. During the latter Part of the Administration of Lord Dartmouth a Scheme was...
13From John Adams to James Warren, 6 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
About Ten Days ago, I had the Boldness to make a Motion that a Navy Board Should be established at Boston —certain Gentlemen looked, Struck and Surprized—however it passed. I have moved, I believe fifteen Times, that a Nomination should take Place. Certain Gentlemen looked cold. Two or three Days ago, the Nomination came on. Langdon, Vernon, Deshon, Dalton, Orne, Henley, Smith, Cushing, and...
14From John Adams to James Warren, 1 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
Having an opportunity by So carefull an Hand as Captain Wentworth of Portsmouth, I have ventured to inclose you a copy of a Letter which appears to me to be of Consequence. You will make use of it with Caution, among such Friends only as can be trusted to make a discreete Use of it. Inclosed is also a state of the Stocks in Amsterdam, on the seventh and twelfth of November by which you will...
15From John Adams to James Warren, 12 February 1777; 15 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
The Certificates and Cheque Books for the Loan Office, I hope and presume, are arrived in Boston, before this Time, and notwithstanding the discouraging Accounts, which were given me, when I was there, I still hope that a considerable sum of Money, will be obtained by their Means. It is my private opinion, however, that the Interest of four per Cent, is not an equitable Allowance. I mean, that...
16From John Adams to James Warren, 6 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
Yours of 23d March, was handed to me, this Evening by Major Ward. Your Letter from Plymouth by the Post, I duely received—and immediately wrote an answer to it, but upon reviewing it, afterwards, I found so many bold Truths in it that I concluded not to send it, lest Peradventure it should get into Hugh Gaines Gazette; and I thought it a Pitty that so many Sacred Truths, should appear in...
17From John Adams to James Warren, 8 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
I am going tomorrow Morning on an Errand to Lord Howe not to beg a Pardon, I assure you, but to hear what he has to Say. He sent Sullivan here to let Us know that he wanted a Conversation with some Members of Congress. We are going to hear him, but as Congress have voted that they cannot Send Members to talk with him in their private Capacities but will send a Committee of their Body as...
18From John Adams to James Warren, 16 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
An unfortunate Vessell has arrived from France. The brave Fellow who commanded her, is blown to Pieces in her. A French Nobleman who came in her, got on Shore and brought the Letters. We have Letters from our Commissioners of the Sixth of Feby. —much in the Same Strain with the former of Jany. 17. tho not quite so encouraging. They say there is an universal Apprehension that We shall submit....
19From John Adams to James Warren, 18 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
I had this Morning the Pleasure of your Favour of Feb. 22. by the Post. This is the first Letter from you Since I left you. You are anxious to know, what Expectations are to be entertained of foreign Aid. I wish, Sir, it was in my Power to communicate to you, the little that I know of this Matter. But I am under Such Injunctions and Engagements to communicate nothing relative to foreign...
20From John Adams to James Warren, 11 June 1777 (Adams Papers)
The honourable Samuel Hewes Esqr, a Delegate in Congress from North Carolina from 1774 to 1777, being bound on a Journey, to Boston for the Recovery of his Health, I do myself the Honour to introduce him to you. He has a large share in the Conduct of our naval and commercial Affairs, having been a member of the naval and marine Committees, and of the Secret Committee from the first. I wish you...
21From John Adams to James Warren, 29 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
I have but a few Moments to write, and these it is my Duty to improve, and faithfully to tell you, that unless you exert yourselves and send forward your Troops, it is my firm Opinion that Howe will recruit his Army as fast as Washington and that from Americans. The People of New York and New Jersey, have been so scandalously neglected this Winter, that they are flying over to How in...
22From John Adams to James Warren, 19 June 1777 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 5th. instant is before me. It may be very true, that your Regiments are as full, as those of any other State, but none of yours were So early in the Field—and We must, not flatter ourselves with the Reflections that ours are as full as others. When many Daughters do virtuously We must excell them all. We are the most powerfull State. We are so situated as to obtain the best...
23From John Adams to James Warren, 3 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
Yours of April 3d I received. I must confess, that I am at a Loss to determine, whether it is good Policy in Us to wish for a War between France and Britain, unless We could be sure that no other Powers would engage in it. But if France engages, Spain will and then all Europe will arrange themselves on one side and the other, and what Consequences to Us might be involved in it, I dont know. If...
24From John Adams to James Warren, 26 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
There are two ingenious Artificers, here, who have made a beautifull Field Piece of Bar Iron. The Barrs were not bound together with Hoops, like that which was made in Boston: But weldered together, and afterwards bored out. It is very light. It is a Three Pounder and weighs, no more than two hundred and twenty four Pounds. It has been tried every Way, and has stood the fullest Proof. It has...
25From John Adams to James Warren, 7 July 1777 (Adams Papers)
Yours of June 22d. received only today. We have no Thoughts of leaving Philadelphia. I believe Howe has no Thoughts of attempting it—but if he has We are determined to keep it. Our Army, with the assistance of the Militia, will be Sufficient to defend it. Why our Army fills up no faster I cant conceive. The Massachusetts Regiments at Ti are not one Third full, and We cannot learn from Peeks...
26Intelligence from London, 3 February 1777 (Adams Papers)
There is no kind of Relaxation here in warlike Preparations, and yet the Ministry have so contrived that few People believe there is any danger of War; this indeed is necessary to them for the present and untill the subscription to the ensuing Loan of Six Millions be compleated, as the Money would otherwise be necessarily borrowed at 10 or 12 greater loss. Transports are getting ready to carry...
27From John Adams to James Warren, 31 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
We have this day received Letters from Europe, of an interesting Nature. We are under Injunctions of Silence, concerning one very important Point: and indeed I dont know how far I am at Liberty, concerning Some others: but thus much I may venture to communicate: That We have an Offer of three Millions of Livres in Specie, without Interest, and to be paid when We Shall be Settled in Peace and...
28From John Adams to James Warren, 3 February 1777 (Adams Papers)
After a very tedious Journey, through the severist Weather, and over very bad Mountains, in one Part of it, and perfect Mortar, in the other Part, I am arrived in good Health, and Spirits at Baltimore. Congress is Sitting, and by the best Information I can obtain from our Friends, are very well united and much more Spirited than ever. The Recruiting Service goes on, as every Body tells me,...
29From John Adams to James Warren, 6 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
The Business of the naval and marine Department, will I hope be soon put in a better Train than it has been. A Board of Assistants has been appointed here, consisting of three Gentlemen, not Members of Congress, whose whole Time is devoted to the service. Mr. Hopkinson, Coll Nixon, and Mr. John Wharton are the Men. The first is a Gentleman of Letters, the second an able Merchant, the third an...
30From John Adams to James Warren, 4 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
It is in vain for me to think of telling you News, because you have direct Intelligence from Ticonderoga much sooner than I have, and from N. York sooner than I can transmit it to you. Before this Time the Secretary has arrived, and will give you all the Information you can wish, concerning the State of Things here. Mr. G. got in the day before Yesterday, very well. There has been a Change, in...