1To John Adams from John Thaxter, 16 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of yesterday was recieved this morning. I am never more happy than in hearing, that things are in a good State in our Country, and that the People are in good Spirits, and bent on War. Those “Pauses and Stops” mentioned in yours of the 12th. would be very injurious to Us, and that Species of “Circumspection,” our Destruction. Every body here talks of Peace—it is not the Doctrine of...
2To John Adams from John Bondfield, 2 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
A Vessel that left Annapolis in Virginia arrived at this port yesterday. The English under Col. Leslie enterd the Bay and landed at Hampton, they retreated a few days after, leaving their Camp Kettles and other Baggage in Camp. Their precipitate retreat is supposed from Advices received of the Landing of a considerable Body of French Troops at George Town in South Carolina. Lord Cornwallis was...
3To John Adams from John Manley, 6 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
I presume the Liberty of presenting to your Honor my Destressing Situation, that long Captivity has much impaired my health, and what adds still to my Misfortune, that I am deprived of every Friendly Communication, as I have not received a Letter from America since I have been a prisoner which is almost two Years. My good Friend Mr. Diggs has been my only support And he having left this...
4To John Adams from John Bondfield, 20 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
By this days post we are advised of the sailing from Cadiz of the Spanish Fleet consisting of thirty Sail of the line to cruize off Cape St. Vincent prepered to intercept the English Fleet destind for Gibralter. Their wild Goose chase against that fortress employs Men ships and money that might be put to much more useful purpose. Two Dutch Couriers from Madrid and one for Versailes past thro...
5To John Adams from John Jay, 24 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
Since my last to you before you left Paris, I have been favored with no Letters from you except a few Lines sent me by Mr. Montgomery of Alicante, recommending that Gentleman as friendly to our Country. The enclosed is a Copy of an Act of Congress adopting the Regu lations proposed by the Empress of Russia, and of which I was desired to transmit Copies to you and Doctr. Franklin. Agreable to...
6To John Adams from John Bondfield, 6 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
Letters from Cadiz inform us of the arrival of a Vessel at that port from Baltimore she left the Bay the 16 february. The Capt. reports more than we can well Credit, that Arnold had made great distruction in the circuit he had taken which had rouzed the Virginians that a Body of Six Thousand Men had got betwixt him and his Shiping and they were in dayly expectation of his being Burgoign’d. The...
7To John Adams from John Bondfield, 7 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
We have many American Vessels arrivd within these five or six days past most of them belonging to No. Carolina but last from the West Indies, the situation of the Army’s preventing their return and will detain them in a foreign Trade til a change takes place, the latest advices we have by them are of May consiquently them at hand Via London are later and more circumstial. Our letters from...
8To John Adams from John Thaxter, 7 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I had the Honor of your’s of the 4th. instant. I acquainted Mr. Luzac immediately with your Request respecting the Crisis, who informed me that it should be translated as soon as possible into the Language You have chosen. I am exceedingly sorry to learn that the Complaint in your Eyes has returned, and that your Health suffers. I should have been very happy to have taken off your...
9To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 7 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Dr. Franklin presents his Compliments to Mr. Adams, and sends such of his Trunks as can be got at; W.T.F. in whose Chamber it is suppos’d there may be more, being gone to Paris; and having with him Mr. F’s Carriage prevents his waiting on Mr. Adams immediately as he would otherwise wish to do; but Mr. F. requests the Honour of Mr. Adams’s Company at Dinner to-morrow. RC ( Adams Papers ).
10To John Adams from John Thaxter, 9 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
I had the honour of yours of Yesterday a few Moments past. I was happy to learn, that the News from our Country is agreable. The Extract from Charlestown furnishes another instance of English Barbarism—another Trait of Despair. The Resolution Thanks you mentioned were very justly deserved, and an Acknowledgment that ought not to have been omitted. There is another Correspondence, which has an...
11To John Adams from John Bondfield, 23 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
I had the Honor to pay my respects to you the 17th. March since which I am not favord with a line from you. We are without any arrivals of late date from America the latest is a small schooner at Nantes from Edenton who reports Cornwallis was retreating not being able to pursue his plan of marching thro the Southern States and forming a junction with Arnold. By Loyds list of the 7th. mention...
12To John Adams from John Bondfield, 17 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
As we doubt not of your having Letters by the Alliance our advices of course will serve only as repetition to relate. I shall therefore inlieu of giving request from you information. The Honble. J. L——s is he to superceed the D——r or Is his Buissness confined to a perticular object. His bringing with him Mr. Jackson as secretary would give room to suppose him a residence. In that case the D...
13To John Adams from John Laurens, 28 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have the honor of transmitting to your Excellency copies of a representation made to me by Commodore Gillon on the subject of the frigate South Carolina—and a memorandum of articles settled and agreed upon between us. My motives for engaging in this business are That the excellence of the conveyance enables me to transmit immediately a part of the Specie destined for the United States, which...
14To John Adams from C. W. F. Dumas, 7 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
Je n’ai qu’un instant avant le depart de la poste, pour vous faire parvenir le Poscrit ci joint pour le Congrès. Mr. Deane a repassé ici hier au Soir revenant d’Amsterdam; et il est reparti ce matin pour Paris. Je suis surpris de n’avoir pas vu revenir encore Mr. Gillon de Rotterdam. Avez-vous de ses nouvelles? Ou est-il de retour à Amsterdam? Je suis toujours avec les sentimens de respect et...
15To John Adams from Bidé de Chavagnes, 19 September 1781 (Adams Papers)
Quoyque je ne puisse scavoir par personne positivement si vous estes a paris de retour de vos voyages, l envie que jay de scavoir de vos cheres nouvelles, de celle de vos chers enfants et patriotes, mengage a avoir lhonneur de vous ecrire cette lettre, quand elle devroit voyager aprés vous. Je desire fort que votre santé nait point souffert des longues et dures courses que vous avez fait, et...
16The Comte de Vergennes to John Adams: A Translation, 18 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received, sir, the letter which you did me the honor to write to me the 13th of this month. It was owing to the confidence I placed in your judgment and zeal for your country that I entrusted to you the propositions of the two imperial courts and requested that you would make such observations as you might think them susceptible of. Things are not yet sufficiently advanced to admit of...
17To John Adams from William McCarty, 15 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
Having been taken the 25th. January last, in the Brig Active, on my passage from Philadelphia to L’Orient and Carry’d into England, The British took from me, all my private paper’s and Bills of Exchange, among which were several setts, drawn by Congress, on Holland; Colo. Palfrey in the Shelaly, who had the Seconds, not being arrived, leaves me without any to Present untill I can receive the...
18F. & A. Dubbeldemuts to John Adams: A Translation, 17 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
We are interested in a ship and its cargo of which we have enclosed information. We are taking the liberty to ask that you examine this information and advise us as to the possibility of obtaining damages. We beg you to excuse us for causing this inconvenience. Several of our friends are interested in the ships and cargo brought into Brest. We dared to take the liberty of sending to you one of...
19C. W. F. Dumas to John Adams: A Translation, 24 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
In order to keep my promise of sending you all essential news, to save time, and to spare me the sometimes intolerable task of copying the same things too many times, I decided to send my letter to Congress to you, so that you can read it, and then be kind enough to enclose it with your next letter to America. If this arrangement meets your approval, I will continue to do it from time to time;...
20From John Adams to C. W. F. Dumas, 30 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
Arriving this moment, I received your Favour of 26; and am happy to find that you continue in the Same Sentiments. I am Still of the Same mind too, and I Shall call on you, tomorrow, when we will arrange all Things. I wish you would loose no time, in getting a certain Paper, well translated into Dutch. Tr ( PCC , No. 101, II, f. 181). JA ’s memorial of 19 April , above, was translated into...
21To John Adams from Jean de Neufville, 3 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
May I begg leave to inform yoúr Excellency of the invitation I have gott on a súdden to vizit Paris for a few days, where I had the honoúr to wait on His Excellency B Franklin, who did me the honoúr to receive and treat me with the utmost politeness. I have mentioned again the Bill which yoúr Excellency had projected that we should Accept, as belonging to the former parcell bútt Mr. Franklin...
22To John Adams from C. W. F. Dumas, 13 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
Après la Lettre que j’ai eu l’honneur de vous écrire hier, n’ayant plus rien à vous apprendre, pour le présent, des affaires publiques, mon intention étoit de vous écrire à loisir la semaine prochaine seulement, sur un arrangement à prendre quant à moi personnellement, en conséquence de ce que vous m’avez fait l’honneur de me dire la derniere fois qu’il en a été question entre nous,...
23To John Adams from the President of Congress, 1 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
You will receive herewith enclosed, a Commission as Minister Plenipotentiary to the United Provinces of the low Countries, with Instructions for your Government on that important Mission; as also a Plan of a Treaty with those States, and likewise a Resolve of Congress relative to the Declaration of the Empress of Russia respecting the Protection of neutral Ships &c. Proper Letters of Credence...
24To John Adams from Jean Luzac, 17 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
The reason, why I have not called on Your Excellency for seeing together the House I had spoken of, is that it is doubtful, as I have been informed, whether it is yet to be let or not, a Lady being at present in treaty about it with the Proprietary. If they do not agree, I will hear further of it, and have the honor of informing Your Excellency instantly. This time at least I have proved a...
25To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 30 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
This is to request that you will accept no more Bills with an Expectation of my Paying them, till you have farther Advice from me: For I find that Mr. Laurens, who went away without informing me what he had done, has made so full a Disposition of the Six Millions granted at my Request before his Arrival, that unless the Specie he sent to Holland is stopt there, I shall not be in a Condition to...
26To John Adams from Jean Luzac, 19 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am sorry, there appeared something suspicious to you in the paragraph, mentioned in your last Letter. If it had been send to me by some person or other, perhaps I would make no secret of it: But I can assure you on my word, the whole paragraph is of my own frame and contains my own sentiments on the subject. Nobody whosoever had any part in it nor any notice of it: And, when I shall have...
27To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 7 April 1781 (Adams Papers)
Among the late intercepted Letters from London, is one from the Army Agent there to the Traitor Arnold, by which it appears that his Bribe was 5000 £ Sterling, in Bills drawn on Harley & Drummond, who are the Contractors for furnishing the Army with Money. Inclos’d I send you a Copy of that Letter, and shall send you others by next Post. The English Papers tell us, that you have succeeded in...
28C. W. F. Dumas to John Adams: A Translation, 3 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
I received your orders of the day before yesterday, and I will not fail in executing them next Tuesday morning, not being able to do so earlier because of the holidays. I consulted a well-connected friend who advised me to carry the letters personally since this would be more polite and decent for everyone, and this way they could not be refused. I will have the honor at that time to give you...
29To John Adams from Jean de Neufville & Fils, with a Draft Contract for a Loan, 22 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
May it please Yoúr Excellency that we now lay before her the papers she hath charged us with to prepare for a Loan, we shall have the honoúr to undertake for and in behalf of the United States of North America; we have discused the Same on the Advice of Some people accústomed to regulate money matters, on which they have been corrected by a Lawÿer, we should be verry happy if yoúr Excellency...
30To John Adams from James Warren, 4 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
It is some Time since I wrote to you, and much longer since I have been honoured with a Line from you. I have but Just got to Town. Mr. George Storer who goes by the way of Denmark is on the point of sailing and I can only Inclose two papers received from Mr. Lovel, and the Boston Papers of the day. I shall write you soon and if you have not forgot that there is such a Man in the world perhaps...