1Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 25 May 1797 (Adams Papers)
I hope before this Time M rs. Adams has arriv’d at Philadelphia and recovered from the Fatigues of her Journey; of her Health & yours I am solicitous to hear— Since M rs. Adams’s Departure I have been busily employed in adjusting your Farming Concerns, M r. Porter, who has the Care of your Homestead, appears to me from what little Experience I have had of Him, to be well disposed, diligent &...
2Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 8 June 1797 (Adams Papers)
As you are now in a Sphere of Life that requires the Enjoyment of Health, the Exercise of Wisdom, Patience and every other Virtue, I wish you the Possession of these equal to its Exigences and that as is the Day so may be your Strength. I feel anxious for my Friends, but peculiarly so for the State of my Country, at the same Time can chearfully leave it to the Care of Providence and those on...
3Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 3 November 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received Yours of Octob r. 14 h. and have attended to the several Matters mentiond therein. The Wall at the Foot of Pens Hill is nearly compleated, one or two Days Work will finish it as far as you directed the Workmen to proceed— there will then be Stones sufficient to rebuild the Wall between you & Hardwick and a large Number besides for any other Purpose it therefore appears to me, that...
4Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 24 November 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received Your Favour of Octob r. 17. last, and have agreably to your Request consulted Deac n Pierce, respecting an Addition to your Dwelling House, He is of opinion that if an Addition be made in Front, (which He supposes to be practicable) it will be necessary to take the east Chimney down; the Floors below & in the Chambers must be taken up as well as some other Parts of the Rooms— upon...
5Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 27 November 1797 (Adams Papers)
Since my last to you, Porter has finishd ploughing the Meadow on the back of your House, the lucky Moment was embraced for the purpose, no Time before or since would have answer’d. the Land by Bass is also broke up— The Manure in the Dung yard has been ploughd several Times and a considerable part of it carried upon the Clover Field on the Hill and on the Land designd for Barley, the latter...
6Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 22 January 1798 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 8 th. I received the 17 th. Ins t. and broke the Affair to M r. Cranch, who has it under Consideration and expect he will give me an Answer this Week— A Day or two previous to the Receipt of yours, Solomon Thayer of Braintree came to my House and offered me a piece of Pasture Land adjoyning to a detached Piece of the Farm which You bought of Elkanah Thayer, the same Piece he had...
7Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 2 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have enclosed a Letter to M r. Webster in Answer to his which you forwarded to me, I have left it open, when you have read it, please to seal & forward it. If I have faild in any of the striking Features of the Epidemic of 1761, as you was with Your Father who died with that Distemper, your Memory will perhaps enable you to supply the Defects. M r. Cranch has several Cows, which He wishes...
8Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 31 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
In my last I enclosed a rough Plan of the proposed Addition to the Wood House, that Plan will exhibit to You an Idea of the lower Room; since then I have found, that it will not be much more expensive, to take the Roof off from the Wood house & Library and erect a new one over them, than to proceed in the Way that was projected. I have accordingly orderd it to be framd in this Way; upon this...
9Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 17 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
It is now past Ten o Clock Am. and a violent Snow Storm which began about 7 o Clock this Morning still continues, the Thermometer stands at. 32. and has not been much lower in any Snow Storm We have had in the Winter past— Our Winter has been severe, the Month of March cold & stormy, April hitherto has been a continuation of the Scene, but Two or Three Days of fair Weather thro the Day, since...
10Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 2 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of the 22 d. Ult o. I received the 1 t. Ins t. After a long & severe Winter, a cold & stormy March, and April much the same, a few Days excepted. We have at length fine Weather, and an Opportunity of getting our Seed in the Ground. The Weather has been exceeding hot and dry for Four Days Viz from the 28 th. of April to the 2 d. Ins t. April 28. Thermom tr. 68. 29 th. Th. 70. 30 th.
11Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 12 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
Since the last Letter I rec d from you dated April 12 th poor Sukey compleated the Journey of Life and is gone to the World of Spirits through the whole of her Sickness, few have exhibited a greater Degree of Firmness, Patience & Submission to the divine Will, She has left us the consoling Hope of her enjoying a blessed Immortality— M rs. Tufts by her long attendance upon her seems to be much...
12Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 14 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
From the 6 th. of May to the 23 d. We had hot dry Weather with scarce any Rain, Our Pastures & mowing Lands began to suffer, Barley & other Grain which before lookd promising began to wither, from the 23 d of May to the 9 th. Instant the Rains were great, not more than Two or Three fair Days— At present Your Grass Lands Wear a fine Appearance, Pastures also, Your Barns will be too small for...
13Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 25 July 1798 (Adams Papers)
In Consequence of its being a rainy Day and confind at Home I have an opportunity of acknowledging the Receipt of Yours of the 29 th. Ult o. & the 8 th. Ins t. about the 8 th. or 10 th. Instant I wrote to the President and to you also— I have now compleated the Business assigned me respecting the new Building, and such Repairs to the Dwelling House as appeared to be necessary have also been...
14Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 8 November 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have the Pleasure of hearing of your Arrival at East Chester and in Health. Since you left Quincy, We have scarcely had a Storm, except that which occur’d on your Journey. The Weather has proved favourable for Farming Business and for finishing the Cellar, which will probably be compleated this Week as far as was intended, th’o not in all its Parts as was directed by Brizler, the Part next...
15Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 10 December 1799 (Adams Papers)
Maj r. Penniman sometime since mention’d to me, that upon further Consideration, He would take £30. for his Salt Marsh & Island, that he had been offerd £27. and refused it. For the sake of Cash in hand I rather suppose He would take £27. If you are disposed to purchase it, you will be pleased to let me know, and the highest Sum you would give for it. We have had no heavy Storms since you left...
16Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 25 February 1800 (Adams Papers)
Your last of Jan y 9 th. I receiv’d with the enclosure, since that very little has been heard off but Processionls, Funeral Elogies, Orations & Discourses on the Death of Genl Washington. Indeed it has been carried to an Excess, in some Instances too much bordering on Idolatry and been attended with an enormous Expence of Time— Had one Day every where been devoted to a public Expression of...
17Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 26 March 1800 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to you the 14 th. Ins t. acknowledging the Receipt of Yours of Feb y. 21. & the 6 th. of this Month. I have conferred with M r. Porter and his Wife relative to their Continuance on the Farm for 7 Months— I cannot bring M r. Porter to a less Sum than 175 Doll rs. for that Term, which is 25 Dollars more than you mentiond, altho it appears to me that it would upon the whole be better to...
18Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 9 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
Your several Letters of the 15, 18 & 22 d: have reliev’d my Mind and led me more fully to comprehend the Business before me. I mentiond to you M r. Porters Terms. I presume you will think it best to comply with them, being confident that you will not meet with more faithful & trusty Persons than He & his Wife— He wants a greater Degree of Self Sufficiency to command at all Times with...
19Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 22 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
In my last I informd You of having contracted with the Two Shipleys. I had kept them sometime in Suspense, they grew uneasy and wishd to be determind. Business of every kind was pressing fast upon us, to depend upon transient Help would be precarious and to delay engaging a fortnight or Three Weeks in expectation of getting cheaper Help, appeared to me would ultimately be a Loss. at this Time...
20Cotton Tufts to John Adams, 20 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
The several Matters mention’d in your last, have been attended to, so far as Circumstances would permit. The Rocks in the mowing Land, have been like to a powerful Enemy hard to conquer, it has required much of your Resolution to remove them from their strong Holds. To forward Business they were drilld in the Winter, as soon as the Ground became open, they were blown. one Blast made way for a...