1John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 30 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I enclose you for M r: Oldschool a letter commencing the review of a new publication of M r: Gentz— You will perhaps enquire, why I begin upon this before I have finished the examination of the Etat de la France — The reason is that this last book was lent to me; that the owner called upon me to return it and that I have been unable to procure me a copy of it either in this town or at the...
2John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 9 June 1801 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you last week that I expected to sail on board the Catherine, Captain Ingersoll, from Hamburg for New-York— But he goes so much sooner than I expected, that I am unable to take the advantage of this opportunity, and shall be obliged to wait for another— Perhaps even, I may embark for Philadelphia, though from various reasons I am averse to going there; balanced only by the single...
3John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 27 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
We have this day a sort of Holiday, to rejoyce for the acquisition of our new Territories— The Members of Congress of both Houses are to dine together— [The] federalists who opposed the cession however do not join in the party— Those of us who approved the measure, are to be of the feast—where we at least shall find not much congeniality. You will find in the inclosed papers numerous and very...
4John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 16 January 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am always happy to find an opportunity of conversing with you, as we cannot verbally do this it is our duty to do it by writing. I now have a good opportunity to write a few lines to you by Captn. Lovett in a Ship belonging to Mr. Cobet of Beverly, but I can write but a few lines to you for I must write to all my Freinds. We have had the worst 3 Weeks that ever I pass’d in my life. Bad...
5From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 4 July 1812 (Adams Papers)
Since the original of my last letter was written, I have received no letters from America, but there are newspaper Accounts and letters to other persons untill late in May—Universal War seems to be blazing out all at once—Here it has already commenced— I had indulged a faint hope that the tragical catastrophe which terminated the days of Spencer Perceval, was intended by Providence in Mercy to...
6John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 21 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
While I was sealing up on the last post day; the cover to M r: Pitcairn, of my number 29. I received two packets from you, containing three copies of the translation, and the three first numbers of the Port-Folio, with a couple of newspapers besides— Your few lines of January 23 d: were in one of the packets; and the next day came to hand your N: 23. of January 15 th: The packets are marked as...
About 9. O’Clock this Morning we spoke a fishing Schooner from the Grand Bank, belonging and bound to Plymouth—We were in the midst of a thick fog, as we have indeed been most of the time since you left us, and still are. The Schooner was within g speaking distance when we first spied her, and our Captain had barely time to ask them on their arrival to give notice of their having seen us. So I...
8John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 September 1792 (Adams Papers)
I believe I am in arrears with you, for two or three Letters, which is owing in some measure to my indolence, but in a greater degree to the stagnation of events worthy of communication— The purpose of my present Letter is to enquire of you respecting a warrant from the Treasury for some money, which it seems must be sent here to be signed by your father before it can be sent back for payment....
9From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 9 March 1818 (Adams Papers)
You have here enclosed, a draft on the United States Branch Bank at Boston to the order of Charles Newcomb, for 172 dollars 54 Cents, being the amount of dividends on the six and three per Cent Stocks due to him standing on the Books here, and for which I have signed receipts as his Attorney. The payment comes down to the second Quarter of 1816—inclusive—Upon the subject of the other...
10From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 13 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 2d: has been duly received, and has contributed with those of your father received at the same time to cheer my mind, which every thing of a political nature around me struggles very hard to depress—Hitherto since my arrival here, I have thank Heaven enjoyed much domestic comfort from the health of my wife and children—this has been more favourable than I ever knew before,...
11John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 26 December 1795 (Adams Papers)
Your Packet by M r: Clarke at length was delivered me on the 21 st: and your letter of the 11 th: of this month, by M r: Calhoun the day preceding. Quincy’s letter is indeed a valuable one, and contains some opinions which are at once just important, and not sufficiently established in the minds of Americans in general. I would enclose it back to you, but think I may as well be the bearer of...
12From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 January 1806 (Adams Papers)
We have so little business on hand that it was not thought necessary to commence the year with a Session for transacting it; and this morning we have adjourned for the purpose of letting the Tunisian Minister come and pay us a visit; I cannot employ the leisure of the moment better than in answering your letter of the 15th: and 16th: of last Month. Your opinion of the Message will probably not...
13John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 13 August 1794 (Adams Papers)
Col l: Hamilton arrived in Philadelphia, the night before you left it, but from the pressure of business more immediately urgent, was not prepared for me untill last Friday. On that Evening I left the City, in company with Gen l Knox, and arrived here (quite overcome with fatigue, and somewhat unwell of the complaint which you brought from the same place) on Saturday at about 6 in the Evening....
14John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 30 October 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have received your’s of the 26 th: enclosing one for M r: Welsh— I now forward those Letters for America, with which I threatened you in my last.— Of all the news which you believed or expected to believe, the only parts likely to be confirmed, are the capture of the Leander, with Captain Berry, on board, and of the two french frigates by the Colossus.— The burning of the transports in the...
15John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
M r: Clagett has this moment delivered me your favour of the 29 th: ult o: and informs me that he goes again for Holland to-morrow morning. I have therefore only time to tell you that I am still waiting for that permission to return which I have been more than two months in hourly expectation of receiving. My detention here is doubly mortifying from the consideration that as my presence is...
16From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
It is probable that the opportunity by which I now write you, will be the last that I shall have of dispatching letters to America through Sweden before the return of the navigable Season here— It is the seventh occasion of which I have availed myself since the close of the last Season— But the Gentlemen who went from hence in October, November, and even the first part of December, for...
17From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
By turning to my files I perceive, that the last Letter I have received from you, is dated the 7th: of May last, and that it was answered by me, on the 27th: October—I have since then written several times to my mother, and should have written as frequently to you, had the opportunities of writing occurred, or had a different subject for writing presented itself by the same opportunities.—But...
18John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 13 June 1802 (Adams Papers)
If your two letters of 16 May, and 3. inst t: have hitherto remained unanswered you must impute it to a multiplicity of occupations, which for the last month have so entirely engross’d my time, as scarcely to leave me a moment for the pleasure of conversing with my friends either by word of mouth or by epistolary conveyance— The address to the fire Society, you doubtless received as soon as...
19From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 23 October 1810 (Adams Papers)
It was a fortunate circumstance for us, that Mr. Jones had so prosperous and so expeditious a voyage and Journey—In sixty days after he went out to Quincy, to take my Mothers and your wifes letters for us, he delivered them into our hands—As they brought us the gratifying intelligence that all our friends were then well, it gave us not only the pleasure which such tidings must always bring...
20From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 June 1819 (Adams Papers)
It is only within these very few days that I have found a moment of time to examine the particulars of your account with me for the year 1818 which you transmitted to me last January, upon which, I find occasion to make very few, and unimportant remarks—Under date of 20. June it gives credit for $550.. Dividend from the Fire and Marine Insurance Office, instead of which it should be the...
21From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 27 October 1810 (Adams Papers)
On the principle of returning a separate answer or reply to every letter that I receive from you, I remain yet one in arrears to you, since in my last I acknowledged the receipt of two—dated 27. March and 7. May. With the last dated but first received of these came the number of the Anthology containing the most learned Critique upon my Lectures—It reminded me of a famous Speech of which I...
22John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have just now wrote to my Brother charles & you would not like it if I did not write to you also. but now I have my pen in my hand what shall I write you about for you do not encourage by writing to me; you should ask mamma to write for you I have wrote very often to you but Mamma says that you have not recd. but once from me but I hope that you have recd. some more before now surely you...
23From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 17 March 1811 (Adams Papers)
You will recollect that some time in the year 1799—or 1800, while I was at Berlin, a Mr: Charles Engel sent you a power of Attorney, and a large claim upon a house of Mark and Company, which I believe some time before that, had failed at New-York. Very soon after my arrival here, I received from this Mr. Engel two letters, one of which had been written in January 1809, and sent to America,...
24From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 10 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have two letters from you of the 18th: and 28th: of last Month to answer—And since the receipt of the last have also received from Shaw, a copy of Selfridge’s trial—It corresponds very accurately with your abridgement, excepting only the Article of Mr. Dexter’s argument with which I confess I have been much disappointed—It is professedly much compress’d in the printed trial, from what it was...
25From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 29 March 1811 (Adams Papers)
At length after an interval of five months and seven days, since that when your last preceding letter came to hand, I have this morning enjoyed the pleasure of receiving your’s of 24. September—It is more than six months old; but as it is dated two months later than any letter that I had yet received from Quincy, it was as welcome and almost as grateful as if it had come with the speed of a...
26John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 3 December 1800 (Adams Papers)
I had been almost three months without receiving a line from you, or from any other of my correspondents in America; and although upon coolly considering circumstances I was sensible that this was the natural fruit of my own neglect of writing during the last Winter, yet as one’s feelings never make the allowances which sober reason requires, I began to think it strange to be so long without...
27John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 1 February 1792 (Adams Papers)
I have been for more than three weeks indebted to you for two very agreeable Letters, which Mr. Otis brought from you. They would not have remained so long unanswered but for a variety of circumstances which have concurred to engross all my time during that period. It is possible that you may have observed in the Centinel about a month since, that a Committee of 21 inhabitants at this Town was...
28From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 7 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
By the arrival of Messrs: Gallatin and Bayard, I have had the pleasure of receiving your favour of 25. April last, numbered 28/19— Your last preceding letter, dated 6. Decr: 1812 has the same numbers; and in the interval between the two I have received the duplicate of your Account for the year 1811.—dated 2: March 1813.—The Account for 1812 I am still expecting, and regret that it missed both...
29John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
I received your short Epistle by M r: Thomas at Ipswich, where I was then attending the Court of Common Pleas: and at the same time he gave me very agreeable information respecting your performance at exhibition; which has been confirmed to me from several quarters. From the conversations which have repeatedly passed between us, you will readily imagine how much I was gratified, to hear that...
30From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 18 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letters of 29th. Novbr.—4 and 5 Decemr. 6th. and 7th. December—numbered 5. 6. 8. 9. with the correspondence between you and the Society for the suppression of Intemperance at Hanover enclosed in number 6 and the copy of your Letter to Mr Rush, enclosed in number 9 which copy conformably to your request I herewith return.— Before receiving these last two Letters I had...
31From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 31 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
My last letter to you was of 14. November since which I have not had a line from you, nor indeed from any of my friends in America— The second year has passed away since I received last best account of my affairs in your hands. The intervals between my own letters to you, insensibly lengthen—It shall not be so if any thing should ever occur, the information of which can give you pleasure. The...
32John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 19 August 1803 (Adams Papers)
I have received two or three letters from you, which I have not answered for want of a conveyance— My objection to the Post Office, you know— I have two or three pieces by me, in a state of preparation for you; which I purpose sending by the first convenient private opportunity.— M r: Hichborn brought me last week a letter from you; but I have not been able to see him since, having been all...
33John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 26 July 1800 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday morning early we took our departure from Freystadt, & came to this place; a distance of eight german miles; five of which are in single stage from Sprotau here— The face of the country has visibly & greatly improved as we came along; & although we still had to wade through miles of sands more, or less deep, we were frequently relieved by patches of good roads, & by beautiful fields...
34From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 22 March 1824 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters of 29. Decr. (enclosing your annual account) and of 4. February last have been duly received, but I have not had, and have not yet time to examine or remark upon them. I must rely upon your discretion for the management of those concerns of mine in your hands to which it is impossible for me now to attend— My present object is to transmit the enclosed Letter from the Secretary of...
35From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 23 October 1813 (Adams Papers)
Mr. W. Story, arrived at Gothenburg on the 28th: of last Month, and forwarded to me from that place several Letters from Quincy, among which was your N. 25/16 May 7. 1812. and 30/21 May 21. and July 1. 1813.—In this last I read thus “With my present letter I shall forward a copy of our Current account, under a separate cover &c.” I looked anxiously for the separate cover, for reasons which I...
36John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 23 June 1793 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter containing the orders upon the branch bank, and also that with the bill of lading of 3 barrels; I ought to have written you this information a post or two ago, but some business, more indolence, and most of all forgetfulness was the occasion of my omission. I suppose you will soon commence Attorney, and I understand you have some thoughts of retiring into one of the...
37From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 20 August 1812 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last, I have had no letter from you, or indeed from any person in the United States. The Embargo, and the Declaration of War, have effectually superseded all arrivals here directly from America. To this general fact there is an exception occasioned by the Declaration of War itself.—A Pilot Boat was on the 22d of June dispatched from New York by certain Merchants of that City...
38From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
At length, after eighty days of tedious and dangerous navigation, we are all safely landed at the place of our destination—I have written to you twice upon our passage—first, from the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, and once in the Cattegat, the night before we expected to arrive at Elseneur—From that time, I shall now continue the narrative of our voyage, which though address’d to you, is for all...
39From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 16 November 1809 to 28 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
My last Letter brought our good Ship Horace to anchor safe in the Road of Elseneur—on the 28th: of September.—At that place we were detained a full week, by adverse winds—Having been informed upon my landing there, that the king of Denmark, and his principal Minister, Count Bernstorff, were both absent from Copenhagen, I gave up, in the first instance the intention of going thither—But having...
40John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 November 1795 (Adams Papers)
The letter from Charles enclosed in yours of yesterday, accompanies as he says the bills, which may therefore be expected immediately for acceptance. As they are at thirty days sight, it will perhaps be necessary to pay the money before the close of the year. The sum of f. 7,500. will just about absorb that for which I have a right to draw upon the bankers at Amsterdam, untill the last of...
41From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 30 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your kind attention to my affairs, as detailed in your last Letter which I have received within these two days— I confide entirely in your judgment and discretion, and shall approve of any arrangements you shall make for the present disposal of my farm— R. Dexter holds or held a note from me of a little more than three hundred dollars—I left a request with Shaw to pay it as...
42John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 7 August 1800 (Adams Papers)
The reason, which induces travellers, who purpose a visit to the Riesenkoppe, to pass the night before at the Hempel’s baude is, that they may ascend the mountain in the morning early enough to see the sun rise, from its summit— Such was our own intention; but when we rose at two o’clock in the morning, Louisa, found herself suffering so severe a headache, that she was obliged to give up the...
43John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 17 May 1797 (Adams Papers)
I have just got your agreeable favours of 8–9— & 11— May, and as this is the last day upon which I can write to reach you at Paris, and I have but little time for the post, I shall be short. M r: Arnoux’s letter has given me great pleasure, and I wish you if you have time, to give him my grateful thanks for it; for his kind remembrance of the family, as well as his attentions to you. Madame de...
44From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 April 1812 (Adams Papers)
The only notice of existence directly from yourself that I have received since your letter of 2. June 1811. is by a scrap of half a dozen lines dated 5. January last which I received together with a letter of the same date from my Mother, by the way of Paris— This scrap was also enclosed with three or four newspapers, and short as it was gave me great pleasure— The letter which it mentions as...
45John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 17 April 1799 (Adams Papers)
Somewhat more than a month ago I received the very welcome intelligence that the vessel on board of which you were a passenger had arrived at New-York. Some days later, a letter from M r: Murray mentioned that he had seen your arrival announced in a Philadelphia newspaper of the 15 th: of January.— Soon after, I received from our ever dear and honoured mother a letter of 1. Feb y: fully...
46From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 14 December 1807 (Adams Papers)
Your’s of the 3d: instt: came to hand the night before last; I am perfectly satisfied with your sales of my wood—I had a little kindness for the grove in the rear of the brook, and if circumstances should carry me back to the house of our nativity, shall miss the prospect which it furnished; but your reasons for disposing of it are substantial, and I suppose a young growth will come up,...
47John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 11 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
You have here a triplicate of my letter respecting your account—a duplicate of the conversation between Frederic. 2. & Gellert. And the first number of a series, in which I purpose to review an important late french work, which I shall send to your father. It seems to me as if the frequency of writing shortened the distance between us. But you will not complain if it likewise sometimes...
48From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 10 April 1811 (Adams Papers)
You observe in your letter of 24 September last, that my Son George was losing much of his french conversation idiom, that is, precisely one of the things upon which I had most earnestly set my heart, in his education. Walter Shandy Esqr was of opinion that there was a great, and mysterious virtue in the name given to a child—He intended to call his son Trismegistus, and the name which above...
49John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 11 April 1778 (Adams Papers)
I Now Sit Down to inform You That I have Safely arrived at Paris which we Did on Wednesday evening when We went to 3 hotels Before we could Procure a Lodging which we Did for 2 days the next Morning we Went To a place Calld Passy where we found Dr franklin his Son and some other Gentlemen where we stayd about an hour when Mr. Deanes son and another Gentleman and I Went about the City which we...
50John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 15 October 1803 (Adams Papers)
I presume you had not left Bristol two hours before we arrived there— Your advice to us to stop at the Fox-Chace, we could not follow— For we should not have known how to get forward— Neither can we go into the City, because, if we did they would exclude us from Baltimore.— We are now at Dover’s—The Rising Sun—Close by the Bridge— We shall stop here to-morrow, and proceed on Monday— We hope...