21John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 8 October 1801 (Adams Papers)
The day after I last wrote you, I received your favour of 22 d: Sept r: and am much distress’d to find that you had again been ill with the cramps, and continued to suffer the pain in your hands which has so much afflicted us heretofore— I hope with you it is not imputable to the cause our friends apprehend, and that it will subside when the agitation upon your spirits occasioned by our...
22John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 October 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have duly received your letter enclosing the 8 per Cents, and the bank bill, for which I am to give you my best thanks. I arrived here safely after a fatiguing journey of thirty hours from Philadelphia, and had the happiness to find my wife and child in very good health— Louisa looks better than she has for years before, and I flatter my self with the hope that she will find this climate...
23John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 November 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have intended every day since my arrival here to write you a line and inform you of my having safely reached it; but have hitherto been prevented, partly by business, and partly by the waste of time in visits, dinners and other avocations of the like nature: I say partly by business, for I have found much more of that to do here than I was aware of: upon undertaking to settle my accounts...
24John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 November 1801 (Adams Papers)
We left Washington on the 3 d: inst t: as I informed you in my letter from that place of the 1 st: it was our intention to do.— M r: and M rs: Johnson and their two youngest daughters accompanied us to Frederick— But M r: Johnson and my child were both taken so ill on the road that we had some difficulty to complete our day’s journey— M r. Johnson’s illness detained us a week at...
25John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 November 1801 (Adams Papers)
The remnant of our pilgrimage since we left you at M rs: Roberts’s door, stands thus— Monday Nov r: 16. lodg’d at Trenton—Tuesday, at M rs: Smith’s in Newark; where we found only the old lady and little Abby—M rs: Charles Adams was in New-York— Wednesday morning we reached that place— The roads began to be deep and reminded us that we were quite late enough in the season— Two days at New-York—...
26John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 9 January 1802 (Adams Papers)
I have received three letters from you without making the proper returns— The occasion of which has been the continual occupation I have found in moving, repairing and furnishing my house, and entering upon my office— These things are now chiefly accomplish’d, and I hope in future to have more leisure for making communications to you.— I can however not promise much in that respect.— My time...
27John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 18 January 1802 (Adams Papers)
Two months having elapsed since I made the proposal respecting the note of hand due from your brother Justus to me, and being still without an answer from him, I presume either that the proposal was not agreeable to him, or that some accident has delayed or misdirected his answer, and prevented its coming to hand. I have now settled once more in this town, and resumed the practice of the law—...
28John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 March 1802 (Adams Papers)
I am sorry that we are again obliged to postpone our visit to you at Quincy, as George is this day breaking out with the meazles— His symptoms however are favourable, and we hope he will have the disorder lightly.— I send out by William the two turkies and a fish. There is no Cod at market, for which reason I send a haddock— You will also receive a Rochefort cheese enclosed in a leaden cover—...
29John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 11 April 1802 (Adams Papers)
Since my last letter to you, I have not had the pleasure of receiving a line from you— I have it not yet in my power to unpack my books, and consequently not to take out and send you those belonging to you. But I have sent you a set of the Massachusetts Laws, and a copy of the translation from Bulow, by the Sylvia, Captain Seth Daggett, who has already sailed, and will probably reach...
30John Quincy Adams to Walter Hellen, 28 April 1802 (Adams Papers)
I received last evening your favour of the 20 th: inst t: containing the distressing intelligence of M r: Johnson’s decease; which I had indeed been in some measure prepared to expect, by a letter from M rs: Johnson to M rs: Adams, received a few days before— I endeavoured to communicate the melancholy event to my wife in a manner which might soften as much as possible the shock— The agitation...
31John 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...
32John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 25 July 1802 (Adams Papers)
In point of form I know not how the balance of epistolary correspondence between you and me stands; and it is altogether immaterial: having at present some leisure and the prospect of more, I cannot employ it to better advantage than in adding to the frequency of communication with you. My wife has recently received a letter from you, and has answered it within these two days, with an...
33John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 27 August 1802 (Adams Papers)
I duly received your letters of the 21 st: enclosing the pamphlet of Gentz, and likewise the post-note, with your account— This last I have not yet examined, but I presume it to be substantially correct.— I am again to repeat my thanks for your attention to my affairs. I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you soon here, though I hope also that the tremendous menaces of malignant yellow fever...
34John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 5 October 1802 (Adams Papers)
The apt and excellent quotation from Horace’s epistles, in your letter of 26 th: ult o: made me turn over all the editions and translations of the old poet, that came within my reach, to find the context— When once a man takes up Horace, it is not easy to lay him down again— So in turning over the leaves, I stumbled by the strangest accident imaginable upon the fourth Ode of the second book—...
35John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 30 October 1802 (Adams Papers)
I received last evening your favour of the 21 st: inst t: and now enclose you a set of three bills at sixty days sight, drawn on Mess rs: Bird, Savage and Bird, London, for one thousand pounds Sterling— With them I send a letter of advice, unsealed; at the bottom of which you may add that you have endorsed over the bills, when you shall have sold them. Then seal it up, and be careful to send...
36John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 12 December 1802 (Adams Papers)
I have had your favour of the 30 th: ult o: several days; and have taken time to deliberate upon its contents— And first as to the chemical apparatus—If you have not already procured one, we shall spare you any further trouble about it, as we have succeeded in obtaining a large one here, which will quite supersede the want of D r: Woodhouse’s oeconomical preparations— If however you have...
37John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 January 1803 (Adams Papers)
I have now received the Port-Folio, to number 48 inclusive; excepting N: 47 which yet remains in arrear— They have come to me lately, two and three at a time; but other subscribers have not been so well served— At Quincy N: 48 has been received but six or seven numbers immediately preceding it are missing— This procedure must be corrected The ode to Xanthias Phoceus, has produced some...
38John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 April 1803 (Adams Papers)
The House of Bird, Savage and Bird have stop’d payment, and probably the bill I drew upon them which you negotiated last November, will come back protested— In that case, settle the amount to be paid, with the indorsee duly entitled to it, who may call upon you; let me know the amount and I will send you a post note for it— Be careful to see that the protest and proceedings have all been...
39John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 4 April 1803 (Adams Papers)
The House of Bird, Savage and Bird, in London, had, when they failed, property, to the amount of nearly £4000 sterling, belonging to my father in their hands; for which I had drawn bills in October and November last— These bills are now returning protested for me to take up, with all the costs and charges upon them— I now write you, not with an expectation that you will find any property of...
40John Quincy Adams to Catherine Nuth Johnson, 4 July 1803 (Adams Papers)
I have the pleasure to inform you, that this morning at about 3. o’clock, my dear M rs: Adams presented me another fine boy, after having a very good time, and both are now as well as we can possibly expect— I was myself out at Quincy, spending Sunday I am, Dear Madam, faithfully your’s RC ( Adams Papers ); addressed: “M rs: C. Johnson / Washington.”; internal address: “M rs: C. Johnson /...
41John 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...
42John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 21 August 1803 (Adams Papers)
You will be so anxious to hear the state of your mother’s health that I cannot forbear writing you a line— Since I wrote you last no material change has taken place— The danger has not apparently increased, neither can we flatter ourselves that it has diminished— Her pain is not so severe as it was, and she has now little fever; but her weakness is the most formidable symptom— She has little...
43John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 12 October 1803 (Adams Papers)
We have been detained here since Sunday the 9 th: inst t: by the severe illness of my wife— We think however to go on this day, as far as Elizabeth-town, and to proceed by easy Stages to-morrow as far as Princeton, and the next day, (God willing) to Frankfort, where we hope to find you— If you can procure for us in that place, or on the other side of the City, towards Baltimore, convenient...
44John 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...
45John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 November 1803 (Adams Papers)
I have received, My dear Mother, your kind letter of the 23 d: ult o: and it gives me the most cordial gratification to learn that your health was daily improving— I have also the satisfaction to tell you that my wife and children as well as myself are in very good health— As are all the family with whom we here reside, excepting M rs: Hellen, and she is fast recovering. My brother has...
46John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 9 December 1803 (Adams Papers)
I inclose you a letter from my wife, who would have written you earlier but that George has been very ill with a fever, for several days— He is however, thank God now recovered. I have not written to you so often myself as I ought to have done, the only reason for which has been the ardour with which I have thoughtlessly thrown myself into the vortex of public business— The only object or use...
47John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 16 December 1803 (Adams Papers)
I received last evening with much pleasure your favour of the 5 th: inst t: — I had been so long without any intelligence from home that I began to be uneasy— And even now, I cannot but wish you had said something about the family at Quincy— I believe it is more than a month since I have heard from thence, at-all— I am anxious particularly to know the state of health of my dear mother. I am...
48John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 22 December 1803 (Adams Papers)
I received two days ago your kind favour of the 3 d: inst t: and it was very precious as containing information of your health, and that of my father, and friends at Quincy.— I have been and am sensible of the inconvenience there would be in any free interchange of political sentiments upon the passing events, by a correspondence which must pass through the channel of the Post-Office— I...
49John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 2 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
I find by the newspapers that a Commission of bankruptcy has issued against Robert Bird, and as it is impossible for me to attend personally before the Commissioners to make proof of my debt, and demand my claim, I take the liberty of inclosing them to you, with an earnest request that you would present them for me, at the next meeting of the Commissioners which I think is to be on the 10 th:...
50John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 14 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
The Louisiana revenue bill (of which I sent you some time since a copy) has this day pass’d the third reading in the Senate— But with various amendments so that it must go back to the House of Representatives, where it will probably pass on Monday— The first section has been altered in point of form, and made as I conceive more vague and uncertain than it was at first— In thirty-five days from...
51John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 17 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
I inclose you together with the last sheet of the Journals of the House of Representatives, a Report from the Secretary of the Treasury, shewing the receipts and expenditures, upon the Seamen’s fund— You will see from this how much is collected in New-England, and how much expended elsewhere— Look particularly at the port of Norfolk. The Louisiana Government bill goes on prospering and to...
52John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 22 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
I do not take the Washington Federalist; and it is now in general so poorly conducted as hardly to be worth sending you if I did— But I sent you some time since one of its numbers, and will send you others if they should contain any thing interesting to the fire-side. I can also inclose to you the Intelligencer which contains a pretty good report of the debates in the House— Those in the...
53John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
Your kind favour of the 10 th: inst t: came to hand last evening— And I would take this opportunity to request that all letters for me from Quincy, may be put in to the post-office there; without waiting to send them to Boston— I shall thus get them sooner— My own letters too I hope go directly to Quincy.— My brother I imagine will be satisfied with the frequency of my writing or inclosing...
54John 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...
55John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 30 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
I send this day a packet, to your father containing the Journals and other publications of the day; with an Intelligencer, containing the account of our festival on Friday last.— That is to say, of the dinner— To morrow evening there is to be a Ball for the same purpose. One of the toasts drank at the feasts was “ An Union of Parties ,” which is like drinking the Millennium— I suppose they...
56John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 31 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
This prohibition of the admission of slaves into Louisiana, is like the drawing of a jaw tooth. We have expedient after expedient introduced to answer this purpose— Breckenridge has at last concentrated all his wisdom on the subject in the Amendment, which I now inclose you.— This is a tolerably good device to reconcile the two parties of slave and anti-slave, into which the majority are...
57John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 18 February 1804 (Adams Papers)
The Louisiana Government bill has this day pass’d, yeas 20. Nays 5.— It now goes to the House of Representatives, where we shall see what will be done with it.— On the final question this day taken I alone spoke against it, and was answered only by one member— He saw no Constitutional objection—because the clause authorizing Congress to make needful rules and regulations for the territory, and...
58John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 25 February 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received last Evening yours of the 11 th: inst t: — You cannot employ your leisure more charitably , than in writing me these long letters— They give me some of the sweetest of my enjoyments, and comfort me amidst the thorns and briars of the path I am travelling. I shall endeavour to complete your set of the journals; but I am not sure that I can get spare sheets of all the numbers you...
59John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
A few days since, I received your kind favour of 25. ult o: and am greatly rejoyced at the restoration of your health— But I have delayed answering it hitherto, because as the Session draws to a close, we find ourselves more driven for want of time; in addition to which we have had the extraordinary business of trying an impeachment, and I have been in trouble with illness in the family— Both...
60John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 15 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
You will see by the folio sheet I inclose to you, that the House of Representatives have not yet done with the Government of Louisiana.— The fourth Section is the only one in which there seems much difficulty to the Legislators of the day— Many attempts were made to vary that here, and they are renewed in the House— They sport with Louisiana, as a Cat sports with a mouse— But to help our...
61John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 20 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
A letter is now reading from Captain Bainbridge, with an account of the loss of the frigate Philadelphia, wreck’d on rocks on the coast of Tripoli—the last week in October— They were in pursuit of a Tripolitan Cruizer, and struck on rocks, not laid down in any Chart they had on board — Captain Bainbridge and 307 men, are prisoners in Tripoli.— I have already seen an account of this misfortune...
62John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
An attempt was made this morning to postpone the adjournment for two days—from the 26 th: (Monday next) to Wednesday the 28 th: — The motion however was rejected.— Next came a motion to meet tomorrow. yeas 3. nays about 20.— The motion to protract, will probably be renewed on Monday; but I believe without success. A bill has pass’d the Senate, the object of which is to abandon the further...
63John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 9 April 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received this morning your letter of the 4 th: inst t: which gave me pleasure as containing the information of the children’s health; and sorrow by that of your own indisposition— The remainder of the letter was equally painful and unexpected to me— Our separation was very much against my inclination; but it was your own choice, and it has been my unvaried principle, and I hope will always...
64John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 24 April 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago your kind favour of the 10 th: inst t: with the letter that accompanied, and thank you for the care of it— I lament to hear that your health continued so feeble and infirm, but I hope as the Spring advances, you will find yourself better— I approve much of your intention to wean John, and rejoyce at the information that he has recovered. I have been into Boston only...
65John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 2 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
I was two days last week at Dedham, where there was a Court sitting, at which I had something to do— On Friday evening I received your letter of the 17 th: of last Month— Yesterday, being at Boston I found your’s of the 24 th: and rejoyce to hear of your all being so well— They ought not to have charged you with postage for my last Letter— However, 20 Cents is not worth disputing with them. M...
66John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 20 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have received, my best friend, your kind and truly affectionate letter of the 12 th: or rather 6 th: inst t: on which I find some of George’s taste for literature, as I presume by the scratches I take to be his hand-writing. It is not improbable but that my Spirits have been some few degrees below the point of temperate warmth, and that my letters may have betrayed some marks of it— Yet my...
67John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 25 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
I should have answered your kind letter of the 13 th. a day or two sooner, but for company which has fallen in, and call’d me away just at the time I devoted to the purpose of writing— M r: & M rs: Greenleaf of Cambridge, Charlotte Welsh, and her brother William, who has just returned from India, and M r: Isaac Smith, and his Sister, who are here at this time— And yesterday, a tea-party of...
68John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 31 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
This morning I received your kind favour of the 20 th — And am delighted to hear that you and the children are so well— M rs: Hellen’s indisposition, I hope will prove only to be “the pleasing punishment that women bear”— I wish we could have here a little of that superfluity of rain which fell just before you wrote me; as it would bring forward my garden stuff as we call it.— You have no...
69John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 2 June 1804 (Adams Papers)
I enclose an order for $110. which I will thank you to present, and if accepted, receive the money— This together with the rent you have received of M r: Dexter, will pay the assessm t: due on my Bridge-Shares, and leave a Balance— I will thank you to pay the Assessm t: to M r: Foster, and take the rec t: — Please to send me word whether you have advertised the rooms in Whitcomb’s House and if...
70John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 9 June 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have now received your favour of the 29 th: of last month, enclosing a letter from your Mamma, for M r: Murdoch, which I shall take care to forward, by the first vessel that will go from Boston to England.— You had been so long without an attack of the spasms, that I had flattered my self, they had taken their final leave— I grieve to hear of their return— Perhaps it may only be in...