1From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since your kind letter of the 11th: of last month, and was delighted to find you had so far recovered as to be able to write—Since then I have been informed by my brother and Mr: Shaw, that your health continued improving and I sincerely pray to the great disposer of Events that it may be entirely restored and long continued, for your own comfort and the happiness of us...
2From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I do not exactly recollect the date of my last Letter to you; but if it went safely you must have received it very shortly after the date of your favour of the 7th: which I received the evening before last. Indeed I am a little surprized that you had not received it before—By that you will find that in the frequency of my letters to my father and brother, I have not been forgetful of my dear...
3From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
As our driver is about to return, I take the opportunity to inform you that we arrived here safely last Evening, and found a Packet, ready to sail, and waiting only for us—Mr: Otis is here also, and goes on with us—We are all well, excepting Mrs. Adams and Eliza, whose coughs are very troublesome— We are to go on board the Packet at 9 o’clock this morning; the weather is as fine as possible;...
4From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
We embarked at Providence on Tuesday morning, as I wrote you we purposed to do; and after a tolerably pleasant passage of three days and Nights arrived here the day before yesterday about noon; much to the satisfaction of my Sister and her children, who have thus reached the end of their Journey. But we for our part have accomplished not more than one half of ours; and we have taken Seats in...
5From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
This morning I had the satisfaction of receiving your kind letter of the 21st: ulto: which partly relieved me from the anxiety occasioned by the letter of a previous date from my brother, mentioning your illness and confinement—The weather has of late been so remarkably fine and mild in this quarter that I hope its benign influence has been extended to your regions, and has restored you...
6From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
I received some days ago your kind favour of the 29th: of last month; and since then my brother’s letter of the 4th. instt:—from the last of which I am made happy by the information that you and my children are well I have occasionally forwarded packets containing the documents which have been communicated to us from the President, and others which have occurred since the Commencement of the...
7From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
Your kind letter of the 17th: instt:—together with that of my brother dated the day before has occasioned me some anxiety respecting the health of my dear George—I shall be uneasy untill I hear from you again respecting him, for from the manner in which you both mention him I could not avoid an apprehension that he was more unwell than you were willing to tell us—If you could so arrange it as...
8From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 January 1806 (Adams Papers)
The first thing I look for in all the letters I receive from Quincy, is that which relates to our children, who cannot speak for themselves, and both of whom we left indisposed, and when I find that they are well, I feel myself relieved thus far, and only hope that the rest of the letter may contain information equally pleasing, of all the other persons in whose welfare I am so deeply...
9From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 14 March 1806 (Adams Papers)
It is so long since I have had one hour of leisure that I could appropriate to correspondence with my friends at Quincy and Boston, that I am fearful you will impute to some other cause the length of the interval between my letters—My health however has been gradually improving ever since I left you, and on the whole has been better through the Winter, than for two years before.—A variety of...
10From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 July 1806 (Adams Papers)
By the last Letters I have received from my wife I expect she will reach Boston by the last of this week, or the beginning of the next—The House in which Mr: Ware lives will not be vacant untill after Commencement, and Mr: Pearson, proposing to sell his declines letting it—He is indeed in Treaty now, for the sale of it. I have therefore concluded to go into my House at Quincy again for the...
11From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 9 August 1806 (Adams Papers)
I left Cambridge yesterday, after having finished my weekly performance, to come here and meet my wife whom I expect hourly here—I received this morning letters from her, dated one at Philadelphia 30. July—and one at New-York 3. August—She was with my Sister, who was well and in good Spirits—She intended to stay over Commencement which was last Wednesday, and then come on as soon as possible—I...
12From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have hardly been able to reconcile it to my own conscience for some weeks that so much time had elapsed since the Commencement of this Session, and that I had not written directly to you—The occasion of my silence has been explained in my letters to my father and my brother, which you have certainly seen—Your favour of 16. Jany: has been these ten days in my possession, but this is the first...
13From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 13 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind letter of January; and shall particularly attend to your directions at Philadelphia, respecting the flour—It is at present my intention to leave this place the 4th: of next month; but the winter and the roads are now breaking up; so that I know not whether the roads will at that time be passable The termination of this Congress will leave our public affairs in a...
14From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 27 October 1807 (Adams Papers)
I wrote a line to my father, from New-York, enclosing a letter for Mr: Shaw, and informing you of our safe arrival thus far, upon our Journey.—We stopp’d at New-York two days, and then proceeded with as much expedition as we found practicable, untill we reached Baltimore. We stopp’d only one Night at Philadelphia, and had no opportunity to visit any of our acquaintance there—We came on in the...
15From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 November 1807 (Adams Papers)
Last Evening I had the pleasure of receiving your favour of 25th: ulto: which contained the first information we had received from you or from our children since we left Boston—and for which we began to be very anxious. I am glad to hear that George is so well satisfied with his situation and promises so well—If the french Gentleman will allow him to chatter with him according to his own...
16From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 February 1808 (Adams Papers)
I have just received your affectionate letter of the 15th:— and do not a moment delay to answer your question— I did attend the meeting of members at the Capitol on the 23d: of last Month— but not without invitation— I received the same invitation, which was given to the other members— And besides that I was also personally urged to attend, by another member of the Senate— I did not attend...
17From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 20 April 1808 (Adams Papers)
My wife received a few days since a letter from you, and I had the happiness of receiving one also from you, yesterday or the day before—In the former there seems to be an intimation that on our part, we had not been so punctual in our correspondence with you, as our duty and affection justly requires—My wife had written you not long before—As for myself I have not indeed written you so often...
18From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 8 March 1809 (Adams Papers)
I had heard of your illness with extreme concern, from my wife, and also through Mr: Cranch and Mrs. Quincy—The sight of your hand-writing again, has given me the purest joy, though allayed by the evident weakness in which you wrote—I believe there is in the sentence I have just written there is something which might be called a bull —But my feelings both of pleasure and pain at the idea of...
19From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 9 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
Often as it has been my fortune in the course of my life, to be parted from my Parents, and dearest friends, as well as from my Country, upon no occasion has the separation been so painful, as at the present time—When my wife and Catherine went out to Quincy the Thursday before we sailed, had even the time permitted, I know not whether I could have prevailed upon my feelings, to go and repeat...
20From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 21 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
The seventy-ninth day since our departure from Boston, and not yet in Petersburg—But we are on land, within twenty miles of it, and at the end of our voyage in the ship Horace.—We have indeed had a very long passage, and it has not been without its interesting incidents, had I but the time of narrating them—But to you as well as to us, the most interesting of them is, that we are all, thanks...
21From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 8 February 1810 (Adams Papers)
The Sunday before we embarked for this place, my excellent friend and Pastor Emerson, delivered in his pulpit a discourse upon the pleasing and not improbable doctrine of a guardian Angel, which Christians have often supposed to be assigned to every individual, to watch over him and as far as is consistent with the general designs of Providence to guide his conduct, and to preserve him from...
22From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 6 June 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Thomas of the Express, a vessel belonging to Mr: W. R. Gray arrived here a few days ago, and brought me your kind favour of 31. Decr: and 12. January—It was the second letter from you, that I have had the pleasure of receiving, and after several months of expectation gave me new reason for rejoycing at the final release of these regions from the chains of Winter. The ship Horace,...
23From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 July 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Harrod, by whom your kind favour of 20. March to me, mentions that you had written to my wife, and also sent a Box of Articles which she had requested to procure for her, has not yet arrived—Your letter of 20. March itself was brought to me, a few days past, I know not from whence; but having apparently been opened, and having suffered much from a soaking; but whether in salt or in...
24From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 September 1810 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Jones arrived here from Gothenburg & Stockholm a few days since, and brought me your kind favour of 11. July—in two months time from its date—Indeed we Since our arrival here, you have been the most frequent and most constant of my Correspondents–I have no Letter from my brother later than Febuary; though I know that he has written at least one that I have not received.—Captain Bainbridge,...
25From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 14 October 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Smith, who was the bearer of your kind letter of 7. May, has met with the same misfortune which has befallen so many others of our Countrymen—On his passage to Gottenburg he was taken by a Danish Privateer and carried into Norway—From Christiansand he enclosed his letters for me to our Consul at Copenhagen, and he forwarded them to me by Captain Bainbridge, who came with a furlough in...
26From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 October 1810 (Adams Papers)
Although I wrote you about ten days ago, I cannot suffer Captain Leach to depart without taking a letter for you; especially as since the date of my last, I have received another letter from you—it is that of 28. May, which you sent on to come by Captain Bainbridge—It miss’d indeed that opportunity, but was sent with some despatches of the Department of State to France from whence it was...
27From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 15 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
There were last Winter fifteen or sixteen American vessels, that pass’d the Winter at Cronstadt—This year there will be none—I wrote you by the last vessels that sailed, and since then I have had an opportunity to send letters by land to Gothenburg, to be forwarded from thence to America—By that opportunity I wrote to my father, and with this I enclose a duplicate of that letter to him.—There...
28From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago, and since I wrote you last a letter from Captain William Welsh, dated at Lisbau, a Russian Port in the Baltic, to which I suppose he came, on finding that all American vessels were excluded from the Port to which he was originally destined—He enclosed to me at the same time your kind letter of 25th: July—In the obstructed state of navigation in the Baltic, I have...
29From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 December 1810 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last, I have not had the pleasure of receiving a line from you, but as you are the most constant and most frequent correspondent that I have beyond the seas, besides the rule which I have followed of answering every letter by one in return, I shall add that of writing to you by every opportunity that occurs during the Winter—I now write by a namesake of ours a Mr: Adams, from...
30From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
The year eighteen hundred and ten according to Russian reckoning still exists—But as its last hours are upon the wing; and as the New-Year has already made the progress of almost half a month with you, I can no longer delay the opportunity of wishing you, and my dear father, and my George and John, and all the family around you, not the compliments of the Season, but a truly joyful year to be...
31From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you on the last day of the old year, Old-Style, and sent my letter under cover to Mr: Russell our Chargé des Affairs at Paris—It went by a Courier of the French Ambassador, and I requested Mr: Russell to forward it by the earliest opportunity to America—I shall send the present by a Gentleman who is going to Copenhagen; and shall desire to have it forwarded from that place, or from any...
32From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
We assisted last week, at the public examination of the Institute of the order of St: Catherine, a boarding school, or College for the Education of young Ladies of noble families; under the Patronage of the Empress-Mother The young Ladies are divided into four Classes, and are two years in each class—They enter from six to ten years of age, and when their education is finished, they pass this...
33From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 March 1811 (Adams Papers)
In proportion as the time lengthens since the receipt of your last Letter, which is also the last that I have received from any of my friends at Quincy, I find not only my anxiety to hear directly from you increasing with it, but also my desire and determination if possible to relieve you and my other friends with you from a similar anxiety respecting us, which you would feel in the case of so...
34From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 22 March 1811 (Adams Papers)
I dined yesterday at the French Ambassadors, at a diplomatic dinner of about sixty persons in the highest and most formal style.—I give you a description of this entertainment, which may amuse you as a specimen of the usages of the time and place, and give you an idea of what is understood to be the suitable style of entertainment by an Ambassador—The invitation was by printed Card, sent five...
35From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 April 1811 (Adams Papers)
The Russian People pass their lives in a continual and alternate succession of feasting and fasting. Every individual whether of high or low degree celebrates two days in every year; one for his birth and the other for his baptism, which is called his name day, and is kept on the day marked in the Calendar, as devoted to the Saint of the same name; for it is a religious principle that every...
36From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 2 May 1811 (Adams Papers)
The religious ceremony of which in my last Letter I gave you an account, began at Midnight and terminated between three and four in the morning.—It was accompanied by a Salute of 21. Guns fired from the Fortress, two or three times, at particular stages of the performance—This was conformable to the customary practice; which always ushers in Easter day at St: Petersburg with an expence of...
37From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 May 1811 (Adams Papers)
The late french Ambassador at this Court, the Duke de Vicence, has taken leave, and his succesor Count Lauriston has been received—He takes his departure this Evening or to-morrow for Paris, and I avail myself of the opportunity to enclose a line for you, under cover to Mr Russell our Chargé d’Affaires at that place—I have already sent several letters for you and for my brother to him to be...
38From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of 15. Feby: which was brought by Captain Brown, of the Washington, and which I received on the 23d: of last Month, gave me the first intelligence of those afflicting Events the Death of Mrs: Hellen and Mrs: Norton—I received it early in the morning, and was thereby enabled to communicate it to my wife and her Sister, with as much preparation as the nature of the case would...
39From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have now to acknowledge the receipt of your number 6. dated 22. February, brought by the Henry Captain Harris; a vessel of which we had heard nearly a Month since, and which has at length arrived after a passage from Boston of 100 days.—The arrivals from America now crowd upon one another in multitudes which I am afraid will prove not very profitable to many of the adventurers.—From Quincy...
40From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
My last letter, of which a press-copy is enclosed, was sent by the Palafox, Captain William Welsh, since which I have received four letters from you, N. 9—dated 8. April—one of 24. April not numbered—one of 15. May, and one of 28 May—both numbered 11.—So that I have now nine of your letters since you began to number them The numbers missing are 3 and 4. between 26 Jany. and 15. Feby. and N. 8....
41From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 August 1811 (Adams Papers)
On the 10th: of August 1811. we received your favour of 22. September 1810 to my wife; not quite eleven months after it was written; and the next day we received that of 8 June 1811. which has performed its voyage in a little more than two. Whether the Passage has been short or long the letter always gives pleasure, and always contains some intelligence that is new. You have repeatedly...
42From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 10 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
The first page of the enclosed Press-Copy of my last Letter is so faint that unless you should have received the original, before it comes to hand, I know not whether you will be able to read it—The second however is more plain, and contains the material information of the whole; the birth of my daughter—This information has since been repeated in letters to my father and my brother,...
43From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 2 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of 21. June, without a number, was forwarded to me from Copenhagen by Mr. Erving, who recovered it from the Radius, which on her passage to this place, was taken by a french privateer, and is still detained in Denmark—Like almost all the letters which we have received this year it brought tidings of sickness and affliction among our friends—In the sorrow which they have so often...
44From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
By every vessel that has arrived for several months from America, and which we should have expected to bring letters for us, we receive, instead of letters, apologies for not writing, because we were thought to be on our passage home—You only have foreseen the contingency which has actually happened, that we might be detained over the present Winter, and you only continue to give us some...
45From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 November 1811 (Adams Papers)
Although since I last wrote to my brother, on the 6th: instt: we have neither received a line from America, nor had an opportunity of transmitting a letter to any place from which it could be dispatched to you; yet remembering my engagement never to suffer a month to pass without writing at least once to you, and once to him, and perceiving that as it applies to you, I am within one day of a...
46From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 22 December 1811 (Adams Papers)
After I had written the letter of which I now enclose a copy, intending to have it ready for Mr: Smith, an opportunity was presented me of sending it by another conveyance—and Mr Smith not being ready to go, I dispatched it; so that as he is now upon his departure I shall send by him two letters instead of one, for you—And as the Winter opportunities are so unfrequent, I write by him also to...
47From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
I will not suffer the first day of this new year to pass over, without renewing to my dear Mother the expression of my fervent prayers to God, that it may be a year of health enjoyment, and every blessing to her and to my father, as well as to my beloved children who are with you, and to all the family around you—And with the hope of auspicating it to us all, I join that of having once more...
48From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 8 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
A long interval without the receipt of letters from you, I have always found too sure an indication that when they come they would bring sorrows with them—I had been upwards of three months without receiving a line from Quincy when, on the 29th: of last Month I received together with several other letters and dispatches from Washington, but no others from Quincy your afflicting, but most kind...
49From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 March 1812 (Adams Papers)
As the Couriers between Paris and St: Petersburg have not yet ceased to be dispatched, by the arrival of one of them a few days ago, I had the pleasure of receiving your N. 1. of 5. January. which was not only like all your letters a balsam in itself; but was also precious by its contents, announcing your own health, that of my father, and of my children, brother and sister. I have no other...
50From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 April 1812 (Adams Papers)
The enclosed is a copy of a letter, which was written near a Month, before an opportunity occurred of sending it, on its way to you—I am afraid that the delay will entirely defeat its object, and that it will be found impracticable to send out my two Sons to me the next Summer.—The river Neva is now again open, and I trust that in about six weeks or two Months opportunities for writing to you...