By some accident my letter was too late for the last Post I therefore only send you this letter of Charles’s with assurances of our mutual affection— Dear Papa St Petersburg Novbr: 18th: 1814 I am quite a Soldier since Mrs: Betancourt made me a present of a Gun, and I exercise every day. Mama has got a new Servant who has been a Solider, and he drills me; it is a real gun, and George Krehmer...
2From John Quincy Adams to Charlotte Sophia, 29 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
The American Minister and Mrs Adams will do themselves the honour of attending upon her Majesty, at the Queen’s House on Monday the 12th of August, at 9 o clock, conformally to the invitation which by her Majesty’s Command they have received from Mr Disbrowe. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
3From John Quincy Adams to Robert Selden Garnett, 5 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr. and Mrs. Adams request the Honor of Mr Garnetts Company at Dinner on the 12th of December at ———— o’Clock The Favor of an Answer is requested. DLC : John Adams Papers.
4From John Quincy Adams to Stapleton,, 6 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr & mrs Adams return their Compliments to Col. Stapleton with many thanks for his obliging offer to take their commands for the United States—They avail themselves of his kindness to request him to take charge of the inclosed letter & pray him to accept the assurance of their best wishes that he may have a pleasant & prosperous passage— MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
Another Letter was yesterday brought me but it gave me no hopes of your return and I dare not flatter myself yet that you will obtain any answer more decisive to this last effort, than they have hitherto given upon any point. as I wrote you once before notwithstanding I am so anxious to see him you I could almost wish you might be detained untill the coming Spring, so fearful am I that this...
I was so fortunate as to recieve your No 25 on Wednesday which was the day in course but as it was the first time I mention it as something extraordinary I shall certainly be very cautious as you request about your letters— I cannot help smiling at your affected difficulty about filling a sheet of Paper and were it possible that a compliment from your wife could have any value I should almost...
I recieved your letter my dear Child only a few days since and am charmed to find that George and you are such good boys I am sure you are much obliged to Cousin Abby for your letters. and I you will soon learn to write them yourself I hope as they will afford me double pleasure George is now near ten years old and is I am sure too much of a man to play truant any more and I am sure you never...
We have proceeded thus far on our journey as well and with as much pleasure as we could possibly have expected and the day I have passed at this place will ever be remember’d by me with gratitude and pleasure from the very polite and kind attention of the Governor and his Lady to whom Mr Harris gave me letters of recommendation they are a charming couple exact suited to please me as they are...
My last letter mentioned some good news which I had heard from America I thank God this has been confirm’d and a great deal beside which I had neither thought’s or hopes of I was in expation of your last Letter’s being filled with the particulars but the date from London was precisely the same and you could not recieve it untill two days later your next will however contain all this news and...
I found your note this morning on my plate when I enterred the breakfast room and hasten to offer you my congratulations on the birth of your Little Grandson for whose happiness and welfare in this world of trouble I most sincerely pray may he prove a joy and blessing to his Parents. Mr. Adams has been afflicted with an inflamation in his eyes which terminated in an Abcess in the under-lid of...
Your two last No 12 & 13 were delivered to me at the same time I presume the first had been detained at the Post Office and closely inspected and even the second was also examined but not detain’d As to Day was our Wedding day and the day on which the Emperor’s return to us Capital was celebrated I went to the Te Deum and spent my morning in praying for the success of your Mission. when I...
I had left off writing entirely from the idea that you would have left England Ghent befor a Letter of mine could reach but from all the accounts which we here recieve I find that it is possible you may remain at Ghent half the Winter therefore I have resolved to write again and trust to chance for the return of my Letters in case you should be on your way— I have moved into Town and made...
13From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Adelaide Hellen, 31 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have been very negligent my Dear Sister in not sooner answering your very affectionate Letter for which negligence I confess I have no substantial excuse to offer unless a little dissipation has Led to idleness I must trust to your indulgence for pardon. We had heard of the Death of Col. Smith through the medium of an American Newspaper some time before we received our Letters which only...
Mr. Todd having just called to announce his departure I hasten to write you although I do not think his departure will take place so soon as he expects. You will my joy on arriving in London at finding my Boys ready at our lodgings to receive me although in excellent health the pleasure was too much for me and I was several days before I recover’d my usual composure—We have not yet found a...
As Mrs: Perkins has kindly offered to take Letters, I hasten to answer your kind Letters of 24th: April & 2d May, which I received the day before yesterday. I fear the Boys will not be able to avail themselves of this opportunity, as they are much occupied previous to the Vacation, which takes place next Week. George has a part to perform in one of Terrences plays, and a French piece, and from...
In the first place I will inform you, as I know how very particular you are, that I have received No 9 and 10 with its enclosures, the last of which I have sent to your old friend the good Revd: Pere, by Mr Smith ten minutes after its reception this morning at 10 oclock. In the next place you will observe that I have number’d my letter and that you are indebted to me two numbers. my first was...
Your kind letter arrived just in time to cheer us. Charles and I were both quite sick, but are now thank God much better, though Dr. Galloway has order’d me to keep him at home for some days, the weather being uncommonly cold, and the Bridge not likely to be put up for some days. We have nothing new. there is some talk of the Emperor’s return, some say immediately, others not untill August....
I received your three last numbers they arrived nearly at the same time No. 14 on Friday and 15 & 16 on Saturday. I am much concern’d at the prospect of affairs with you, and am fearful that the English will put it out of your power to return home, as soon as you think as I understand there is positive information here , that you will be kept on in the same manner, and that no Ministers will...
No 39 arrived in due time and I have for some time been perpetually satisfied with the Post Office I hope however that we shall not long stand in need of their civilities as I am rather impatient to have you home the rappid approach of winter encreases my impatience and as the event of this negociation appears to be still unfavorable I cannot help feeling fretful and half angry at the delay...
I was much disappointed at the receipt of your last letter having flatter’d myself that you would have had some letters from our friends both in Boston and Washington The Conservateur of to day announces that you have at last recieved the answer to your last Note and that it is of so favorable a nature that peace will be the consequence of the truth of this I can form no opinion but the report...
You must laugh at the information contain’d in my last as Mr. Harris tells me he wrote you by the same post that the resignation was accepted Mr. H.—as far as prevarication goes is certainly a good diplomat for he came to me very full of what I wrote you and told me he had it from the Gentleman himself. he was here last night with what he wrote you and at the same time stating that the...
As another opportunity offers my dear Mother which I am told is a very safe one I cannot refrain from writing a few lines to assure you of the health of the family in general and to entreat you will write by every opportunity. we have only heard three times from you since we left you and you who have been placed in the same situation know how much frequent intelligence of your health and would...
I am charmed to find by your last letter that you pass your time so agreeably at Ghent: it would be almost a pity that the Congress should break up, as by all account you have derived so much benefit from your residence, and this Climate is so injurious, that the idea of your returning to sink again into the state of into inanity into which you had fallen, is so painful I could almost wish for...
I am so exhausted by fatigue that it is with the utmost difficulty I can scrawl a few lines having just return’d from a Fète at Pavloski which lasted two days & Nights I may say as you know at what hour the Balls break up The fète was most beutiful and we recieved every possible mark of Distinction the Emperor spoke to me and asked where you were I told him you had seen at Ghent he said he had...
The last time I wrote you I was so excessively fatigued and it was so late that I scarcely know what my letter contained since which I have been expecting a letter from you and am much disappointed at not receiving one though I shall cease to regret it if your silence is caused by the arrival of the English Commissioners we have news to the 22d from England from which we learn that Mr...
Your letter of the 24th of march, my dear Madam, is but just arrived, and although it was so long before it reached us, it afforded us the satisfaction of hearing from yourself, that my dear Boys were well at that period.—We have not yet heard any thing of Mr Harrod, I fear he has stopped at some other port in the Baltic, and that we shall not see him at Petersburg this Season—I feel much...
Having an opportunity to write you by Mr Lewis of Philadelphia who leaves this place for England early tomorrow morning I hasten to inform you of the general health of the family which although not perfect is as good as we can rationally expect Winter comes on us in so harsh a form that we anticipate an unusual degree of severity in its course this morning the River and Canals were hard frozen...
On the Portrait of My Husband. The painters Art would vainly seize That harmony of Nature; Where Sense and goodness joined with ease Shine forth in every feature.— That open front where wisdom sits, That eye which speaks the Soul; That brow that study gently knits That bright attempered whole, That vast variety of mind Capacious, clear and strong, Where brilliancy of wit refined Enchants the...
Your charming letter only reached me last night the roads being very bad but it came time enough to put me in high spirits and I went immediately after to a little Ball at Miss Focks were I amased myself very much and did not return untill 3 o’clock this Morning Thank God for all the good news you gave me may he still grant us his protection and as you say turn the hearts of our enemies all my...
I am sure you must have thought me mad from the date of my last letter I was so teazed with Muziks of every discription that I found it utterly impossible to write any thing like sense I however thought it better to send my letter bad as it was than suffer the Post to leave Petersburg without a few lines which would at any rate prove that we were well and preparing to join you as soon as...
We had concluded from appearances here that you would be detained some days at Revel, but I did not imagine that your stay would have been so much prolong’d. I last night had the pleasure of recieving your number 3, and at the same time the mortification of discovering that number 2 was missing this of course causes me some uneasiness as I believe few of your correspondents would be willing to...
I received your kind letter of the 30 of September in due time and although it confirmed the bad news which had flown to us here from every quarter it contributed much to console me and the revived hopes which have been created by this very calamity have nearly restored me to health though not to spirits our good friend L. is all of a sudden become so sanguine as to the affairs of America that...
Still no Letter from you mon Ami! I can scarcely account for this, as Mr Hall wrote me, that you had had very fine winds, for six days after your departure, from Gottenburg. I wait impatiently for tomorrow, in the hope that the Post of to day, may have brought me a few lines, at least to announce your safe arrival. the irrisistable desire I feel to offer you my sincere congratulations on your...
From your last Letter of the 19 I am led to believe that you are not likely to return home so soon as you expected, I shall therefore persevere in writing untill you positively forbid it. Our Old friend Mr. R. B. Forbes has just been to visit me he is come to Petersburg on his way to Ghent and expects to return to America he says Boston is become intolerable to live in, that his family are...
The confusion around me and the perpetual interruptions render it almost impossible for me to write a word I shall therefore only say that and Charles I are well and that I cannot see the day on which I shall leave St Petersburg as every thing appears to go wrong— As you are in France I have thought it best to sell every thing that I can sell as the frig ate to America from will cost almost as...
With what pleasure I read your last kind Letter you are capable of judging who are so well acquainted with the warmth of my feelings on most of the subjects which interest me, my hopes are so strongly raised even the news which our old friend Corbeau gave me yesterday could not destroy the flattering Visions which my sanguine imagination had created and I shall still hope that heaven will...
Yours of the eighth is come not to fill me with doubts because that was already effected but to make those doubts almost certainties and those of a very disagreeable nature if it must be so there is no remedy but I hope you have been misinformed about our commander and that he may prove better than you expect— What do you think of the English Speech? it is most affectedly peacable, and...
Your two last numbers 21 and 22 came together as usual on Saturday last. I could not help smiling at your idea of the Rose bud which though very pretty I have no sort of claim to Master Charles painted it and without my knowledge slipped it into the Letter to shew you what he could do Martha was his instructress and I had nothing to do with it at all. I always doubted the fact of the Crown...
I address you once more from this place and I cannot yet say when I shall be able to leave it as I find it almost impossible to dispose of the things to any sort of advantage no body has ready money and I am offer’d payment in a variety none of which however I am apprehensive would please you Hemillian has just left he came with a view to purchase the Carriage and offer’d to pay me in Peals or...
I write you a few lines to apologise for the liberty I took in requesting you would affix you Seal to what I supposed would have been a small paper parcell containing some very trifling articles for which Mr. Adams had permitted me to send, and which I thought too trifling to request an order for as it is always obtained with difficulty—I flatter myself you will pardon the error and believe me...
Although Mr. H.—has informed me that the Congress is dissolved, still I persevere in writing, as it is easy to have my letters returned in case you should have left Ghent.What is pretended to be the terms on which great Britain will treat, was yesterday published in the Conservateur, if there is any truth in this, it needs no Comment The Emperor will not return here untill the end of December...
We have been some time now without receiving Letters from you, although we have heard of you from other branches of the family. In your last Letters to the Children you mention the approaching marriage of Susan which ere this has probably taken place should it be so I must beg you will make my congratulations acceptable with every good wish for her future happiness. We are here plunged into...
The arrival of Mr Bayard, & Galatin, my dear Madam, has made so little alteration in our situation, that I have little or nothing to write you, but complaints, of the prospect I have of a much lengthen’d stay in this Country: and the additional grief of losing the society of my Sister, which was almost the only thing left me to render life supportable. Mr A is even more buried in study than...
Your last Letter was indeed flattering to me. eminently as you are gifted with the talent of writing your approbation must afford the greatest pleasure and exite encouragement. It has often been to me a source of wonder how you can write to so many in one family, and yet never appear at a loss for subjects; but you possess the talent of giving interest even to trifles and the easy course of...
After a very troublesome and tedious journey we have happily arrived at Berlin where I expected to have found Letters from you but I am cruelly disappointed and am impatiently waiting for the next Post which will not arrive untill tomorrow evening Yesterday I visited some of our old friends here who received me in the Kindest manner possible Countess Bhrul is very much alter’d but Miss Bisho p...
Mr. Harris was here last evening, and made me an offer of a House, which as times go is remarkably cheap, and I have thought it prudent to accept it upon condition that he will let us have it by the Month. the rent is 3500 Rubles it is the House in which Von Essen lived in the Place St Isaac. as I know not how you are going on, or at what time you expect to return, I have delayed taking any...
I write you my dear George, with a hope that this letter will not reach you. however as we have reports here of an Embargo, being to take place in America, early in the Season, I will not omit the opportunity which now offers, of assuring you of my tenderest affection, & solicitude, for your present and future welfare. Your Father, and myself, were very anxious to have both you, and your...
Not having heard from you by the last Mail on which I calculated we are all very much disappointed at it and very impatient to hear of your safe arrival at Stockolm— I am in the midst of confusion on account of Chareles who is order’d out immediately by Dr. Galloway and to be put on a milk and Vegetable Diet I fear this will displease you on account of the expense but as the Dr. thought it...
You will no doubt be much surprized at hearing from me, so soon after your departure; but a delemma has already occurred, and I write to know your intentions, respecting the letters that may arrive here. I supposed you had left your directions with Mr Smith, but he informs me that you only mentioned the public Papers, and intimated that you would speak to me about the private letters. I...
The River being open at length, and the Vessels preparing for their departure, I sieze the earliest opportunity of writing, to assure you that the family are generally well, and that we have all excepting Mr Gray, suffer’d very little considering the length and severity of this tedious Winter.— I wish my dear Madam I could write any thing that would amuse you, but our lives are so uniformly...