Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, 29 January 1801
Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw
Philadelphia 29th: Jany 1801.
Dear William
I received the letter you enclosed me from my father on the 25th: instt: with a few names of members & others, for Dennie—1 I have sent you three or four setts already of the P— F— to be distributed and now enclose you another— The opinion, here is pretty general, that the journal of the Silesian tour is, by far, the most interesting of all the Contents— Indeed, whatever comes from the pen of that writer, is finished and instructive— I wish that my parents would furnish me with some of his private letters, written from Holland, England and Berlin—they would continue to adorn the literary vehicle, when the tour is exhausted— No 5— is a beautiful and elegant letter, which displays more Classical scholarship than is possessed by any man, that I know in this Country— You will see it in the next Number—2
Our Lawyers are gone off to day, for the City— Mr: Ingersoll will give in his resignation and I hope Mr: Wm: Tilghman will be his Successor.3
Lieutt: Parker of the Navy is going on tomorrow and I give him a line for you together with the bundle of Gentz—for which you must be sure to get the Cash—price 33 1/3 / 1004
Your’s
T B A—5
RC (MWA:Adams Family Letters); addressed: “W S Shaw”; endorsed: “Philadelp 27 Dec / T B Adams Esqr / rec 2d Feb / An 3 F”; docketed: “1801 / Jany 29.”
1. JA to TBA, 24 Jan., above.
2. The second part of JQA’s letter to TBA of 28 July 1800, for which see A Tour of Silesia, 20 July 1800 – 17 March 1801, No. II, note 9, above, comprised the fifth installment of the “Journal of a Tour through Silesia” in the Port Folio, 1:33 (31 Jan. 1801).
3. See TBA to JA, 14 Dec. 1800, and note 2, above.
4. Probably Lt. Samuel Parker, whom JA recommended for a U.S. Navy commission in 1799 (JA to Benjamin Stoddert, 10, 27 April, LbC, APM Reel 119).
5. TBA also wrote to Shaw on 27 and 30 Jan. 1801 (both MWA:Adams Family Letters), and a second letter on the 29th (MHi:Misc. Bound Coll.). In the letters TBA discussed the ratification of the Convention of 1800, John Marshall’s and Lucius Horatio Stockton’s nominations as chief justice and secretary of war, and Joseph Dennie Jr.’s work as editor of the Port Folio.