21From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 21 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
I write to you by every opportunity altho I hope you will have left St Petersburgh before this can reach you, but as there admits of a possibility that you may be Still, there, I know it will be a great gratification to you to learn that your parents are Still living, and in health. your children too are well, and Good Children which is of more concequence than mere animal enjoyment. I have...
22From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
I write to you, altho it is really with the hope that you may not receive my Letter. I would fain believe that you will be upon Your passage Home long before this can arrive in St Petersburgh, but as there is a possibility that you may Yet be there, I would not omit informing you of the health of your parents and Children, nor of their anxious desire to see you again Safe in your Native...
23From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
your Brother returnd this Evening from Boston and gave me notice that a vessel would Sail for Sweeden tomorrow the notice is So Short, that I can only write you a Short Letter. I Shall in future follow your advice, have a Letter ready for the occasion and not wait for the opportunity. it was not however, untill last Saturday that I received a Letter from William Smith, that I was informed of...
24From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 17 November 1811 (Adams Papers)
The intercourse between us is daily more and more obstructed, it may prolong your tranquility that it is so: I know not how to take up my pen, yet painfull as the Duty is, I must perform it, untill the task may devolve upon some other, to tell you that your Parents are also numberd with the dead. I wrote you in Sep’br, an account of my dear Sister Cranchs Sickness, and of the little prospect I...
25From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 8 December 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have the pleasure to acknowledg Your Letter of the 30th of June, brought by the Pilifix , Captain Welsh, after a passage of 95 days—being No 21—this compleats my list of Regular numbers, and yesterday I received your Letter of the 10 Sep’br by Captain Barker of the Leopard. No 24 there are two Missing originals, a press coppy of 23 came inclosed in No 24, but the Characters of the first page...
26From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
I rejoice that I can begin the new year without a Repetition of any mournfull, or afflictive Family dispensation, and that I can congratulate you of upon the Life of your Father, and his continued Health, upon that also of your Sons, your Brother, and upon the restoration of your Sister, and last of all that I am still enabled to hold a pen & can write to you, altho frequently assaild by...
27From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 17 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
There are two vessels up, one for St Petersburgh & one for Gottenburgh. by both of which I propose to write. My last Letter was dated in Jan’ry No 1, and the last received, from you then, was of Sepb’r but yesterday Commodore Bainbridge arrived, and forwarded your Letters of October 2d a press coppy of No 25 not yet arrived, and an original of october, 24 & 25—No 26—your Father will write, and...
28From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 12 March 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have already acknowledged the receipt of your Letter by Captain Bainbridge received three weeks Since and Stated that 4 Numbers were missing. Yesterday we received from new york a Letter for your Brother No 25 dated Nov’br 6th which arrived in the Ship Phenix Capt. Freeman 60 Days from Gottenburgh, in which vessel came mr Loring Austin by whom you write that you Sent a Letter for me, which I...
29From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 12 April 1812 (Adams Papers)
As Congress are going to lay an Embargo, of sixty days, the Bill having already past the House, all is hurry and Dispatch to get every vessel to Sea before it passes into a Law, in three days one hundred were cleard at the Single port of N york thirty from Boston. how many from Salem and the numerous ports in this state we have not yet learnt, how many of them will be permitted to return Safe;...
30From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 10 May 1812 (Adams Papers)
Mr Shaw sent me word yesterday, that a Gentleman of his acquaintance was going to Archangel, and would take a Letter to you, a voyage in the present precarious State of navigation is almost as visionary as that of Gonzales to the moon. I will not however omit writing to you, altho at a time, when a three months Embargo, and Mad Emperors and Kings, prevent all regular communications, this...
31From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 29 July 1812 (Adams Papers)
Mr Benjamin Beal jun’r Who has long resided in France, returnd last Winter upon a visit to his Family here as he connected himself in France, his stay here has been Short, and he is now going back in a to Liverpool, and from thence to France I request him to take this Letter for you, which I shall place under-cover to Mr Barlow our Minister in France that he may forward it to you by the first...
32From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 30 November 1812 (Adams Papers)
your Letters of April 30th of May 28th of June 27th a duplicate, So faint a press coppy that but little of it could be read, and your originals of July 8th and August 10th have all safely arrived, the two last upon the 19th of this Month with Letters to your Father, of nearly the Same date, but which I find he has not acknowledged in his Letter to you of this Day. your last Letters gave us...
33From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 30 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
Despairing almost of conveying a Letter to you amidst the war of Empires and Kingdoms, I have had but little encouragement to write, yet knowing how anxious you must be Relative to your Family, your Children your Friends and Country I Shall make the attempt, and trust this Letter on Board a Cartel now going from Nyork to England, hopeing that it will be treated with the Same lenity, with which...
34From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 25 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
This day two years since; I was cloathed in Sable for the Death of mrs Norten’s Since which time, I have had repeated occasion to continue it, and this day, your Letter of Sepbr 20th has filld our Eyes with tears; and our hearts with anguish. most tenderly and affectionatly do I feel the sorrows of the Parents, who perhaps had too fondly “garnered up their Hearts” in their lovely Babe, without...
35From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 25 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
upon looking over my list, I find that I have written to you a Letter every month, since october. my last Letter was in Janry 21st, written immediatly after receiving yours of Sepbr 21, informing me of the loss of your Dear Babe. I wrote to Mrs Adams at the Same time. the Letters went in a cartel to Liverpool, through the kindness of a Friend. Since that period I have not received a line from...
36From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 27 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
Before I closed my Letter to you, I received this morning your Letter sent by mr Harris, of october 25th. I rejoiced to See your hand writing altho I read with trembling. I have participated in your greif, and shared your Sorrows. let not gloom and melancholy take root in your mind the wounded heart must have time to recover from the Stroke which has pierced it. there are Duties which you are...
37From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have already written to you, in replie to your Melancholy Letter of Sepbr 20th. and have offer’d to the wounded Bosoms of my dear Children all the consolation which a participation in their Sorrows could impart. “Some feelings are to mortals given with less of earth in them, than heaven And if there be a human tear From passions drop refind and clear A tear So limpid and So meek It would not...
38From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 23 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
For three weeks past there have been many & various reports in circulation respecting the Mediation to Russia & there has been much Said and written respecting the persons to be appointed. It was not untill yesterday that your Father & I was officially notified that mr Gallatin and Bayard were associated with you in a commission to Negotiate a Peace between Great Britain and the united States,...
39From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 3 May 1813 (Adams Papers)
The vessel which carries you this Letter will convey to you the account of the Death of a dear and valued Friend, the Friend of his Country, the Friend of Mankind, and the confidential Friend & constant correspondent of your Father, the Sincerely lamented Rush upon the 10 of April your Father received a Letter from him, as he had done for more than a year almost every week. upon the 18th to...
40From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 14 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
As there is Some prospect of mr Russels being appointed to Sweeden I hope to convey Letters to you through him I have been more than usually unfortunate in the loss of those which I have endeavourd to convey to you, not having omitted writing to you every Month. yet I have not any acknowledgement from even your latest Letter dated in Feby 1813 that you had received a line from me of a more...
41From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, July 1813 (Adams Papers)
altho I wrote to you on the 14 of this month I know that my Letter will have a dubious conveyance as it had to first make its way to France & then to find a passage to you—mr Gordon who is ever attentive to us, has just informd us of a sweedish vessel & a passenger going by whom I might forward Letters to you—if you do not hear from us often it is oweing to the obstructions occasiond by the...
42From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 1 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to you upon the 14 of June, I knew that my Letter is gone upon a doubtfull journey; it had first to make its way through British Ships of the line & cruizers, to France, and then through a Country at war with Russia. it is almost a forlorn hope that it should ever reach you, unless if capturd; it Should meet with a Sir John & Sherbrook, who politely Sent s by a cartel from Halifax, a...
43From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 14 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
I know how good a recent date is from a far country. accordingly my heart leaped with joy at receiving a packet the other morning dated in June, without recollecting that it was now only july, and that I could not get a Letter in so short a space of time, and 1812 Soon convinced me of my mistake. it came as usual with a patch upon the Seal, altho not endorsed, and if you turn to the date, you...
44From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 30 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
your Sons are well. your Parents are still living. your Brother is well— O my full Heart, shall I wish for Life for her who is releived from pain and Sufferings, which wring my heart with anguish, and was daily increased by the anticipation of Still greater Sufferings? No, I will bless the Being who had compassion for her: and who was pleased to take to the Arms of mercy as I fully beleive,...
45From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 13 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have just closed one Letter to you which is to go to Lisbon from thence to the care of mr Beasley. this is to go to France. upon the 30 of August I wrote you a melancholy Letter nor will this be less So. it is allotted to me to be the maven who is to convey to you all the Calamities which afflict our family and they have rooled in wave after wave, the Death of your Dear and only Sister who...
46From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I endeavour that you should hear from us by writing in every direction, yet when I take my pen my heart sinks, and my hand trembles. my last Letters which were in August were Sent to Halifax by a cartel to be conveyd to England to mr Beasley, and they contain’d such heart rending intelligence that I know not how to repeat it—Bad news has swifter wings than good, I have lost, O what have I not...
47From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 22 October 1813 (Adams Papers)
our Neighbor mr Apthorp is going to Lisbon and I embrace this, as one of the best opportunities for conveying Letters to you through mr Beasley in England.I have written to you every Month, and sent my Letters to you through various channels. Some of my Letters will probably reach you, as they contain Such intelligence as has the most rapid wings. I mean those which convey melancholy truths,...
48From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 8 November 1813 (Adams Papers)
At Length after an intermission of Seven Months your Letters of June 21st arrived, in a swedish vessel call’d the Neptunus. mr Tilden was the bearer of them in 36 days from Liverpool I was most sincerely rejoiced to see again your hand writing, altho not a solitary line was addrest to me, it is the first instance of the kind which has occur’d since your absence Your Letter was for your...
49From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 December 1813 (Adams Papers)
Altho I have already written to you by this opportunity, and my Letters are now quite old, I know I shall give to you renewed pleasure by adding a few lines more, as they may bear to you a token of my returning health, after a very Severe attack of a Lung fever of a very dangerous nature I am Still confined to my chamber weak and debilitated, but my Cough has nearly left me, and I feel that I...
50From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 16 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
I was never more at a loss what to Say to you than at the present moment. to accuse you of neglect, I cannot I will not, for I do not beleive it possible! Yet so unfortunate have I been, that not a line has reachd me from you, of a later date than the 1st of May. Two packets have since been received, containing Letters for your Father, your Brother, and for your Sons, but not a solitary Line...