31From John Adams to James Warren, 26 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
I shall make you sick at the Sight of a Letter from me. I find by Edes’s Paper that Joseph Pearse Palmer is Quarter Master General. I confess I was Surprized. This office is of high Rank and vast Importance. The Deputy Quarter Master General whom we have appointed for the New York Department, is a Mr. Donald Campbell, an old regular officer, whom We have given the Rank of Collonell. The...
32From John Adams to James Warren, 30 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
For the Honour of the Massachusetts I have laboured in Conjunction with my Brethren to get you chosen Paymaster General, and Succeeded So well that the Choice was unanimous: But whether We did you a Kindness or a Disservice I know not. And whether you can attend it, or will incline to attend it I know not. You will consider of it however. Pray, who do you intend to make Secretary of the...
33From John Adams to James Warren, 12 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
I would write often if I had any thing to communicate: But Obligations of Honour forbid some Communications and other Considerations prevent others. The common Chatt of a Coffee house, is too frivolous for me to recollect or you to read. I have inclosed a Paper upon which I will make no Remark: But leave you to your own Conjectures. Only I must absolutely insist that it be mentioned to nobody....
34From John Adams to James Warren, 28 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
Our Association, against Importations and Exportations, from and to Gr. Britain, Ireland andthe British West Indies, if We consider its Influence, upon the Revenue, the Commerce, the Manufactures and the Agriculture of the Kingdom, is a formidable Shield of Defence for Us. It is Shearing of its Beams that Luminary, which in all its Glory might dazzle our feeble Sight. But a Question arises,...
35From John Adams to James Warren, 10 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Jonathan Mifflin, a young Gentleman of this City, a Relation of our Friend the Quarter Master General will hand you this Letter. I believe you will have enough of my Correspondence this Time, for it has certainly been filled with mere Impertenence and contains nothing of War or Politicks which are so Agreable to your Taste. Our Expectations are very Sanguine, of Intelligence from Schuyler...
36From John Adams to James Warren, 21 June 1775 (Adams Papers)
Major Mifflin goes in the Character of Aid de Camp to General Washington. I wish You to be acquainted with him, because, he has great Spirit Activity, and Abilities, both in civil and military Life. He is a gentleman of Education, Family and Fortune. C. and H. and P. have given us a great deal of Trouble, in the Election of Lee, and I expect will avail themselves of all the Whims and...
37From John Adams to James Warren, 29 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
I have but a few Moments to write, and these it is my Duty to improve, and faithfully to tell you, that unless you exert yourselves and send forward your Troops, it is my firm Opinion that Howe will recruit his Army as fast as Washington and that from Americans. The People of New York and New Jersey, have been so scandalously neglected this Winter, that they are flying over to How in...
38From John Adams to James Warren, 26 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
There are two ingenious Artificers, here, who have made a beautifull Field Piece of Bar Iron. The Barrs were not bound together with Hoops, like that which was made in Boston: But weldered together, and afterwards bored out. It is very light. It is a Three Pounder and weighs, no more than two hundred and twenty four Pounds. It has been tried every Way, and has stood the fullest Proof. It has...
39From John Adams to James Warren, 15 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
I have Time only to tell you that I am yet alive, and in better Spirits than Health. The News, you will learn from my very worthy Friend Gerry. He is obliged to take a Ride for his Health, as I shall be very soon or have none. God grant he may recover it for he is a Man of immense Worth. If every Man here was a Gerry, the Liberties of America would be safe against the Gates of Earth and Hell....
40From John Adams to James Warren, 20 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
Can The Inhabitants of North America live without foreign Trade? There is Beef and Pork, and Poultry, and Mutton and Venison and Veal, Milk, Butter, Cheese, Corn, Barley, Rye, Wheat, in short every Species of Eatables animal and Vegetable in a vast abundance, an immense Profusion. We raise about Eleven hundred Thousand Bushells of Corn, yearly more than We can possibly consume. The Country...
41From John Adams to James Warren, 6 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
I have this Moment Sealed a Letter to you which is to go by my hospitable, honest, benevolent Friend Stephen Collins. But, I have several Particulars to mention to you, which are omitted in that Letter. Ten Companies of expert Riflemen have been ordered already, from the 3 Colonies of P. M. and V.—some of them have marched, under excellent Officers. We are told by Gentlemen here that these...
42From John Adams to James Warren, 10 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
I have just Time to inclose You, a Declaration and an Address. How you will like them I know not. A Petition was Sent Yesterday, by Mr. Richard Penn in one ship and a Duplicate goes in another Ship, this day. In exchange for these Petitions, Declarations and Addresses, I Suppose We shall receive Bills of Attainder and other such like Expressions of Esteem and Kindness. This Forenoon has been...
43From John Adams to James Warren, 19 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
What Think you of an American Fleet? I dont mean 100 ships of the Line, by a Fleet, but I Suppose this Term may be applied to any naval Force consisting of several Vessells, tho the Number, the Weight of Metal, or the Quantity of Tonnage may be small. The Expence would be very great—true. But the Expence might be born and perhaps the Profits and Benefits to be obtained by it, would be a...
44From John Adams to James Warren, 16 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 13th. of June last, is not answered—not recieved ’till my Arrival here. You will be so overloaded with News about the Time this will reach You, that I will not add to the Heap. We have none from America a long Time—none since Christmas. You say I was envied—perhaps so: but they would not have envied me in the Gulph Stream, nor when chased forty eight Hours by three British...
45From John Adams to James Warren, 21 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
We must bend our Attention to Salt Petre. We must make it. While B. is Mistress of the Sea, and has so much Influence with foreign Courts, We cannot depend upon a Supply from abroad. It is certain that it can be made here because it is certain that it has been formerly and more latterly. Dr. Graham of White Plains in the Colony of New York told me, that he has made Some thousands of Pounds...
46From John Adams to James Warren, 4 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
It is in vain for me to think of telling you News, because you have direct Intelligence from Ticonderoga much sooner than I have, and from N. York sooner than I can transmit it to you. Before this Time the Secretary has arrived, and will give you all the Information you can wish, concerning the State of Things here. Mr. G. got in the day before Yesterday, very well. There has been a Change, in...
47From John Adams to James Warren, 28 September 1775 (Adams Papers)
I write at this Time, only to remind you that I have received no Letters. Let me intreat the earliest Attention of our Houses, to the Accounts and Vouchers of our Province. Accounts must be exact and Vouchers genuine, or We shall suffer. The whole Attention of every Member of both Houses, would be not improfitably employed upon this subject untill it is finished. The Accounts, I mean are of...
48From John Adams to James Warren, 21 May 1775 (Adams Papers)
I am vastly obliged to you for your Letter. It was like cold Water to a thirsty Soul. We Suffer, greatly for Want of News from you and Boston. I am very unfortunate, in my Eyes, and my Health. I came from home Sick and have been so ever Since. My Eyes are so weak and dim that I can neither read, write, or see without great Pain. Our unweildy Body moves very Slow. We shall do something in Time,...
49From John Adams to James Warren, 23 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
I have only Time to acquaint you that Yesterday, that eminent American, and most worthy Man The Honourable Peyton Randolph Esqr. our first venerable President, departed this Life in an Apoplectic Fit. He was seized at Table having but a few Moments before set down with a good deal of Company to dinner. He died in the Evening without ever recovering his senses after the first stroke. As this...
50From John Adams to James Warren, 30 September 1775 (Adams Papers)
Philadelphia, 30 September 1775. RC offered for sale by Parke-Bernet Gallery, N.Y., Gribbel sale, pt. 2, 22–24 Jan. 1941, lot 2. Addressed to James Warren as Speaker of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, “favoured by Dr. Franklin.” After giving the names of the congressional committee members and explaining their function, JA proceeds, “I hope our Province, in every Part of it,...
51From John Adams to James Warren, 3 April 1776 (Adams Papers)
As foreign Affairs become every day more interesting to Us no Pains should be spared to acquire a thorough Knowledge of them, and as the inclosed Extract contains some observations which are new to me, I thought it might not be uninteresting to you. Howe has put 3000 Troops on board of Transports, which lie or at least lay last saturday at Staten Island. Whether this is a Feint, or a Serious...
52From John Adams to James Warren, 2 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
I believe you will have a surfeit of Letters from me, for they will be as inane, as they are numerous. The Bearer of this is Major Bayard a Gentleman of this City of the Presbyterian Perswasion of the best Character and the clearest Affections for his Country. I have received so many Civilities from him, that I could not refuse myself the Pleasure of introducing him to you. Our obligations of...
53From John Adams to James Warren, 10 June 1775 (Adams Papers)
I have written a few Lines to Dr Warren to whom I refer you. It is of vast Importance that the officers of our Army should be impressed with the absolute Necessity of Cleanliness, to preserve the Health of their Men. Cleanness, is one of the three Cardinal Virtues of a soldier, as Activity and Sobriety are the other two. They should be encouraged to go into Water frequently, to keep their...
54From John Adams to James Warren, 18 August 1777 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Copies, you will see must not be made public. You will communicate them in Confidence to such Friends as have Discretion. When you have made such prudent Use of them as you shall judge proper, be pleased to send them to the Foot of Pens Hill, because I have no other Copies and should be glad to preserve them. It is in vain for me to write any Thing of the Northern Department,...
55From John Adams to James Warren, 25 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
A Method of collecting Salt Petre from the Air which is talked of here is this. Take of Lime and Ashes equal Quantities, and of horse dung a Quantity equal to both the Ashes and Lime, mix them together into a Mortar, with this Mortar and a Quantity of long Straw to keep it together build two Walls Eighteen Inches thick, and three feet high, about four feet asunder. Then make a Center and turn...
56From John Adams to James Warren, 25 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
This Express carries a new Plan of an Army. I hope the General Court without one Moments delay will Send Commissions to whole Corps of their Officers, either by Expresses or Committees to New York and Ticonderoga, that as many Men may be inlisted without delay as possible. It may be best to send a Committee with full Powers to each Place. There is no Time to be lost. I inclose you a sett of...
57From John Adams to James Warren, 26 July 1778 (Adams Papers)
Yours of 7 June by Captain Barnes fortunately reached me, Yesterday. I was much Surprised, you may well imagine at its Contents. But I Suppose, the Cause of their not electing you to the Council, must have been your Engagements in the Navy Board. I am unhappy to learn by the Newspapers, that our Constitution is likely to occasion much Altercation in the State, but notwithstanding all our...
58From John Adams to James Warren, 26 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
I can never Sufficiently regret, that this Congress have acted So much out of Character, as to leave the Appointment of the Quarter Master General, Commissary of Musters and Commissary of Artillery to the General; As these officers, are Checks upon the General, and he a Check upon them: there ought not to be too much Connection between them. They ought not to be under any dependance upon him,...
59From John Adams to James Warren, 17 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
I had a Letter from you, by the Post Yesterday. Congratulate you, and your other Self, on your happy Passage, through the Small Pox. I must intreat you to embrace the earliest opportunity, after the General Court Shall assemble, to elect Some new Members to attend here, at least one, instead of me. As to others they will follow, their own Inclinations. If it had not been for the critical State...
60From John Adams to James Warren, 25 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
Upon the Receipt of the Intelligence of Dr. Church’s Letter, Dr. Morgan was chosen in his Room. This Letter is intended to be sent by him, and therefore probably will not go in ten days. John Morgan, a Native of this City, is a Doctor of Physick, a Fellow of the Royal Society at London; Correspondent of the Royal Academy of Surgery at Paris; Member of the Arcadian Belles Lettres Society at...