31From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 19 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your favor of the 13th & the copies of Murrays letters, with the perusal of which, I have been highly delighted. I pray you that every exertion may be made to get to sea not only the vessels in the Delleware, but the Constitution & the Merrimack which are arrived in Boston Harbor. It will be ruinous to the crews & the reputation of the officers to lie long in port. Those that...
32From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 21 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I last night received yours of the 15th & have read your letter to Capt. Nicholson, inclosed in it which as I acquiesce in it I have sealed and shall send to him to day.—All things considered I think Talbot must be the Captain to succeed in the command of the constitution. Mr Crawleys letter mentioned in that of Gen. Smiths was not inclosed to me. The commerce with Guadeloupe will be opened by...
33From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 25 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I should be obliged to you if you will give leave to Joseph Beale, a midshipman on board the Herald, to remove to the Boston frigate, & I will thank you for transmitting to him the enclosed letter. I am &c MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
34From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 27 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have signed the warrants inclosed in your letter of the 15th & sent them to J.C. Jones. His letter to you, I return & suppose you will comply with his request. I am &c MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
35From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 27 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I enclose you some papers from Mr. Bradford Marshall of this district & a letter from some French officers prisoners at Wiscassett. I pray your attention to the subject & I believe it will be adviseable to give them all leave to return to France upon Parol, not to serve against the United States by sea or land I am &c MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
36From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 28 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a letter from Lieut Cordis which I recommend to your consideration MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
37From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 30 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return signed all the blank commissions sent me with your letter of the 25th and am content you should fill up as many of them as are necessary with the names of the gentlemen you mention I have the honor to be Sir your most obedt. / st. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
38From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 31 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your other letter of the 25th and think with you that there are too many of our ships in our ports and that every exertion ought to be made to get them to sea as soon as possible. The Merrimack will sail on Sunday. I have ventured to permit him, in consequence of very respectable petitions to me to take under his convoy such merchant vessels as may be ready to sail on Sunday....
39From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 31 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return you the papers inclosed in your letter of the 24th. My knowledge of the Spanish language is not sufficient to give me much confidence that I understand the letters. We must wait for further information I am &c MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
40From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 31 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a recommendation from Col. Leonard, lately a member of congress of his nephew Charles Leonard to be an officer of marines. The family is among the most antient & respectable. The young gentleman appears promiseing & his education has been good & his fortune handsome. If there is a vacancy I believe he may be made a lieutenant I am &c MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
41From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 2 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I received last night yours of the 28th. On the 21st I wrote you approving of Talbot to command the Constitution, and shall think the days and hours long, till he arrives in Boston, where he will be liked. I depend much on him for the dispatch of the ship. McNeil will loose no time in obeying your orders. It has been difficult for Perry to get men nearer than Boston. With great regard MHi :...
42From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 5 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed are recommendations of Joseph Williston & Habijah Savage, to be midshipman to whom I pray you to send warrants. If they can be admitted on board the Boston I shall be glad—if not they may be appointed to some other ship MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
43From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 7 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for the details in your favor of the 29th May Captain Truxton has deserved well of his country and will as he ought, have their thanks, as well as yours and mine. But I should have been much easier on account of the safety of our commerce, if he had remained longer in the West Indies. The Merrimack has been detained by contrary winds but I believe is now gone. Talbot has arrived...
44From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 8 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have just received your favors of 30th May & 3d of June. The commissions shall be bestowed as you propose. Mr.Williston and Mr Savage have been to see me & I am so pleased with them that I shall make them midshipman With great regard MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
45From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 8 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
The plan of operation in the naval service projected in your second favor of the third of June I like very well.—We must open the intercourse with St Domingo on the best terms we can provided the accounts from Steevens and Maitland will admit of it. I will not dissappoint those islandlers if I can help it. My greatest fears are that Maitland & Toussaint will not agree. The Constitution will...
46From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 12 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed are recommendations of Henry Jackson Knox to be a lieutenant in the Navy & a petition for liberty to Capt. Brown to take some merchant vessels under convoy, which I granted—This petition you may file away. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
47From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 15 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a letter from Cotton Thayer, who is well recommended for a commission as lieutenant of marines on board the constitution. If you please you may send him a commission. I have the honor to be Sir your servant. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
48From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 19 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed are recommendations of Cotton Thayer to be a lieutenant of marines on board the constitution and of Dr. Prescott Barrow to be a surgeon MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
49From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 24 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letters of 17 & 18th. Lieutenant Beale it is true is a young man of 26 or 27, but he has been fourteen years at sea. His conduct, since the ship arrived here, has been very attentive & faithful to his duty. If Talman and Dobell are appointed what are you to do with Hull & Hamilton. Do you give Talman & Dobell rank before them? Neither Hull nor Hamilton are older than Beale...
50From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 28 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have read with pleasure your favor of the 19th. I yesterday sent to the post office your letter to Capt Talman, of whose intelligence, activity, bravery & property I receive very handsome accounts. The letter to Capt Dobell I have not yet sent. In truth I have not yet heard a good character of him. On the contrary he is very unfavorably represented. I am in much anxiety about the...
51From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 1 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I am much pleased with your project for the employment of the United States and Constitution explained in your favor of the 25 June & am willing you should unite the Boston with them but mean not to enjoin it. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
52From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 1 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
According to your request in your favor of 24th June, I return to you the commission for Timothy Newman to be a master commandant in the navy MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
53From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 1 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return signed all the blank warrants inclosed in your favor of 25th. June, and pray you to use them as you have done the former ones. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
54From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 1 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have sent your letter, with the commission inclosed, signed to Capt Talbot as you proposed in yours of 25 June. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
55From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 3 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a letter from the president & professor of divinity of our university recommending William Frothingham to be a chaplain on board of some frigate. I know not whether the commanders of our ships have given much attention to this subject—but in my humble opinion we shall be very unskillful politicians as well as bad christians & unwise men if we neglect this important office in our...
56From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 3 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have signed the commission for Saunders, to be a lieutenant in the Navy, & sent the letter to him inclosed in yours of 26 June to Mr Jones to be conveyed to him MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
57From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 3 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
Capt Nicholson having a desire to converse with the Secretary of the Navy, concerning several subjects, relative to the public service, some of which he thinks personally, interesting to himself, has my permission to go to Philadelphia for that purpose. I am Sir with great esteem your most / obedient & humble servant MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
58From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 5 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
We shall never get the constitution to sea, by any means that I know of. After much enquiry I found no body particularly accquainted with Talman, tho many knew him. All agreed that he was a man of property & respectable character. I accordingly sent on by the post your letter to him with his commission. Now I find he is not liked. I desired Talbot to make enquiry—the result you have in the...
59From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 8 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
The constitution employs my thoughts by day & my dreams by night. Capt. Talbot has written to you in his letter of the 7th of June, which I return. His candid & impartial opinions, according to the information he received. But Beale was absent by the advice of his physicians & Hull was present. I mean no insinuation by this against Mr. Hull, whose character is in my mind fair, & his conduct...
60From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 10 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your two favors of the 3d. The constitution shall not be delayed by me. If Talbot cannot go, I will appoint Sever. Tis a choice of difficulties. Unpopularity, censure and reproach must attend every thing I do. Talbot in my opinion ought to rank from his appointment by Gen. Washington, but whether I shall risk a declaration of this opinion or risk an equal & more just censure,...