61John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 20 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
A letter is now reading from Captain Bainbridge, with an account of the loss of the frigate Philadelphia, wreck’d on rocks on the coast of Tripoli—the last week in October— They were in pursuit of a Tripolitan Cruizer, and struck on rocks, not laid down in any Chart they had on board — Captain Bainbridge and 307 men, are prisoners in Tripoli.— I have already seen an account of this misfortune...
62John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
An attempt was made this morning to postpone the adjournment for two days—from the 26 th: (Monday next) to Wednesday the 28 th: — The motion however was rejected.— Next came a motion to meet tomorrow. yeas 3. nays about 20.— The motion to protract, will probably be renewed on Monday; but I believe without success. A bill has pass’d the Senate, the object of which is to abandon the further...
63John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 9 April 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received this morning your letter of the 4 th: inst t: which gave me pleasure as containing the information of the children’s health; and sorrow by that of your own indisposition— The remainder of the letter was equally painful and unexpected to me— Our separation was very much against my inclination; but it was your own choice, and it has been my unvaried principle, and I hope will always...
64John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 24 April 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago your kind favour of the 10 th: inst t: with the letter that accompanied, and thank you for the care of it— I lament to hear that your health continued so feeble and infirm, but I hope as the Spring advances, you will find yourself better— I approve much of your intention to wean John, and rejoyce at the information that he has recovered. I have been into Boston only...
65John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 2 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
I was two days last week at Dedham, where there was a Court sitting, at which I had something to do— On Friday evening I received your letter of the 17 th: of last Month— Yesterday, being at Boston I found your’s of the 24 th: and rejoyce to hear of your all being so well— They ought not to have charged you with postage for my last Letter— However, 20 Cents is not worth disputing with them. M...
66John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 20 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have received, my best friend, your kind and truly affectionate letter of the 12 th: or rather 6 th: inst t: on which I find some of George’s taste for literature, as I presume by the scratches I take to be his hand-writing. It is not improbable but that my Spirits have been some few degrees below the point of temperate warmth, and that my letters may have betrayed some marks of it— Yet my...
67John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 25 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
I should have answered your kind letter of the 13 th. a day or two sooner, but for company which has fallen in, and call’d me away just at the time I devoted to the purpose of writing— M r: & M rs: Greenleaf of Cambridge, Charlotte Welsh, and her brother William, who has just returned from India, and M r: Isaac Smith, and his Sister, who are here at this time— And yesterday, a tea-party of...
68John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 31 May 1804 (Adams Papers)
This morning I received your kind favour of the 20 th — And am delighted to hear that you and the children are so well— M rs: Hellen’s indisposition, I hope will prove only to be “the pleasing punishment that women bear”— I wish we could have here a little of that superfluity of rain which fell just before you wrote me; as it would bring forward my garden stuff as we call it.— You have no...
69John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 2 June 1804 (Adams Papers)
I enclose an order for $110. which I will thank you to present, and if accepted, receive the money— This together with the rent you have received of M r: Dexter, will pay the assessm t: due on my Bridge-Shares, and leave a Balance— I will thank you to pay the Assessm t: to M r: Foster, and take the rec t: — Please to send me word whether you have advertised the rooms in Whitcomb’s House and if...
70John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 9 June 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have now received your favour of the 29 th: of last month, enclosing a letter from your Mamma, for M r: Murdoch, which I shall take care to forward, by the first vessel that will go from Boston to England.— You had been so long without an attack of the spasms, that I had flattered my self, they had taken their final leave— I grieve to hear of their return— Perhaps it may only be in...
71John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 17 June 1804 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday my mother went to Boston, and in the Evening brought out M rs: Foster with her two children, one of whom is unwell, and requires the benefit of a little rural air— But what was of more immediate consequence to myself, was your letter of the 6 th: inst t: which my mother also brought out, the profiles and all. One of your profiles is much more like than the other; and that of course I...
72John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 23 June 1804 (Adams Papers)
The Sun is just making his appearance for the first time these five days, during which we have had a cold North-East Storm, and almost continual rains— In the midst of this gloom, which has confined us closely to the house, I received your letter of the 10 th: with the account of our dear child’s illness— It has distress’d me much; and though I hope it is only the previous indisposition to the...
73John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 1 July 1804 (Adams Papers)
On Thursday, I went into Boston, for the first time this month past, and there received at once your two letters of 14 th: and 20 th: of June. They alleviated in part, and only in part the heavy anxiety which has weighed on my Spirits for the health of the dear child— I hope the fine weather has return’d with you, so that you have been able to give him the benefit of the air and exercise— I...
74John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 19 July 1804 (Adams Papers)
My visit to Boston yesterday, was equally successful with those I had made several times before; for I found there your’s of the 9 th: enclosing the profiles— I rejoyce to hear that your tour to Bladensburg has been of service to the health of the children— And I hope your visit to your aunt will prove equally so to them, and to yourself. I sincerely sympathise with poor Pichon and his wife,...
75John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 28 July 1804 (Adams Papers)
The delays in the receipt of my letters, of which you complain are occasioned some times by a delay in sending them to the Post-Office, and sometimes must be accounted for by the Post-Office itself— I have often times suffered the same impatience to hear from you, and last evening after having been nearly a fortnight without a line from you, received together your kind letters of the 13 th:...
76John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 19 August 1804 (Adams Papers)
It is almost a fortnight since I received a line from you; and you have heretofore been so invariably punctual in writing me at least once a week, that for some days I have felt not a little concern lest this interruption of correspondence should have been occasioned by illness either of yourself or of the children— I encourage hopes however as much as possible, and discard as far as within my...
77John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 26 August 1804 (Adams Papers)
Another week has past away, without bringing me a line from my dearest friend— The last letter I have received from you was dated the 31 st: of last month— I endeavour as much as possible to compose my mind with the hope that some accident at the Post-Office may have detained your letters since that time; but the thought that illness or some disaster must have befallen you or my dear children,...
78John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 2 September 1804 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last Tuesday in Boston I have received another letter from you, dated the 21 st: of August, which has completed the satisfaction I enjoyed in the receipt of those which had preceded it— After a painful expectation of nearly three weeks, I was thus compensated by four letters in the course of as many days— I was not mistaken in my calculation upon your punctuality, but am...
79John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 23 September 1804 (Adams Papers)
I am in hopes there is a letter from you, lingering somewhere, at the Post-Office; not having received any, since I wrote you last; nor of course heard from you of a later date than the 4 th: of this month. I have not been from Quincy since my last; nor shall probably more than once or twice, before my departure to rejoin you— My present intention is to leave this place about the twenty-first...
80John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 30 September 1804 (Adams Papers)
After an interval of considerable anxiety, arising from the lapse of time, since I had heard from my dearest friend, I was at length at once confirmed in my apprehensions, and in some sort relieved from their alarm by your letter of the 14 th: which however I did not receive untill the Evening before last— The Washington Post Mark on the cover was dated the 15 th: but, I had sent into Boston...
81John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 7 October 1804 (Adams Papers)
Once more is the correspondence on the part of my best friend, brought up from all arrears; as I received since my last your two letters, of the 16 th: and 23 d: ult o: both together— I hope we shall on neither side be in arrears again, as I still hold the purpose of leaving this place; at latest a fortnight from to-morrow— It will give me great pleasure to meet you at Baltimore; but I cannot...
82To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 3 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you a few lines from New-York, enclosing a copy of Commodore Morris’s Defence, for Mr: Shaw—The day after which I left that City and came on multum jactatus mare et terris—to Philadelphia in the Land Stage, and thence to Baltimore by the way of Newcastle and Frenchtown; chiefly by water—a mode of conveyance to me much more agreeable than that of a Stage Coach over the chaotic roads on...
83From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 9 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I enclosed from New-York, for you, as you requested, a copy of Commodore Morris’s Defence, which I presume you have before this received, and which you will find an interesting and important pamphlet.—As you are fond of preserving public documents I now send you that part of the President’s Message, with the accompanying papers, which is now printed; you shall have the remainder as it issues...
84From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 12 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have sent you under another cover, a copy of the President’s Message, with the documents, and the Journals of both Houses—We have hitherto done nothing, and this week being destined to horse-racing, will of course be passed in doing more nothing. This morning came a Message, with nominations for appointments; consisting only of those which have been made during the recess—The only one...
85To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 19 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind favour of the 6th: instt: and shall be careful to enclose the more important documents which may be printed from Time to Time— I hope my dear Mother has ere this entirely recovered from her illness. I had a letter from Mr: Shaw, one day later than your’s, in which he gives me a yet more flattering hope of her being on the recovery. Although the more my brother’s...
86From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 19 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
Under another cover, I enclose to you the documents laid on our table this morning— I have not yet had a line from you; but received a letter a few days since from your father, and one since from Shaw—The issue of your elections for the electoral Ticket, appears to be ascertained—and shows that the federalists will be relieved from the embarrassment of fixing upon their Candidate—It is...
87From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 26 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have received both your letters, and to supply the demand from Mr: Briesler, now enclose a check on the Branch Bank, for $45. In paying it I wish you to tell Mr: Briesler, that I hope to have no more charges of expence upon the farm, exceeding his estimates by more than double. As to the new assessment on the Middlesex Canal, they must wait for the payment of that, untill I come home—In...
88From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 26 November 1804 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 14th: came to hand Saturday Evening—24th: I suppose you were not inconsolable at the loss of your election, and that your expectations had not been raised very high of a different issue—As to the electoral Ticket, I am certainly not one of those who can say I told you so—Nor am I one of those who can say I am not sorry for it—But I do not think crimination against any body can be...
89To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, November 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have been happy to receive your obliging favour of the 14th: instt: and am much obliged to you for your opinions respecting the points of maritime Law, which require our attention at this Time—A coincidence of your opinion with that of the President of the United States, would be more than enough to stagger me in any point upon which I should have formed a different one—It makes me therefore...
90From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since your kind letter of the 11th: of last month, and was delighted to find you had so far recovered as to be able to write—Since then I have been informed by my brother and Mr: Shaw, that your health continued improving and I sincerely pray to the great disposer of Events that it may be entirely restored and long continued, for your own comfort and the happiness of us...