To John Adams from Edmund Jenings, 10 June 1780
From Edmund Jenings
Brussels June 10th. 1780
Sir
I have only Time to Acknowledge the Receipt your Excellencys Letters of the 6th. and 7th. of this month—the last inclosing the Report of a Constitution of &c.—(it shall be taken due care of.) and sending the inclosed Letter;1 which is more puzzling than the former; but which Serves, I think, to show there is no certain ground for Suspicion. I shall press for a more perfect Elucidation.
I am with the greatest Consideration Sir your Excellencys Most Obedient & faithful Humble Servt.
Edm: Jenings
P.S. June 2d.
Last night an Express arrivd at Lord George Germains with the disagreable news of Genl. Clintons failure agst Charles Town. The Report is, that He has been defeatd, and most of his Troops Killd or taken.2
RC (Adams Papers).
1. Jenings’ meaning here is not altogether clear, but he seems to indicate that he has enclosed a letter (not found) from the same unidentified London correspondent who was the source of the letter (not found) enclosed in his of 22 May to JA (Adams Papers). For the previous letter and JA’s comments on it, see JA’s letters to Jenings of 29 May, notes 1 and 4; and 6 June (both above).
2. This erroneous report was probably taken from a newspaper, but its source has not been identified.