11Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 9 February 1793 (Adams Papers)
It is with very great pleasure that I address you, my dear mamma, from this place again. You will be as agreeably surprised as our friends here were, the evening before the last, to see us, and find us safe at New-York; for our arrival was wholly unexpected to them. We avoided informing our friends of our intentions, knowing that their anxious solicitude for our safety would render them...
12Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 13–29 September 1792 (Adams Papers)
It has been a subject of no small disappointment to me, not having received but one letter from you since you have been at Braintree, and only two since I left America. * * * * I have written you and my brother several times, and have forwarded the newspapers, by which you will see the distressing situations in which the French are at present. The accounts from Paris are shocking to...
13Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 3 July 1792 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure to receive your kind Letter of the 18 th of May by Barnard and was much releived by being informed that our Mother was recovering her health as rapidly as could be expected— I feared from not having received a Single line from her; that she was not so well as my friends represented her to me we have had Letters from all my other friends except herself since our arrivall and...
14Abigail Adams Smith to John Adams, 7 May 1792 (Adams Papers)
the Letter which I had the pleasure to receive from you before I left New York I had not time to answer, I have now the pleasure to inform you of our safety after a Short but boisterous passage of 29 days and only 12 days from the Banks of Newfoundland to soundings in the English Channell, we were all very sick during the voyage but are now pretty well recovered and I hope to be able to...
15Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 27 March 1792 (Adams Papers)
I this day received your Letter of the 23 d inst and was rejoiced once more to see your own hand writing— I have for some time feared that you were more indisposed than you would permit me to be informed of, I have suffered much anxiety on your account— inded my hands head and heart have been fully employed since I left you the former in preparing for my voyage and the latter by the...
16Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 8 March 1792 (Adams Papers)
it has been oweing to the multiplicity of business that I have had upon my hands for a forghtnight past that I have omitted giving my Brother earlier information of our intended departure for Europe— we expect to sail in the course of this month— at first we intended going in the March Packett—but found it impossible to get ready we have therefore postponed our departure a few days untill the...
17Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 10 December 1791 (Adams Papers)
I received last Evening your Letter of the 3 d inst— I began to think you had almost forgotten me. now and then I hear from you by persons who have seen you— they tell me that you appear to enjoy your health the weather grows so severe that I am almost discourage from thinking of quiting my own fire side. M r Smith does not find it convenient at present to Leave his official and private...
18Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 11 March 1791 (Adams Papers)
I received your Letter of March 7 th my Dear Mamma and was very happy to find you so far recovered as to be able to use again your Pen —altho I doubt not you find yourself very feeble and fear it may be long before you regain your strength; yet I hope by care and attention you will soon subdue this fever which afflicts you— I confess that I am but a novice in Phisick—yet I cannot reconcile it...
19Abigail Adams Smith to Mary Smith Cranch, 8 February 1791 (Adams Papers)
your kind attention my Dear Aunt demands an early acknowledgement, you judge very right that it would contribute greatly to my happiness could I be indulged with the society of my friends in your part of the world— I often do most ardently wish for it—but fate has ordered it otherwise—[and] I must submit— the removeall of my Mamma and her family from this place has deprived me of a very great...
20Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch Norton, 7 February 1791 (Adams Papers)
I received your kind Letter of 16 th of January by M r Jackson and feel myself particularly obliged my Dear Cousin for your attention at this time the absence of my Husband—leaves a blank in my mind which may be alleviated in some degree by the Kind attentions of my friends; but which nothing can fill up— my Chrildren are yet so small as not to afford me much society;— in their smiles;—and...
21Abigail Adams Smith to John Adams, 7 January 1791 (Adams Papers)
I have received your two Kind letters of Decr 8 th and 17 th and am much obliged for your good wishes, and advice I have no desire to mix with the World or associate with any but my friends during the absence of my Husband—retirement from the World and an intercourse with, and attention, to ones family and friends are I presume Compatiable— the former it is my wish to observe the latter...
22Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 30 December 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have this moment received your Letter of the 26 th and having a Leasure moment I embrace it to reply to it— it seems to renew my spirits to get a Letter from you—and they very frequently require the aid of such incidents as arrise from Communicated friendship to keep them up—for I find it very solitary— I have no inclination to go out, and except to M rs King I have not made any visits out...
23Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 6–16 June 1790 (Adams Papers)
your letter my Dear Brother of May 1 st I received three or four weeks past —just at the moment when I was removeing, and Commenceing, again Housekeeping it takes three or four weeks to settle our minds to new Situations—and domestick Concerns employ a Considerable portion of the attention of good Housekeepers—even if they are favoured with good Servants— thease causes must Constitute my...
24Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 18 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure to receive a letter from my Dear Brother many weeks since, I must acknowledge that I have been very deficient in attention by thus long neglecting to acknowledge its receipt, and I cannot find any sufficient appology to you, except a certain Indolence which at times takes possession of me and unfits me for writing—and which I presume others are not more exempt from them my...
25Abigail Adams Smith to Lucy Cranch, 31 January 1790 (Adams Papers)
I cannot omit so good an opportunity as now Presents to acknowledge the receipt of your kind letter of Nov. my Dear Lucy—, my Brother has made us a very agreeable visit and I hope when he returns he will give a favourable account of his friends;—and of New York. he has been danceing amongst the Ladies and has been much approved. but what will you think of their ideas of Beauty, when I tell you...
26Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch Norton, 31 January 1790 (Adams Papers)
your letter of December 14 th I had the pleasure to receive the last week. and by my Brother Thomas who leaves us tomorrow I have an opportunity to Convince you that I am determined to fullfill my late promises of future attention to my Cousin—, Thomas has made us a sociable visit, and we are very Sorry to part with him even now,— the necessity of his attending his Studies must reconcile us to...
27Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 27 December 1789 (Adams Papers)
I have lived long in expectation of the pleasure of receiving a letter from my Dear Brother but at length I am reduced to despair; and am led to inquire what has prevented the fullfillment of a promise which you made at your departure upon my requesting you to write;— I hope you did not suppose that my absence during your visit arrose from any inattention towards yourself;— most certainly if I...
28Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch Norton, 15 November 1789 (Adams Papers)
almost twelve months have elapsed since the date of your last letter, I am conscious that this chasm in our Correspondence my Dear Eliza has been my own fault and very often have I reprimanded myself for my inattention—in not having noticed your last kind Letter,—but many casualties have intervened to prevent me from writing, which I hope will gain me your favourable indulgence for past...
29Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 5 October 1788 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you a hasty letter from New-York, just to acknowledge the receipt of yours, No. 5, the week before last; since which I have not heard from you, nor have I had an opportunity to write. * * * * * * * Pennsylvania has already appointed her Senators, who are Mr. Morris and a Mr. McLain. Poor —— is, then, disappointed; for he went home to make interest for himself, as it was said. There are...
30Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 28 September 1788 (Adams Papers)
this morning my Dear Brother—M r Storer Came out from New York—to spend the day with us and was the Bearer from thence of your kind letter dated Sep tr 11 th from Braintree, I am very much surprized that you had not at that time received a letter from me, I wrote you in August and M r Dane took my letter to Frank—and I had expected that you had received it long ere this,— Several of my...
31Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 7 September 1788 (Adams Papers)
I received, on Wednesday last, from the hands of Mr. T——, your letter, No. 4, of August 25th. He was so obliging as to call with it himself, in company with Mr. King. * * * Mr. George Storer came out last evening to pass Sunday with us, and by him I propose to forward my letter. He is very civil in forwarding letters for me, and is disposed to be sociable; I am glad that he is pleased with his...
32Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 20 August 1788 (Adams Papers)
It was with real pleasure my Dear Brother that I received a few days since your letter of july 20 th — It was a scource of double Sattisfaction as it releived me from an anxieity I had felt least you were less disposed to be attentive to your Sister than formerly, and as it informd me of your wellfare, I had sometimes been grieved at others half offended at not hearing from you, but the date...
33Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 13 August 1788 (Adams Papers)
We came to town last evening to dine (by invitation) this day, with the President of Congress, and this morning I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 6th. * * * * I am very sorry to hear that you have had so much sickness and so many other perplexities to encounter, since your return; it increases my desire to be with you, to assist you all in my power. I hope you will escape...
34Abigail Adams Smith to John Adams, 27 July 1788 (Adams Papers)
Last Thursday I had the pleasure of receiving my dear papa’s kind letter of July 16th. I was very impatient to hear of your welfare. My mamma’s letter, received a few days before, was the first particular account I had heard of the situation of the health of my dear parents since your arrival. My brothers have been very inattentive to me; I fear they have forgot the duties they owe to an elder...
35Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 15 and 22 June 1788 (Adams Papers)
We are anxiously expecting, by the arrival of every post, to hear of your safety and health. I begin to be very impatient to hear of an event in which I am so much interested. I fear that you have been detained in England longer than you expected, perhaps, by the receipt of the letters Col. Smith forwarded from Bath to my father. Mr. Jay was very much surprised that the gentlemen to whom he...
36Abigail Adams Smith to William Smith, 22 June 1788 (Adams Papers)
we were made very happy this morning by the receipt of your Letter, informing us of the arrival of my Parents— be pleased to accept our sincere thanks for this early Proof of your attention— I am anxious to hear particularly respecting their Healths— I hope the Lameness of my Mammas Hand which you mention, is not to be of long continueance— I hope you will excuse the Liberty I have taken of...
37Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 8 June 1788 (Adams Papers)
to your Candour my Dear Brother—I must appeal for Pardon that I have thus long delayed to inform you of our safe arrival in this City— I have presumed that we were People of such importance that the news of such an event must have reached you through the Chanell of the news Papers as soon as it would have done, had I have written you immediately upon Landing— and realy my time has been so...
38Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 18 May 1788 (Adams Papers)
I rose this morning with a fair prospect of landing before night, but alas, we are immersed in fogs and darkness. We have been within a few hours sail of New-York, for several days; but fogs, calms, and contrary winds, have deprived us of the happiness of seeing our native land; it is a most mortifying situation. I hope you have not known from experience to what a degree it is teasing; but...
39Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 10 February 1788 (Adams Papers)
I have now before me your Letter of the 3 d of August —which I intend to answer fully—and then 2 d ly to proceed to some points of information—and 3 d ly to some observations and reflection of my own— in the 1 st place I must acknowledge that your complaints against me for not writing are justly founded— I must Confess myself in fault—& this you know is the surest and most effectual way to...
40Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch, 19 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
to what Cause my Dear Eliza am I to attribute that Air of Mistery which reigns throughout your last Letter to me,— you ever Possessed my friendship Esteem and affection, nor do I know that you have ever intentionally forfeited either, why then my Dear Girl do you imagine them estranged from you,— there is one Epoch of our Lives which I Consider as the Ordeal of friendship, if we are so...
41Abigail Adams Smith to Lucy Cranch, 14 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
most readily my Dear Lucy do I acknowledge the tittle of friend with which you address me—and am very happy to have preserved your esteem thus far in Life— I wish it had been my fate to have enjoyed the Society of my friends more than it has,— three years have now elapsed since I parted with every female friend that I had acquired from my earliest infancy to the age of Nineteen; and I have not...
42To Thomas Jefferson from Abigail Adams Smith, 11 July 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I received last week the enclosed Letter addressed to you under Cover to Mr. Smith, and from the Contents of Mr. Smiths Letter (of which I enclose you a Copy), I concluded to keep it till his return. But this Morning the Bill of which the enclosed is a Copy was presented by the House of Smith, Bright, and Gray, for acceptance, which induces me to forward your Excellencys Letter and Copies of...
43Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 10 June 1787 (Adams Papers)
my Conscience really reprimands me for having so long omitted writing my Dear Brother, for several months past I must plead in excuse the want of Health, in December last we made an excursion to Bath and by going to Balls or Concerts every night for One week I cought such a Cold—as Confined me for a long time, and indeed I did not wholy recover till April. Mamma has already informed you of the...
44To Thomas Jefferson from Abigail Adams Smith, 2 December 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Mrs. Smith presents her Compliments to Mr. Jefferson and is very sorry to trouble him again upon the Subject of the Corsetts, but not having received them, She fears Mademoisell Sanson has not been so punctual as she promised. If Mr. Jefferson will permit Petit to inquire after, and forward them by an early opportunity, Mrs. S. will be much obliged. RC ( MHi ); endorsed. Enclosed in William...