1To John Adams from Alexander Townsend, 2 April 1818 (Adams Papers)
I take the liberty to request, that you wd. at your leisure favour me wh. the chronology of the events of your life . Unless your own hand does this, I fear it will be done but imperfectly. Me it wd. cost some research. Many who have them in memory, have not your ability to put them on paper. I am aware, you never can become your own biographer. A life spent in forming materials for history,...
2To John Adams from Alexander Townsend, 18 September 1819 (Adams Papers)
Proposals, you are probably aware, have been issued at Baltimore for printing the Lives of the Signers of our Declaration of Independence. Matthewson, the publisher, has written me respecting the life of Hancock . May I be permitted to ask of you information on this Subject? Of whom can I Seek facts, if not of the Aneas of our Revolution who Saw the whole & was himself So much of it? Very...