John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 10 July 1794
John Quincy Adams to John Adams
Philadelphia July 10. 1794.
Dear Sir.
I arrived here last Evening, and this morning paid my Respects to the Secretary of State, who introduced me to the President.— I find that it is their wish that I should be as expeditious in my departure as possible. I told the Secretary, that the state of my own affairs would render my return to Boston previous to my departure, extremely eligible to [my]self. He enquired whether it would be indispensable. I replied that in my present situation, I could view nothing as indispensable, that could relate to my own affairs; and if the public service required it, I should be prepared to go from hence or from New-York.— He has allotted me about ten days, to spend in his office in obtaining the necessary information, and I expect it will be required of me to proceed immediately after from hence or from New-York. Of this however I am not yet certain.— I shall write again as soon as I shall have any foundation for certainty upon the subject.
If you wish to send the papers which you mentioned to me before I left Boston, it will perhaps be necessary to forward them as soon as possible. If I do not return to Boston, I suppose I shall sail in less than three weeks from this day.—
The President received a hurt at Mount-Vernon, and is this day somewhat unwell.1 I saw Mrs: Washington, and delivered to her my mother’s Letter.2 They were both very particular in their enquiries respecting her health and your’s.
Thomas is well— I have as yet paid none of my visits but those I have mentioned; and the prospect of being obliged to go so soon must quicken my pace, and now brings me to that conclusion which whether in haste or at leisure I must uniformly make, that I am in all duty and affection your Son
John Q. Adams.
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “The Vice-President of the United States / Quincy / Massachusetts.”; endorsed: “J. Q. Adams / July 10. ansd 20. 1794”; docketed: “Philadelphia.” Some loss of text where the seal was removed.
1. Traveling from Washington, D.C., to Mount Vernon in late June, George Washington stopped to visit the falls of the Potomac River. There, as he wrote to Henry Knox on 25 June, “my horse, whose feet had got very tender from the journey, blundered and continued blundering until by violent exertions on my part, to save him and myself from falling among the Rocks, I got such a wrench in my back, as to prevent me from mounting a horse without pain” (, 33:411).
2. AA to Martha Washington, [20 June], above.