1From John Adams to the Freeholders and Other Inhabitants of the Towns and Districts of Massachusetts Bay, 10 December … (Adams Papers)
Cambridge,10 December 1774. printed : Mass. Provincial Congress, Jours. William Lincoln, ed., The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775, and of the Committee of Safety , Boston, 1838. , p. 69–72. Prepared by a committee appointed 12 October, originally composed of fifteen members: John Hancock, Joseph Hawley, Joseph Warren, Samuel Dexter, Artemas Ward, James...
2Report Relative to Assuming Civil Government, 10 December 1774 (Adams Papers)
Cambridge,10 December 1774. printed : Mass. Provincial Congress, Jours. William Lincoln, ed., The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775, and of the Committee of Safety , Boston, 1838. , p. 73–74. This, the second report on this date of the Committee on the State of the Province, was framed in the form of three resolutions: that the adjournment on 29 October had...
3Elbridge Gerry to the Massachusetts Delegates, 20 June 1775 (Adams Papers)
I Received the Letters, with which you were pleased to favor me per Mr. Fessenden on Saturday last being the 18th Instant, at a Critical Time for the Army posted at Cambridge. The Evening preceeding Orders were Issued in Consequence of a Consultation between the General Officers and Committee of Safety to take possession of Dorchester Hill and Bunkers hill in Charlestown which I must confess...
4To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 11 November 1775 (Adams Papers)
I received a Letter from the honorable Committee of Congress for collecting “a just and well authenticated Account of the Hostilities committed by the ministerial Troops and Navy in America since last March,” and beg leave to inform You that Colo. Palmer, Mr. Cooper and Colo. Thomson are appointed a Committee to subserve the purpose in this Colony in the Recess of the Court, which is this Day...
5To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 4 December 1775 (Adams Papers)
I received your Favour of the 5th of Novr and the Enquiries relative to Vessels suitable to be armed, Commanders and Seamen to man the same, secure places for building new Vessels of Force &c. are important in their Nature, and to have the same effectually answered I propose to submit them as soon as may be to the Court that a Committee may be raised for obtaining the Facts from the Maritime...
The Congress being Inform’d by a Letter from Genl. Washington, that two Thousand of the Continental Troops at Cambridge and Roxbury are deficient in Fire Arms, and that he has not been able to Purchase the Same from the Inhabitants or Obtain them from the Assemblies of the New England Colonies, have directed the General to make Returns to the Assemblies of the Numbers of men Inlisted from...
7Elbridge Gerry to Samuel and John Adams, 21 – 22 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
I have been fully employed since Thursday Noon in obtaining some Knowledge of the State of the Army and conferring with the different Corps of Officers from the General to the Field officers, and have the pleasure to inform You that they appear to be in high Spirits for Action and agree in Sentiments that the Men’s as firm and determined as they wish them to be, having in View since the...
8Elbridge Gerry to Samuel and John Adams, 3 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote You from New York, I have spent most of my Time in endeavouring to get Information of the true State of Things in the eastern Colonies. With Respect to the Levies for New York and the northern Department they are nearly compleated. I have wrote to the president giving an Account of them and proposing an order of Congress for reinforcing the Army at New York with one of the...
9To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 8 January 1777 (Adams Papers)
Since You left Philadelphia many important Events have taken place in the Council as well as the Field; those that are publick You are undoubtedly informed of, the other I shall briefly hint as they occur to my Mind. Congress have ordered Arms and Equipage for 3000 Horse and 150 brass Field peices to be imported without Delay. The General to expedite Business is invested with Great Powers,...
10Massachusetts Delegates to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 21 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Gorham and Mr. Russel, Agents of the Town of Charlestown, have presented to Congress a Petition from the unfortunate Inhabitants of that Place, praying for a Compensation for their Losses. The Petition was drawn in very decent and handsome Terms, containing a lively Description of the Distresses to which the unhappy Petitioners are reduced, from a State of Ease and Affluence; and the...
11New England Delegates to George Washington, 2 August 1777 (Adams Papers)
As Congress have authorized your Excellency to send a proper Officer to take the Command in the northern Department; We take the Liberty to signifie to your Excellency that in our Opinion, no Man will be more likely; to restore, Harmony, Order and Discipline, and retrieve our Affairs in that Quarter, than Majr. Genll. Gates. He has on Experience acquired the Confidence, and stands high in the...
12To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 3 December 1777 (Adams Papers)
I received your Favour of the 19th Novr on my Way to this Place; and the Business which your Friend Mr. Smith requested You to negotiate, shall be carefully attended to and performed. I thank You, for the Intelligence conveyed, and would endeavour to recollect in Return, what has transpired at Congress, had not our Friend Mr. Lovell, who as a faithful and accurate Intelligencer as well as on...
13To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 8 December 1777 (Adams Papers)
Since my last the Situation of the Camp has prevented the Committee of Congress from transacting the Business of their Appointment. The Enemy, the Evening after the Date of my letter, marched out with their whole Force, which is said to consist of twelve thousand five hundred Effectives. We received Information of their preparations, a Day or two before, by persons who left the City; and the...
14To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 25 January 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have attended to your Sentiments on the Subject of Money and am equally unhappy with You “to see Injustice, both to the publick and Individuals so frequent”; but how to remedy it, “hic Labor, hoc Opus est.” The Mode proposed by an Act allowing Depreciation or Appreciation on Specialties may releive a few, but I fear, that it would not have a general good Effect. The comparative Value of...
15To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 24 August 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have only Time by this Days post to express the pleasure I feel on the News of your safe Arrival to your Family and Friends, and the prospect of an agreable and early Interveiw with You. The Letters to me which You mention in your’s to Mr. Lovell never came to Hand, or I should certainly have acknowledged the Receipt of them; altho I have been under the Necessity of giving up my most...
16To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 29 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
It is with the greatest pleasure, that I inform You of the late Arrangement of our foreign affairs, in which You are appointed to negotiate the Treaties with G Britain and our Friend Mr. Dana to be your Secretary. Mr. Jay is to negotiate with Spain, Mr. Carmichael to be his Secretary, and Colo. John Laurens, Son of the late president Laurens, to be Secretary to Doctor Franklin. I shall not be...
17To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 12 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have received from Mr. Lowell your Accounts and Vouchers, and shall deliver them to the Board of Treasury; how far they will be able to comply with the proposition of returning the latter, which is contrary to their usual Practice, I am unable to say, but will use my best Endeavours to accomplish it. Having lately explained to You some Matters, relative to our internal political Manoeuvres,...
18To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 5 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
It gave me great Pleasure to learn by Your Letter of the 11th. Decr. that You had safely arrived, and had met with so agreable a Reception in Spain: and I hope soon to have the Satisfaction of hearing from You at Paris. Mr. Lovell informs me that he shall transmit You the Journals of Congress and News Papers by the latter of which You will perceive that the Enemy have invested Charlestown, and...
19To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 10 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
In June last I returned to this State, and have since been favoured with your several Letters of the 23d. and 29th. of Feby., 19th. of March, 28th. of April, 23d. of May and 24th. of June, with the pamphlet by the Baron de Arundl, whom I have not had the Pleasure of seeing. Mr. Dalton informed me in July last that notwithstanding the Friendship of yourself and Doctor Franklin, in the Affair of...
20To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 23 November 1783 (Adams Papers)
M r Thaxter arrived here last Evening, by the Way of New York, with the definative Treaty, having narrowly escaped a severe storm by reaching that Port on Wednesday Evening— your Favours by him I have received with great Pleasure, as I was in Want of the Information they contain, as well as of your Sentiments on several important Subjects— Governor Reed will probably deliver You this, & my...
21To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 14 January 1784 (Adams Papers)
The definitive Treaty is this Day ratified by Congress, & I have but a few Moments, by Colonel Hermer, who is charged with the Delivery thereof, to inform You that M r Dana is arrived & requested to attend Congress. I have suggested to some of my Friends the good policy of appointing him to a Seat in Congress, & to him the Advantages to be at this Time expected from the Measure; & I flatter...
22Elbridge Gerry to John Adams, 16 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
Here I am after a six Months Session at Annapolis, on my Way to Massachusetts, & altho my Opposition to the same System in America, which you have opposed in Europe, has perhaps rendered me equally obnoxious here to the aristocratic Party, yet I assure You the Pleasure resulting from a Reflection on the Measures adopted by Congress, overballances every trifling Consideration of the loss of...
23Elbridge Gerry to John Adams, 14 February 1785 (Adams Papers)
This will be delivered by Mr Jarvis lately of Boston, but formerly of this City, Son in Law to Mr Broom, whom You probably know. I have but two of your Letters unanswered; one of the 27 th of June last, the Objects of which have I think been fully complied with, & the other of Nov r 4, in which I find no Mention of a Letter I wrote You from philadelphia in July last. Congress met in November...
24Elbridge Gerry to John Adams, 24 February 1785 (Adams Papers)
I informed You a few Days since, that Yourself, M r Chancellor Levingston, & M r J Rutledge, were in Nomination for the Court of London, since which many Attempts have been made to determine the Choice, & this Morning it was effected & devolves on Yourself. I am happy to give You this Information, both on publick Consideration, & on the Score of Friendship, the former however being on every...
25Elbridge Gerry to John Adams, 5 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
Since my last, informing You of the Circumstances of your Appointment to the Court of London, Congress have elected Col o Smith of this State, Secretary to the Legation. several Candidates were presented to Congress, & my Friend & Collegue, M r King of Newbury port (whom I shall hereafter speak of, & whom I wish to introduce to your Confidence & Friendship) was of Opinion with myself, that it...
26To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 25 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am favoured my dear sir by the last post with yours of the 9 th of september & 12 th of December, since the Date of Which some Arrangements which I communicated in my last, & which You are probably e’er this officially informed of, correspond with your Wishes— I feel the Force of your observations respecting the Salaries of our Ministers; but Congress in point of œconomy, are very different...
27To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 14 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have lately returned to this City after four Months Absence, & am favoured with your several Letters of the 31 st Jany 9 th of March & 13 th of April, in neither of which is any Mention of several Letters I wrote to You in Jan y Feb y & March last— You wish to be informed when “You are to be one of Us”? the Answer is easy, when You please. I have enquired of my Friend King whether any Order...
28To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 3 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
The packet has given her Signal this Morning for sailing & I have but an half Hour to write. You son Mr Adams delivered me your Favours of the 25 th & 28 th of April, & these were More acceptable as they were received from his Hands. I think him a promising Character, that will make a Figure in publick or private Life, & be an Honor to his Country as well as to his Connections. He has had much...
29To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 8 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
Since my last of the 3 d of August I am favoured with yours of the 26 th of June, 6 th of July, 26 th of August & 11 th of September, & am much obliged to You for the papers inclosed in the July Letter, as well as for the useful Information contained in all of them. The Conduct of the Court of London, clearly indicates, & convinces Us on this Side the Atlantic that they have an unfriendly...
30To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 12 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
A few Days since, I rec d your Letter of the 13 th of Decr last, without either of the Arrets therein referred to. from the Cover of the Letter, which is inclosed for your Inspection, I suspect it has been opened, previously to my receiving it; if so, I should be well pleased to know who the person is that is so very curious as to loose his Sense of Honor in this Matter. When I left New York,...