1Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 8 June 1797 (Adams Papers)
As you are now in a Sphere of Life that requires the Enjoyment of Health, the Exercise of Wisdom, Patience and every other Virtue, I wish you the Possession of these equal to its Exigences and that as is the Day so may be your Strength. I feel anxious for my Friends, but peculiarly so for the State of my Country, at the same Time can chearfully leave it to the Care of Providence and those on...
2Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 14 June 1797 (Adams Papers)
I have felt every day as if I was conscience smit for neglecting to write to you. I have been some encumberd with cares and ceremonies which tho not very pleasent, the custom of the World, and the state of society have made them necessary in publick Life. the sitting of congress has added to my cares, at a season of the Year when I should very gladly have dispenced with so much company as we...
3Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 12 July 1797 (Adams Papers)
Your kind Letter of June 8th gave great pleasure to the President, as well as to your Friend. We were happy to learn so good an arrangement of our Domestick concerns. I then hoped to have come to Quincy for a Month or two. some difficulties arise from the procecution of that plan, tho it is the place of all others which the President seems most desirious of visiting We could not be...
4Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 17 October 1797 (Adams Papers)
I was in hopes to have seen you, and had some more conversation with you upon the subject of finishing the Room in the out House. I experienced so many inconveniencies from a mixture of Families Whilst I was at Home, that I should not wish to try it again, for if mr & mrs Porter had not been of a very accommodating disposition we should have met with more trouble than I did. I told mr Porter...
5Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 24 November 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received Your Favour of Octob r. 17. last, and have agreably to your Request consulted Deac n Pierce, respecting an Addition to your Dwelling House, He is of opinion that if an Addition be made in Front, (which He supposes to be practicable) it will be necessary to take the east Chimney down; the Floors below & in the Chambers must be taken up as well as some other Parts of the Rooms— upon...
6Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 6 December 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received your Letter of Nov br 24 by the post of yesterday. with respect to the Notes you wrote me about I wish you to do by them as you would by your own, as I do not want at present neither Principle or interest. I think it would be most for my interest to do by them as you propose. the method you mention of adding to the out house so as to give me a dairy Room I like very much, and would...
7Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 6 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have not had the pleasure of receiving a Line from you for some time. I laughd at my Friend not long since when he sent a Letter to you the contents of which he appeard to be very private about. I told him I knew it was the Farm he had written about, and that he would not tell me because he knew I was averse to encumbering ourselves as we grew older with more cares. it is not my wish to add...
8Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 31 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
In my last I enclosed a rough Plan of the proposed Addition to the Wood House, that Plan will exhibit to You an Idea of the lower Room; since then I have found, that it will not be much more expensive, to take the Roof off from the Wood house & Library and erect a new one over them, than to proceed in the Way that was projected. I have accordingly orderd it to be framd in this Way; upon this...
9Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 14 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
I sent you a pamphlet containing the instructions to our Envoys, and I now inclose the dispatches from them. no Event Since our unhappy controversey with France, has so throughly awakend the people to a sense of their danger as these dispatches; nor any imprest them with such strong conviction of the sincerity and candour, with which our Government has sought peace upon fair and honorable...
10Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 17 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
It is now past Ten o Clock Am. and a violent Snow Storm which began about 7 o Clock this Morning still continues, the Thermometer stands at. 32. and has not been much lower in any Snow Storm We have had in the Winter past— Our Winter has been severe, the Month of March cold & stormy, April hitherto has been a continuation of the Scene, but Two or Three Days of fair Weather thro the Day, since...
11Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 12 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
Since the last Letter I rec d from you dated April 12 th poor Sukey compleated the Journey of Life and is gone to the World of Spirits through the whole of her Sickness, few have exhibited a greater Degree of Firmness, Patience & Submission to the divine Will, She has left us the consoling Hope of her enjoying a blessed Immortality— M rs. Tufts by her long attendance upon her seems to be much...
12Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 25 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your kind Letter of May 12 th and was rejoiced to learn that you had recoverd from your late indisposition so far as to be able to ride out. have you ever tried the use of Calomil for your complaint, or Bleading? this climate is not so subject to disorders of the lungs and Breast, as ours, but much more so to other inflamitory complaints which call for speedy aid. we have...
13Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 8 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
I received Yesterday Yours of May 28 th I inclose you the account of Money sent you, including what is now in this Letter. if I should not remit you any more untill I come; I will then Settle the remainder. I do not expect to leave here untill the first of July. I shall rejoice if it may be then. I have wanted the P——t to get you to draw for 2000 dollors which I think might be spaird, and to...
14Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 29 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
I received your two Letters of June 18 & 22 yesterday. The expences upon the out House I wish to have in a seperate account, the painting the dewelling House & any repairs made Else where in the General account. you will therefore Credit me 500 dollors upon account of the out Building, and what remains I will either remit or Settle when ever I shall come, which I hope will be in the month...
15Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 25 July 1798 (Adams Papers)
In Consequence of its being a rainy Day and confind at Home I have an opportunity of acknowledging the Receipt of Yours of the 29 th. Ult o. & the 8 th. Ins t. about the 8 th. or 10 th. Instant I wrote to the President and to you also— I have now compleated the Business assigned me respecting the new Building, and such Repairs to the Dwelling House as appeared to be necessary have also been...
16Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 8 November 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have the Pleasure of hearing of your Arrival at East Chester and in Health. Since you left Quincy, We have scarcely had a Storm, except that which occur’d on your Journey. The Weather has proved favourable for Farming Business and for finishing the Cellar, which will probably be compleated this Week as far as was intended, th’o not in all its Parts as was directed by Brizler, the Part next...
17Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 22 November 1799 (Adams Papers)
I received Yesterday Your favour of Nov br 8 th and thank You for the information containd in it. The weather has been uncommonly fine through the whole of this Month; I wish You had used Your own judgment respecting the putting up the frame this Winter. I had not any expectation of its being so early ready, or of the winters being so mild, but it is now so far advanced that it may be best to...
18Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 9 January 1800 (Adams Papers)
I am indebted to you for two Letters, one which acknowledges the Recipt of the three Bills, and one Yesterday received which bears date Dec br 30th. I thank You sir for all your kind attention to my affairs— I inclose to You a Bill of the amount which You say will be due to You; as I do not like to be in debt, I should like to have all the Bills due to the Capenters all discharged before we...
19Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 21 February 1800 (Adams Papers)
I take this opportunity by dr Morse to inclose to you two Hundred dollors towards the building; as soon in March as it can be framed and raised I wish to have it begun upon, and as many hands employd as can be usefully. I do not want to have any part of it, to do after the Presidents return. Congress talk of rising in April, tho I do not myself expect that they will so soon I hope Myself to be...
20Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 25 February 1800 (Adams Papers)
Your last of Jan y 9 th. I receiv’d with the enclosure, since that very little has been heard off but Processionls, Funeral Elogies, Orations & Discourses on the Death of Genl Washington. Indeed it has been carried to an Excess, in some Instances too much bordering on Idolatry and been attended with an enormous Expence of Time— Had one Day every where been devoted to a public Expression of...
21Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 6 March 1800 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to you intending to Send the Letter by mr Dexter, but found he was gone. I therefore committed it to the post under cover to mr smith as the Letter had 200 dollors in it. be so good as to inform me by mrs Cranch when it reaches you I received Yesterday yours of Feb’ ry 25 th. I think the sooner the Building is begun the better and as Many hands employd as can be usefull in forwarding...
22Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 15 March 1800 (Adams Papers)
Last Sunday the tenth, we had a deep snow here and as I know we usually have our proportion at the Eastward I fear it has obstructed the commencment of our Building, but at present the weather here is very Moderate; I hope, equally so with You. I wrote to you inclosing two Hundred Dollors under cover to mr Smith of Boston. you will inform me whether it got Safe to hand the President says if...
23Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 22 March 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received Yours yesterday. it should have been two Days earlier, but the Roads are at the worst, and we have now had two Days heavey rain; which upon our Soil will Settle them, but from hence to N york renders them ten fold worse— in replie to your queries, Brisler says that he & mr Bates drew the plan before he came away, and that the cellar must be his guide, that the plan was, to have the...
24Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 26 March 1800 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to you the 14 th. Ins t. acknowledging the Receipt of Yours of Feb y. 21. & the 6 th. of this Month. I have conferred with M r. Porter and his Wife relative to their Continuance on the Farm for 7 Months— I cannot bring M r. Porter to a less Sum than 175 Doll rs. for that Term, which is 25 Dollars more than you mentiond, altho it appears to me that it would upon the whole be better to...
25Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 4 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
I have this moment received yours of the 26 th of March with respect to m r Porter I should be loth to part with him for the Sake of a few dollors, and as he has been upon the place so long, & is accustomed to it, and I have great confidence in his & Mrs Porters Honesty and integrity, I will consent to give him that sum for Seven Months, but pray that to avoid envy, he would keep the terms to...
26Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 9 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
Your several Letters of the 15, 18 & 22 d: have reliev’d my Mind and led me more fully to comprehend the Business before me. I mentiond to you M r. Porters Terms. I presume you will think it best to comply with them, being confident that you will not meet with more faithful & trusty Persons than He & his Wife— He wants a greater Degree of Self Sufficiency to command at all Times with...
27Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 19 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received Yesterday Yours of April 11th. I wrote to you upon the 17th and inclosed You an order upon the Bank for 5000 Dols You will be so good as to give me the earliest information of Your having received it. I rejoice to learn that the building is like to go on with dispatch and hope it will not take up so Much time as to make it necessary to have Carpenters after the last of May. Mrs...
28Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 22 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
In my last I informd You of having contracted with the Two Shipleys. I had kept them sometime in Suspense, they grew uneasy and wishd to be determind. Business of every kind was pressing fast upon us, to depend upon transient Help would be precarious and to delay engaging a fortnight or Three Weeks in expectation of getting cheaper Help, appeared to me would ultimately be a Loss. at this Time...
29Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 30 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received Yours of the 22 d Yesterday. I have already written You that the President and I are both well Satisfied with what you have done respecting help— I forwarded to you the Ways , and Means in a Letter of April 17 th the receit of which I wish to learn as soon as possible. I have never lost any thing by post, and hope that what I then inclosed went safe— a vessel is now here going to...
30Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 28 November 1800 (Adams Papers)
I feel as tho I was much further removed from all my Friends and connections in at the State of Massachusetts, than one hundred and 50 miles from Philadelphia could make me— We have indeed come into a new part of the world, and amongst a new Set of inhabitants; it is a city in name, and that in a Wilderness—a beautifull Spot, by nature—but it must be commerce; and the introduction of a more...