1Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 17 January 1801 (Adams Papers)
I received yours of the 9 th and thank you for the excellent matter which it contained. Mr Shaw has not sent you any papers from hence, because the papers have not been worth transmitting, a torpor appears to have seized every person and the query what can be done? what will be done? what ought to be done? seems to be the questions, amongst the three parties, into which not only the...
2Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 21 November 1800 (Adams Papers)
I arrived here on Sunday last, and without meeting with any accident worth noticing, except losing ourselves when we left Baltimore, and going eight or nine miles on the Frederick road, by which means we were obliged to go the other eight through woods, where we wandered two hours without finding a guide, or the path. Fortunately a straggling black came up with us, and we engaged him as a...
3Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch Norton, May 1800 (Adams Papers)
I this day received a letter from my Mother enclosing one from you to her dated in April in which you express so much interest in my situation, that I am induced to endeavour if possible to eface from your mind some of the disagreeable impressions which may be made upon it, by your ideas of a Camp Life— Coll n Smith has ever been attached to a Military Life and whenever his Country has...
4Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 17 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your letter and package by Capt. White, and have received the account of the last resolution of the house to disband the army. I think the jacobins have now reason to exult, at out-manœuvering the federalists, as it appears they do upon every occasion. The federalists deserve every thing that will happen to them for their apathy. The next thing I expect to hear is that...
5Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 12 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
Mr Smith called upon me a few moments this forenoon & brought me your letter of May 9 th: . I received the former in due order. General Marshall is nominated Secretary of State, Mr Dexter Secretary of War in lieu of General Marshall promoted, further I say not, sensations of various kinds will undoubtedly be felt and many reflections no doubt be cast, yet so it is. You know the resolution has...
6Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 11 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
This will be delivered to you, by our friend, Mrs. Smith, who will pass you, on her way to New-York; she is determined to call, and ask you how you are. Since I wrote you last, some changes have taken place. The Secretary of war has resigned, and General Marshal, is nominated in his place. I fear, however, that he will not be prevailed upon to accept the appointment; such times are approaching...
7Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 4 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
I have not written you for several days, you will easily suppose my time much occupied by having Mrs Johnson, & now our Boston friends here and making preparation to go away. Mrs Johnson will go tomorrow or Tuesday. Mrs Smith on Friday. Thursday will be my last public dinner. Mr & Mrs Stevens can tell you what a crow’d we had on friday evening. The rooms and entry were full, and so hot as to...
8Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 27 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
I have been so much engaged that I have not been able to get time to write you a line this week. I have paid four visits to the Secretarie’s ladies, and took tea with them, and one to Mrs Senator Read, all of which you know by experience takes up time. we had on thursday 14 couple of young ladies and gentlemen to dine, Bingham, Hares, Whites, Wilsons, Peter’s, Rush’s, Pinckney’s, Breck’s,...
9Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 9 March 1800 (Adams Papers)
James got home safe though covered over with mud and dirt, horses and carriage up to their very ears. He got home about 4 oclock on friday. You were led into a sad mistake by Mr Bayard respecting the roads. I traveled them once in a similar state, and therefore have a greater dread of them. I told some members of Congress, that as they were not very usefully employed at present, in order to...
10William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 26 February 1800 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter, by the Paymaster, of the 12th. I see your embarrassments, and if I were not prominent to relieve you from them, I should forfeit my charter— the roads are bad, the season is inclement, the Delaware is almost impassable — your mamma cannot bear to part with you, and the President does not know how to let C—— go. These are truths which nobody can deny. I will...
11William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 14 January 1800 (Adams Papers)
I am, my dear, here at General White’s in company with Mrs. and Judge Cushing, Mrs., Miss, and Judge Paterson, &c. I thank you for your letter, and am of course pleased with the dignified majority in the House of Representatives. Be it known, we are not building a dancing room; be it known I have not built an elegant hut. I should not have gratified my feelings relative to you had I not made...
12William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 23 December 1799 (Adams Papers)
I received yours of the 19th this afternoon, and yesterday received orders from General Hamilton to prepare for the funeral rites of our departed General, on Thursday next. I have put every thing in the necessary train of execution, preparative to the reception of his final orders, which I expect to receive in the course of the night; and last night I determined to erect a monument to his...
13William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 22 December 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have the pleasure to inform you that I struck my marquée on the 19th, and took shelter in my hut, which is yet without doors to it, but much more comfortable than the tent. The last night I slept in the tent, a bottle of wine, standing on the table, froze through, but still I was not uncomfortable. It will be some time before I can have the pleasure to announce to you, that the hut is...
14William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 24 November 1799 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure, my dear, of receiving your favour of the 20th yesterday. * * * * * * * * You say you often think of me, enduring, as I must, many hardships and inconveniences; they are, however, hardships and inconveniences which scarce deserve regard, relating only to the person; the pains which really incommode, are in the mind, occasioned by delays in the supply of the necessary...
15William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 28 October 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of the 24th, this day, the after part of which has been taken up in the reception of the 13th regiment into our camp. The scene was brilliant, and attended by the whole of the inhabitants of the adjacent country. It is now over; and after giving a welcome in my tent to the officers and respectable inhabitants, and it being 10 o’clock at night, I compose myself to...
16Abigail Adams Smith to Cotton Tufts, 16 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
By a Letter to my Mother from you, I Learnt that you had in your Possession the Letters and Picture which I requested you to take the Charge of. I now must once more trouble you upon the Subject, and request the favour of you, to address the Picture to Miss Margaret Smith at Jamaica on Long-Island New York, and forward it by some safe Conveyance, under Cover to Mr. Daniel Mc.Cormick No 39 Wall...
17Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams Smith, 15 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Jefferson has the honour to present his compliments to Mrs. Smith and to send her the two pair of Corsets she desired. He wishes they may be suitable, as Mrs. Smith omitted to send her measure. Times are altered since Mademoiselle de Sanson had the honour of knowing her. Should they be too small however, she will be so good as to lay them by a while. There are ebbs as well as flows in this...
18John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 14 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
I determined about a fortnight agone, to sit down, and write you a letter, expressing my anxiety and surprize, that for three months I had not received one line from my friends in Europe; I did in fact in a letter to Mamma, make my complaint, but a day or two afterwards I was made happy, with two excellent letters, the one from her, and the other from you. But instead of making apologies for...
19Abigail Adams Smith to Thomas Jefferson, 2 December 1786 (Adams 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 : Jefferson Papers); endorsed: “Mrs....
20Elizabeth Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 27 November 1786 (Adams Papers)
I must frankly acknowledge to my Dear Niece that I could not but wonder at her long Silence. I feared that my Letters had not reached her, or that I had inadvertenly written something that had wounded her feelings, and so had, in her estimation, forfeited that Love, and generous confidence which she had so kindly placed in me. But when I recieved a Letter from your Mother last April, which...
21Abigail Adams Smith to Lucy Cranch, 15 October 1786 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter my Dear Cousin from Haverhill I received a few weeks since, and hearing of an opportunity to Boston I embrace it to acknowledge the receipt of and answer your Letter. I think myself very unfortunate respecting my Letters which went by Mrs Hay, that by their very long delay I was prevented hearing from my friends, and Still more that those friends should imagine themselvs forgotten...
22Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 1 September 1786 (Adams Papers)
At length after long expectation your No 16 has arrived. Capt Cushing Called yesterday upon us, and delivered the Letters for Pappa, and amongst them I found one from yourself which was the only Letter I received except 2 from Dr Welsh. I have been rather unfortunate respecting Letters, mine being so long delayd by being under Cover to Mr Storer that my friends one and all have taken up a...
23Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 23 August 1786 (Adams Papers)
Mr S. and Mr Blount set off tomorrow for London and have engaged to call this Evening for Letters. We have not received a line from you except what these gentlemen brought us, this is the fourth time I have written to you. If politeness and attention could render a place agreeable, I have had more reason to be pleased with this Country, than any other, that I have visited, and when I get...
24Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 15 August 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yours of August the 7th. and Col. Smith’s of the 8th. reached us on the 14th. at this place. We left the Hague on Monday, I wrote you an account of our excursion, till Thursday Evening, when I was going to the play. The house is small and ordinary, the Actors as good as one commonly finds them in England. It was the birth day of the Princess of Orange, it was not distinguished that I know of...
25Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 11 August 1786 (Adams Papers)
Your papa and I wrote you from Harwich the morning we embarked for Helvoet, the wind was very fair, and we went on board at 3 o clock, a vessel very commodious for passengers, clean, and the least offensive of any that I was ever in. But the passage is a most disagreeable one, and after being on board 18 or 20, hours one might as well proceed on a voyage to America, for I do not think I...
26Charles Storer to Abigail Adams Smith, 8 August 1786 (Adams Papers)
You know, Amelia, I am never backward in writing my friends: therefore, when I tell you that I have four of your favours by me unanswered, I trust you will not lay the blame on my good will. Some of them were received where I could neither acknowledge them myself, nor had I one to do it for me, and the others came at an inconvenient time. Be persuaded, however, that the will is good, (as,...
27Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 27 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
When I closed my last to you on Sundey last I promised to give you an account of the excursion we proposed setting off upon the next day, either upon my return or during my visit. A Leasur hour presents itself, this morning and I embrace it to fullfill my engagements. On Monday Morning at Seven oclock, we were in the Carriage, Mr S and my self, at our door in Wimpole Street, from whence we...
28Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 22 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have also to sollicit your Pardon my Dear Brother for haveing so long delayd writing you. I know that you will overlook it and forgive me. You are not at this time uninformd of the change which has taken place in our family, tho I have till now been silent my pen has lain unemploy’d from the 29th of April to this day. At present your Sister is settled in Wimpole Street about half a mile from...
29Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch, 18 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
In your Letter to Mamma my Dear Eliza of —— May you are strangely puzled to know in what manner to address your Cousin. Your suppositions at that time were rather premature, and the Card on which they were founded was from a family by the Name of Smith who have been vastly civil to us since our residence in this Country. But at this period, a Letter addressd to your friend under the title of M...
30Elizabeth Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams 2d, 4 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
Pray Madam, are you married? Nay then the wonder ceases. No matter now how loose your affections are towards every other Object. No matter now if every former friend, lies neglected, and forgot. But is Love really a narrower of the Heart ? Does it as, Mr JQA asserts, “diminish general benevolence , and particular Friendships”? Does it like a Vortex draw all into one point, and absorb every...