11John Adams to Henry Laurens, 11 February 1784 (Adams Papers)
Last night I received yours of the third of this Month, accompanied with the Packet, put into your Hands by M r Reed, I have also received, as I Suppose the two or three Letters which went to Bath and were returned to M r stockdales, and am obliged to you for your Care of them. Upon my Arrival at the Hague, from London, one of the first Things I did, was to look for the Letters you demand. I...
12From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 21 August 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to congress, the last Gazettes and a Plann of the various Manoeuvres in the late sea fight by which the masterly Movements of the French Fleet in every Situation, and the ridiculous Confusion of the late Lords of the ocean as they called themselves are Said to be truly represented. Whether it was Want of Skill in the officers, or whether it was a Want of Men to...
13From John Adams to Henry Laurens, 18 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have just received the inclosed Letter open for me to read. It appears to be from one, who had a remarkable kind of Benevolence towards the U. S. Such as has memorably appeared through the whole War, in almost all Countries, I mean the benign Inclination to be American Agents Jobbers, Officers, Ambassadors, Generals and Kings. Inclosed is a Copy of Fitzherberts Commission. Pray inclose it to...
14From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 25 April 1778 (Adams Papers)
Having had so short Notice of this Opportunity, I can only have the Honour of writing a few Lines, and of inclosing a few News Papers. If the Dispatches of the Commissioners, have not met with uncommon ill Fortune you must before this Time, have received the important News of the Treaty, as well as authentic Information of the Agonies of G.B. Whether she will plunge herself, with uniform and...
15From John Adams to Henry Laurens, 15 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
By a certain anonimous Letter you have had a Specimen of the infernal Arts which have been and are practised, to create Misunderstandings among American Ministers. There has been an uninterupted succession of them ever since I have been in Europe. Whether they are to be attributed to Inventions of Our Ennemies or to Still baser Intrigues of pretended Friends, or to impudent Schemes of...
16From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 3 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose to Congress, the latest News Papers: As they contain the Speech at the Opening of Parliament, and Some of the Debates in both Houses upon the Addresses in Answer to it, they are of very great Importance. I learn by Some Newspapers, and private Letters that an opinion has been prevalent in America, that the Ennemy intended to withdraw from the united States, and...
17From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 2 October 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose the latest Gazettes by which Congress will perceive, that We have no Intelligence from America, Since the Departure of the Comte D’Estaing from Sandy Hook. Our Anxiety is very great, but We hope that a few Hours will relieve it. In the Midst of a War in Germany, and between France and England, there was scarcely ever a greater Dearth of News in a Time of profound...
18From John Adams to Henry Laurens, 12 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Last Night I received your Favour of 25. Ult. The Box I had received a few days before, and had delivered to M r Jay and the Comte de Moustier, the Articles addressed to them. The Spectacles fit my Eye very well, and I thank you Sir for your Care in procuring them. As soon as I shall have the Pleasure to See you, I will pay you the Cost of them according to the Receipt which came with them. I...
19From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 8 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose, to Congress one other Copy of the Speech, at the opening of Parliament, together with the Debates in Consequence of it. The Hints in those Debates, especially those given out by Lord Suffolk, are confirmed by the general Strain of Intelligence from London. Letters from Persons, who are supposed to know, announce the Determination of the Cabinet to be, That Clinton...
20From John Adams to Henry Laurens, 25 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of the fourth of the Month, gave me great Pleasure. But I am afraid that you and Some others of my Friends felt more for me, in the Aukward Situation, you mention, than I did for myself, ’tho I cannot Say, I was wholly insensible. I could not help laughing a little at the figure I cutt, to be sure. I could compare it, to nothing, but Shakespeares Idea of Ariel, wedged by the Waist,...
21From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 27 August 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose, the last Gazettes by which Congress will see the Dearth of News in Europe at present. We expect an Abundance of it at once soon, as We have had nothing from America Since 4. July. The French Fleet went out again from Brest the seventeenth: but We have not yet heard that the English Fleet is out. While the two Fleets were in Harbour, the British East India Fleet,...
22The Commissioners to the President of the Congress, 20 July 1778 (Adams Papers)
Passy, 20 July 1778. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:168–170 ; also, with “The Function of Consuls” enclosed, in Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 2:650–653. The...
23The Commissioners to the President of the Congress, 7 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have the Honour to inclose a Copy of the Declaration concerning the 11 and 12 Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, which we have received from his Excellency the Secretary of State for foreign Affairs, in exchange for a similar one signed by us, in Pursuance of the Instructions of Congress. We have also the Honour to inclose Copies of a Correspondence with his Excellency Mr. de Sartine, the...
We have just received a Message from Monsr. Le Comte De Vergennes, by his Secretary, acquainting Us; that Information is received from England of the Intention of the Cabinet there, to offer (by additional Instructions to their Commissioners) Independence to the United States, on Condition of their making a Separate Peace, relying on their Majority in both Houses, for Approbation of the...
The last letter which We have had the Honour to write jointly to Congress, was of the Twentyeth of July, and as We have Sent Several Copies of it by different opportunities, We hope one of them at least will come Safe to hand. Since our last there has been an important Action at Sea, between two very powerfull Fleets, in which, in our Opinion the French had a manifest and great Advantage, but...
26From John Adams to Henry Laurens, 6 November 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have the Honour to inclose a Resolution of Congress of the 17 of September, enjoining upon us all, Attendance on the Negotiations for Peace, and if it were not Presumption to Suppose, that any Thing could be added to So pressing a Desire of Congress, I would beg Leave to add my most earnest Entreaties that you would be so good as to join Us as soon as possible. It would give me the highest...