1From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 8 March 1809 (Adams Papers)
I had heard of your illness with extreme concern, from my wife, and also through Mr: Cranch and Mrs. Quincy—The sight of your hand-writing again, has given me the purest joy, though allayed by the evident weakness in which you wrote—I believe there is in the sentence I have just written there is something which might be called a bull —But my feelings both of pleasure and pain at the idea of...
2From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 28 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
Coll. Bradford came out to day with a card of invitation from the Govenour, and an other from the Govr and Senate requesting your Father to celebrate the fourth of july with them, he has accepted the invitation. if you receive an invitation, both your Father and I advise you to accept it. if you do not, I shall depend upon the pleasure of seeing you at Quincy with Mrs Adams Kitty & the...
3From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 27 July 1809 (Adams Papers)
Received Quincy July 27th 1809 of John Q Adams Esqr the sum of fifty-three Dollars and twelve Cents, in full for interest on $1700 from the 18th: January to the 7th August 1809. $53.12 MHi : Adams Papers.
4From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 31 July 1809 (Adams Papers)
My consolation is, that you cannot go “ where universal love smiles not around Sustaining all yon orbs, and all their Suns From seeming evil still educing good” your Mothers Legacy May a blessing accompany it— MHi : Adams Papers.
5From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
I would not come to Town to day because I knew I should only add to yours, and my own agony, my Heart is with you, my prayers and blessing attend you, the dear Children you have left, will be dearer to me for the absence of their parents, and my care whilst, Providence continues to me my faculties, and my Life. If your Father and I Should be removed, they cannot fail of finding Friends and...
6From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 9 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
Often as it has been my fortune in the course of my life, to be parted from my Parents, and dearest friends, as well as from my Country, upon no occasion has the separation been so painful, as at the present time—When my wife and Catherine went out to Quincy the Thursday before we sailed, had even the time permitted, I know not whether I could have prevailed upon my feelings, to go and repeat...
7From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 30 September 1809 (Adams Papers)
This day compleats Eight weeks since you embarked for Russia. I would fain flatter myself that you have arrived at your destined port—the British Ship Squirel arrived at Halifax whilst mr Boylstone was there; who sailed for that place the Same day that you sailed for st petersburgh. the commander of that Ship informd him; that he had boarded the Horace upon the 21 of August, and that Mr Adams...
8From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 21 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
The seventy-ninth day since our departure from Boston, and not yet in Petersburg—But we are on land, within twenty miles of it, and at the end of our voyage in the ship Horace.—We have indeed had a very long passage, and it has not been without its interesting incidents, had I but the time of narrating them—But to you as well as to us, the most interesting of them is, that we are all, thanks...
9From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 31 December 1809 (Adams Papers)
This is the last Day of the year 1809, and almost 4 Months Since you left us. we have been fortunate in hearing from you and of you, through this long voyage. From the banks of Newfoundland we received your Letters by the Dove. the beginning of August, we heard again of you on the 26th. and upon the Evening previous to our thanksgiving. whilst my harp was hung upon the willow, reflecting upon...
10From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 8 February 1810 (Adams Papers)
The Sunday before we embarked for this place, my excellent friend and Pastor Emerson, delivered in his pulpit a discourse upon the pleasing and not improbable doctrine of a guardian Angel, which Christians have often supposed to be assigned to every individual, to watch over him and as far as is consistent with the general designs of Providence to guide his conduct, and to preserve him from...
11From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 20 March 1810 (Adams Papers)
Returning the other day from Weymouth, upon entering my own House, I was presented with a Letter. my heart bounded when I saw the superscription was yours. I was not a little dissapointed when I opened it, and found it to be a duplicate of the first Letter you wrote at Sea, and the original of which I was fortunate enough to get last october. I submitted to this damper with patience,...
12From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 7 May 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Smith, a Brother of Mrs Charles Millars call’d here to let us know that he should sail for Gottenburgh in a day or two, and would take Letters from us to you. I am desirious of writing to you as frequently as I can, tho no doubt many vessels sail without my knowing it. My last Letter to you was by Captain Harrod, who was charged with the articles which mrs Adams wrote me to procure...
13From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 28 May 1810 (Adams Papers)
I received a Letter yesterday from mrs Johnson, informing me that Capt Bandrige, in the frigate President, was to Sail with dispatches to St Petersburgh. I embrace the opportunity, tho not more than ten days since I wrote you largely, by a vessel bound to Gottenburgh. Mr Smith a Brother of Mrs Charles Millar took charge of the Letters. Yet to learn that We are all alive and Well, by whatever...
14From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 6 June 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Thomas of the Express, a vessel belonging to Mr: W. R. Gray arrived here a few days ago, and brought me your kind favour of 31. Decr: and 12. January—It was the second letter from you, that I have had the pleasure of receiving, and after several months of expectation gave me new reason for rejoycing at the final release of these regions from the chains of Winter. The ship Horace,...
15From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 11 July 1810 (Adams Papers)
God bless it— mr Jones was so obligeing as to come this morning to Quincy, to inform us that he was to Sail this week for st Petersburgh and that he should be happy to take Letters to you, that he proposes to pass the next winter there, This gentleman is the Son of mr J Th Jones Since he left Colledge he has been in France. he appears an intelligent well informed young Gentleman; he is not...
16From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 25 July 1810 (Adams Papers)
Mr Gray had a vessel which Sailed last week direct for St Petersburgh. I was mortified that I did not know of it untill the day She went. Mr Grey is so much engaged in buisness that he does not always think of giveing his notice in Season when a vessel is going. as he wrote by the vessel, I fear you may think us neglegent. I wrote to you the week before by mr Jones who is going to Gottenburgh....
17From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 July 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Harrod, by whom your kind favour of 20. March to me, mentions that you had written to my wife, and also sent a Box of Articles which she had requested to procure for her, has not yet arrived—Your letter of 20. March itself was brought to me, a few days past, I know not from whence; but having apparently been opened, and having suffered much from a soaking; but whether in salt or in...
18From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 September 1810 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Jones arrived here from Gothenburg & Stockholm a few days since, and brought me your kind favour of 11. July—in two months time from its date—Indeed we Since our arrival here, you have been the most frequent and most constant of my Correspondents–I have no Letter from my brother later than Febuary; though I know that he has written at least one that I have not received.—Captain Bainbridge,...
19From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 14 October 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Smith, who was the bearer of your kind letter of 7. May, has met with the same misfortune which has befallen so many others of our Countrymen—On his passage to Gottenburg he was taken by a Danish Privateer and carried into Norway—From Christiansand he enclosed his letters for me to our Consul at Copenhagen, and he forwarded them to me by Captain Bainbridge, who came with a furlough in...
20From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 October 1810 (Adams Papers)
Although I wrote you about ten days ago, I cannot suffer Captain Leach to depart without taking a letter for you; especially as since the date of my last, I have received another letter from you—it is that of 28. May, which you sent on to come by Captain Bainbridge—It miss’d indeed that opportunity, but was sent with some despatches of the Department of State to France from whence it was...
21From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 15 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
There were last Winter fifteen or sixteen American vessels, that pass’d the Winter at Cronstadt—This year there will be none—I wrote you by the last vessels that sailed, and since then I have had an opportunity to send letters by land to Gothenburg, to be forwarded from thence to America—By that opportunity I wrote to my father, and with this I enclose a duplicate of that letter to him.—There...
22From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago, and since I wrote you last a letter from Captain William Welsh, dated at Lisbau, a Russian Port in the Baltic, to which I suppose he came, on finding that all American vessels were excluded from the Port to which he was originally destined—He enclosed to me at the same time your kind letter of 25th: July—In the obstructed state of navigation in the Baltic, I have...
23From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 December 1810 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last, I have not had the pleasure of receiving a line from you, but as you are the most constant and most frequent correspondent that I have beyond the seas, besides the rule which I have followed of answering every letter by one in return, I shall add that of writing to you by every opportunity that occurs during the Winter—I now write by a namesake of ours a Mr: Adams, from...
24From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
The year eighteen hundred and ten according to Russian reckoning still exists—But as its last hours are upon the wing; and as the New-Year has already made the progress of almost half a month with you, I can no longer delay the opportunity of wishing you, and my dear father, and my George and John, and all the family around you, not the compliments of the Season, but a truly joyful year to be...
25From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 20 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
As I had made up my mind to Submit to the unpleasent circumstances attendent upon distance, and the frozen Region which not only excludes light, but seals up all communication with each other. I was the more delighted to receive your Letter of October 25th A day auspicious to me, altho in your Letter you do not notice it. The Aniversary of the day, which united me to your Father, and the 47th...
26From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 26 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have already written to you twice by this opportunity. I had not intended to have taken my pen the third time, but having received intelligence from Washington which I wish’d might be communicated to mrs Adams, and her Sister with that prudence and tenderness which so distressing an event calls for I thought it best to communicate to you the Sudden death of Mrs Hellen, who was at Church on...
27From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 January 1811 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you on the last day of the old year, Old-Style, and sent my letter under cover to Mr: Russell our Chargé des Affairs at Paris—It went by a Courier of the French Ambassador, and I requested Mr: Russell to forward it by the earliest opportunity to America—I shall send the present by a Gentleman who is going to Copenhagen; and shall desire to have it forwarded from that place, or from any...
28From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 15 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have now received all the Letters you have written to me, except No 4. up to No 8. altho they have not come regularly they have found their way, first or last, and in good order. No 6 I received a few days since, together with one for your Brother, one from your wife to mrs T B A, one from Willliam to his Mother, and one for Mrs Hellen, which I had the melancholy office of transmitting to...
29From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 22 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
The Schooner Washington owned by mr Gray is ready to Sail for St Petersburgh. I have already sent some Letters on Board of her, but the great bulk mr Erving is charged with, and when he will Sail, I know not. he has been ready, and waiting this Month for his Dispatches. concequently our Letters are already a Month old. There is a Charm in a Letter of recent date, Consisting in its very...
30From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
We assisted last week, at the public examination of the Institute of the order of St: Catherine, a boarding school, or College for the Education of young Ladies of noble families; under the Patronage of the Empress-Mother The young Ladies are divided into four Classes, and are two years in each class—They enter from six to ten years of age, and when their education is finished, they pass this...