311772. Novr. 21. (Adams Papers)
Next Tuesday I shall remove my Family to Boston, after residing in Braintree about 19 Months. I have recovered a Degree of Health by this Excursion into the Country, tho I am an infirm Man yet. I hope I have profited by Retirement and Reflection!—and learned in what manner to live in Boston! How long I shall be able to stay in the City, I know not; if my Health should again decline, I must...
32[Diary entry: 25 May 1770] (Washington Papers)
25. Dined at the Palace & attended a Committee of the Association at Hayes. Spent the Eveng. there. A general meeting of the Virginia nonimportation association had been held in Williamsburg 22 May, and a committee of 20 gentlemen, including GW, had been appointed to revise the agreement that the associators had signed the previous year ( Va. Gaz. , R, 3 May 1770; carter [3] Jack P. Greene,...
33[Diary entry: 4 March 1760] (Washington Papers)
4. High Westerly Wind—clear & cool.
34Cash Accounts, August 1759 (Washington Papers)
Cash Augt 9— To Cash of Sampson Darrel for the Rent of Mrs Gists Pl[antatio]n £6. 1.8 10— To Ditto of Mr F. Lewis for 2 Hhds Tobo at Dixon’s WareHo. 38. 3.6 To ditto of Captn Posey Maryland Curry 1. 1.6 27— To ditto of Mrs Manley —Carpenter’s Work 8. 7.6 To ditto for Wool 0. 6.0 *To ditto of Colo. Carlyle for the use of my Horse 0.10.0 To ditto Smithwork of R. Scott pd by Mr Clifton 0. 2.6 To...
35Acct. of the Weather in Decr. [1774] (Washington Papers)
Decr. 1st. Clear and pleasant, with but little Wind and that Southerly. 2. Cool & frosty in the Morning but very pleasant afterwards with but little Wind & that South. 3. Clear & calm in the forenoon but lowering afterwards. Wind blowing fresh from So. Wt. 4. Lowering Morning but Warm. Clear afterwards. Wind still Southerly. 5. Wind in the same place & Warm. Abt. Noon Cloudy with a few drops...
36From George Washington to James Gildart, 3 April 1761 (Washington Papers)
Several of your favours now lye before me, but the last of Novr 9th I shall particularly take notice of —with astonishment then did I receive the Account of Sales of that Hhd Tobo pr the Everton where only £8.4.1¼ is renderd for it at the sametime that Mr Cary was selling the like Tobo at £17 & 18£ a Hhd. As to the exceptions which for two or three years past you have made to the quality of...
37To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 26 October 1756 (Washington Papers)
I recd Your Letter from Augusta & observe its Contents —the Behaviour of the Militia is very unaccountable, & am convinc’d they are under no Command; I order’d Part of the Militia to the Frontiers & there to remain till reliev’d by others, which I propos’d shou’d be done in a monthly manner, & so to be continued by a proper Rotation, instead thereof they go & come at their own Pleasure, & many...
38[Diary entry: 18 September 1773] (Washington Papers)
18. Went to a Barbicue of my own giving at Accotinck. Mr. Robt. Alexander & his Bror. George came home with me.
39To George Washington from William Fairfax, 20 July 1757 (Washington Papers)
I rec’d yr Favor of the 17th inst. this Day by your Messenger. The Narrative of the Deposition recited, seems to agree with what is containd in the Northern Papers as to the Reinforcement of Men, Provisions &c. brought up the Missisippi, which together with what’s imported to Louisburg and Quebeck the French have found Time eno[ug]h to strengthen every Fortress and Place We have been long...
40The Busy-Body, No. 8, 27 March 1729 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The American Weekly Mercury , March 27, 1729. ——Quid non mortalia Pectora cogis Auri sacra Fames! Virgil. One of the greatest Pleasures an Author can have is certainly the Hearing his Works applauded. The hiding from the World our Names while we publish our Thoughts, is so absolutely necessary to this Self-Gratification, that I hope my Well-wishers will congratulate me on my Escape...
41From George Washington to James Wood, 30 March 1773 (Washington Papers)
I intended to have had a little further conversation with you on the subject of the Florida Lands, but my haste to leave Williamsburg & your Dining out the day I did do so prevented it—I addressd a short Letter to you by way of Memm & left it with Mr Southall—I hope you receivd it, that I may be satisfied you did so, please to advise me as the Govrs Certificates of my Claim was Inclosd...
42[Diary entry: 9 January 1772] (Washington Papers)
9. Very pleasant Mild Morning, & Clear day. Abt. Noon the Wind blew pretty fresh from the Westward but not Cold—Snow melting.
43[Diary entry: 6 May 1772] (Washington Papers)
6. Rid to the Mill, Doeg Run, and Ferry before Dinner. In the Afternoon Doctr. Rumney and Mr. James Adam came here & lodged. James Adam’s visit today and Matthew Campbell’s calls during the next four days must have concerned GW’s current business with Robert Adam & Co.: the sale of 929,700 herring and 10,894 shad for a total price of £184 17s. and the purchase of three slaves for £185 (...
44To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 5 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have so many Obligations to my kind Friend, that I dedicated a time to Visit all the Booksellers in London to search for foreign Electrical Books and could only find Two in French. One I take to be the same I sent for thy perusal but could not be certain which Elce [I] had not bought both for I sent it away just as I received it from France. I have many...
45From John Adams to William Tudor, 28 August 1774 (Adams Papers)
I received your obliging Letter at New York, and it was peculiarly acceptable to me and my Companions, and of great Use to Us among our Friends at New York. We all intreat the Continuance of your Favours, you can have no Idea of the Pleasure We take, in the Letters of our Friends and especially in yours because the Contents of it were very usefully particular and interesting. The Generals...
46Wednesday. May 22. 1771. (Adams Papers)
At Plymouth. Put up at Wetheralls, near the County House—lodged with Mr. Angier, where we had a Chamber wholly to ourselves—very still and retired—very serene and happy. Mrs. Howland and her Family, I hear are very much grieved, and hurt, and concerned about my passing by their House. But my Health is my Excuse of all my Removals. I am not strong enough to bear the Smoke and dirt, and Noise,...
47Advertisement, 1 November 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 1, 1750. Whereas on Saturday night last, the house of Benjamin Franklin, of this city, printer, was broken open, and the following things feloniously taken away, viz. a double necklace of gold beads, a woman’s long scarlet cloak, almost new, with a double cape, a woman’s gown, of printed cotton, of the sort called brocade print, very remarkable,...
48[February 1754] (Adams Papers)
This winter, we had a vacation. In the winter of 1754 we had no snow at all save a smattering or two, But perpetuall rains and warm weather thro’ought the whole. In the academic year 1752–1753 there had been no winter vacation at the College. This was because during 1752 the number of instructional days had been greatly diminished, in the spring by the closure necessitated by a smallpox...
49Card Playing Expenses, 1772–1774, 1 January 1775 (Washington Papers)
Cards—& other Play Dr 1772 Feby 28— To Cash lost at Fredericksburg 2. 3.6 Mar. 2— To Ditto lost in Williamsburg . 8.9 13— To Ditto lost in Ditto 1. 0.0 16— To Ditto Ditto 3.10. 17— To Ditto Ditto .15.
50From George Washington to Robert Adam, 13 January 1774 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Robert Adam, c.13 Jan. 1774. On c.13 Jan. 1774 Adam wrote to GW : “I am favoured with yours.” GW’s missing letter of c.13 Jan. was in answer to a letter from Adam dated 12 January .
51Observations upon [Thomas Pownall], State of the Constitution of the Colonies, [1769?] (Franklin Papers)
MS (copy): American Philosophical Society In December, 1769, or possibly in the following month, Thomas Pownall attempted to formulate general principles of law that applied to the issues in dispute between Britain and her colonies. He composed a short document in two parts; the first set forth six principles, and the second adduced corollaries from them. This document he had printed but not...
52From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 31 January 1756 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Duane, Works , VI , II . I wrote a line to you yesterday, and having this opportunity, write another, just to let you know that we all continue well, and much the better from the refreshments you have sent us: in short we do very well, for though there are a great number of things, besides what we have, that used to seem necessary to comfortable living, yet we have...
53[Diary entry: 15 May 1770] (Washington Papers)
15. A Lowery cloudy Morning but clear afternoon & tolerably warm.
54[Diary entry: 23 January 1772] (Washington Papers)
23. Went up to George Town to convey Deeds to Messrs. Montgomerie Stewart & Wilson for the Marryland Tract of Land wch. was accordingly done Mrs. Colvil being carried up in my Chariot returnd to Mr. Jno. Wests at Night. As arranged at previous meetings, the three merchants today gave the Colvill executors £816 13s. 7d. in bills of exchange drawn on Glasgow firms (see “Remarks” entry for 1 and...
55[Diary entry: 12 August 1770] (Washington Papers)
12. Rid to Belvoir after Dinner to see Sir Thos. Adams who was sick there. Adams’s frigate, the Boston , returned to Hampton Roads without him, while he tried to recover his health at Belvoir. He rejoined the vessel in early September and sailed her soon afterwards to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he died in October ( Va. Gaz. , P&D, 6 Sept. and 18 Oct. 1770, and R, 1 Nov. 1770).
56[Diary entry: 8 September 1773] (Washington Papers)
8. Clear, calm, and warm.
57Franklin’s Conjecture on the Foregoing, [after 12 August 1772] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: the Royal Society The Aurora Boreales , tho’ visible almost every Night of clear Weather in the more Northern Regions, and very high in the Atmosphere, can scarce be visible in England but when the Atmosphere is pretty clear of Clouds for the whole Space between us and those Regions, and therefore are seldom visible here. This extensive Clearness may have been produced by a long...
58From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Preston Moore, 13 August 1761 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library Company of Philadelphia Inclosed I send the Account of Charges in Solliciting your Act, amounting to £36 15 s. 0 d. The Act itself with the Royal Approbation engross’d on Parchment, I sent you per Mr. Wells, and hope it will get safe to hand. I am, with great Esteem, Dear Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant Addressed: To / Samuel Preston Moore Esqr / Philadelphia / Per favour...
59Poor Richard, 1743 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1743. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1743 ,... By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, at the New Printing-Office near the Market. (Yale University Library) Because I would have every Man make Advantage of the Blessings of Providence, and few are acquainted with the Method of making Wine of the Grapes which grow wild in our Woods, I do here...
60[Diary entry: 26 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
26. At Home all day alone.