1To John Adams from William Gordon, 7 January 1784 (Adams Papers)
You have very fairly & fully discharged your epistolary account of the preceeding year; which is an encouragement for me to begin anew. There is both pleasure & profit in corresponding with You; & notwithstanding some desponding expressions, I trust your strength & spirits will not be exhausted, till the business is completed. Finesse & subtilty are ministerial qualifications; & the only...
2To John Adams from William Gordon, 8 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
I hope this will find you at Westminster. I congratulate You upon your late appointment; it was what I wished for, as what I thought would be agreeable to you, & for the good of our country. The treaty of commerce may be too far settled to admit of alteration: but if your correspondents have not urged you in the most pressing manner, to exert every nerve to obtain an importation of our whale...
3To John Adams from William Gordon, 13 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Yours by your son was a very agreeable letter. I rec d it last wednesday while at the President’s, where I had the pleasure of viewing your living picture. You have confirmed me in my suspicion, that tho’ there were many pictures abroad there was little likeness. I shall do my best, & it may be well for one who is not a writer of the first talents, nor been employed thirty years in making my...
4To John Adams from William Gordon, 4 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your two letters of Ap r 27 th & June 26 th were duly received. The first at the President’s, Rich d Henry Lee Esq r , where I had the pleasure of dining with your son on the 10 th of Aug t , being at New York on my last tour for collecting historical materials. I have not seen him, since he reacht this state; but have heard of his welfare. I am busily employed in the way you mention; & am...
5To George Washington from William Gordon, 8 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
It afforded me peculiar pleasure to learn, how your Excellency had secured your public character by your manner of retiring to the private walk of domestick happiness, after having been, in the hands of the Supreme Governor, a glorious instrument of establishing the rights of the American States. Your name will be mentioned with honor by all historians, whether Whigs or Tories: but my prayer...
6To George Washington from William Gordon, 30 August 1784 (Washington Papers)
Your obliging letter of the 10th instt was recd the last thursday. With the greatest pleasure I read of the health & welfare of Self & family. I was glad, that the Boston Paper came regularly; & that you may be perfectly satisfied with its continuance, inform You that it costs me nothing being admitted to the benefit of clergy—that the very covers which save my using my own paper when I write...
7To George Washington from William Gordon, 18 October 1784 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from William Gordon, 18 Oct. 1784. On 3 Nov. GW wrote to Gordon : “The last post brought me your favor of the 18th ulto.”
8To George Washington from William Gordon, 10 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
In arranging the intelligence obtained from the inspection of your papers, I found that an extract from the private letters Vol. 1st dated Oct. 22. 1779, which alluded to one of the most important events of the late war, was not so complete as I wish. It relates to the capture of Fort Washington, which I apprehend ought now to be placed in its true light, as the public cannot suffer from its...
9To George Washington from William Gordon, 28 March 1785 (Washington Papers)
Your obliging favours of the 8th inst. were recd on the Saturday. From them I infer not only the continuance of your friendly assistance, but that the papers are regularly received; as yet I have not missed sending, tho’ the post has at times been delayed thro’ the snows: The face of the earth is still covered with them, in these parts, a few trifling spots excepted; & should a thaw come on...
10To George Washington from William Gordon, 10 September 1785 (Washington Papers)
Till now I have had nothing of late worth communicating, but the following extract from a Letter dated London June 30. 1785 I think will be pleasing, & have therefore sent it your Excellency. Mr Temple accompanied Mr Adams to the kings levee; after the levee was over, Mr Adams, according to etiquette, was introduced to the kings closet, where (as is usual for foreign ministers) he made a...