To John Adams from Samuel Fitch, 29 March 1788
From Samuel Fitch
Putman Street No. 21. Putman Sqare. March. 29th. 1788
Mr Fitch presents his Compliments to Mr Adams. & begs Leave to Remind him That the latter End of the Year 1774 & very early in 1775 Mr. Adams borrowed of him the first Volumes of the Year Books. The Laws of Connecticut. and New Jersey. (with the Charters of each prefixed) & Smiths Historory of New York: as Mr Adams hath, doubtless, these Books. Mr Fitch would be much Obliged to him for the Return of them, by Callahan upon his next return to London, (if he hath them not here)1: as the want of the Year Books in particular breaks his Sett— Mr Fitch wishes Mr Adams & Family A prosperous Voyage. & Safe Arrival in America2
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “[. . . .] Ambassador &c &c / [. . . .] / [. . . .]rlington Street / [. . . .]cadilly”; docketed by JA: “S. Fitch. my old / Friend the Triumvir / These Books I / returned and / they arrived / safe to Mr Fitch”; notation by CFA: “March 29th 1788—” Some loss of text due to a torn manuscript.
1. The closing parenthesis has been editorially supplied.
2. Loyalist Samuel Fitch (1724–1799), Yale 1742, was a Boston lawyer and former member of JA’s legal “sodality” club (, 1:75, 251–255). Though there is no record of any further correspondence with Fitch, JA apparently returned the following works: Acts and Laws, of His Majesties Colony of Connecticut in New-England, Boston, 1702; Acts of the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, Trenton, N.J., 1703; and William Smith’s History of the Province of New-York, from the First Discovery to the Year MDCCXXXII, London, 1757.