1Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 1 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
your two Letters of May 21 & 26 were yesterday deliverd. captain Scot has not yet got up. I hope by him to receive Letters from my other Friends. I have been not a little anxious that Barnard and Davis should arrive without a Letter either from Braintree or weymouth as this is to go by the packet, I will confine myself wholy to buisness and as mr Adams has written you respecting mr Borlands...
2Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 5 October 1787 (Adams Papers)
Your obliging favour by captain Folger came safe to Hand, and brought me the agreeable intelligence of my Eldest sons having received His degree, and performed his part to the satisfaction of his Friends, and his own credit. you know Sir from experience, that there is no musick sweeter in the Ears of parents, than the well earned praises of their children. I hope he will continue through Life...
3Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 18 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Captain Lyde is to Sail this week. I will not let him go without a few lines to you, tho Captain Callihan has arrived without a Single Letter from my Friends. Mr. Adams received 3 by Monssieur Le Tomb, from his Boston Friend’s. If my son had been lucky enough to have had such a passage as I hoped he would, I should have heard of his arrival by Captain Callihan or the New York packet which...
4Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 3 January 1785 (Adams Papers)
In a Letter which Mr. Tyler wrote me not long since he informd me that Mr. Alleyne was about parting with his House and Farm and that he would sell it reasonably, but did not Say for what Sum. If Mr. Alleyne is really in earnest, and means to part with it, Mr. Adams requests You to see it, and to estimate what you think, to be the real Worth of it, to inspect the House; and buildings &c and if...
5Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 6 November 1787 (Adams Papers)
Last week Captains Folger & Callihan arrived by whom we received all your Letters & Bills. the Bills were imediatly accepted, & will be paid when due. I feel under great obligations to you my dear sir, for all your kind care, & attention to our affairs. I am glad to find the buisness closed with mr Borland, and at a price which I think must be reasonable judging by what was formerly given for...
6Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 1 January 1788 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you by the November packet which Letter I hope you have received before now, in that I mentiond what I wished to have done to the House, particularly the painting & papering. Since that date we have received your favour by Captain Barnard desiring to know how mr Adams would have the land improved, but neither he or I are well enough acquainted with the Land to give any other...
7Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 1 August 1786 (Adams Papers)
Mr Adams receivd yesterday your obliging favour of june 28th by way of Liverpool. His Eyes which I sometimes fear will fail him, have a weakness oweing to too intense application, which is very troublesome to him, and this being now the case, he will not be able to write his Friends as he wishes. I have to thank you for him, the intelligence which your Letter contains ought to make our...
8Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 8 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Adams received last Evening a Letter from you dated January 1st, in which you inform him of some little purchases which are very agreeable to him. I wrote you by his consent in January respecting Mr. Alleynes Farm. I suppose my Letters have not yet reachd America, as Captain Young has been detained Months in England longer than was expected. We are a little alarmed at the Hazard we have...
9Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 8 September 1784 (Adams Papers)
To a Gentleman I so much respect, and esteem, I am ashamed to write only a few hasty lines, yet I fear he would consider it as still more disrespectfull if I should wholly omit writing. My intention has been to take some leisure Day, and devote it wholly in writing to my Friends. Since I arrived here my time has been engrossed, not with publick Shews, and Spectacles, as they are called, but in...
10Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 10 March 1787 (Adams Papers)
your Letters by Captain Callihan did not come to hand untill the 7 th ult. and I embrace the earliest opportunity of writing you. in yours you mention the account forwarded by you last fall, which was duly received, and I thought it had been acknowledged; I sometimes leave these matters in hopes mr Adams will notice them, but he is too much engaged in publick affairs, to attend at all, to his...
11Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 16 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
I believe that Mr. Storer is going to leave Us in good earnest. He has so long and so many months been delay’d that I knew not when to give him my latest Letters tho I have so little to communicate that it is not of much importance whether my Letter was written a month ago or now. The talk of Captures by the Algerine is renewed again and I fear with two much foundation. Mr. Adams received a...
12Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 10 October 1786 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters of july 6th and August 15th were duly received. The accounts containd in Yours of july 6th respecting publick affairs is not be sure so agreeable as the Lovers of peace and good order would wish. Our Countrymen have of late been so much accustomed to turbulent times, and stormy weather, that I cannot but hope that we have skillfull pilots enough to stear the Ship safe. Mutinous...
13Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 29 April 1787 (Adams Papers)
yours of Febry 6th did not reach me untill Folger had saild. I take the first opportunity to write you respecting the vermont land. I thought I had conversd with you upon it before I left America and related all the circumstances relative to it, you know I suppose that no person could hold more than one Right in their own Name. mr Adams’s Name stands upon the Grant as an original proprieter of...
14Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 24 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
I designd to have written you a much Longer Letter than I shall now be able to. The State of politicks in our Country is such as to give pain to every Friend and well wisher of it. I hope the pamphlet mr Adams has lately written and which captain Cushing carries out, will have a benificial influence if it comes not too Late. I inclose to you a ministerial publication which has past through...
15Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 22 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
I inclose to you the papers which contain the correspondence between Lord George Gordon and mr Tufts. As I suppose it will be matter of some specculation, and may tend to injure your Nephew. I will relate to you some circumstances attending it. Upon the Letter you wrote me some time ago, I had made inquiries after mr Tufts, but could hear nothing of him, till mr Jenks just before he saild,...
16Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 5 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
Captain Callihan sails sooner than we expected so that we have not time to write to several of our Friends, and indeed we have all written so lately by Mr. Storer, that nothing worth communicating has since occurd. Mr. Adams has written to Mr. Higinson which letter I dare say he will communicate to you and that will give you a detail of politicks here, as well as inform you of the troubles...
17Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 10 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
A Boston paper which reachd us by way of Newyork informd me of the Death of my dear Aunt 3 weeks before I received the melancholy account from your own Hand. From your last Letters and those, of my other Friends, I was led to fear, that I should never see her more; I feel my Dear Sir all that Sympathy for your loss, which a tender affection and the recollec tion of her amiable Life, and...
18Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 8 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Captain Lyde talks of leaving London tomorrow. I just write a line by him to inform you that we are all well. Mr Adams and mr Jefferson are gone a little, journey into the Country, and it is the only excursion mr Adams has ever made since he first came to Europe without having publick buisness to transact. I have nothing particular to communicate, but what I have mentiond in a letter to uncle...
19Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 18 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
As You have been so kind as to undertake the care of Mr. Adams’es Estate and affairs during the absence of his family, for which it is my desire that you would regularly charge your time and trouble, the power of Attorney will enable you to transact all Buisness relative to the estate, but as there are some few things which could not be particularized there I have committed them to this paper...
20Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 26 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
It was not untill the 21 of April that your Letter of December 1st. reach’d me, tho forwarded by Mr. Elworthy the 2 of Feb’ry. Where it has lain ever since I cannot divine, as many letters from all quarters come to us weekly. The contents of yours were not so political as to have made it necessary to have detaind them so long, four hundred and fifty thousand livres anual Salary to the...
21Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 20 February 1788 (Adams Papers)
I have written twice to you by way of New York, but do not find by yours that either of them had reachd you, nor have I learnt that Captain Folger was arrived who had all my Letters, except one to mrs Cranch by Captain Cushing. in those Letters you will find what I wisht to have done to the House, as well as other matters respecting our Farm I believe this will be the last Letter I shall write...
22Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts, 21 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
Captain Lyde arrived a week ago, and yesterday, he and mr Jenks dinned with us. By the latter we received your kind favour of December and Janry. I had just closed a Letter to you, which I have sent by way of Newyork, and requested mr King to Frank for you; the comunication directly to Boston is like to become much less frequent, than formerly, and the more it lessens, the better it will be...
23Abigail Adams Smith to Cotton Tufts, 16 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
By a Letter to my Mother from you, I Learnt that you had in your Possession the Letters and Picture which I requested you to take the Charge of. I now must once more trouble you upon the Subject, and request the favour of you, to address the Picture to Miss Margaret Smith at Jamaica on Long-Island New York, and forward it by some safe Conveyance, under Cover to Mr. Daniel Mc.Cormick No 39 Wall...
24John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 15 December 1784 (Adams Papers)
What would be the Consequence if We should have an immediate War with Great Britain? dont be allarmed there is no danger of it. but it is usefull to Speculate. Would not our Produce be all fetched away to Europe in Dutch French, Portuguese, Italian Sweedish Vessells &c— and would not our Privateers made great Havack among British Commerce? They might pour into Nova Scotia and Canada Troops,...
25John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 10 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your Favours of June 26 and July 5 and for your obliging Congratulations, on the Peace. The Articles respecting Refugees had better have been omitted , but we could not have Peace without them and the Peace as it is, is better than none. The se Articles must be explained by a Consideration of the words of them and the whole Treaty, and I do not consider myself at Liberty to Say...
26From John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 1 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Favour of May the fifteenth, and am greatly obliged to you for your kind Attention to my little Affairs. Let me pray you to purchase M r Borlands Place for me at the best Price you can and draw upon me for the Cash. Your Bills Shall be honoured, at ten days Sight. if M r Borland is about purchasing M r Vassals Place, he may remit the Cash in this Way. but you will however...
27John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 26 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
There is a Subject So closely connected, with the Business of my Mission to this Court, that I can no longer be Silent upon it, with Honour. The most insuperable Bar, to all their Negotiations here, has been laid by those States which have made Laws against the Treaty. The Massachusetts is one of them. The Law for Suspending Execution for British Debts, however coloured or disguised, I make no...
28John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 3 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed with this is a Letter to Dr Holyoke and all the original Papers from the Royal Society of Medicine. You will be so good as to inclose and direct them to him. I hope Mr. John is, or will soon be at Colledge. You may draw upon me for two hundred Pounds st. and invest it as before, to help you pay the Expences of my Boys. Yours Inclosed is a Note from my Friend Count Sarsefield. Will you...
29From John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 12 February 1788 (Adams Papers)
Every Question you ask about the new Constitution Shows that you understand the subject as well as I can pretend to do, and that you are well aware of the reasonable Difficulties and objections. But is there not danger that a new Convention at this time, would increase the Difficulties and reasonable Exceptions rather than remove any of them? a Declaration of Rights I wish to see with all my...
30John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 2 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
I am proud to learn by your Letter of 13. April that I am so rich at the University. If Thomas gets in, I shall be still happier. The Expence will be considerable, and your Draughts shall be honoured for the necessary. A Year will soon be about, and what are We to do then with John? What Lawyer shall We desire to take him, in Town or Country? and what Sum must be given with him? and what will...