51From Abigail Smith Adams to Thomas Baker Johnson, 3 October 1813 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of July 13th Should not have lain So long unanswerd but for the affliction of my Family. I could not write, my mind has been too much agitated, and distresst, by the Sickness and Death of my Dear and only daughter, Mrs Smith, whom you well knew. She came here, from the interiour of Nyork, where She has resided for the last Six years, in the Month of july, very Sick, as She had been...
52From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
“Oh that I too, could make a visit to my Father,” was your exclamation in your last Letter. more than a visit You may make, my dear Son, If the Newspapers may be credited, for they announce from South to North, that you are to be recall’d and to fill the department of State. this is repeated over and again, & appears to give universal satisfaction. this I learn from all quarters—I rejoice in...
53From Abigail Smith Adams to Hannah Storer Green, 20 February 1810 (Adams Papers)
I know not the date of your last Letter to me but this I know, that it is not so ancient, as the date of our Friendship, that commenced with our first knowledge of each other, “grew with our growth and strengthend with our strength.” it has continued undiminished through all the various vissisitudes of Life, which have checkerd our progress—from the juvenile days of Caliope and Diana, to the...
54From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 28 May 1811 (Adams Papers)
I Shall continue to write to you altho you may determine to leave St Petersburgh before my Letters can reach you. There may be family circumstances unknown to me at present, which may oblige you to a longer residence there than we at present Contemplate. Ladies are not always in a Situation to undertake a voyage of three, and four Months. do not make a calculation for less time, you may be...
55From Abigail Smith Adams to Mercy Otis Warren, 9 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I cannot let my Son pass through Plimouth without stoping to inquire after your Health, and that of Your Family! Nor of asking You who have lived many years, and where observations and experience, must have excited in your mind, Reflections which ought not to terminate with your days— what is your opinion of the great and important events which are taking place in the civilized world? will...
56From Abigail Smith Adams to Julia Stockton Rush, 23 March 1815 (Adams Papers)
It is a very long time Since I have had the pleasure of hearing from you; but I have not been unmindfull of you or of yours. I have had much anxiety for the valuable Life of the Attorney General, and have now, many congratulations to offer you upon the prospect of his recovery. This is my first Subject, of congratulation— “Friends, Country first, and Then all Human Race” And what Nation, or...
57From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 7 September 1814 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to you on the 26 of August, and sent my Letter to N york to go in a dispatch vessel. I did not at the time know of the Humiliating and disgracefull Catastrophy which had befallen the city of Washington!! nor have I language to describe my feelings at the Torpor which blinded the Government to a sense of their danger, and their defenceless situation The Capitol is destroyed, but America...
58From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 27 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
I am much dispirited by the weather which prevented the intended visit of you and your Friends, I promised myself much pleasure in it and wished for a conversation with mr Lyman upon the News. I recollected his account of the Bourbons and the temper of the French Nation as it respected Napoleon, they found themselves humbled mortified deprest and saw no disposition in the Monarch raise them to...
59From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 16 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
Mr Adams call’d yesterday morning before six oclock, I rose before light in order to write to you, and waited only for the sun to give me light to do so; but the man came before, and I had only time while he waited to scratch of the hasty line I sent, or I should have told you, that the paper came safe the by mr d Greenleaf. Caroline’s Letter informs me that she was well the 7th. that John had...
I never know how to let a vessel go from Boston, without a Letter to Some of the Family. I have just written by the Mary, for Liverpool, but as a Gentleman calld yesterday to request Letters, I have given him one, for my Son, and one for mr Smith. this I have directed to be put in the Bag, as it incloses one from your Sister Hellen, which She Sent one for you— Mr Brooks has taken charge of the...
61From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 December 1815 (Adams Papers)
By mr. Tarbel, who left here the last of Nov’br I wrote to you, and to mrs Adams, introducing him to you, as the Grandson of our Ancient, and beloved Friend, dr. Tufts, who then enjoyed his faculties and was active in buisness—but upon the 8th of this month, closed a Life of virtuous usefullness. having finishd the works assignd him, he fell asleepe asleep—for his death was not preeceeded by...
62From Abigail Smith Adams to Anonymous, 25 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a Letter which came under cover to the president. I take an early opportunity to forward it to you. I presume it is, from your son. At the same time I avail myself of the occasion, and write my sympathy, with that which I know you must feel, at the destination of our Children to a foreign Country. The appointment is no doubt an honorable one, and in a public light, I consider it,...
63From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 16 November 1814 (Adams Papers)
Feeling a little in the dumps, the why, or the wherefore I cannot tell, excepting a crick in my neck, & pain in my head, to cure all I take my pen to write you a few lines and inclose the , which Susan finished but has not had a conveyance for; so I send them by post and to make you laugh send you O an abominable wagish Letter I had almost said wicked, but then it made me laugh so, that I was...
64From 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...
65From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 25 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
I received this day a Letter from your father dated 21 Sep’br. it was a Letter different from any which I have before received from him.—it communicated to me, and to you the sorrowfull intelligence of the Death of your dear and only Sister. She was taken Sick in August, and died the 15th of Seb’br with a nervous fever which brought on convulsions your parents are in great affliction as you...
How shall I address a Letter to you, how share and participate in your Grief without opening affresh the wound which time may in some measure have healed? distance excluded me from knowing Your distress, or shareing your Sorrows, at the time when you most needed consolation but neither time, or distance has banishd from my Bosom, that Sympathy which alltho, Billows rise; and oceans Roll...
67From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 8 September 1814 (Adams Papers)
I send you a Letter by mr Crufts this day received from Caroline. I had a few lines from her saying she was well, and longing to hear from us at Quincy. she had not then received my second Letter or Susans. I thank you for the papers & for the Nutmegs; I send by mrs Cruft the money for them. I hope for Letters by the J Adams and certainly shall have some, we must wait with patience for the...
68From 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...
69From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 31 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
knowing what a punctilious young gentleman you are, I would not let your old Captain Bronson Sail again without a Letter to you by mr Charles Dexter You notice your Birth day, and Say you are twelve years old. I do assure you Sir it was celebrated here, not withstanding your absence as usual; with the ringing of Bells publick orations, military parade and social festivals, nor did we forget to...
I cannot refrain any longer from taking my pen and assureing mr van der kemp of the high gratification his visit to Quincy gave to his Ancient Friends there, the only regret attending it was, that it was so short, to his new acquaintance he communicated unexpected pleasure by the urbanity of his manners the politeness of his address by the exquisite tenderness & sensibility of his Heart, so...
71From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 8 March 1816 (Adams Papers)
I must write you a few lines to day from a Night of Rest, I derive Strength, all lost again by a night of wakefullness—If I do not get to Sleep as soon as I go to Bed, and that is early; it is all lost for the night yet I suffer no pain, except some times in my head. no fever, no cough, yet I was loose my flesh. my complaint seems to be an universal relaxation of the Solids. If I had lived in...
72From Abigail Smith Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 15 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
My good Husband has call’d upon me for Some Letters, written to me by my Son, when he was last in Paris, in 1815 in which he gives me a particular account of the Family of Count de Tracy and of the circumstances which introduced him to their acquaintance. Beleiving that it will give you pleasure to become acquainted with this happy Domestic Circle, I readily embrace this opportunity of...
I attempted to write to you, by Captain Bronson in Jan’ry but my strength failed me, and I have been ever since, in so low, and debilitated a state of Health, as to despair of ever recovering strength again, but for the last ten days, I have gained some, and my physician, encourages me, that I shall be benefitted by the returning Spring. I have not had any disease, such as fever, cough, or...
I this day received a Letter from my son dated october 21 from constradt—we had heard three weeks before of your arrival there by a vessel which came in to Salem, I rejoice that you are once more released from old ocean, and that you were so near the place of your destination. your voyage has been long and tedious. I hope you will experience Friendship and hospitality altho in so frozen a...
I Sit down to write to my dear daughter, almost without a hope, or wish that She Should receive it at St. Petersburgh. for as Letters are usually, more than three Months reaching the place of their destination—I hope you will have Embarked for America, before that period. it admits however of a possibility, that you may not, and in that case, a Letter will be welcome which communicates to you,...
76Abigail Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 15 December 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
My good Husband has call’d upon me for Some Letters, written to me by my Son , when he was last in paris , in 1815 in which he gives me a particular account of the Family of Count de Tracy and of the circumstances which introduced him to their acquaintance. Beleiving that it will give you pleasure to become acquainted with this happy Domestic circle , I readily embrace this opportunity of...
77From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 8 March 1814 (Adams Papers)
Altho I sent Letters yesterday to go by our Ministers from N York, yet a new opportunity offering I readily embrace it. mr Tuckerman has kindly sent us word that he is permitted to go in a vessel from Norfolk to Gottenburgh, and will take any Letters we may have, as his Brother the Rev’d mr Tuckerman came in his behalf, and will wait untill I write you a few lines my Letter must be short. I...
Your Letter my dear mrs Smith of Sepbr 23d I received while Caroline de Wint & her Babe were with me. It gave us both great pleasure to learn that you were well. mr & mrs de wint & miss Catharine Smaltys left us on the 12th for N York yesterday I received a few lines from Caroline Saying they reachd Providence the day they left us, & intended taking the packet the next day—I wish to hear of...
Your neat, pretty letter, looking small, but containing much, reached me this day. I have a good mind to give you the journal of the day. Six o’clock. Rose, and, in imitation of his Britannic Majesty, kindled my own fire. Went to the stairs, as usual, to summon George and Charles. Returned to my chamber, dressed myself. No one stirred. Called a second time, with voice a little raised. Seven...
80From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh, 9 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
keep yourself quiet. caroline will come Shortly, and then be sure you shall have a carrier after you, but I do not look for her, untill I learn that She is come to Nyork—I return your Letter and request that you would come up Say thursday or fryday and bring mr Hinkly with you to eat some Strawberries fresh from the vines. my best Love to Your good Mother and pray her to take a kind...