I write you a few lines to apologise for the liberty I took in requesting you would affix you Seal to what I supposed would have been a small paper parcell containing some very trifling articles for which Mr. Adams had permitted me to send, and which I thought too trifling to request an order for as it is always obtained with difficulty—I flatter myself you will pardon the error and believe me...
Will you have the goodness my dear Sir to send the enclosed to Mrs. C King, as I do not know her address. I take the liberty of making this request having witnessed your readiness to serve the Ladies, and feeling and how happy they are to receive an obligation at your hands— Present my respectful Compliments to Mrs. Gallatin and believe me, Sir, with the highest sentiment of esteem and...
3From John Quincy Adams to Robert Selden Garnett, 5 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr. and Mrs. Adams request the Honor of Mr Garnetts Company at Dinner on the 12th of December at ———— o’Clock The Favor of an Answer is requested. DLC : John Adams Papers.
Mr. Adams brought me your very kind Letter from Town the day before yesterday dated in Septbr: and was very happy to find that you enjoyed your health so well throughout the Season which is generally so trying to you and I hope that you will pass the fast approaching Winter equally well. you must be careful of yourself and not expose yourself by taking the whole charge of the family as you are...
On the Portrait of My Husband. The painters Art would vainly seize That harmony of Nature; Where Sense and goodness joined with ease Shine forth in every feature.— That open front where wisdom sits, That eye which speaks the Soul; That brow that study gently knits That bright attempered whole, That vast variety of mind Capacious, clear and strong, Where brilliancy of wit refined Enchants the...
As the Galen is about to sail my dear Madam I hasten to inform you that we have at length received the Watches sent by Mr. Brooks at which we are much rejoiced as they have proved a source of great anxiety to the younger branches of the family. The fashionable Season being over I have little to communicate that can afford you amusement and Mr. Adams informs you so regularly of every event that...
I ought to have thanked you long ago my Dear Harriet for your very obliging Letter announcing the recovery of Mrs. Adams for which news as you rightly and kindly judged we were very anxious I am happy to find by the last accounts that she is once more restored to health and I hope that the Summer weather will reanimate her could she bear the journey I think towards Winter she should move...
I have been very negligent my Dear Sister in not sooner answering your very affectionate Letter for which negligence I confess I have no substantial excuse to offer unless a little dissipation has Led to idleness I must trust to your indulgence for pardon. We had heard of the Death of Col. Smith through the medium of an American Newspaper some time before we received our Letters which only...
9From John Quincy Adams to Charlotte Sophia, 29 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
The American Minister and Mrs Adams will do themselves the honour of attending upon her Majesty, at the Queen’s House on Monday the 12th of August, at 9 o clock, conformally to the invitation which by her Majesty’s Command they have received from Mr Disbrowe. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
We have been some time now without receiving Letters from you, although we have heard of you from other branches of the family. In your last Letters to the Children you mention the approaching marriage of Susan which ere this has probably taken place should it be so I must beg you will make my congratulations acceptable with every good wish for her future happiness. We are here plunged into...
As Mrs: Perkins has kindly offered to take Letters, I hasten to answer your kind Letters of 24th: April & 2d May, which I received the day before yesterday. I fear the Boys will not be able to avail themselves of this opportunity, as they are much occupied previous to the Vacation, which takes place next Week. George has a part to perform in one of Terrences plays, and a French piece, and from...
Within a few days I have received your two very kind letters of April and am sincerely grieved to find your health still continues so poorly the fine season will I still flatter myself restore you to your wonted strength and entirely relieve you from your present complaints. In my last I mentioned to you, that I expected to attend at the Royal Nuptials which took place on the second of May—We...
We wait with much anxiety for Letters, to reassure us on account of your health; although the last accounts were highly favorable, for which I am indebted to my old and valuable friend Harriet Welsh, we yet cannot feel perfectly satisfied, until we are assured under your own hand, of your complete restoration to the blessing of health. I am at last enabled to answer your questions concerning...
Your last Letter was indeed flattering to me. eminently as you are gifted with the talent of writing your approbation must afford the greatest pleasure and exite encouragement. It has often been to me a source of wonder how you can write to so many in one family, and yet never appear at a loss for subjects; but you possess the talent of giving interest even to trifles and the easy course of...
15From John Quincy Adams to Stapleton,, 6 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr & mrs Adams return their Compliments to Col. Stapleton with many thanks for his obliging offer to take their commands for the United States—They avail themselves of his kindness to request him to take charge of the inclosed letter & pray him to accept the assurance of their best wishes that he may have a pleasant & prosperous passage— MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
I have been so occupied in writing for Mr. Adams ever since his indisposition that I have really not had time to answer your kind Letters and have brought myself in debt to all my Correspondents and they accumulate so much that I am unable to satisfy their demands. My Boys are also at home which is another ample source of occupation as Mr. Adams’s time is of too much importance to the public...
I found your note this morning on my plate when I enterred the breakfast room and hasten to offer you my congratulations on the birth of your Little Grandson for whose happiness and welfare in this world of trouble I most sincerely pray may he prove a joy and blessing to his Parents. Mr. Adams has been afflicted with an inflamation in his eyes which terminated in an Abcess in the under-lid of...
Your kind letter of the 2 September was delivered to me the day before yesterday, conveying the melancholy intelligence of the loss my poor Sister had sustained; my heart bleeds for her, for too well I know the pangs she must have experienced, and though time has and religion have soothed the excessive agony I endured under the same circumstance, memory still recalls the painful recollection...
Your kind Letters have remained unanswered much longer than I intended owing to the constant employment Mr. Adams found me having no Secretary and the trouble attending the search for a house which we have at length procured at a Village called Ealing, about seven miles from London; the situation is beautiful, the House comfortable, and the distance from the great City supportable, added to...
Your last kind Letters of the 20 of May reached London only two days since and according to your request I hasten to answer it—I wrote you some time since that I had performed my journey in safety and passed two delightful Months in Paris which I quitted with the greatest regret since which the fate of that unfortunate Country has been decided and it is doomed to return to that state of...
Mr. Todd having just called to announce his departure I hasten to write you although I do not think his departure will take place so soon as he expects. You will my joy on arriving in London at finding my Boys ready at our lodgings to receive me although in excellent health the pleasure was too much for me and I was several days before I recover’d my usual composure—We have not yet found a...
I write you from this place where I arrived last evening and where I have again met with a severe disappointment in not receiving Letters, more especially as the public News renders my situation extremely unpleasant— I shall leave this place for Mayence this Evening and propose to sleep there to Night and continue my rout tomorrow morning at five o’Clock I shall in all probability find you...
23From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Levett Harris, 13 March 1815 (Adams Papers)
We arrived here late last evening, after a very fatiguing journey from Berlin, where I was detain’d eight days, for want of Letters from Mr. Adams.— Poor Mr. Norman is very ill at Berlin, and extremely uneasy about his situation; I saw him several times, and hope he will recover, but I fear his illness will be long. At Memel you will have heard from Mr. Russel, that I drew for some Money, and...
After a very troublesome and tedious journey we have happily arrived at Berlin where I expected to have found Letters from you but I am cruelly disappointed and am impatiently waiting for the next Post which will not arrive untill tomorrow evening Yesterday I visited some of our old friends here who received me in the Kindest manner possible Countess Bhrul is very much alter’d but Miss Bisho p...
We have proceeded thus far on our journey as well and with as much pleasure as we could possibly have expected and the day I have passed at this place will ever be remember’d by me with gratitude and pleasure from the very polite and kind attention of the Governor and his Lady to whom Mr Harris gave me letters of recommendation they are a charming couple exact suited to please me as they are...
I am this instant setting off and have only time to say that nothing can equal my impatience to see you some of my business is necessarily left undone but I hope that you will forgive all that is not exactly correspondant to your wishes and recieve me with as much affection as fills my heart at this moment for you. I could not celebrate my birthday in a manner more delightful than in making...
I address you once more from this place and I cannot yet say when I shall be able to leave it as I find it almost impossible to dispose of the things to any sort of advantage no body has ready money and I am offer’d payment in a variety none of which however I am apprehensive would please you Hemillian has just left he came with a view to purchase the Carriage and offer’d to pay me in Peals or...
I hasten to inform you of our safe Arrival at this City after as pleasant a journey as the Season would admit and thank fortune with out the most trifling accident Permit me to offer my thanks for the polite Letter with which I was furnished for the Governor from whom I have received the most flattering attention and to request you will in my name assure Mr. Kosudavlow of the very high sense I...
Your kind letter with that of Mrs Smith reached me the day before yesterday and I hasten to answer it merely to state that we are well and making as much dispatch as well the nature of things will admit I think in my last letter I mentioned a possibility of leaving this place on Sunday I find this arrangement very premature and shall not mention untill I am actually on the point of setting off...
The confusion around me and the perpetual interruptions render it almost impossible for me to write a word I shall therefore only say that and Charles I are well and that I cannot see the day on which I shall leave St Petersburg as every thing appears to go wrong— As you are in France I have thought it best to sell every thing that I can sell as the frig ate to America from will cost almost as...
I am sure you must have thought me mad from the date of my last letter I was so teazed with Muziks of every discription that I found it utterly impossible to write any thing like sense I however thought it better to send my letter bad as it was than suffer the Post to leave Petersburg without a few lines which would at any rate prove that we were well and preparing to join you as soon as...
Conceive the astonishment your Letter caused me if you can and still more the Treaty which is published in the English Papers I think it is indeed pointed at the Eastern States and that our good Friends the Yankees have some ground for discontent but I must learn not to say all I think— I know not what to do about the Selling of the goods and I fear I shall be much imposed upon this is a heavy...
I can scarcely find time to write you into even a few lines having been so interrupted yesterday as to be unable to perform my accustomed task, and it affords another strong proof of how much “procrastination is the thief of Time” a tardy repentance is however of little avail, and you must wait for the next Post. this will only call into exerscion the philosophy upon which you used to pique...
Your last letter afforded me inexpressible pleasure as far as regards self we both likely to be pleased with our Children but to me it would be more agreeable to learn they both resemble you as I have had too many convincing proofs that I even with all the means in my power am not fitted to be or make others happy thank God they bid fair to do you honor and though we have had but little share...
According to your desire I begin again to number my letters but I hope at least that our correspondence will not be prolong’d much longer and that you will soon return to cheer us again by your presence which I assure you, is much wanted Your last appear’d to me to be written under a considerable depression of spirits and I was almost apprehensive that you were sick some disagreeable...
36From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 1814 (Adams Papers)
To offer you anything like consolation for your irreparable loss my dear Mother is I feel utterly impossible and Heaven alone can pour balm into the wound which in its wise decrees it has ordained. Too recently have I suffer’d the same dreadful stroke not to feel how every fibre of your heart must have been rent by this great great affliction if the tenderest sympathy could in the smallest...
Your letter is this moment brought me and Mr Lewis has called at the same time to inform me that Drumond and all his Army are taken God send this may be true we have whispers of Chauncey having forced Sir James to retreat this however is not confirmed and I am in a state of anxiety to know if the letters of to day will say any thing about it This news will I hope produce a good effect and...
With what pleasure I read your last kind Letter you are capable of judging who are so well acquainted with the warmth of my feelings on most of the subjects which interest me, my hopes are so strongly raised even the news which our old friend Corbeau gave me yesterday could not destroy the flattering Visions which my sanguine imagination had created and I shall still hope that heaven will...
I was much disappointed at the receipt of your last letter having flatter’d myself that you would have had some letters from our friends both in Boston and Washington The Conservateur of to day announces that you have at last recieved the answer to your last Note and that it is of so favorable a nature that peace will be the consequence of the truth of this I can form no opinion but the report...
Having heard of the arrival of the Fingal you may suppose how anxious I am for the next Post A letter was brought me from Gottenburg addressed to you as I percieved immediately that it came from Quincy I opend it and found that it was from your and contained the most interesting news I can hear that my Boys were well I was however much grieved to find that George was to enter so soon you know...
I am just going to dine with the Princess Belloselsky at which I have no doubt you will be much astonished but I thought it but decent to pay my respects to her as she takes such a deep interest in our affairs. in fact the general sentiment is so strong in our favour here that though it may in itself be of little consequence it can do no harm to promote by every means in our power I therefore...
Another Letter was yesterday brought me but it gave me no hopes of your return and I dare not flatter myself yet that you will obtain any answer more decisive to this last effort, than they have hitherto given upon any point. as I wrote you once before notwithstanding I am so anxious to see him you I could almost wish you might be detained untill the coming Spring, so fearful am I that this...
My troubles will never end till you return and I really if it does not soon happen I shall be tempted to decamp from here whether you like it or no you will tell me that I am again in a fit of low spirits it is very true I am suffering bitterly at the baseness of the World who take every possible advantage of my unprotected situation I have just paid Mr Krehmer for the two Months rent and he...
Yours of the eighth is come not to fill me with doubts because that was already effected but to make those doubts almost certainties and those of a very disagreeable nature if it must be so there is no remedy but I hope you have been misinformed about our commander and that he may prove better than you expect— What do you think of the English Speech? it is most affectedly peacable, and...
I did not mean to offend you, in what I wrote you concerning the information you gave. but I was so much watched , every word I utter’d appear’d to be made of so much importance, I was in a continual fever, lest some foolish observation should give rise to doubts of my discretion; added to which our good Friend the Chargé under pretence of receiving the same news, used to pump me very hard,...
Your charming letter only reached me last night the roads being very bad but it came time enough to put me in high spirits and I went immediately after to a little Ball at Miss Focks were I amased myself very much and did not return untill 3 o’clock this Morning Thank God for all the good news you gave me may he still grant us his protection and as you say turn the hearts of our enemies all my...
I am charmed to find by your last letter that you pass your time so agreeably at Ghent: it would be almost a pity that the Congress should break up, as by all account you have derived so much benefit from your residence, and this Climate is so injurious, that the idea of your returning to sink again into the state of into inanity into which you had fallen, is so painful I could almost wish for...
48From Charles Francis Adams to John Quincy Adams, 18 November 1814 (Adams Papers)
By some accident my letter was too late for the last Post I therefore only send you this letter of Charles’s with assurances of our mutual affection— Dear Papa St Petersburg Novbr: 18th: 1814 I am quite a Soldier since Mrs: Betancourt made me a present of a Gun, and I exercise every day. Mama has got a new Servant who has been a Solider, and he drills me; it is a real gun, and George Krehmer...
You cannot think how much I was disappointed in your last last Letter when I open’d it I was in the full expectation of reading all the good news which we had recieved here at least 4 days before instead of which I found nothing but a melancholy detail of all the suffering and disgrace which had befallen us I hope you had heard the news more in detail when you dined with the Ministers and that...
My last letter mentioned some good news which I had heard from America I thank God this has been confirm’d and a great deal beside which I had neither thought’s or hopes of I was in expation of your last Letter’s being filled with the particulars but the date from London was precisely the same and you could not recieve it untill two days later your next will however contain all this news and...