11From Charles Thomas Clark to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 December 1817 (Adams Papers)
My letters to my dear wife will have informed you of our arrival here: I sent several to her by the London Packet bound to Baltimore: there was a Boston ship near Portsmouth but she sailed before I could get any letters on board of her and I do not think she will arrive at this season of the year as soon as one farther South. I find my health improve (notwithstanding this damp climate) very...
12From Hezekiah Niles to Abigail Smith Adams, 31 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
It is with high respect that I have the honor to assure you, you have mistaken my “Register” as well as its character , in attributing to it an offensive article about “ Drawing Rooms; ” while I have to regret that this is not the first time in which my secret pride has been humbled by a similar misapprehension. And such mistakes are easily committed, because another paper is published (at...
13Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 15 May 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letters, dear Madam, are always welcome, and your requests are commands to me. I only regret that I can do so little towards obeying them. but eight and twenty years since I left France would, in the ordinary course of mortality, have swept off seven eighths of my acquaintances, and when to this lapse of time are added the knife of the Guillotine & scythe of constant and sanguinary wars,...
As we are on the point of departure and much engaged I can only write to mention that we are all well and very desirous of soon meeting you in Boston. The remainder of the time that we shall stay in this Country will be very unpleasant as we are harrassed to death in procuring furniture and such articles as may be useful to us in America according to the advice which you gave us in a Letter...
My health has been so indifferent and the City is so flat since the adjourment of Congress that I cannot find materials for a Letter—It is difficult for me to say what the nature of my indisposition as the Doctor cannot ascertain it no more than myself but I believe general weakness and a slight attack of what they here call chills and fevers has been my chief complaint and the latentness and...
I began to be quite uneasy at your long silence my and was much pleased to find by your Letter of the 12th that pleasure and not sickness was the cause of your delay in answering my last. I am very sorry to hear that Mrs de Wint health is weak and I agree with you in the opinion that she left home too early I hope however that when she returns and resumes her quiet mode of life that she will...
For some time past I have been wishing to have the pleasure of writing to you, to express my thanks for the very kind and flattering letter you addressed to me by Miss Sumner; also to repeat to you the gratification I felt at an introduction to Col Sumner and herself. All agreed that they were ornaments to the society of Washington this winter. It was not however in my power, and truly did I...
10 Mr Adams attended the funeral of Mr Astor’s grandson on arriving at Mr Astors the old Gentleman told him he had received a most urgent Letter from Mrs Bentzon begging that the body might be sent to her at New York and asked his advice what he should do on the melancholy occasion Mr Adams told him that considering all the circumstances he thought it would be best for him to indulge his...
19From Julia Stockton Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
Will you permit me at this late period to come before you with my congratulations on the return of your Son and his family to their native country, I have wish’d to do it ever since I heard of their arrival. I am almost ashamed to say, and yet it is the real reason Why I did not, that I feel such a diffidence in writing to you that I cannot conquer, and which induces me forego what I esteem...
20From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 July 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your kind favor of the 14th of this month, was very gratifying to me. Nothing can be more interesting then the account which it gives of the Presidents visit to Boston and the vicinity. The letter from Mr Adams which you were so good as to enclose, I have to apologize for not returning sooner. I desire to thank you for the opportunity afforded me of perusing it. There is an impressive wisdom...