1From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 6 August 1817 (Adams Papers)
After a passage of fifty days from Cowes, we have this day landed from the Ship Washington; all well—We shall stay here only so long as may be indispensable for landing our baggage, and making other necessary arrangements. In the course of a week or ten days, I hope to enjoy the happiness of seeing once more, my dear father and you—Remaining in the meantime, ever affectionately your’s. MHi :...
2From Nathaniel Niles to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
I was honored with your note, & have attended to it as I hope is in accordance to your will on the subject. I have suffered several times by such mistakes as are noticed in my printed reply; & the opportunity to vindicate myself was so happily presented that justice seemed to require that I should not pass it over. I disavow all connection with the party business of the past or present—&...
3From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
The President yesterday received a letter from Mr Adams, in which he mentions his acceptance of his late appointment, and that he expected to embark in the course of the present month. The letter is dated on the 19th of April. In the possible event of this information not having reached you by the same vessel, I hasten to communicate it, offering my renewed congratulations to yourself and Mr...
As Mr. & Mrs. Johnson intend leaving us this evening I write you a few lines to assure you of our health and that of the charming family with whom we now are. Caroline and her children are quite well and happy and gave us the cheering welcome of an old and affectionate friend— The situation of Mrs. de Wirts house is beautiful but you have heard too much of it to need any description from me....
We propose leaving this place tomorrow my dear Madam and expect to arrive at Quincy either Sunday or Monday you must prepare to find us all much altered since we last saw you and I have lost all my good looks and all my flesh on the voyage in consequence of a bad miscarriage at Sea added to the usual inconveniences attending the passage I am however past recovering my health and strength and...
Mrs: Cruft has arrived here and it is with much pleasure I observe she has derived benefit from her journey—Her looks are very promising but in her complaint it is difficult to ascertain her real state through so treacherous as in her a medium; as in her complaints good looks are acknowledged to be false guides and frequently delude us into hope when in reality hope ought to be the least...
Did I not foster Such an exalted opinion of John Quincy Adams, then yet I might deem it a becoming courtesy to address his excellent Parents on this Solemn occasion—But now I will indulge the irresisteble impulse, of allowing my Self the exquisiste gratification, which not often can be offered, in congratulating his Mother with the certainty—that the highest office—in the gift of the...
8From Hendrick W Gordon to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 August 1817 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate you, my illustrious friend the President, and all your family on the safe arrival of your son His Excellency John Quincy Adams to the country of his love, and of his fathers. I have not the honor of a personal acquaintance with Mr. Adams, If I had I would not trouble you with what I am about to ask, though he probably remembers the many letters he received from you through my...
A long time my beloved Friend has elapsed since we have seen each other or even conversed by letters. My eyes are so affected by the fire in winter, that I do not attempt to write. It was my intention when at Quincy to have spent the winter at Scituate; but as soon as dear Sister Bowers relinquished the idea of being there also; I was decided at once to pass it here; A spot rendered very dear...
10From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 March 1817 (Adams Papers)
There have been a multitude of American Vessels, wind–bound at Liverpool near two months, several of which have Letters for you, and for my father, and which I suppose will nearly all arrive about the same time—In the interval there will be a wide chasm during which you will be without advices from us, as we have now been long without any from you—The present will go by Mr A. H. Everett, who...
11From 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...
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...
16From 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...
17From 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...
18From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 2 April 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am to thank you for the kind wishes contained in your favor of the 24. of last month. You have often, indeed, gratified and flattered me by similar ones, and I feel how much I owe to your over partiality. The appointment of Mr Adams gives, as far as I can ascertain, the highest satisfaction. If ever a citizen of our country owed his elevation to the solid merits of his own character, your...
Tomorrow we leave this place with the intention of visiting you in Boston if nothing should intervene and force us back again to Washington. We shall be in Boston the latter end of the next week as we propose to leave Philadelphia on Monday Morning—Our visit will necessarily be short Mr. A—— being obliged to return the beginning of next Month—we therefore wish to be as short a time on the road...
After a most fatiguing journey in which I suffered grievously we arrived at half past nine o’clock last evening beaten and bruised and scarcely able to go through the additional trouble of undressing to go to bed—Not a single event has occurred worth detailing and I can only write you a short Letter as my shoulders are too stiff to admit of my saying any thing more than that we are alive and...
21From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
Some time in the early part of last month, I had the pleasure to write you a letter in answer to your favor of the 24th of March. The mail is so true that it never occurs to us to doubt the safe arrival of a letter when we know that it has been safely lodged in the post office; nor did that which I wrote leave any thing suspended leading me to look for an answer. My only reason for thus...
22From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
We came here in less than four hours. Found the riding much better than was expected & were not in the least incommoded by the rain. The Ply Stage was on wheels. We had Tea immediately after which Mr Hammatt left as being so anxious to join his family we could not persuad him to pass the night here. I find myself invigorated by the excursion, as is always the case after joining the society...
Although I have it not in my power to make this Letter in any manner interesting—yet I am So fullÿ confident of your good opinion, and your willingness to oblige me, that you will permit me, in acquitting me of a duty, by assuring you of my grateful Sense of your favour. This acknowledgment you might not doubt—but it is a pleasure to indulge it. It was however a higher gratification—as it was...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Smith Adams, 15 May 1817 (Adams 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,...
I am very happy to find by your Letter of the 7th that you are kind enough to be satisfied with my efforts to amuse you I am generally obliged to write in so great a hurry that I cannot attend to elegance of style and I believe I cannot always boast of writing sense—I am only guided by the current of my thoughts which frequently flow too rappidly to be perfectly rational—If however they enable...
We have arrived safely at this place after a fatiguing journey owing to the dust and extreme heat of the weather which nearly overcame me and produced so much fever by the time we reach’d New London we were apprehensive I should be incapable of proceeding as I found myself considerably better we took our passage in the Steam Boat at New London yesterday morning at 7. o-clock and reached New...
Mr. Adams’s business accumulates so rappidly and Genl. Jackson has cut out so much new and difficult work for the Government I despair of seeing you this year—Contrary to your idea Mr. Adams enjoys his health hitherto perfectly but I have totally lost the little share I possessed on my arrival in this Country as I now scarcely know what it is to be well two days together—my lungs are very much...
28From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 21 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
An alternation of six Stages, and six Steam-Boats finally landed us here yesterday afternoon, being the very day upon which I had promised to be here. The President had arrived here on Wednesday, and occupies the official mansion, where I had an interview with him last Evening—But the walls are fresh plaistered, and the wainscoting is new painted; and they render it so insalubrious for present...
29From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am very happy that you have favored me with a letter respecting Mr Smith. It increases the interest that I before took in his situation. I will not permit myself to believe that any recollections are cherished to his disadvantage, on account of that portion of his conduct as a youth to which you have alluded. It would not be simply unkind, but unjust. It would be cruel. I took great pleasure...
I hail this happy day—the Snow and rain can not lessen my enjoyment—I arose chearfully and thanked a bountiful God—when my Son delivered me your affectionate Letter, which giveth a new zest to my delightful feelings—you intended to assuage the heart rending pangs of Sorrow—which had been already Soothed by a Sense of religion—by the noble example of my amiable Daughter in Law—who has learned...