1From John Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 August 1803 (Adams Papers)
Know all Men by these Presents, that We John Adams of Quincy in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Esquire, and Abigail Adams his Wife, In consideration of one Dollar to each of us paid by John Quincy Adams of Boston in the County of Suffolk & Commonwealth of Massachusetts aforesaid Esquire, the Receipt whereof We do hereby acknowledge and for diverse other good and...
I have delayed writing dear Madam longer than I intended, in the hope of giving you a more favorable account of Mr. Adams’s health, which has been extremely indifferent ever since his arrival. I was much surprized and grieved to see him look so ill when he return’d I thank God he is now better though I am apprehensive while he continues in public life there is little chance of his enjoying...
Your two letters of November I have received, and am rejoiced to find that you recover strength. I have suffered a great deal of anxiety of mind upon account of your indisposition. At times I feel as if I could fly almost to see you, and be with you. When I lose you, this world will appear to me a desert. I do not complain, but my mind has suffered much; perhaps I am too prone to anticipate...
4From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since your kind letter of the 11th: of last month, and was delighted to find you had so far recovered as to be able to write—Since then I have been informed by my brother and Mr: Shaw, that your health continued improving and I sincerely pray to the great disposer of Events that it may be entirely restored and long continued, for your own comfort and the happiness of us...
5From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I do not exactly recollect the date of my last Letter to you; but if it went safely you must have received it very shortly after the date of your favour of the 7th: which I received the evening before last. Indeed I am a little surprized that you had not received it before—By that you will find that in the frequency of my letters to my father and brother, I have not been forgetful of my dear...
I received your Kind letter of the 8th. inst. and was extremely sorry to hear of the indisposition of the President and your Son Your own health is I trust considerably mended and that you will soon be enabled to return to your usual avocations I am sorry to repeat what I said in my last regarding Mr. Adams’s health I have not it continues very bad and I am very apprehensive it will end in a...
Yours and the Presidents Company on the thirtieth to dine, will add Much to the pleasure of that day, in which Brattle Street Society will be again blessed with a Minister approved of without a dissenting Voice . As you once were Members there, I thought it would be pleasing to You—if So, I hope your State of health will be Such as to admit of Your gratifying us. The Solemn Ceremony commences...
8From Elizabeth Smith to Abigail Smith Adams, 23 January 1805 (Adams Papers)
In behalf of the kindest and best of Brothers I thank you my most respected Cousin for your kind attentions at this present time of affliction. I have known sorrow but none has equeall’d this, to be—to be brought to such an humbling situation by one who has always profess’d the most profound friendship is doubly agravating On Monday I thought it was more than human nature could bear,—but he...
I received your two kind letters a few days since and was much affected by the account of poor Louisa’s illness and the dreadful misfortune which has befallen Mr. Smith and family our much esteem’d friends. too well am I enabled by sad experience to participate in their affliction on my first entrance into what is called the world I learnt this painful lesson and though I was shielded from the...
We have been under the necessity of delaying our journey a few days on account of the marriage of Harriet which took place on thursday evening at eight o’clock since which I have been so much engaged with company and preparations for my departure It has not been in my power to write you untill this morning—We propose leaving this place on Tuesday morning and shall probably reach Quincy in...
11From Ann Quincy Packard to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 March 1805 (Adams Papers)
And her only child! my Dear Madam from her heart thanks you, for the kind consoling letter, recieved a few days since. You Madam, who knew so long, and so intimately, my Dear Parent, will believe I am a mourner; but to those who did not, to say I am deeply wounded by the loss, would seem like regreting; the sun had set at its accustomed hour; or that the rich abundance of autumn, was succeeded...
12From William Stephens Smith to Abigail Smith Adams, 10 August 1805 (Adams Papers)
Agreable to your wish, expressed some months past, Mrs: Smith, accompanied by Miss Caroline and Our son William, pay you a visit, I lament that it is not in my power to accompany them, but agreable to the old tune, I cannot leave my post, as Besides the paper War is recommencing, and as We are threatned with a broad side, I must recive it, & proceed to action, against the Clintonian...
I was much disappointed My Dear Madam in not having it in my power to see you again before we went to Newport & also in not calling on Mrs J Adams & Miss Johnston to have renewed my invitation to them that they would give us the pleasure of a visit this summer. I regret that I did not see them the day we were at Quincey; Delays are dangerous. Court held at Boston till Friy eveg prier to its...
14From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
As our driver is about to return, I take the opportunity to inform you that we arrived here safely last Evening, and found a Packet, ready to sail, and waiting only for us—Mr: Otis is here also, and goes on with us—We are all well, excepting Mrs. Adams and Eliza, whose coughs are very troublesome— We are to go on board the Packet at 9 o’clock this morning; the weather is as fine as possible;...
I will thank you to tell Mrs. Cranch to give George a couple of teaspoonfuls of Castor oil and to give continue the black powders about three weeks longer repeating the dose of Castor oil at the end of six days Kiss them both for me and believe me dear Madam / your affectionate MHi : Adams Papers.
16From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
We embarked at Providence on Tuesday morning, as I wrote you we purposed to do; and after a tolerably pleasant passage of three days and Nights arrived here the day before yesterday about noon; much to the satisfaction of my Sister and her children, who have thus reached the end of their Journey. But we for our part have accomplished not more than one half of ours; and we have taken Seats in...
17From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
This morning I had the satisfaction of receiving your kind letter of the 21st: ulto: which partly relieved me from the anxiety occasioned by the letter of a previous date from my brother, mentioning your illness and confinement—The weather has of late been so remarkably fine and mild in this quarter that I hope its benign influence has been extended to your regions, and has restored you...
After a pleasant although extremely fatiguing journey we have safely arrived at Mrs. Hellens were we found all the family in good health and spirits Mr. Adams’s health is much improved and he has gain’d flesh on the journey but I much fear that the exercise he takes will prove too much and again reduce him to his former state of debility- My spirits and health have both been very indifferent...
None but an affectionate Sister, can tell how much I was gratified, to recognize your well known hand, & to find you able to offer a tribute of gratitude, in the congregation of the living, to that Being, who has so kindly raised you from sickness, & restored you to the dear companion of your youth, the Children of your Love, & the anxious trembling friends of your Heart. You say, you were...
20From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
I received some days ago your kind favour of the 29th: of last month; and since then my brother’s letter of the 4th. instt:—from the last of which I am made happy by the information that you and my children are well I have occasionally forwarded packets containing the documents which have been communicated to us from the President, and others which have occurred since the Commencement of the...
21From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
Your kind letter of the 17th: instt:—together with that of my brother dated the day before has occasioned me some anxiety respecting the health of my dear George—I shall be uneasy untill I hear from you again respecting him, for from the manner in which you both mention him I could not avoid an apprehension that he was more unwell than you were willing to tell us—If you could so arrange it as...
22From Thomas Jefferson to John Quincy Adams, 31 December 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson requests the favour of Mr. & Mrs. Adams. to dine with him on Saturday the 4th. Jany. at half after three. The favour of an answer is asked. MHi : Adams Papers.
I received with joy your letter of the eighteenth a few days since as I had suffer’d considerable anxiety at not hearing any thing of my children it is true I have no right to urge any one on this subject but having been compelled to leave them I cannot command my feelings and must trust to your kindness to let me hear frequently— I am very sorry to hear that George still continues subject to...
24From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 January 1806 (Adams Papers)
The first thing I look for in all the letters I receive from Quincy, is that which relates to our children, who cannot speak for themselves, and both of whom we left indisposed, and when I find that they are well, I feel myself relieved thus far, and only hope that the rest of the letter may contain information equally pleasing, of all the other persons in whose welfare I am so deeply...
I will not, I dare not, stop to think how long it is, since I have written to my Dear Sister, but hope she has been favoured with as good a state of health, through this winter, as she enjoyed in the course of the former part of the year, & that each dear & valuable branch of her household, have had a large share of a blessing, which those who are deprived of health, especially, know to be...
26From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 14 March 1806 (Adams Papers)
It is so long since I have had one hour of leisure that I could appropriate to correspondence with my friends at Quincy and Boston, that I am fearful you will impute to some other cause the length of the interval between my letters—My health however has been gradually improving ever since I left you, and on the whole has been better through the Winter, than for two years before.—A variety of...
27From Eliza Susan Morton Quincy to Abigail Smith Adams, 6 April 1806 (Adams Papers)
By the last mail, I had the honour, and the pleasure, to receive your most acceptable letter—To be indeed remembered by you, and with so much distinction, was what I had rather hoped , than expected. Yet it was an hope, so flattering to my pride, and so grateful to some better feelings, that it had been fondly cherish’d, and had served to brighten many of the hours since we parted. I was made...
28From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 April 1806 (Adams Papers)
We are again permitted to return home in good health, after having passed as pleasant a winter as the times would permit. Mr Cushing was confined to his room three weeks with a great cold, attended with a slight fever, but his spirits were good even at that time, & he saw company every day. He attended Court 19th. Feby & on the 22nd. sat near seven hours without once leaving the bench, with as...
It has been a cold backward Spring, & Abby could not get abroad as I wished, she has a great deal of pain in her side yet, but I think her feverish habit abates, if her appetite was but good I should be greatly encouraged, & hope she would soon be as well as ever—I am rejoiced to hear Mrs Foster has a Daughter, & comfortable, from what you wrote, I was greatly concerned about her. Mrs Norton &...
A few days since I recieved your very obliging letter in which you mention having procured the articles I wrote for and for which I return you many thanks. I am much distressed at the idea your letter seems to convey of want of respect or attention to Mrs. Cranch it has ever been my most ardent desire so to conduct myself to every branch of your family as not only to merit their esteem but...