1To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 10 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
A packet boat is arrivd from Jamaica which saild from thence the 29th Jany. with accounts of Fort Omoa being again in the possession of Spain, and that one of our Men of War has taken a Spanish Ship of War bound to that quarter of So America with Stores. She was piercd for 64 Guns but carryd only 52. The Jamaica fleet saild the 24th. Jany. Convoyd rather slightly only with a force of about two...
2To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 28 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
A Vessel from N York to Liverpoole which saild the 24th. June, brings advice that Clinton had got back to that quarter and gone up the No. River with 10,000 Men and several small boats. About a month ago an intimate friend shewd letters from that General mentioning that his intention was to try if Washingtons lines were forcible; I make no doubt this is the scheme he is upon—He will most...
3To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 28 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am obligd to You for a letter the 14th Instant. My writing to You is from the motive of making You acquainted from time to time with any material movement or particular news from this quarter, which may be interesting or serving in any way the business you are engagd in; Your particular situation must put it out of your power to write when even you may wish to do so, and I by no means expect...
4To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 23 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am without any of your favours for some time. Not a word of news to write about that concerns your country. We English yet think that the Mynheers will trukle to, and we are even so idle as to suppose Russia will be with us. Four mails are due from Holland, and we are extreemly anxious for the Answer to our memorial. If it is possible to get it before it comes out in the foreign news papers,...
5To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 20 March 1782 (Adams Papers)
I am just arrivd here from London, and instead of personally waiting upon You I make so free as to send a messenger with this and its inclosure together with a few late News Papers. I have a matter of publick moment to mention to You; As well as to speak to a private affair of consequence to myself which will I think lead me in a very few days to Dr. F at Paris. My present purpose is to beg...
6To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 22 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am thankful for your favor and its inclosure of the 15th Instant. I hope my parcells go regularly for I never omit to put them in the common conveyance. Let me know if the present rupture will make any alteration. When you write Mr. W.S.C. you are requested not to direct but only mark the letter thus X on the seal part, and put it under a Cover directed to Mr. Stockdale Bookseller Piccadilly...
7To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 10 November 1780 (Adams Papers)
Nothing material occurring, I did not write you on the last post day. Things were then in a train for other communications and I am in hopes to add something to this letter in the Evening before I seal it, from our friend. Mr. S ear les letter and some late ones from home via Nantes got to Him. Mr. L——ns treatment remaind with usual and unabated rigour till the 8th Instant. His Son and Mr....
8To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 8 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
It has been some Weeks since I have heard from you and indeed near a month since I wrote myself. You may easily suppose the cause, and that I had nothing material to communicate. In a former letter you mentiond to me your willingness to help Captains M——y or C——m to some pecuniary aid should they need it. The long confinement of these brave and unfortunate men makes every small donation...
9To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 9 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
London 9 January 1781. RC Adams Papers . printed : Digges, Letters Letters of Thomas Attwood Digges , ed. Robert H. Elias and Eugene D. Finch, Columbia, S.C., 1982. , p. 348–349. This letter, written “Tuesday night late,” quoted verbatim an account of the French attack of 6 Jan. on the Island of Jersey that appeared in the London Gazette Extraordinary of Tuesday, 9 Jan., but see also a report...
10To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 11 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
My long silence has not been owing to any want of regard or attention to you, but has been solely occasiond by the imprudence and folly of some young men, whose conduct has produced a general hunt after Amns., the stoppage of letters, seizure of baggage &c. &c.—and it seems as if it would never have an end. The last who went from here Mr. W arren may have explaind in part what has happend. I...
11To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 26 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
I expected when I gave you the last West Inda. accounts the 9th. Instant that my next would be some thing about America but we have yet not a tittle from that quarter which bears the face of authenticity. The Inclosd Gazette account from Rodney is all we have new, and even Englishmen who think rightly are by no means pleasd with the account altho the writer has stiled it a defeat of the French...
12To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 23 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
Since the sailing of Adml Barrington there has been much surprise and speculation as to His destination, and an express just arrivd from Plymouth announces that a few days ago and not many leagues off Brest one of His look out frigates the Artois Cap McBride fell in with an outward Bound India Fleet of 4 line of Battle ships (two armed en flute) and about 20 sail of Transports, four of which...
13To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 8 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 17 with an inclosure to JT, as well as one of the 27th both got safe which was particularly satisfactory, as a friend who is now a fellow Citizen of yours and who left me about the 24th Ultimo may have before now explaind. He could explain to You every thing that I for the present wish explaind. Things are not worse, but insults and aggravation increase. Nothing can exceed the...
14To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 25 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you the 22d (by a friend Mr. S. H——l——y) nothing material has transpird and the arrival of news by a small Vessel from Boston to Bristol has not removd in any measure the gloom on the generality of countenances here in consequence of the late disaster to the outward bound East and West India Fleet. Tho I have seen J ohn T emple we have no exact accounts by this vessel to Bristol....
15To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 12 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
All your favours to the 27 ultimo and particularly that with a disagreeable inclosure came safe to hand, and I should be glad to know the parcells I forward get safe. I have attended regularly to your order, and they go by every post. I have no news to relate to you. Were I to attempt to describe the present dispositions and folly of us Englishmen it would fill pages. The opinion that America...
16To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 10 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since my letter of the 6th there has been no material incident relative to Mr. H. L——s Commitment; nor is the rigour of his confinement abated. No person whatever can speak to Him but in hearing and sight of the two attending Messengers. It is said the Secy. of States order will produce admittance to his room, but nothing else. Some of his torey relations, and a Mr. Manning a Merchant of the...
17To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 20 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
The close confinement of our friend and the denyal of all visits, the use of pen, ink and Paper, as well as all newspapers, still continues with unabated rigour. No person but His Son accompanyd by Mr. Manning has yet found way to Him, and these have been peremptorily refusd a second visit. It now appears that Government find him nothing but His furnishd appartments, Mr. L ordering his own...
18To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 6 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am thankful for your late favor and shall send you the Books desird by first opportunity. Mr. Henr. Laurens was brought to Town last night, rather in better health. He was lodgd that night in the Messengers House in Scotland Yard, and denyd all sort of communication with his friends—or those who wishd to speak to Him. He was Examined at noon at Lord G. Germains and committed by a Warrant of...
19To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 27 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
Your last is of the 25 Sepr. Mr. W.S.C. lately got the annexd note —it is Sent for your government. No news but what you will read in the papers as soon as this Letter—A great portion of the people here are hurt and as much astonishd as You can be at the treatment Mr. L—— has met with—the rigour is no ways abated. This, with Lord Cornwallis’s military Executions and cool butchery of...
20To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 7 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since my letter of the 3d. a Gazette Extraordinary, has announcd the arrival of dispatches from Adl. Digby, who is returnd with the fleet and spanish prizes from Gibraltar, and brought in with him a french 64 Gun Man of War and three store ships bound under Her Convoy from L’Orient to the East Indies. The French and Spaniards seem lately to have been totally unadvisd as to the movements of...
21To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 2 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I wrote You from Ostend the 27th Ulo and stated what I had done with Dr. F. I arrivd here the last mail day but too late to look about me and to write so fully as I could have wishd. I found the intire kick up of the great ones to make much noise and to give universal pleasure. As the Parliament is not setting no fixd measure of the new people is yet talkd of and the reports are various and...
22To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 14 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am obligd to You for the Book forwarded me by Mr. L–g–n, but unfortunately there is a sheet wanting in the most material part of it, that of the description and powers to the Senate, from Page 16 to 25 the leaves are wanting or rather page 17 to 24 inclusive. This however is of no material consequence as the book is but the report and not the Established new Constitution of the...
23To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 26 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have had a sight of yours of the 15th, 17, and 18th Instant and am thankful for their inclosures. Whenever any publications worth notice, come to Your hands, send them in like manner and they will find immediate insertion here. The Courant being now the most generally read paper for early American intelligence, I constantly give the American papers to the publisher of that paper, and at any...
24To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 17 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since my letter of the 12th. We have no arrivals from Ama., or any thing new but what will be mentiond below. I am anxious to know if my letter to you of the 8th or 7th of last month got to your hands. The Behaviour of the Bearer of it to Ostend, who has been some days idling about London gives me strong suspicion that He did not do with the letter what He promisd me. I am uneasy about Him...
25To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 28 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
I attend to what you mention by Capt. C. the 15th. Instant, and have in consequence, some days ago shippd for Ostend, in a box marked A, with a card direction to Monsr. Frs. Bowens Merchant there , sundry pamphlets and papers as you require; and have written to Mr. B to forward it on in the manner He may think safest, and to hereafter attend to any other parcels I may send in the same way. It...
26To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 14 November 1780 (Adams Papers)
Your favors of the 28th ultimo and 7th Instant came both to hand since mine of the 10th and I began from yesterday to forward the two news papers as directed. You need not apologise for any trouble given me of this sort, for I shall be always glad to serve You. The Books you request in both these last letters will be forwarded by a Ship to Amsterdam to sail in a few days; there are other...
27To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 29 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Since my letter by Mr. Barnet (who was Capn. and supercargoe of a Ship of Chamonts taken and carryd into Ireland) of the 8th. Instant, I have put in the common conveyance two letters for you the 10th. and 23d. Instant, which I hope reachd your hands. A freind going to Holland promises to put this in the first Post Office abroad. Since my last, there has been nothing whatever from America, nor...
28To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 15 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
We are all so very busy in Election bustles that hardly anything political is talked of. The Ministry seem to be going on swimingly in getting in Creatures of their own so that their majority in the next will be more decided than in the last Parliament. The Poll has ended for the City and the members are Hayley, Kirkman, Bull, and Newnham. The last tho a Torey beat Sawbridge by 79 Votes....
29To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 3 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am sorry to inform You that Mr. Heny. Lawrens and two other Amn. Gentlemen Prisoners in England. They were taken in a small packet on the banks of New foundland about 24 days ago and sent to St. Johns, where Admiral Edwards thought the capture so important as to immediately dispatch the Vestal Frigate Capt. Keppell with them, and the mail which was also taken, to England. Mr. Adams Laurens...
30To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 2 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
You will have read, before this can reach you, the Gazette account of the Chas. Town Expedition; which is universally esteemed here rather a disagreeable account for Government, and plainly indicative of very great doubts if Clinton will succeed or not. I am perswaded by all I can hear He will be a second time disgraced and baffled in his attempts on that place. A parcell containing Pamphlets...