Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 May 1800

Abigail Adams to John Adams

N York May 23 1800

my dearest Friend

I reachd this city in good Health last Evening I have not felt dissagreable at any place upon my Journey through absence of any Gentleman attendent, except at this North River I found a Boat just going off. with several Horses and chaises on Board, my own Carriage could not go. I saw none but Irishmen by their Tongues going on Board, decent looking people however. the ferryman appeard civil and what was of no small concequence, sober I call’d Richard & took him over with me. We had a Short passage of 15 minuets only, a brisk wind you may be sure. just after I got into the Boat, some person from the House run down with a Letter to me. it was from mrs Adams informing me that they had removed to No 30 Broad street—1 I landed, and hearing mr Hall lived near the ferry, I found the House, & mr Hall conducted me here.2 it is a clever House, and Sally & susan gave Me a cordial Welcome— Mr Adams was at his office.3 he came home in the Evening and appeard glad to See me, tho a good deal affected by it, inquired after your Health & talkd about the Election, said many similar things to those which you have already heard— the coalition which we heard of in Philadelphia had reachd this city. col B——s visit, his numerous confidential communications whilst at Philadelphia are believed by Many: You took him to your own Room & there a coalition of Parties took place— mr Madison too, is to be secretary of state in case of the refusal of Marshal4 I am told that col Burr has said, that col Smith was appointed to the place now held by mr Lassher. this gained so much credit, that mr Morris who is in the office of mr sands, and who is desirious of obtaining it, he told Mr Adams, that tho he thought he might entertain a reasonable hope of having the appointment from his Services in the office which he now held but he felt So much for col smith and his family that he should not open his Lips upon the occasion—5 there is a very general regreet exprest, for the col; he is considerd as the former of the troop’s as the chief hand in their order Decipline and regularity, and I really think if there is any opening to which he could be appointed it would not be considerd improper, unless by those who May themselves wish for it, and the number of those are pretty numerous— a military appointment is what he is peculiarly fitted for— I do not know what call there is for any officers of that description unless in the fortification Line—

Burrs report, I take to be for Mere political purposes— the Pardon of all the insurgents was unexpected here— it was generally Supposed that Fries would have been made an example of—6

There are many Picaroons in this city. Malcombe Says for Several days there was no opening ones mouth at the coffe House— I saw mr Sands & mr Giles the Marshall. they Made me a visit to day. they appeard much mortified at their late Election they say, that they urged Troupe LeRoy and others to permit themselves to be put up, but no, they would not. Troupe is devoted to P——g Lessher sent out all the antifeds he could pick up to vote against the federal Party.7 the report of much Moneys being expended is current—

Tomorrow morning I Shall persue my journey and hope to reach Quincy by tomorrow week—

I have got Thomas Books such as were packd on Board a vessel. inclosed is the Bill of lading8 write to me So that I may find a Letter at the post office at New Haven and at Hartford with a direction that the Letter remain in the office untill sent for by mrs Adams— I received mr shaws Letter & News paper to day—9 My Love to mr shaw I shall write to him Soon. I shall direct my Letters to Thomas care in Philadelphia when I find he has returnd to the city

with ~~renewed~~ constant Regard and affection / your

A A—

RC (Adams Papers); notation by CFA: “A. A. / May 23d. 1800.”

1. Not found.

2. The ferry from Paulus Hook, N.J., landed in New York City at Mesier’s Dock, which was near the 144 Washington Street home of Fitch Hall (Raymond J. Baxter and Arthur G. Adams, Railroad Ferries of the Hudson and Stories of a Deckhand, N.Y., 1999, p. 64; New York Directory, 1800, p. 218, Evans, description begins Charles Evans and others, American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America [1639–1800], Chicago and Worcester, Mass., 1903–1959; 14 vols.; rev. edn., www.readex.com. description ends No. 37844).

3. CA’s law office was in the U.S. Custom House at the lower end of Broadway (New York Directory, 1799, p. 148, Evans, description begins Charles Evans and others, American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America [1639–1800], Chicago and Worcester, Mass., 1903–1959; 14 vols.; rev. edn., www.readex.com. description ends No. 35740; Stokes, Iconography of Manhattan Island description begins I. N. Phelps Stokes, The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909, New York, 1915–1928; 6 vols. description ends , 3:974).

4. In May, rumors circulated that JA and Thomas Jefferson had formed a political alliance. On the 13th Gouverneur Morris noted in his diary, “It is said that Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Adams have made a Coalition,” and in a letter of the same date Theodore Sedgwick informed Alexander Hamilton that the removal of James McHenry and Timothy Pickering were “peace offerings” from JA to Jefferson. Rumors also spread that JA would appoint Democratic-Republicans to replace McHenry and Pickering and that Jefferson might withdraw from the presidential race. Senator James Gunn of Georgia told Morris that Aaron Burr was to be appointed secretary of war (Morris, Diaries description begins The Diaries of Gouverneur Morris, ed. Melanie Randolph Miller and Hendrina Krol, Charlottesville, Va., 2011–2018; 2 vols. description ends , 2:91; Hamilton, Papers description begins The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, ed. Harold C. Syrett, Jacob E. Cooke, and others, New York, 1961–1987; 27 vols. description ends , 24:482–484).

5. John Lasher (1726–1806) was a New York City merchant. He served as surveyor and inspector of the port of New York between 1784 and his resignation in 1800. For JA’s 24 June recess appointment of WSS to Lasher’s vacated post, see AA to JQA, 1 Sept., and note 1, below. William Walton Morris (1760–1832) served as one of the surveyors appointed to map western lands under the Northwest Ordinance (Washington, Papers, Presidential Series description begins The Papers of George Washington: Presidential Series, ed. W. W. Abbot, Dorothy Twohig, Jack D. Warren, Mark A. Mastromarino, Robert F. Haggard, Christine S. Patrick, John C. Pinheiro, David R. Hoth, and others, Charlottesville, Va., 1987– . description ends , 2:191; Marshall, Papers description begins The Papers of John Marshall, ed. Herbert A. Johnson, Charles F. Hobson, and others, Chapel Hill, N.C., 1974–2006; 12 vols. description ends , 4:168; Jay, Selected Papers description begins The Selected Papers of John Jay, ed. Elizabeth M. Nuxoll and others, Charlottesville, Va., 2010– . description ends , 4:653–654). For New York merchant Joshua Sands, see vol. 11:464.

6. JA solicited advice on 20 May in a joint letter to Charles Lee, Benjamin Stoddert, and Oliver Wolcott Jr., and the next day instructed Lee to prepare a pardon for Fries’ Rebellion leaders John Fries, Frederick Heaney, and John Gettman (all Adams Papers). JA further ordered the drafting of a proclamation pardoning all those involved, stating, “I must take on myself alone the responsibility of one more appeal to the humane and generous natures of the American People.” Lee prepared the proclamation later that day, and on 23 May JA issued “a full, free, and absolute pardon, to all and every person or persons concerned in the said insurrection” (Annals of Congress description begins The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States [1789–1824], Washington, D.C., 1834–1856; 42 vols. description ends , 7th Cong., Appendix, p. 1552–1553).

7. That is, Joshua Sands; Aquila Giles (1758–1822), a federal marshal for the state of New York; the lawyer and former federal judge Robert Troup; and Herman Le Roy, a merchant who had known the Adamses since the early 1780s (vols. 4:148, 9:276; Washington, Papers, Revolutionary War Series description begins The Papers of George Washington: Revolutionary War Series, ed. Philander D. Chase, Frank E. Grizzard Jr., Edward G. Lengel, David R. Hoth, and others, Charlottesville, Va., 1985– . description ends , 9:513–5–14; ANB description begins John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes, and Paul Betz, eds., American National Biography, New York, 1999–2002; 24 vols. plus supplement; rev. edn., www.anb.org. description ends ).

8. Enclosure not found.

9. Not found.

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 May 1800
Author: Adams, Abigail
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 23 May 1800

Reference

Cite as: “Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 May 1800,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-14-02-0139. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 14, October 1799 – February 1801, ed. Hobson Woodward, Sara Martin, Christopher F. Minty, Amanda M. Norton, Neal E. Millikan, Gwen Fries, and Sara Georgini. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2019, pp. 252–254.]

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