Adams Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-02-02-0030

To John Adams from Edward Hill, 29 July 1774

From Edward Hill

Boston July 29. 1774

Sir

Nothing could induce me to keep alive the remembrance of an affair which you will easily believe I wish might be forever forgotten, but the consideration of the importance it is of to me that my Character should stand fair in the opinion of a person with whom I have had, and in all probability am likely to have, such a connection as with you; and that no suspicion of my fidelity should remain in your mind to produce hereafter very disagreeable Consequences to both.

That any suspicion does at present remain I will not say; what determined me to write to you on this subject was a sight of some figures in your hand writing by which I perceived that you were at a loss to find any minute in the writ book of 10/4 part of the 13–8/ which I had received. I suppose that a thot might occur to you upon this, that I might have received monies without acknowledging the receipt in the book and who could tell how much? Yet a moment’s Reflection will convince you that a fraud of this Kind could not long be concealed. The person who pays the money must know to whom he pays it; what then could avail this trick? I must be responsible for what I had thus received. I could not plead a mistake—for tho’ I might forget to minute it, I could not say I forgot to pay you the money.

With respect to this sum of 10/4 I find in the list of Actions for April Term a minute of the receipt of it with the date in the Case of Gooch vs Stone.

Upon the whole Sir I take the liberty to say, that my fidelity to you has been uniform and constant; that, except the money in question, I never received a farthing to my knowledge that I did not immediately account to you for—that I never conceived the taking that money could any way injure you, as I believed my father would immediately repay it and he has since informed me that he intended to do it the day he went to Salem which was Wednesday. I am sorry the delay of it so far incommoded you; I am with much respect, yr very humbl. Servant,

EDW. Hill

RC (Adams Papers); docketed in JA’s hand: “Ed. Hall July 29 1774.”

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