61Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 20 July – 6 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your two Letters of june 26 and july 2d came safe to hand together with the resolves which would gratify me if there was a sufficient stability in the Body which confer’d it to render it truly honorary, but the Letter of Janry. 10th strikes me very dissagreably and is highly tinctured with parissian influence. It bears a striking likeness of a servility to a court that ought not to have so...
62From Benjamin Franklin to James Lovell, 5 November 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress Upon the Receipt of yours, relating to Messrs Gouvernier & Curson, & Dr. Witherspoon, I wrote to a Correspondent in London to furnish them with what Money they might have Occasion for. The two former did not want any Assistance, the latter took 20 Guineas, which enabled him to come hither where he found a farther Credit from his Father. I shall always...
63Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 12 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
Will you forgive my so often troubling you with my fears and anxieties; Groundless as some of them have been they were real to me for a time, and had all the force of truth upon me. I most sincerely wish my present uneasiness may arise from as fi c ticious a cause as the former proved to be but from many circumstances I fear it will not. Tis near four months since the Boston saild, in all...
64From John Adams to James Lovell, 24 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Yours of 4 May is received—it is the first from Philadelphia. Mr. Mease and your Friend shall have all the attention and assistance I can give them. I thank you for sending the Journals by the Way of Braintree: but hope you will continue to send them from Phila. also. Your Plan of a Cypher I cannot comprehend—nor can Dr. F. his. You have made me very happy, by acquainting me with Proceedings...
65From George Washington to James Lovell, 16 October 1782 (Washington Papers)
I am extremely obliged by the information contained in yours of the 10th —I immediately forwarded your letters and the papers to Mr Morris by Express. I am convinced we have nothing to expect from Great Britain but what her necessities shall oblige her to give up—She is somewhat like a person in desperate circumstances—She can scarcely be in a worse condition and by persevering, something...
66Abigail Adams to James Lovell, February – March 1779 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of Jan’ry 19 never reachd me till the 26 of this Month. The only reason why I did not mention the recept of your Letter November 27 and acknowledge with thanks Mr. L ovel l ’s kind care and attention to the Box which arrived safe was oweing to my not receiving the least intimation of it, till after my Letter was sent to the post office. In reply to a certain congratulation, can...
67Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 24 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
I know not whether I ought to reply to your favour of April the first, for inded Sir I begin to look upon you as a very dangerous Man. It was a Saying of a very corrupt Statesman that every Man had his price, had Sir Robert Walpole impeachd mankind with a universal Love of Flattery I believe his assertion would have been more agreable to Truth, but I suppose he was judgeing others by his own...
68From George Washington to James Lovell, 16 September 1782 (Washington Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 9th instant solliciting my favor for acertain Mr George Joy with the Enemy. Should I be so happy as to enter N. York, so early as you mention is the Expectation of the people of Boston—which Event, to me, I must Confess does, not appear so promising as they seem to imagine—It will not be for me to determine upon the Merits or Demerits of Individuals, who may...
69From Benjamin Franklin to James Lovell, 30 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; copies: National Archives, Library of Congress; transcript: National Archives I have within these few Days received a Number of Dispatches from you which have arrived by the Mercury and other Vessels. Hearing but this Instant of an Opportunity from Bordeaux, and that the Courier Sets out from Versailles at 5 this Evening, I embrace it just to let you know that I have...
70From Benjamin Franklin to James Lovell, 7 October 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I receiv’d your Favour (without Date) communicating a Method of Secret Writing, for which I am oblig’d to you. I have since receiv’d yours of July 4. I was very sensible before I left America, of the Inconveniencies attending the Employment of Foreign Officers, and therefore immediately on my Arrival here I gave all the Discouragement in my Power to their...
71From John Adams to James Lovell, 16 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have received, Since my Arrival here, your Favour of the Sixteenth of November 1779. I shall take proper Notice of your Remarks upon the 19 and 13 Articles of the Treaty. They are, both of Importance and as to the last I wish for an Instruction upon it, because there is no doubt to be made, that whenever a Serious Negotiation shall be commenced, great Pains will be taken for the banished,...
72From John Jay to James Lovell, 27 October 1780 (Jay Papers)
Your Letter of the 11 July gave me much pleasure. There is a Degree of Ease and Cordiality in it which, as mere Letters of Business do not require, I am the more obliged to you for. It is true that I might write to Congress very often, indeed by every vessel, and there are many of them. But how are my Letters to get to the Sea Side? by the Post! They would be all inspected & many suppressed....
73Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 3 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
Where is my Friend Mr. L ovel l? Can he be an inhabitant of this world and inattentive to a Lady? Can he suffer Letters repeatedly to reach him and not deign a line in reply? Can he be so apsorbed in the Region of politicks as to have forgotten Social engagements? Snatch him some friendly Genius from the Region of torpitude, bear him hence Benevolence, he is your intimate acquaintance....
74Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 4 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
May I be permitted to call of your attention from the important and weighty concerns of State to answer me a Question in which I feel myself interested. I find by some late intelligence which I have collected that there is a New arrangement of the commissioners, Doctor Franklin being appointed Minister plenipotentiary for France, Mr. Lee for Spain. My query is where is my Friend to be placed?...
75Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 1 March 1778 (Adams Papers)
I am greatly allarmed and distressd at the intelligence from Bordeaux, with regard to Dr. Franklin, which if true must be attended with very serious consequences. I had just acquired fortitude sufficent to withstand the dangers of the Sea and open and avowed Enemies, but was not prepaird for the assassinateing knife of a Ravellick. —Is there no method that congress can take to chain these...
76From George Washington to James Lovell, 12 October 1781 (Washington Papers)
I h ave received your Favor of the 28th ulto Its Inclosures for Major Genl Greene, shall be forwarded to him, by the first good Conveyance. I am &c. DLC : Papers of George Washington.
77From John Adams to James Lovell, 7 December 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am this Moment finishing the Year, Since my last Arrival in Europe. And the dullest Year, it has been, that I ever Saw. I hope I shall never see Such another. The last Year has compleatly finished our Credit in Europe, Unless France and Spain should lend Us Money there is none to be had. As to the Olive Branch the Seed is not yet Sown which is to produce the Tree which will bear it. I have...
78From John Adams to James Lovell, 4 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have heard much of your Deliberations concerning a Peace—and you drop Hints to me, of Apprehensions of Negotiations in Europe. I hate these Innuendoes—pray Speak out, and tell me what you mean. Do you verily expect Peace? Do you seriously expect Negotiations for Peace? What is at stake for Britania? What will be the Consequence to her of American Independence? Is not the Empire of the Sea at...
79From John Adams to James Lovell, 10 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
By the last Post, I had the Pleasure of yours of August 20 and 24. It was not for Want of Affection, that I did not write particularly to you and to many other Gentlemen, but from Want of Time. And since my Arrival to this Time, I have been obliged to go to Boston, Cambridge &c., so often, my good old Town of Braintree having taken it into their Heads, upon my Arrival, to put me into the...
80From John Adams to James Lovell, 4 March 1780 (Adams Papers)
This will be deliverd you by Mr. Izard, who I Suppose, will lay open to you many Things relative to the State of our Affairs here. I Suppose, by what he has said, in plain English, that he will make a direct Complaint against Dr. F. I dont know this, but only by the Inferences that I draw. I Suppose Dr. F. and all his Friends here will expect this, from what has passed between them. My...
81Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 15 July 1779 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to Mr. S A—— the same day I received your Letter, but not a syllable of information have I yet collected from him. No Alliance yet arrived—it will afford me some releif to be scribling to somebody who will hear me, who will attend to me and answer my Queries, and tho Mr. L ovel l has heretofore wrote rather problematically with regard to the situation of my absent Friend I beg of him...
82Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 3 January 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of december 19 was deliverd me this day. I would not omit by this post to thank you for it, and for your confidential communications. I cannot however comprehend your Letter to my best Friend for want of the promised key. I am more reconciled to ambiguity and ciphers, than formerly, and not a little thankfull, that the Robberies have been committed now rather than twelve Months...
83Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 11 June 1780 (Adams Papers)
Your repeated favours of May 14, May 19 and 30 together with one bearing no date merrit my acknowledgement that amidst so great a Number of correspondents you should so often think of Portia. At the same time a sigh mingels with my gratitude that a Heart so benevolently disposed towards others whose life and Labours are so intirely devoted to the publick Service should have occasion for an...
84Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 23 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
And is there no medium Sir, between terms which might be misconstrued, and the cold formal adieu of mere ceremony tagd with a title. Your Sentimentilist as you are pleased to stile her prizes the Emanations of a pure and friendly Heart, before all the studied complasance of a finished courtier. Uncandid do you say? You never will find Portia so. When the character of the Statesman, the...
85Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 10 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
Upon opening your favour of April 17 my Heart Beat a double stroke when I found that the Letter which I supposed had reachd you was the one captured in the room of that you received which was what I had supposed lost, but I should have been secure from the knowledge of the writer if Mr. Cranchs Letter and one I wrote at the same time had not accompanied it. The Letter which I would not have...
86From John Adams to James Lovell, 13 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 24 Oct. is before me. I have received several Letters from you every one of which I have answered, and written you many more. But so many Vessells have been taken, that I fear many have miscarried. We have been totally in the dark about every Thing at Philadelphia, for a very long Space of Time, yet private Persons learnt all—untill the Address of Mr. Deane to the People, a...