61From John Adams to James McHenry, 16 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed are Letters from Colo. Rice, Lt. Soper, and from General Knox and Mr. HG Otis—which I pray you to file with all other applications of Similar natures. Mr. Henry Sargent appears a very respectable Man— MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
62From John Adams to James McHenry, 18 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
As we have taken Capt. Chandler & Lieut. Flagg from the volunteer company of cadet Infantry of Worcester in Massachusetts into the regular army, other officers must be appointed: Thomas Denny Capt. Nathan Felton Lieut. Enoch Flagg second lieutenant are recommended to me by the company and others as suitable characters for the officers & I pray you to send their commissions accordingly as soon...
63From John Adams to James McHenry, 24 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
The recommendations of Laurance Butler to be Major in case Mr. Morgan should ultimately refuse his appointment received in your favor of the 16th which I received last night from Gen. Washington. Gen Morgan and Mr. Mede are quite sufficient to authorize me to consent to Mr Butlers appointment. I return the recommendations & inclose a letter of the 20th from John Lillie which I recommend to...
64From John Adams to James McHenry, 26 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I enclose you a letter from Mr Jonathan Allen one of our most federal clergymen & a certificate from the medical society of Vermont in favor of Dr Benjamin Walker as a surgeon. Dr Walkers appearance justifies the recommendation. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
65From John Adams to James McHenry, 27 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed are letters from Gen Lincoln Col Rice & Mr. Noble I am &c MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
66From John Adams to James McHenry, 28 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Tracy and Mr Swift and the other testimonies in your letter of the 22d are sufficient to justify the list of appointments in the 13th regiment which you have sent me, which list with all the papers I return. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
67From John Adams to James McHenry, 30 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 24th & have no objections to the proposed laboratory except that government is to be removed next year to Washington which perhaps you had forgotten. If this is no objection in your mind it will not be any in mine.—Inclosed is a note from Col Leonard recommending his nephew Charles Leonard to be an officer in the marine corps. Upon second thoughts I believe,...
68From John Adams to James McHenry, 2 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return Mr. Tracy’s letter as you desire in yours of the 27th Both Badger and Tracy recommended as subaltern officers are wholly unknown to me I am disposed to give great attention to the recommendation of Mr Tracy the Senator and Col Taylor, but if there is any considerable difference of sentiment about the appointment, among the gentlemen of Connecticut, perhaps it might be wise to write to...
69From John Adams to James McHenry, 5 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return the inclosures in your letter of 29th May. I know of no reason why Lt. James Sterit should not succeed to the vancy created by the death of Capt Demlar. The other papers, which I have read with pleasure require no comment from me. With great regard MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
70From John Adams to James McHenry, 5 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return Col. Ogdens letter inclosed in yours of 28 Ult. & have no objection to the appointment of Wm: J Anderson as you propose. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
71From John Adams to James McHenry, 5 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of 27 May & have read the inclosures. The discipline of the army will require no doubt the punishment of death for desertion in many cases, & none perhaps will deserve it more, than that of Richard Hunter, & I should not hesitate to sign the warrant for his execution serious as is the act of depriving a fellow of his life—But I wish to know, whether the officers who...
72From John Adams to James McHenry, 13 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return you the papers inclosed in your letter of the 1st. I have carefully read the proceedings of the court martial on Ensign David Fero It will be necessary for the legislature at their next session to make some provisions for cases of standing mute. The best possible jurisprudence in this case in my opinion is, to order the refusal to plead, to be recorded & then proceed to tryal in all...
73From John Adams to James McHenry, 19 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return you the selection of two majors from North Carolina & that of officers for South Carolina and Georgia with the letter of Genls Pinckney & Washington with that of Mr Steele. I am satisfied with these recommendations and approve the selections.—I return the proceedings of the court martial in the cases of the deserters. The absolute necessity of examples in such cases as that of Richard...
74From John Adams to James McHenry, 24 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of the 18th and have read Count read Rumford’s letter to Mr. King. For five or six years past I have been attentive to the character of this gentleman, and have read some of his essays. From these, I have formed an esteem for his genius, talents, enterprise & benevolence, which will secure him from me, in case of his return to his native Country, a reception as kind...
75From John Adams to James McHenry, 24 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return the letters of Gen. Pinckney and your answers inclosed in yours of 17th. There is no occasion for any comments on my part. I cannot refrain however from expressing a high gratification in the intelligence activity and zeal exhibited by the Gen. and my entire satisfaction with your answers. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
76From John Adams to James McHenry, 28 June 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received yours of the 20th & return the letter of Gen. Pinckney & Capt Taylors report & readily consent to the exchange of names proposed by the General MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
77From John Adams to James McHenry, 1 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your two letters of 25 June and return you all the papers inclosed.—If you believe Fonda has a shade in his favor, you are at liberty to appoint him. He is to me a stranger. Fowler has been presented to me as an old officer and a man of property. I have read all the recommendations & approve of your list for the 7th. 8 & 9 regiments. If any of the surgeon’s mates should refuse...
78From John Adams to James McHenry, 1 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return you the recommendations inclosed in your favor of the 25th of June & approve of the medical appointments, proposed by you and authorize you to make the necessary substitutions as you desire. Indeed in capacity double at least, you are better qualified to judge in these cases than MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
79From John Adams to James McHenry, 5 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
Last night I received the two letters inclosed dated Natchez 2d May & 10th August from David Fero, ensign third regiment. I pray you to inform me if you have any official information, relative to the subject, & to report to me your opinion what is proper to be done. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
80From John Adams to James McHenry, 7 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
As It is an excellent Principle for every Man in public Life, to magnify his office and make it honourable I admire the Dexterity with which you dignify yours by representing an Army and means adequate to its Support as the first thing necessary to make the nation respected. Genius in a General is oftener, an Instrument of divine Vengeance, than a Guardian Angell. Stoddert I warrant you,...
81From John Adams to James McHenry, 13 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of the 8th of this month, & have read the letter from Major General Hamilton & the proceedings of the court martial in the case of Joseph Perkins. All circumstances considered I think this instance the least capable of a pardon of any, which has been laid before me. I have thought, it my duty to sign the warrant for his execution, & return it inclosed with all the...
82From John Adams to James McHenry, 13 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of the 6th & have examined the list of officers & read all the recommendations. In the fourteenth regiment I think John Hastings must be appointed Capt and if he refuses Beale. I am glad to find the gentlemen on the list have so good recommendations. I own however I have some doubts whether, Beale and Shaw have not superior pretensions to Mackay, notwithstanding the...
83From John Adams to James McHenry, 19 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I agree with you, in your opinion expressed in your favour of the 12th, that both an Army and Navy Establishment is essential to the present and future Interests & Greatness of the United States and that We must run the Risks which other Nations have run. It appeared to me that Offices were created and salaries made necessary in the Plan for supplying the Army, which would require the...
84From John Adams to James McHenry, 19 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 12th, & have considered the opinions of the heads of departments. I wish that courts martial may be advised to be as cautious as possible, in all their proceedings, especially in cases of life, because the discipline of the army will depend much upon this habit. But the crime of Richard Hunt is of so deep a die, that I have not seen my way clear to avoid the...
85From John Adams to James McHenry, 20 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 13th and am perfectly satisfied with the disposition you have made of Ensign David Fero & hope we shall have no father trouble about him. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
86From John Adams to James McHenry, 22 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
On Saturday Dr. Waterhouse made me a visit & introduced Dr Lyman Spalding whose appearance justifys the character given him in the inclosed letter. I believe we shall not find a more proper appointment. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
87From John Adams to James McHenry, 23 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I am so continually entertained with applications to be chaplains & surgeons, that I pray you to give me some idea of your designs upon this important subject. Inclosed is a letter from Dr. Blake. Be so good as to send me a list of the twelve candidates to be Surgeons of Col Rice’s regiment. Are we to appoint regimental surgeons or only hospital surgeons? MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
88From John Adams to James McHenry, 23 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I return the recommendations inclosed in your letter of 18th, received last night & agree to the list of appointments. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
89From John Adams to James McHenry, 26 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed letter is from a very respectable Senator of our State, to a gentleman, whom you know to be as respectable as any of our best federalists. Application has been made to me by Dr. Hunt, another of our Senators and a man of the most worthy & independent character. Our North Hampton is the very reverse of its namesake in Pensylvania. It has produced some of our very best characters &...
90From John Adams to James McHenry, 27 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have recd your favour of the 20th. and have no Objection to the plan you propose of raising a Company of Cavalry.—“Our means”! I never think of our means without shuddering! All the Declamations as well as Demonstrations of Trenchard & Gordon, Bolingbroke Bernard & Walpole, Hume, Burgh and Burke, rush upon my Memory and frighten me out of my Witts. The system of Debts and Taxes is levelling...