Two Days ago, I was favoured with your polite and elegant Letter of January 22. I have received so many of your Letters, within a few Months, containing such important Matter, in So masterly a style, that I am ashamed to confess I have answered but one of them, and that only with a few Lines. I beg you would not impute this omission to Inattention, Negligence, or Want of Regard, but to its...
2From John Adams to James Warren, 25 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
This Express carries a new Plan of an Army. I hope the General Court without one Moments delay will Send Commissions to whole Corps of their Officers, either by Expresses or Committees to New York and Ticonderoga, that as many Men may be inlisted without delay as possible. It may be best to send a Committee with full Powers to each Place. There is no Time to be lost. I inclose you a sett of...
3Enclosure: Account of Adams’s Expenses: State of Massachusetts Bay to John Adams, 9 January 1777 – 15 January 1778 (Adams Papers)
Dr. £ s d 1777 To Cash Spent from my leaving Home the 9. Jany. 1777 to my Return 27. Novr 1777 exclusive of every Article of Cloathing and exclusive of a Bll flour sent to my family from Baltimore. 312: 14: 0 To Cash paid my servant for Wages and Expences, by Mrs. Adams 7: 16: 8 To Cash due to Mr. Sprout for Board one Week at £4 Pen. currency 3: 4: 0 To Cash due to Mr. Smith for his Account 1: 12:
4From John Adams to James Warren, 12 August 1777 (Adams Papers)
I see by the Papers, our Assembly is called, and conclude it is now Sitting. The Letters we receive from G. Schuyler, are enough to frighten any Body who does not know him. G eneral W ashington Says that all the Regiments from N.H. and M.B. are at the Northward and yet, Schuyler tells Us he has not above 4000 Men. I hope this Matter will be investigated. I believe Gates will find greater...
5From John Adams to William Gordon, 31 August 1777 (Adams Papers)
The loss of Ty is in a train of serious enquiry. Altho this disaster for the present is grievous, yet I think it has put Burgoyne into our power, and I hope he will not be suffered to slip out of it. Mr Howe has planned his operations in such a manner, as to give us a vast advantage, both of him and Burgoyne. He is at the head of Elke about 55 miles from this city. Genl Washington is at...
6From John Adams to James Warren, 6 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
Dr. Jackson, by whom this will go, is a Manager of the State Lottery, and is bound to the New England states, to forward the Sale of the Ticketts. He wishes to be recommended to proper Persons for the Purpose. If you can assist him with your Advise you will do a public service. I can give you no News—but the Skirmish at Spanktown. This State of Pensilvania, have at last compleated their...
7From John Adams to Samuel Freeman, 27 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of 25 March I duely received. The Plan of riding you mention, between Boston and Falmouth, appears to me, reasonable enough, but the Committee will not incline to take upon themselves, Regulations of that kind of which they cannot be so good Judges, at this Distance as the Post Masters who are nearer. My Advice would be for Mr. Hastings, Mr. Libby and yourself, to confer upon this...
8From John Adams to Nathanael Greene, 2 June 1777 (Adams Papers)
Yours of 28 Ultimo is before me. It is certain that Religion and Morality, have no less obligation upon Armies, than upon Cities and contribute no less to the Happiness of Soldiers than of Citizens. There is one Principle of Religion, which has contributed vastly to the Excellence of Armies, who had very little else of Religion or Morality, the Principle I mean is the Sacred obligation of...
To the Honourable the Council of the State of Massachusetts Bay. May it please your Honours I find myself under a Necessity of resigning my Appointment to a Seat in the Superior Court; and I do accordingly hereby resign it, and request that Some other Gentleman may be forthwith appointed to that most honourable and important Station. I am your Honours most obliged and obedient humble Servant...
10From John Adams to Unknown, 27 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
I think it is Montesqueiu, who, Somewhere observes, that the English of Charles’s days were perpetually bewildered in their Pursuit of a Republic, for being themselves extreamly corrupt, they Sought, in vain for that pure and disinterested Principle upon which, alone, a Commonwealth can Stand. The Principle of Republican Government, is as little understood in America, as its Spirit is felt....
11From John Adams to James Warren, 5 October 1776 (Adams Papers)
Yours of September 19. came duely to Hand. You have raised every fifth Man to march to New York. But to what Purpose, Should you send forth Your Thousands and Tens of Thousands of Men, if they are all to run away from the Enemy when they come in Sight of them? If whole Brigades, Officers and Men are to run away, as Fellows’s and Parsons’s did on the fifteenth of September, throwing away their...
12From John Adams to William Tudor, 11 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 7th. instant, I just received. Am glad to find the Post begins to do its Duty, and that Intelligence, is like to be more regular. I doubt, whether the Enemy have at Amboy and Brunswick So many as near 10,000 Men. But are they not posted in Smaller Numbers at other Places? Cannot these Places be attacked or Surprised? We must continually harrass them. As to their marching to...
13From John Adams to James Warren, 18 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
There is a Part of your Letter of 22 of Feb. which I did not remark upon in a Letter I wrote this Afternoon and Sent to the Post Office. It relates to our Navy, a Subject which has ever lain near my Heart. It is of the last and highest Importance to Us. If there has been any Negligence, in the marine Department, I am Sorry for it: I have heard continual Complaints for a great while: But...
14From John Adams to Unknown, 28 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
We are now very near the Month of May, and the Enemy, are in the Midst of Us. They have an Army, in Canada, another in Rhode Island another in New York and the Jersies, which will enable them to take the Field, much earlier, than they did last Year. Where is our Army, to oppose them? General Washington, has but a Small one, with him. At Ticonderoga, by Letters received this day from General...
15From John Adams to James Warren, 2 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
Dr. Brownson, a Delegate from Georgia, in Congress, and a worthy, Spirited, sensible Man A Native of Connecticutt will deliver you this. He will be able to tell you much News, because he intends a circuitous Journey by Albany, and the New Hampshire Grants who have lately made themselves a state to Boston. The British Daemons have received a little Chastizement in Connecticutt. RC ( MHi...
16From John Adams to James Warren, 21 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
It is not easy to penetrate the Designs of the Enemy. What Object they have in View, cannot certainly be determined. Philadelphia, most probably and Albany. They have near Ten thousand Men in the Jersies, at Brunswick, Amboy, Bonamtown, and Piscataqua: the two last Posts, are very near their main Body. I think, but may be mistaken, that they will not hazard, an Attempt upon this City, or...
17From John Adams to Henry Laurens, 4 February 1778 (Adams Papers)
I had this Moment the Honour of yours of the 15. Ultimo and I thank you for your Kindness to Mr. Thaxter of whom I had not before heard, Since he left this Place. The Act of Congress inclosed in your Letter, I will take with me to Europe, for which Country I hope to embark in five Days in the Boston Frigate, not without Regret at having been delayed So long. I shall make out Six Copies of the...
18From John Adams to James Lovell, 6 December 1777 (Adams Papers)
Your kind Favours of 14 and 18 Novr. I received together, this Evening. I thank you, for your obliging Remembrance of me, and for your entertaining Anecdotes. Is there not Ground of Suspicion, that the Standards, Trophys, and other things, are concealed among, the Officers Baggage? But by the Convention Burgoignes Honour is to be relyed on, that nothing improper Shall be So concealed. A broken...
19From John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 9 December 1777 (Adams Papers)
Some day next Week Mr. John Thaxter, will Sett off, on his Journey for York Town. You may remember, the Want of Secretaries and Clerks, which We suffered before I came away, and that I agreed to send you one or more. Mr. Thaxter is of a good Family, was educated at H. Colledge, and has Spent three Years in the study of the Law in my office, and was last Summer Admitted to the Bar. You may...
20From John Adams to James Lovell, 6 February 1778 (Adams Papers)
I have received, this Morning, by several Hands and at other Times during the last Week, Several of your Favours. I will endeavour to acknowledge each if I can but if I should mistake in my Hurry and omit, one or two I hope you will excuse it. One of Jany 1. one of Jany. 17. one of Jany 21. one of Jany. 20. with their Enclosures. I will, do all I can to ensure a Passage for the Resolution of...
21From John Adams to James Warren, 24 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
This Morning, a Vessell has arrived in this City with 6800 stand of excellent Arms and 1500 Gun Locks, belonging to Congress and 1500 more private Property. These last We have ordered to be bought. This News you may depend on, the Letters were brought into Congress, in the Midst of a Debate concerning a Resolution to impower the General to procure Arms wherever he could find them. Thus, it...
22From John Adams to William Tudor, 27 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
I had yours by Coll Palfry last night. General Green is just taking his Departure so that I can, only write you a Line. I blame you not for determining either to rise at the Bar or in the Army. I wish you to rise in both. It is a critical, and delicate Thing to give Advice to our best Friends, and therefore I hope you will pay no more Attention to any that I may give you, than just to weigh it...
23From John Adams to William Tudor, 29 August – 20 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
I Sett down now in the Character of a School Master, or a Fellow of a Colledge to give myself Airs, the Pedantry and Impertinence of which I have no doubt you will pardon, as the Precepts I am about to deliver are of such vast Importance, to the public, and so little practiced, altho they are so very easy, and natural. You must be sensible that Intelligence, is of the last Consequence to the...
24From John Adams to Nathanael Greene, 7 July 1777 (Adams Papers)
I never before took hold of a Pen, to write to my Friend General Green, without Pleasure, but I think myself obliged to do it now upon a Subject that gives me a great deal of Pain. The Three Letters from, the Generals Sullivan, Green and Knox, have interrupted the Deliberations of Congress, and given many of the Members of it much Uneasiness. They thought themselves bound, in Honour and...
25From John Adams to James Warren, 3 February 1777 (Adams Papers)
It may not be a Mispence of Time to make a few Observations upon the Situation of Some of the States at this Time. That Part of New York which is yet in our Possession is pretty well united, and pretty firm. The Jerseys have recovered from their Surprize, and are lending as much Assistance as can well be expected from them. Their Assembly is now Sitting, and are Said to be well disposed to do...
26From John Adams to Samuel Freeman, 6 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
I had the Favour of your Letter of 23d Ultimo by this days Post. As to the Petitions you mention, the Congress have made good no Losses , to any Soldiers—nor any Accounts for Sickness, more than Pay, Rations, and Mileage. I am much obliged to you, for your Account of the Several Acts passed by the Assembly. It is very necessary that We should know here, the Proceedings of our Assembly. We...
27Intelligence from London, 31 January 1777 (Adams Papers)
I flatter myself with the Pleasure of hearing from you Soon, and in the mean Time, I wish to convey to you a Piece of important Secret Intelligence, relative to the Situation of this Court with Spain and which I procured in Such a Way, as I gave my Honour I would not repeat it to any one, on this Side of the Water. During the latter Part of the Administration of Lord Dartmouth a Scheme was...
28From John Adams to the President of the Congress, 23 December 1777 (Adams Papers)
Having been Absent, on a Journey, I had not the Honour of receiving your Letters, until Yesterday when one of the Twenty Eighth of November inclosing a Resolution of Congress of the Same Day, and another of the third of December inclosing a Commission for Dr Franklin Dr Lee and Myself to represent the United States at the Court of France, were delivered to me in Boston. As I am deeply...
29From John Adams to James Warren, 6 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
About Ten Days ago, I had the Boldness to make a Motion that a Navy Board Should be established at Boston —certain Gentlemen looked, Struck and Surprized—however it passed. I have moved, I believe fifteen Times, that a Nomination should take Place. Certain Gentlemen looked cold. Two or three Days ago, the Nomination came on. Langdon, Vernon, Deshon, Dalton, Orne, Henley, Smith, Cushing, and...
30From John Adams to James Warren, 1 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
Having an opportunity by So carefull an Hand as Captain Wentworth of Portsmouth, I have ventured to inclose you a copy of a Letter which appears to me to be of Consequence. You will make use of it with Caution, among such Friends only as can be trusted to make a discreete Use of it. Inclosed is also a state of the Stocks in Amsterdam, on the seventh and twelfth of November by which you will...