1From John Adams to Samuel Adams, 28 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Marquiss, who loves Us, will deliver You this. He will tell You every thing. Arbuthnot, Rodney and Walsingham are to be pitted against de la Motte Piquet, Guichen and Ternay in the West Indies. So that I hope, You will be pretty quiet. Prepare however to co-operate and rout them out of the Continent if possible. Above all let me beg of You to encourage Privateering. The French will be...
2From John Adams to Samuel Adams, 23 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
You will see by the public Papers, that your Committee of Correspondence is making greater progress in the World, and doing greater things in the political World than the Electrical Rod ever did in the Physical. Ireland and England have adopted it, but mean Plagiaries as they are, they do not acknowledge who was the Inventor of it. Mr. Lee and Mr. Izard will go with this Letter in the...
3From John Adams to François Barbé-Marbois, 17 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
Braintree, 17 October 1779. printed : JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:176–177 . John Adams, after thanking Barbé-Marbois for his letter of 29 Sept. (calendared above) congratulating him on his new appointment, said that John Quincy Adams probably would not be accompanying him on his new mission to...
4From John Adams to Jonas Belton, 10 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 14 of August, and have the Pleasure in Answer to it, to inform you, that I Saw your son, Several Times in France, and in particular, Some time in the Month of February, or Beginning of March last, at Dr. Franklins House, consulting with him about Some of his Philosophical or mechanical Inventions or Projections. He was in good Health. I thank you, Sir, for...
5From John Adams to John Bondfield, 31 January 1780 (Adams Papers)
At Bayonne, I had the Honour of yours of the 25. Decr. last, which was delivered me by Mr. Dufour, whom you desired to assist me with whatever I should want particularly with Money. Mr. Dufour politely offered me, Supplies of Cash, and services of any sort in which he could be usefull to me, and I was very sorry that I could not have the Opportunity of forming an Acquaintance with him: but my...
6From John Adams to John Boylston, 5 March 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Billet of the 6. Feb. and altho I am much obliged by your Care to put me on my Guard, against dangerous Men: Yet I am extreamly Sorry to find, that Slander has been So successfull, as to impose upon you, who I know have no sinister Motive, nor any Thing to byass you; in this Case from the Truth and the Interest of a Country whose Welfare you wish. The “Freres” have been...
7From John Adams to Pedro Casamayor & Company, 31 January 1780 (Adams Papers)
On the 29th of this month, on my Arrival at this Place, I had the Honour of a polite Letter from your House, offering me your services and Assistance, particularly in the necessary Article of Cash, in Consequence of Recommendations from Mr. Lagoanere at Coruñna and Mr. Montgomery at Alicante. I am much obliged to you for the Honour you have done me by this Letter, and to Mr. Montgomery and Mr....
8From John Adams to Don Pedro Martin Cermeño, 18 December 1779 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Adams presents his Compliments to the Governor of Corunna, and informs him according to his desire, express’d last Evening, that the Names of the Persons for whom he requests a Passport, from His Excellency, the Governor of this Province, are as follow John Adams, a Ministre, plenipotentiary from the United States of America The Honourable Francis Dana Esqr., Secretary, to Mr. Adams’s...
9From John Adams to Samuel Chase, 23 September 1779 (Adams Papers)
I had yesterday the Pleasure of your kind Letter of the 2d of this Month. I should not have sat down in so much Haste as I am in at present, even to acknowledge the Receipt of it, if it was not for the Extraordinary Intelligence it contains, of some Merchandizes shipped to me from Amsterdam, in the sloop Porpus. There must be some Mistake in this, as I knew nothing of it. I never heard nor...
10From John Adams to Leray de Chaumont, 5 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
As the Sensible is expected to sail in a few days, it is proper that I should embrace the Opportunity to inform you, of your Misfortune in the Loss of the Betsy and all your Effects which were on Board of her. Somewhere near the grand Bank of Newfoundland, in a very foggy Night she fell in with a British sloop of War, which conducted her to Newfoundland. We missed her in the Morning, and were...