1. Preparing to return to the United States upon the expiration of his two-year commission in May, Humphreys wrote to JA on 7 Feb., requesting a letter of recommendation to Congress regarding his service as secretary to the American commissioners in Europe (Adams Papers description begins Manuscripts and other materials, 1639–1889, in the Adams Manuscript Trust collection given to the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1956 and enlarged by a few additions of family papers since then. Citations in the present edition are simply by date of the original document if the original is in the main chronological series of the Papers and therefore readily found in the microfilm edition of the Adams Papers (APM). description ends ). JA responded with a 9 Feb. letter to John Jay in which he expressed his “entire satisfaction” with Humphreys’ conduct. Of Humphreys, and WSS, JA wrote: “This gentleman and another whom Congress have employed in Europe from General Washington’s family, have accomplishments which do honor to their appointments and to the great model under whom they were formed to the service of their country” (Dipl. Corr., 1783–1789 description begins The Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States of America, from … 1783, to … 1789, [ed. William A. Weaver], repr., Washington, D.C., 1837 [actually 1855]; 3 vols. description ends , 2:563–564). Thomas Jefferson also praised Humphreys in a 5 March letter to Jay, noting the secretary’s “ready, able, and faithful discharge” of his duties (Jefferson, Papers description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, Princeton, N.J., 1950– . description ends , 9:316–317). The commissioners’ commendations were read before Congress on 22 May (JCC description begins Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, ed. Worthington Chauncey Ford, Gaillard Hunt, John C. Fitzpatrick, Roscoe R. Hill, and others, Washington, D.C., 1904–1937; 34 vols. description ends , 30:298).

Humphreys sailed from London on or about 15 April and reached America in mid-May. Shortly thereafter he took up residence at Washington’s Mount Vernon estate (AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, and others, Cambridge, 1963– . description ends , 7:146; Jefferson, Papers description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, Princeton, N.J., 1950– . description ends , 9:608; ANB description begins John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes, and Paul Betz, eds., American National Biography, New York, 1999–2002; 24 vols. plus supplement; rev. edn., www.anb.org. description ends ).