1561To George Washington from Robert Hunter Morris, 2 February 1756 (Washington Papers)
I am favoured with yours of the 1st Instant, which I did not receive till my return on Wednesday last from the Frontier, where I have been employed for a month past in forming a line of Forts and Block Houses from Delaware along the Kitectiny Hills as far as the new road that leads to the Aleghany Hills, and which I am in hopes ten days will complete; on the West of Sasquehanna I have placed...
15623 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Breakfasted at Gardiners. This morn the Weather clear’d away. As warm and brilliant as May. Kept School all Day.
1563From George Washington to John Kirkpatrick, 3 February 1756 (Washington Papers)
You are to remain at this place until my return; unless you receive orders to the contrary from me. The Pay-Master and Commissary will apply to you for some money; and you are according to their demands on you, to pay them out of the money in your hands; reserving about eight hundred pounds—You are also to pay off the Officers and men now in town, before they march. Given at Alexandria, this...
1564To George Washington from Peter Hog, 3 February 1756 (Washington Papers)
Incolsed are the pay Rolls for the Months of Decr & January you will See I have abt £4 in my hand over the pay Bill But Advanced Serjt McCully a dbloon when he went after the Deserters, the Men grumble to have half their pay Stopt for his Charges, and he thinks hard that he has not his Charges[,] horse hire & the pistole Reward which Last the Men think can only be Stopt In Justice from their...
15654 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
A charming warm Day. Dined at Coll. Chandler’s with Mr. Pain, Abel Willard and Ebenr. Thayer. Drank Tea at Mr. Timothy Paines and supp’d and spent the Eve at Major Chandlers with the same Company, very gaily.
1566To Benjamin Franklin from William Shirley, 4 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1755–1756 (Philadelphia, 1756), p. 66. On Sept. 29, 1755, the Assembly had authorized a committee to receive up to £10,000 by voluntary subscription “toward Furnishing of Provisions, and Blankets, or other warm Cloathing, to the Troops now at or near Crown Point.” The subscribers, the Assembly added, “ought to be...
15675 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A fair morning but some symptoms of a Change of Weather. Kept School. Spent the evening with Messrs. Paine, Putnam, Willard, Thayer, partly at home and partly at Mr. Putnams. James Putnam (1726–1789) , who was to teach JA law.
15686 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A cloudy morning. About 10 the sun brake out. A warm Day. Dined at Mr. Paines. Kept school. Spent the Evening at home. A windy Evening. Here and occasionally elsewhere in his early Diary JA used a symbolic sketch of the sun.
15697 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
A Fair warm, day. Dined at the Judges. Drank Tea at Major Gardiners.
15708 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Heard Mr. Maccarty. Fine Weather.
1571Provincial Commissioners: Orders for Payment, [9 February 1756–18 March 1756] (Franklin Papers)
DS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania Charles Norris, brother of the speaker, was a trustee of the General Loan Office and the officer responsible for making payments from the funds raised by the various acts for issuing paper currency. Among his papers are nine volumes containing over 2000 receipted orders for payment signed by commissioners in charge of war-time expenditures, 1755–65....
15729 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Fine Weather. Settled roads. Drank Tea and spent the Evening at Coll. Chandlers, very gaily, with much Company.
157310 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Fair Weather. Spent the Evening at Major Chandlers, with Major Greene and Mr. Maccarty. Charming Weather. Roads Setled.
157411 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Serene Weather, but somewhat cool. I am constantly forming, but never executing good resolutions. I take great Pleasure, in viewing and examining the magnificent Prospects of Nature, that lie before us in this Town. If I cast my Eyes one Way, I am entertained with the Savage and unsightly appearance of naked woods and leafless Forests. In another place a chain of broken and irregular...
1575Pennsylvania Assembly: Address to the Governor, 11 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1755–1756 (Philadelphia, 1756), pp. 59–60. On Sept. 19, 1755, Gen. William Shirley had ordered his officers in Pennsylvania “in the Strongest Manner to avoid” enlisting indentured servants: protests against the practice were mounting, and in any case the approach of winter lessened the need to fill the regular regiments. By...
157612 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A cool, but pleasant morning. Heard Mr. Welman Wellman preach the Lecture, and drank Tea, with him, at home where he made this observation, (viz.) That Dr. Mayhew was a smart man, but he embraced some doctrines, not generally approved. Jonathan Mayhew (1720–1766), Harvard 1744 ; D.D., Aberdeen 1749; minister of the West Church, Boston; early famous for his radical theological and political...
1577From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 12 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin (Boston, 1833), p. 38. I condole with you on the loss of our dear brother. As our number grows less, let us love one another proportionably more. I am just returned from my military expedition, and now my time is taken up in the Assembly. Providence seems to...
1578Enclosure: William Hughes to Robert Stewart, 12 February 1756 (Washington Papers)
I wrote to you on Sunday Concerning the Imbaselment of the Stores which I have Recoverd and am going to Serch and to have men upon tryal this day Concerning the Loss with Lieut. Lomax which I have great Reason to think will be found out, Mr Rollins as one of the Soldiers was standing Centurie at the Barn Came & leand over him & Looked at the flower and said it was almost gone & that if Lomaxs...
157913 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A pleasant morning. Saw my classmates Gardner, and Wheeler. Wheeler dined, spent the afternoon, and drank Tea with me. Supped at Major Gardiners, and ingag’d to keep School at Bristol, provided Worcester People, at their insuing March meeting, should change this into a moving School, not otherwise. Major Greene this Evening fell into some conversation with me about the Divinity and...
158014 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Good Weather. This afternoon took a Vomit of Tartar Emet. and Turbith mineral, that worked 7 Times, and wrecked me much. Turpeth, turbith: “A cathartic drug prepared from the root of East Indian jalap, Ipomoea Turpethum ”( OED The Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford, 1933; 12 vols. and supplement. ).
158115 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Charming Weather. A.M. staid at home reading the Independent Whig. Very often Shepherds that are hired, to take care of their Masters sheep, go about their own Concern’s and leave the flock to the Care of their Dog. So Byshops, who are appointed to oversee the flock of Christ, take the Fees themslves, but leave the Drudgery to their Dogs, alias i.e. curates and understrappers. [Thomas Gordon...
158216 Monday. (Adams Papers)
A most beautiful morning. We have the most moderate Winter that ever was known in this country. For a long time together we have had serene and temperate Weather and all the Roads perfectly settled and smooth like Summer.—The Church of Rome has made it an Article of Faith that no man can be saved out of their Church, and all other religious Sects approach to this dreadfull opinion in...
1583Robert Charles to Pennsylvania Assembly Committee of Correspondence, 16 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Extract printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1755–1756 (Philadelphia, 1756), p. 172. Each October from 1751 through 1756 Franklin was appointed to the committee to correspond with the Assembly agents in England. In addition to representing the Assembly in the continuing dispute with the Proprietors, the agents often responded to inquiries from British officials...
1584To Benjamin Franklin from Elizabeth Hubbart, 16 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I enclose you a Catalouge of all the large and part of the small Books in my dear Papa’s Library, there are many other small but valueable Books, that I had not Time to take an Account of. They are to be sold. My Mamah desiers I would let you know, they will not be offered to Sale, till we here wheather you incline to have any, or the whole of them. You...
158517 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A clowdy Day. Dined at Mr. Greenes.
158618 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
A charming morning. My Classmate Gardner drank Tea with me. Spent an Hour in the beginning of the evening at Major Gardiners, where it was thought that the design of Christianity was not to make men good Riddle Solvers or good mystery mongers, but good men, good majestrates and good Subjects, good Husbands and good Wives, good Parents and good Children, good masters and good servants. The...
158719 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
No man is intirely free from weakness and imperfection in this life. Men of the most exalted Genius and active minds, are generally perfect slaves to the Love of Fame. They sometimes descend to as mean tricks and artifices, in pursuit of Honour or Reputation, as the Miser descends to, in pursuit of Gold. The greatest men have been the most envious, malicious, and revengeful. The miser toils by...
158820 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A dull Day. Symptoms of Snow. Writing Tillotson. That is, copying out extracts from the published sermons of John Tillotson (1630–1694) , sometime Archbishop of Canterbury and a celebrated preacher ( DNB Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee, eds., The Dictionary of National Biography, New York and London, 1885–1900; 63 vols. plus supplements. ). There survives among JA ’s papers a literary...
1589Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, 20 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1755–1756 (Philadelphia, 1756), p. 68. Through the winter of 1755–56, Indian attacks along the frontier and negotiations to regain their allegiance took place simultaneously. The Indians were dependent on the white man, and had to choose between the French and English; hence in the face of growing French power, their...
159021 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
A Snowy day. Snow about ancle deep. I find by repeated experiment and observation, in my School, that human nature is more easily wrought upon and governed, by promises and incouragement and praise than by punishment, and threatning and Blame. But we must be cautious and sparing of our praise, lest it become too familiar, and cheap and so contemptible. Corporal as well as disgraceful...
159122 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Suppos a nation in some distant Region, should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. Every member would be obliged in Concience to temperance and frugality and industry, to justice and kindness and Charity towards his fellow men, and to Piety and Love, and reverence towards almighty God. In this Commonwealth, no...
1592From Benjamin Franklin to Elizabeth Hubbart, 22 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Massachusetts Magazine, or Monthly Museum of Knowledge and Rational Entertainment , I (1789), 100. I condole with you, we have lost a most dear and valuable relation, but it is the will of God and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter into real life; ’tis rather an embrio state, a preparation for living; a man is not...
159323 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Fair weather. Crawford spent the Evening here.
1594Position of Troops in Northampton County, [23 February 1756] (Franklin Papers)
AD : Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Capt. Vanetten at Minisinks, a Lieut. and 30 Men Capt. Craig at Fort Hamilton 41 Lieut. Wetterhold at Broadhead’s 26 Ensign Sterling at Wind Gap Teet’s House 11 Capt. Orndt at Fort Norris 50 Capt. Wayne at Fort Allen 50 A Sergeant at Uplingers and 5 An Ensign of Wetterhold’s at Drucker’s Mill and
159524 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A fine morning. We are told that Demosthenes transcribed the history of Thucidides 8 times, in order to imbibe and familiarize the elegance and strength of his stile. Will it not then be worth while for a candidate for the ministry to transcribe Dr. Tillotson’s Works.
1596To Benjamin Franklin from Robert Hunter Morris: Commission, 24 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed form with MS insertions in blanks; American Philosophical Society After the bitter year-end controversy over commissioning the officers elected under the terms of the new militia law, the matter rested for a month while Governor Morris and the law’s chief proponent, Benjamin Franklin, were absent from Philadelphia. On February 12, a week after Franklin’s return to the city, he was...
159725 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Fair and cold Weather. An extream cold night.
1598To Benjamin Franklin from Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg, 25 February 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Archives of the Moravian Church, Bethlehem Mr. Nathanael Seidel, the Bearer of this, can tell you, how it goes in our Parts, especially with the Refugees, residing as yet at Bethlehem, Nazareth etc. Some of them were removed again to their Plantations, and others were upon returning tither; but when the Account came of the new Mischief, done lately by the Enemy at Allmangel; the latter...
159926 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
Fair cold morning. An extream cold Day.
1600To George Washington from Landon Carter, 26 February 1756 (Washington Papers)
The Bearer Mr John Lawson having heard of nothing to discourage his Military inclination now comes to put himself in the Situation of a Cadet he is of a Family in Lancaster descended from the Steptoes by the mother side and I have told him that there are many waiting before him but as I learn there are three vacancys in the Company of Ensigns the number standing before him will be fewer[.] I...
160127 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A fair, cold day. Drank Tea at Mrs. Paines. All day, in high health, and spirits. Writing Tillotson. That Comet which appeared in 1682, is expected again this year, and we have intelligence, that it has been seen, about 10 days since, near midnight, in the East. —I find my self very much inclin’d to an unreasonable absence of mind, and to a morose, unsociable disposition. Let it therefore be...
160228 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
A raw cold day. Attended Mrs. Brown’s funeral. Let this, and every other Instance of human frailty and mortality, prompt me to endeavour after a temper of mind, fit to undergo this great Change.
160329 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Went to Leicester with Thayer. Heard him preach all Day. Dined at Mr. Whitneys. Returned home and drank Tea, and spent the Evening at Mr. Paines.
1604[March 1756] (Adams Papers)
Wrote out Bolingbrokes reflections on Exile. For JA ’s lifelong study of, and his extensive commentaries on, the writings of Henry St. John, first Viscount Bolingbroke, see Haraszti, JA and the Prophets of Progress Zoltán Haraszti, John Adams and the Prophets of Progress, Cambridge, 1952. , ch. 4. JA ’s own copies of Bolingbroke’s writings are now divided between the Boston Athenaeum and the...
1605March. 1756. 1 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Wrote out Bolingbrokes reflections on Exile. For JA ’s lifelong study of, and his extensive commentaries on, the writings of Henry St. John, first Viscount Bolingbroke, see Haraszti, JA and the Prophets of Progress Zoltán Haraszti, John Adams and the Prophets of Progress, Cambridge, 1952. , ch. 4. JA ’s own copies of Bolingbroke’s writings are now divided between the Boston Athenaeum and the...
1606From Benjamin Franklin to Timothy Horsfield, 1 March 1756 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Orders are gone up to relieve Capt. Wayne’s Company. I suppose he will apply here for his Pay. Capt. Arndt should make out his Muster Roll on Oath, and send his Journal &c. according to the Instructions given him, before he demands his Pay. However you may pay him Fifty Pounds in part; and let him know, that the Remainder will be paid when the Commissioners...
1607From Benjamin Franklin to Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg, 1 March 1756 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives of the Moravian Church, Bethlehem As the Forts are built, and the Ranging Companies in Motion beyond the Mountains, to cover the Inner Parts of the Country, I think the People may now very safely stay at their Places. The Government is at a great Expence to afford them this Defence; If they have no regard to it, but run away in so shameful and cowardly a Manner every time an...
16082 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A snow fall last night, half leg deep. Began this afternoon, my 3rd. quarter. The great and almighty Author of nature, who at first established those rules which regulate the World, can as easily Suspend those Laws whenever his providence sees sufficient reason for such suspension. This can be no objection, then, to the miracles of J esus C hrist . Altho’ some very thoughtfull, and...
1609To George Washington from Robert Orme, 2 March 1756 (Washington Papers)
I writ to you the very day I sailed from America to convince you I left the Continent with all those Sentiments of Friendship towards you I ever professed I hope now to convince that I retain the same and shall ever have the greatest Happyness in the Continuance of it. Letters from America had made the Generals Character as odious in this Country as there but since my Arrival and my having...
16103 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Fair Weather. Natural Phylosophy is the Art of deducing the generall laws and properties of material substances, from a series of analogous observations. The manner of reasoning in this art is not strictly demonstrative, and by Consequence the knowledge hence acquired, not absolutely Scientifical, because the facts that we reason upon, are perceived by Sence and not by the internal Action of...