1951From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 April 1815 (Adams Papers)
will be so good as to send the enclosed to Dr Tufts, & she will oblige me—I have not time now only to request you to give our love to the dear Lads, who are going to the arms of the best of Parents—May they reach him in safty, & rejoice his heart—My dear Brother, & Sister, have long sacrificed private feelings, to the publick Interest—Though I regret the satisfaction you are deprived of, in...
1952From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 February 1811 (Adams Papers)
My Dear Sisters, interesting Letters conveyed by the Mail, were gratefully received by their obliged & sympathizing Sister—As I had not written to you for many weeks, I considered your letters as adding Obligations upon me, not to be remiss for the future,—But you knew it was not from want of affection, & though you might not suspect the Truth, yet your Candor, always puts the best...
1953From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 December 1808 (Adams Papers)
I had anticipated a visit from Mrs Adams, & both her Children, for a few days at least, when she came to Haverhill, & we regretted very much that it was not in our power to send for them, or to visit her while there—Abby, & I, both went down a monday, and had the mortification to find she went to Boston the Saturday before—Mr Peabody was absent the whole of your Thansgiving week, & I could not...
1954From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
Having an opportunity to write you by Mr Lewis of Philadelphia who leaves this place for England early tomorrow morning I hasten to inform you of the general health of the family which although not perfect is as good as we can rationally expect Winter comes on us in so harsh a form that we anticipate an unusual degree of severity in its course this morning the River and Canals were hard frozen...
1955From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 December 1814 (Adams Papers)
A Treaty of Peace between the United States and Great Britain has this day been signed by the British and American Plenipotentiaries at this place. It is to be dispatched to-morrow, by Mr Hughes the Secretary of the American Mission, who is to sail in the Transit from Bordeaux—I have not time to write a single private Letter excepting this, but I request you to inform my brother that I have...
1956From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Smith Adams, 22 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
A kind note at the foot of mr Adams’s letter of July 15. reminds me of the duty of saluting you with friendship and respect; a duty long suspended by the unremitting labors of public engagement, and which ought to have been sooner revived, since I am become proprietor of my own time. and yet so it is, that in no course of life have I been ever more closely pressed by business than in the...
1957From Charles Francis Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 13 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your idea of Osterley park being near our house is correct it now belongs to the Countess of Jersey the grand daughter of Mrs: Childs whose daughter married the Earl of Westmoreland. Papa is so bysy he cannot take us any where not even to the play these holidays. I am afraid not but I hope so because I have not seen the Theatre Covent Garden or Drury lane but I hope in the Summer that Papa...
1958From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 23 November 1814 (Adams Papers)
In my Letter of 22. of last Month, I mentioned to you my disappointment at having received no Letters from Quincy or from Boston, by the Dutch vessel, which sailed on the first of September, and arrived at the Texel—I had been equally disappointed a short time before, by the arrival of Mr Boyd from Washington, having left that City the 12th: of August, and bringing no Letters from you—He gave...
1959From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 7 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have been with my friend Charles, and spent two days with General La Fayette, at his Country Seat of La Grange, about forty miles distant from this City—He resides there with his Children and Grand Children, forming a numerous and very amiable family. His son married a Mademoiselle de Tracy and has three daughters—His eldest daughter married a Mr de la Tour Maubourg, and has also three...
1960From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
I expected that Mr: Gallatin or Mr Bayard, would have been the bearer of the last letter, that I wrote you; which was at the close of the last year. But it was taken by Mr Todd, who with Coll: Milligan, Mr Bayard’s private Secretary left this City about ten days since; bound to England by the way of Sweden. Mr: Gallatin’s intention now is to go in a week or ten days; but he takes his direction...
1961From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 December 1811 (Adams Papers)
At the arrival of the last Mail, I thought I could hear my dear Sister say, “Is there no Letters from Atkinson? I fear some of her Family are sick.”— It has been really so—I have had one of my silent Colds —& my dear Abby, was confined a week after her return from Boston—But we are now both of us much better—I believe, I have what may be called the Rheumatism, or the Creek at the pit of my...
1962From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 23 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
My mind it seems had been in unison with yours for some time past, & I had determined the last week that another should not elapse without my writing for information respecting your, & the Presidents health, together with the various branches of your much valued family; & to say that the winter was passing away with us in as tranquil a maner as generally falls to the lot of humanity, rejoicing...
1963From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
My last letter, of which a press-copy is enclosed, was sent by the Palafox, Captain William Welsh, since which I have received four letters from you, N. 9—dated 8. April—one of 24. April not numbered—one of 15. May, and one of 28 May—both numbered 11.—So that I have now nine of your letters since you began to number them The numbers missing are 3 and 4. between 26 Jany. and 15. Feby. and N. 8....
1964From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
I lose no time in returning the enclosed letters, which came to hand to day, and for the perusal of which I beg leave to make my very sincere and cordial thanks. Such letters, from such a source, are a treat. It is the next thing to being in Europe, perhaps better in such times as these, and I am very thankful for the kind favor of being allowed to have them a little while in my possession. I...
1965From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 10 September 1805 (Adams Papers)
I was much disappointed My Dear Madam in not having it in my power to see you again before we went to Newport & also in not calling on Mrs J Adams & Miss Johnston to have renewed my invitation to them that they would give us the pleasure of a visit this summer. I regret that I did not see them the day we were at Quincey; Delays are dangerous. Court held at Boston till Friy eveg prier to its...
1966From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 May 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have the pleasure to inform you, that your dear Grandchildren reached here Friday noon, safe, & are very well in health, & I do not know that a greater share was every enjoyed in this Town, & in the Towns near us, than has been for months past—The Spotted Fever has afflicted many families, north, & west of us, but as yet, we have been preserved—& I hope Heaven will continue its merciful...
1967From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
I will thank you to tell Mrs. Cranch to give George a couple of teaspoonfuls of Castor oil and to give continue the black powders about three weeks longer repeating the dose of Castor oil at the end of six days Kiss them both for me and believe me dear Madam / your affectionate MHi : Adams Papers.
1968From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 March 1816 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last on the 4th. instant we have been in a continual state of anxious concern on account of your health; and it is scarcely less now that by the arrival of the New-Packet at Liverpool, I have received your kind favour of 10. February, and further accounts of you from obliging friends at Quincy and at Boston to the 19th. They all encourage hopes that you were recovering, which...
1969From William Stephens Smith to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
I was much gratified by the receipt of a few lines from you under date of Feby. 11th. enclosing a Letter from my Son William whose improvement I notice with pleasure— my Son John attends his dear mother and Sister on a visit to you, I proposed to attend Mrs: S. the last fall, and again pressed her to visit you in the Winter being confident both you and herself would feel more at ease than...
1970From Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed was written with design to forward by your Son, who I then presumed would have returned to Quincy the last Saturday the 17th—Judge Adams call’d on me the day he came to Plymouth & delivered your agreeable favor—I have not seen him since—I did not know he was going to Barnstable—is he there still—or has he return’d by the route of N. Bedford or Bridgwater?—Surely, he would not have...
1971From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 May 1813 (Adams Papers)
Every day that passes gives me occasion more and more to lament this unfortunate War, with which it has pleased heaven to visit us—If it could have been avoided we should now have had a free commercial intercourse with all the North of Europe, at least to Bremen inclusively, and in a few Months more with Holland—Besides the advantages which our Country would have derived from this, I should...
1972From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 26 March 1814 (Adams Papers)
Yesterdays Mail, My Dear Sister, conveyed your Letter safe to me, with the two Bills—I do not so much think of what I want, as what I can best do without ,—We all have duties, & calls, when it might not be proper for the right hand, to know what the left doth, & therefore, I like to have some property subject to no enquiry—you know I said, I wished to keep my property as equal for the two , as...
1973From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago, and since I wrote you last a letter from Captain William Welsh, dated at Lisbau, a Russian Port in the Baltic, to which I suppose he came, on finding that all American vessels were excluded from the Port to which he was originally destined—He enclosed to me at the same time your kind letter of 25th: July—In the obstructed state of navigation in the Baltic, I have...
1974From William Stephens Smith to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 March 1815 (Adams Papers)
I received your kind letter of the 22d. of Feby. this morning—I have the pleasure to inform you of the restoration of my health—Congress will adjourn of course on Friday next—the roads are intollerably bad I have my horse and Sulkey with me, and after the roads get a little settled, I shall travel on gently to new york, and perhaps to the Valley—an extra meeting of Congress will take place,...
1975From Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
I cannot longer be silent while my friends are mourning the death of such a daughter as was our much loved Mrs Smith.—But why mourn?—She is happy and soon shall we also meet the termination of time, when, may we unite in the universal harmony of love and gratitude which attune the song of the righteous!— Mr Adams’s philosophic view of the changes of time and his belief in the sovereignty of...
1976From Hezekiah Niles to Abigail Smith Adams, 31 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
It is with high respect that I have the honor to assure you, you have mistaken my “Register” as well as its character , in attributing to it an offensive article about “ Drawing Rooms; ” while I have to regret that this is not the first time in which my secret pride has been humbled by a similar misapprehension. And such mistakes are easily committed, because another paper is published (at...
1977From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 9 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr Bagot, or to speak in the style and after the fashion of this Country, the Right Honourable Charles Bagot, was immediately after my arrival in this Country, appointed by the Prince Regent, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States of America—He is a young man—I conjecture about thirty, brother of Lord Bagot, and his Lady is a daughter of Mr Wellesly-Pole, the...
1978From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 November 1816 (Adams Papers)
Since I last wrote to you, I have received your kind Letters of 27. August, and of 10. June, which I mention in the order, not of their dates, but of their reception. That of June enclosed a printed Copy of Judge Story’s biographical eulogium of our late excellent friend Dexter, whose loss is a calamity to our Country, and especially to our Native State, which with all her errors and follies I...
1979From William Eustis to Abigail Smith Adams, 22 April 1811 (Adams Papers)
It is among the instances of good fortune which are now & then permitted to accompany the discharge of a public duty, that franking a Letter from the State Department in the absence of the Secretary has brought me to your recallection and attention. Judge Adams as I am informed has been requested to return to the United States as soon as circumstances will admit: and as no public vessel has...
1980From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 9 August 1806 (Adams Papers)
I left Cambridge yesterday, after having finished my weekly performance, to come here and meet my wife whom I expect hourly here—I received this morning letters from her, dated one at Philadelphia 30. July—and one at New-York 3. August—She was with my Sister, who was well and in good Spirits—She intended to stay over Commencement which was last Wednesday, and then come on as soon as possible—I...