2221To George Washington from Daniel Jenifer Adams, 15 March 1775 (Washington Papers)
Yours of the 8th Instat, came safe to hand, wherein you mention, you have come to the resolution of taking upon your Self the payment of my Father’s debts, provided I will Suffer a Condemnation of the Attach’d Effects—join my Sisters in Conveying the Lands to you—& Surrender possession of the Negroe &ca. To all this I and my Sisters will comply with, but Sir I think it will be very Necessary...
2222To John Adams from David Adams, 20 August 1806 (Adams Papers)
I Send you A few Lines to Enform you That I have Receivd, A letter from My Mother the 20 of May 1806 Enforming Me that All the Fammily of Your Late Deceased Brother Is Well at present And I hope that these few Lines Will find You the Same. I also Enform you that After the Death of My father I was Oblidgd to Come to this Cuntry for to Git My Living and I find it Very hard to do that here—I...
2223To John Adams from David Adams, 18 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
Having a disposition and inclination to Join the Army—if I could by the influence of friends obtain an appointment—and trusting in your candor and friendship—I have thought proper to communicate my wishes to you on the subject—I wish you would assist me in obtaining an appointment as Surgeon or Surgeons Mate to a Regiment—By lending me your assistance you will confer a peculiar favor on Sir...
2224Will of Deacon John Adams, with Comments by His Son John, 8 January 1760; 10 July 1761; 29 April 1774 (Adams Papers)
In the Name of God Amen. The Eighth day of January in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven hundred and Sixty, and in the thirty third year of his Majestys Reign King George the Second &c. I John Adams of Braintree in the County of Suffolk in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Gentleman, being in Health of Body and of Perfect mind and Memory thanks be given to God therefor....
2225Elijah Adams to John Adams, 23 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
I embrace this opportunity to send, by Miss Hannah Adams, a copy of the genealogy of the family of Adamss according to your request. It is some years since I was requested by a number of respectable relations to prevent the genealogy from being lost; Accordingly I have been, for several years, collecting information from every source to make out the genealogy which I here exhibit to you. I...
2226To John Adams from Elizabeth Coombs Adams, 9 February 1825 (Adams Papers)
I Thank Heaven my dear Grand father that I am so happy as to announce to you the Election of Uncle, by 13 states—It is indeed Virtue triumphant & an event which will add much to your happiness—I never saw a stronger expression of real feeling than in an old Gentleman, a perfect stranger to all the family, who came in great haste from the Capitol to congratulate Aunt—God knows says he I...
2227To John Adams from Esther Barrette Adams, 30 June 1804 (Adams Papers)
I hope you’ll be so good as to excuse the liberty of my troubling you with a Letter on a Subject which concerns me in the most Particular manner. I was Married in the Year 1780 to a Mr: Summer Adams, a Native of America (Who’s Father was a Merchant in Boston Named Jno. Adams) by whom I had three Sons who are all liveing the Eldest is in Labrador. My Husband was taken about Eleven Years Since...
2228To John Adams from Esther Barrette Adams, 10 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
I beg leave to represent to you the following account of your Brother Summer Adams , my late husband, and hope at the same time you will pardon my freedom.—he being a young Man at the time he left America, was taken prisoner, and was obliged to serve in His Majesty’s Service, under Sir Digby Dent & in the Repulse Captain Dumarie, during the years 1780.–81 & 82. ‘till the Peace, when he...
2229To John Adams from Esther Barrette Adams, 8 July 1807 (Adams Papers)
Having a considerable time since took the liberty of addressing you, being the Widow of your late Brother Summers, of whom I gave the particulars of, stating that by his Death I was left with three Children to maintain by my labour, which thanks be to God I have hitherto done.— Therefore Sir, having an opportunity per favor of the Bearer Captain Philip De Gruchy of this Island, who has known...
2230To James Madison from George Adams and Randall Tarrier, [ca. 18 July 1816] (Madison Papers)
The Petition of George Adams and Randall Tarrier, humbly sheweth, That your Petitioners are now lying in the jail of Washington County in the District of Columbia under sentence of death upon conviction of the crime of Highway Robbery. Of this crime your Petitioners solemnly declare that they are innocent: but confess, that they are guilty of having defrauded the person on whose testimony they...
This extraordinary season has prevented all ideas of regular correspondence for few employments are so irksome as writing when the thermometer stands at 100, but it is so agreeable to receive letters from home that one endeavours to seize every opportunity to obtain them. Grandfather has been favoured lately with a visit from his highness the Duke of Saxe Weimar, a gentleman who intends soon...
2232From George Washington Adams to Clerk of the Suffolk County Court of Common Pleas, 25 September 1824 (Adams Papers)
It being my intention to apply for permission to practise as an attorney in the Court of Common Pleas in Suffolk I have obtained the certificates which accompany this application, which are herewith respectfully submitted. MaBoHNE .
2233From George Washington Adams to William Smith Shaw, 10 November 1821 (Adams Papers)
For your favour of the 23rd October I am greatly indebted; it should have been acknowledged before were it not that subjects are constantly accumulating in which we are led to apply to you and I thought it better to delay for a short time the answer to your letter in order to take an opportunity at the same time reluctantly to trouble you with some request or other. Such an opportunity has...
2234From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 18 July 1826 (Adams Papers)
Your excellent letter to me arrived at the close of the last week and was brought to me by John from Boston: The hasty letter written to my Father on the morning of the 5th. to announce the melancholy event of the preceding day was followed by so many others to different persons of your family at Washington that I was not anxious concerning the transmission of regular information to you from...
The heated and violent temper of the public upon the question of politics renders it necessary to keep individual feelings cautiously in check but this is not always possible. The low spirits indicated by your last letter to me and subsequently by the one to Mr Cruft have affected me more than any thing which is going on without. The atrocious application of the story of Mrs Moulton to the...
2236From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 20 June 1825 (Adams Papers)
Let me express to you my gratitude for your last note on reading which I had a foretaste of the suffering I should have undergone had the dreadful rumour you mentioned preceded it. I most heartily thank God that my Father was saved to you, to his children, to his country. The idea of his loss is too terrible to think of and at the time when your note arrived; not having recovered a calm tone...
By Marys last letter I am told that you are still suffering from illness and Harriet Welsh understood from Mr Smith in New York that St Anthony had tormented you more than usually for some time. This disorder seems to have become very prevalent in this country and Mrs Welsh suffers so much from it that she is compelled to remain constantly at home. Grandfather had it pretty severely last...
2238From George Washington Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 23 July 1824 (Adams Papers)
Should it be thought presumptuous to address to you a pamphlet little worth your acceptance but for the occasion which gave it birth, it may yet be excused by the remembrance of your personal friendship for my Grandfather and your intimate connection with the glorious event it was attempted to commemorate. With the deepest respect / your most obedient and humble servant DLC : Papers of Thomas...
A most unpleasant journey was completed by our arrival at Quincy last week where we had the satisfaction of finding grandfather in better health and more comfortable than when we had last seen him. Two days afterwards Charles left us and returned to Cambridge anticipating much pleasure from the remaining months of his residence there but a little afflicted by the assignment of a part to him...
2240From George Washington Adams to William Smith Shaw, 3 January 1822 (Adams Papers)
I am directed by my Father to congratulate you upon the handsome acquisition you have lately made for the purpose of establishing the Athenæum in a more convenient and appropriate position and to request of you the name of the munificent donor who is announced as having given you a building for the purpose. Pursuant to previous custom I have to request of you to ask Messr Wells and Lilly in my...
It is really afflicting to hear that you are again subjected to painful illness and to observe in your letters a depression and melancholy which are not natural to your character and which are I fear gaining ground over you. I do not think with those who attribute your indisposition to the election, although the scandalous persecution to which my Father has been subjected and the unblushing...
2242From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 19 July 1825 (Adams Papers)
Ever since the middle of the last month we have been in such a succession of events and interruptions that the time has slipped away with out a moments reflection on the interval between this letter and my last. On the 15th. of June General La Fayette came and his arrival was the signal for dinners parties and shows. You ask for a description of the 17th. of June. It has not been attempted...
2243To Thomas Jefferson from George Washington Adams, 23 July 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Should it be thought presumptuous to address to you a pamphlet little worth your acceptance but for the occasion which gave it birth, it may yet be excused by the remembrance of your personal friendship for my Grandfather and your intimate connection with the glorious event it was attempted to commemorate. DLC : Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
2244From George Washington Adams to William Smith Shaw, 18 October 1821 (Adams Papers)
My Father has desired me to request you to send on with his law books a large Ainsworths Latin Dictionary and a copy of Adam’s Roman Antiquities both which are somewhere among his books at the Atheneum I am my dear sir / respectfully yours. P.S. This is written in a hurry I shall soon write you a letter. I will trouble you to hand the enclosed paper to Mr Benjamin Joy and to tell him that I...
2245From George Washington Adams to William Smith Shaw, 27 October 1821 (Adams Papers)
I am directed by my Father to inform you that he has received your letter with the Bill of lading of the books embarked on board the Ocean for Alexandria but is prevented by multiplied avocations from answering it himself. He desires me to express to you his thanks and I pray you to accept mine for your kindness in transmitting the resolution of the Suffolk Bar on the subject of his...
It was painful to hear that you had been so ill after arriving at Washington and astonishing that people tell you you have changed for the worse. This is not a thing to mortify you as you have been always superior to dependence upon mere looks but it has always struck me as a disagreeable and not infrequently an ill natured remark to tell people that they have changed for the worse. It is...
2247From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 2 March 1824 (Adams Papers)
It is pleasant to be able to inform you that Grandfathers health rather improves than declines. He has gone comfortably through the month of February and is now better than he has been for some time past. The family at Quincy are well. Mr Cutler, the Episcopal Clergyman there seems to have made sad havoc with poor Susans intellect. She is very enthusiastic and the religious fervor grows rather...
2248From George Washington Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 6 May 1825 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 1st. instant has affected me deeply: it was received this morning and afforded me more real pleasure perhaps than any you have ever addressed to me. Your style in writing is known to be that of the most animated conversation but in this instance it seems to obliterate the ideas of time and distance and to bring me near to you not in the mood of mortified affection and...
Just this moment opening my shutters I find the ground covered with snow and it lays apparently somewhat deep. We have had a number of little drizzles as the parson called them but this is the first real snow storm of the season. Yesterday was very disagreeable: a very light snow was falling all day but not enough to accumulate much, and the air was exceedingly sharp and piercing. The...
2250From George Washington Adams to Daniel Webster, 22 July 1826 (Adams Papers)
My Father directs me to send you with the above, the volume containing the Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, requesting its return when you shall have done with it, as it is the only copy he possesses I am Sir / Very Respectfully DLC : Daniel Webster Papers.