371Abigail Adams to Hannah Storer Green, 14 July 1765 (Adams Papers)
How many months have passed away since I have either written or received a line from my Dear Caliope? What various Scenes have I passed thro? Your Diana become a Mamma—can you credit it? Indeed it is a sober truth. Bless’d with a charming Girl whose pretty Smiles already delight my Heart, who is the Dear Image of her still Dearer Pappa. You my Friend are well acquainted with all the tender...
372Abigail Adams to Oliver Wendell, 29 November 1779 (Adams Papers)
My dear Mr. Adams when he left me recommended Mr. Wendle to me as one of those Friends he had Requested to assist me in his absence. My present Application is to request that you would be so good as to inform me at what rate exchange is at present, and whether you would take the trouble of exchangeing 30 or 40 dollors for me within this fortnight or 3 weeks if I should send them to you. If...
373Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 February 1792 (Adams Papers)
Tis a very long time since I wrote to you, or heard from you I have been more engaged in company than is my choice but living in Town has necessarily devolved more of it upon us than heretofore, and tho we have not seen more than in reality we ought to considering our publick Character, yet it is much of an Egyptian task, and fall some times much heavier upon me than my state of health will...
374Abigail Adams to Mercy Otis Warren, 10 December 1778 (Adams Papers)
Nothing but a very bad soar finger has withheld my Hand from writing to my Friend, and telling her that I most sincerely sympathize with her in the late melancholy dispensation of providence towards her, an Event tho not unexpected yet when we are calld to the trial of resigning our dear Friends to the Grave Nature will recoil, and the Beleif of a Glorious immortality can only support the...
375Abigail Adams to John Adams, 20 October 1789 (Adams Papers)
I yesterday received your kind favour dated at Fairfield and am happy to find that you had advanced thus far with no greater inconvenience than Rocky Roads & a Blundering Servant I will take better care of his Horses than he appears to have done of his master, for the old Proverb was never more verified, what is every bodys buisness, is nobodys buisness, than in Roberts going of without your...
376Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 September 1777 (Adams Papers)
The accounts you give of the Heat of the weather, gives me great uneasiness upon account of your Health. I fear it will through throw you into a fever, or relax you so as to ruin your Health. We have had some extreem Hot weather here when the glasses have been at 92. I have slept many Nights this Summer with all my windows open which I do not remember ever to have done before. Our Hot weather...
377Abigail Adams to John Adams, 6 April 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received an hour ago your Letters of the 22 d and 27th. I have been anxious enough for you since I saw the proclamation. I advised you to take for your cough Rhubarb & calomil. do not omit it, but take it immediatly. it will serve You for the complaint which usually afflicts you in the spring as well as for your cough. I will obey the summons as soon as possible but there are many...
378Abigail Adams to Mary Smith Cranch, 15 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have not received a Line from Since the last of Jan’ ry Betsy is much distresst to hear from her sister and I am not a little anxious. I hoped the twesday post as usual would have given me some information. I must attribute it to the weather for my dear sister, write me a line every post if only to tell me how you all are. You will see much to your mortification, that congress have been...
379Abigail Adams to John Adams, 9 April 1797 (Adams Papers)
I sent last Evening to the post office in hopes that I might get a Letter of a late Date. I received my News papers to the 30 th March, but no Letter. if there is any delay on my part in executing your directions, attribute it solely to the post offices, which will not permit me to receive Letters but once a week from you. I should Suppose that if a Mail containd only one Letter, it ought to...
380Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 26 September 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received Yours of Sep’ br 18 th . I have Melancholy intelligence to communicate to you respecting poor B Adams. last week of an Evening he had put a Horse into a Waggon for the purpose of conveying three quarters of Beaf to a Neighbours. the Horse was restiff, and he gave him a whip upon which he started, threw him down, and the wheel went over one Side of his face so as to break the jaw...
381Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 15 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
Do you know a Man by the Name of More What is his character? I have never replied to your favour of october 9th. I felt a reluctance at writing. Yet I love your Letters when they are not too sausy, or do not border upon what I never will pardon or forgive. I cannot withdraw my esteem from the writter, yet if his Friends do not tell him how much his character suffers, they do not act the part...
382Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 30 December 1793 (Adams Papers)
I inclose to you your Brothers Letter I should have Sent for you last saturday but I expected a snow storm. I suppose your Father has written to you. he is vex’d with the Printer for Publishing in three Numbers what ought all to have been in one. he says the writer of Columbus had better publish in a pamphlet by which a printer may get money, and as pamphlets are much in vogue at present....
383Abigail Adams to Hannah Phillips Cushing, 4 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received Your obliging favour dated march 28 th upon the 2 of this Month. it gave me great pleasure to learn that you had such fine Roads and agreable weather for Your journey I was daily rejoicing in it; for I was the more attentive to it upon your account. I knew not where you had taken up Your residence, or I should have written to you. I found you from my Sister that you had not past...
384Abigail Adams to John Adams, 25 June 1795 (Adams Papers)
I received yours of 23 d . it is reported here that 19 Senators are for a ratification of all but the 12 th article of the Treaty. Greenleafs paper contains daily Some weak foolish superficial sausy reflections & abuses upon the senate the President & the supposed Treaty but they cannot make an impression; but upon such minds as are, as weak, foolish, and superficial as the writers. Have you...
385Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your Letter of May the 24 th and shall begin tomorrow to get such things in readiness as will enable us to keep House. I feel a reluctance at striping this wholy at present, because I am well persuaded that we shall in some future period if our lives are prolonged return to it, and even supposing a summer recess, we might wish to come & spend a few months here. an other...
386Abigail Adams to John Adams, 14 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I received last Evening by my obliging Neighbour captain Beals your kind Letters of Fe bry 4th, and before I reply to them, I would inform you that our venerable Parent has appeard to revive for these two days past. her disorder has proved a Lung fever. the dr advised to a puke two days ago. She was rather averse to it, wishing rather as she expresst herself to dye in quiet. she had labourd...
387Abigail Adams to John Adams, 8 January 1795 (Adams Papers)
yours of 25 December reachd me with the Book for Louissa. through the Month of December the weather was uncommonly fine, but the New Year is very inclement. we have had a fair day or two only since it commenced, very little Snow & what Snow we had, is all leaving us to day, by a plentifull Southerly rain our people have been engaged where the weather Would allow this week in the woods. I have...
388To Thomas Jefferson from Abigail Adams, 11 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Col. Humphries talks of leaving us on Monday. It is with regret, I assure you, Sir, that we part with him. His visit here has given us an opportunity of becoming more acquainted with his real worth and merit, and our friendship for him has risen in proportion to our intimacy. The two American Secretaries of Legation would do honor to their country placed in more distinguished stations. Yet...
389Abigail Adams to William Cranch, 23 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I received your kind Letter last evening. I should be glad of two shares if you would part with them. I inclose 30 dollors for the first payment, but at the same time will content myself with one rather than be any disadvantage to you yet wish you not to sell to any other person any share you may part with, should you determine to not to keep them. I would however advise you to keep as many as...
390Abigail Adams to Mary Smith Cranch, 12 December 1797 (Adams Papers)
I receied yesterday your kind favour of 29 Nov’ br and 8 th December. I had a few lines from you on monday I got my Letter to day to myself. I believe I shall not venture to communicate it. the President will be very angry with Some of his Neighbours, if through their means we lose so good a Man, as is now in our power to settle. the judgement of those in opposition is weak. I would sooner...
391To Thomas Jefferson from Abigail Adams, 21 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
The Gentleman who is so kind as to convey this to you is from Carolina, his name is Smith. He is a distant relation of mine, tho I have not the pleasure of much acquaintance with him. He has resided in England some time, and bears a good Character here. Give me leave Sir to introduce him to your notice. Mr. Short left us last Tuesday for the Hague. I did myself the honour of writing to you by...
392Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 10 January 1795 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to you by Captain Scott Some time in December. on the 14 of the Month Captain Joy arrived in Boston, after a passage of 63 days. by him we learnt the agreable News of the arrival of the Alfred, in a passage of 32 days. to know that the ship was arrived, was a relief to my mind. to have heard from my dear sons, would have been a cordial to my Heart, but the Gen ll Lincoln was comeing...
393Abigail Adams to William Smith Shaw, 2 February 1799 (Adams Papers)
Is there no method my child you can persue to escape the constant colds to which you are subject it seems to me you have had a succession of them ever since you went to Philadelphia. have you had anything of the Rhumatism? we have had open thawy weather which has given me a touch of old times, a dumb Ague for the week past; I think the News papers might have given us a little more accurate...
394Abigail Adams to Abigail Adams Smith, 9 April 1788 (Adams Papers)
It is now ten days since we left London, and have been waiting at Portsmouth and here for the ship, but cannot yet learn that she has passed Gravesend. The weather is fine, but this waiting is very tedious, in a place where we have no acquaintance, and very little to interest or amuse us. We took a ride, yesterday, to Newport, the principal town in the island, and visited Carisbrook Castle....
395Abigail Adams to John Adams, 30 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a Letter for our Daughter which you will be so good as to cover and address. it is in reply to two which I have received from her pressing Me to come on & be with her untill March I have replied to her, as to you that if it was necessary I would come, but that I had rather not untill I knew what was necessary & saw the means for executing, having no inclination to proceed in the...
396Abigail Adams to Mary Smith Cranch, 7 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
I Suppose the reason why I have not had a Letter from You for a long time, arrises from Your expectation that I am upon my Journey; the Roads have been represented to me as so intolerable bad, and I know them to be So, that I have been prevaild upon to remain longer than I designd. I now think I shall stay untill after the 13 th of Feb ry , the great important Day which may in its concequences...
397Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 December 1798 (Adams Papers)
I cannot give you any account of Thomas I have sought for him by capt Jenkins. the Barbara which saild at the same time was a better vessel, well armd. mr smith thought it probable he would prefer her, as she was for Boston. I joind him in the same opinion, and was not a little distresst in the storm on saturday Evening to hear that she had been cast away on saturday morning near Salem, but at...
398To Thomas Jefferson from Abigail Adams, 7 October 17[85] (Jefferson Papers)
Your very polite favour was handed me by Colo. Franks. I am much obliged to you for the execution of the several commissions I troubled you with. Be assured sir that I felt myself Honourd by your commands, tho I have only in part executed them. For I could not find at any store table Cloths of the dimensions you directed. The width is as you wisht, but they assure me that four yds. and three...
399Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody, 5 October 1799 (Adams Papers)
I sent by the stage to Haverhill some cloaths for the Children, a suit of their Grandfathers which may serve to cut up for them. I also sent a spotted cloth for to make them overalls for daily wear, and some spotted thickset for Sundays. these I hope will last them. I must depend upon you to get them made. I also Sent what shirts were done at that time. I now send by mr smith the remainder,...
400To Thomas Jefferson from Abigail Adams, 20 May 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Had you been no other than the private inhabitant of Montecello, I should e’er this time have addrest you, with that sympathy, which a recent event has awakend in my Bosom. but reasons of various kinds withheld my pen, untill the powerfull feelings of my heart, have burst through the restraint, and called upon me to shed the tear of sorrow over the departed remains, of your beloved and...