Abigail Adams to Joseph Warren, 13 May 1775
Abigail Adams to Joseph Warren
Braintree May 13 1775
Sir
A Brother of Mr. Adams’es who has been a Captain of a Company in this Town, is desirous of joining the Army provided he can obtain [a] Birth; he would prefer a Majors to any other. As he has not any acquaintance with any Gentleman in the Army, except Coll. Palmer, he requested me to write you a line, in his behalf; he is a person both of steadiness and probity, and if there should be any place open in the army wherein he could serve his Country, I believe he would discharge the Trust reposed in him to acceptance. Your intrest Sir in his favour, would oblige [both him?]1 and his absent Brother, as well as your Humble Servant,
Abigail Adams2
RC (formerly in M-Ar: vol. 193; now missing); addressed: “To Docter Joseph Warren Watertown”; present text from a facsimile in Albert Bushnell Hart, ed., Commonwealth History of Massachusetts, Boston, 1927–1930, vol. 3: facing p. 220.
1. Facsimile (and presumably the MS) mutilated.
2. AA’s application was in behalf of JA’s brother Elihu. Warren told JA in a letter dated at Cambridge, 20 May (Adams Papers), that he had received AA’s letter and would “do all in [his] Power to obtain” a major’s commission for Elihu “in one of the Regiments.” But it does not appear that he succeeded in doing so. The opposition of Elihu’s mother may have been the stumbling block; see AA to JA, 25 June, below. In the following August, while serving as a captain of Massachusetts troops in the army besieging Boston, Elihu caught the prevailing camp dysentery and died (AA to JA, 10–11 Aug., below).