931John Adams to Abigail Adams, 26 October 1777 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Colman goes off for Boston Tomorrow. I have seized a Moment, to congratulate you on the great and glorious Success of our Arms at the Northward, and in Delaware River. The Forts at Province Island and Red Bank have been defended, with a Magnanimity, which will give our Country a Reputation in Europe. Coll. Green repulsed the Enemy from Red bank and took Count Donop and his Aid Prisoners....
932John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 20 September 1780 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor yesterday of a most excellent letter under the signature of Portia dated 21st. July; and altho’ I wrote You largely but yesterday, yet it would be unpardonable to omit the earliest opportunity of most gratefully acknowledging the receipt of a letter, which from its Morality, its refined Sentiments and its Patriotism does infinite honour to the Writer. I have read with the...
933John Adams to Abigail Adams, 23 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
It is a common Observation of Old People, that as they advance in Life time appears to run off faster, and the Years grow shorter. I cannot, I am Sure, Say the Same of the time which has passed of late. I took Possession of this Chamber on the 8 th. of this Month, and the time has seemed at least as long to me as any fifteen days of my whole Life. tedious days! and lonesome nights! I am weary...
934James Lovell to Abigail Adams, 10 November 1777 (Adams Papers)
As the delivery of this Billet cannot be attended with the disagreable allarm which the amiable Mrs. Adams some time ago suffered from a well meant but indiscretely-managed little Compliment of one of her Admirers, I improve this fair opportunity to congratulate her, thus, upon the late happy events at Saratoga, greatly important to the Public and, consequently, interesting to her patriotic...
935John Adams to Abigail Adams, 17 December 1798 (Adams Papers)
With a great deal of snow upon the Ground it is now plentifully snowing. There must be an unusual Quantity upon the Earth. I suppose you have it very deep. our Men and Teams must have had a terrible Jobb to get the Lumber home: but I hope it is all compleated e’er this. To Day at two D r Ewing & M r snowden are to dine with me and tomorrow at four about 30 senators and Reps.— I have not had as...
936William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 1 October 1787 (Adams Papers)
Not to acknowledge the many favours I have recieved from you, and the obligations they have laid me under, would be ingratitude in the greatest Degree. The only method now in my power of Cancelling those obligations is to acknowledge them & perhaps prevent your being dissappointed, should Callahan arrive before Folgier. For upon the supposition that Folgier would sail first, all the Letters...
937Hannah Quincy Lincoln Storer to Abigail Adams, 24 April 1797 (Adams Papers)
I feel as if I were My worthy friend, Compel’d to write a few lines to you in this uncommon hour of distressing events that await you. Tho’ what you wished with respect to one of the deceased has happen’d—Yet Not the less affecting I am sure— Your Mind I think Must be freed from a Charge that Seem’d to dewell heavy upon you— when I last had the Satisfaction of Seeing You — at this Moment the...
938John Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
Disappointed again.—The Post brought me no Letter from you, which I dont wonder at much, nor any Intelligence concerning you, which surprizes me, a good deal. . . . I hang upon Tenterhooks. Fifteen days since, you were all inocculated, and I have not yet learned how you have fared. But I will suppose you all better and out of Danger. Why should I torture myself when I cant relieve you? It...
939Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 7 November 1800 (Adams Papers)
welcome thou best of women thou best of Sisters thou kindest of Friends the Soother of ever human woe to the city of Washington. welome to the best of men welcome to a Nephew & neice who Love honor, & respects you take their Sweet ofspring to your benevolent Bosom & say to thus would your Grandmama do if she could hold you in her arms.— I tremble I can scarcly hold my pen other must tell you...
940John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 10 November 1782 (Adams Papers)
We arrived here the 26th. last Month after a tedious Journey in a crazy Carriage, with the additional Circumstances and Douceurs of constant Rains and bad Roads. Nothing however compared to Spain. At Valenciennes, the first City of France in coming from Holland, we stopped half a day. The greatest Curiosity we saw there was in a Church, where we found the Virgin Mary encirling the City with a...
941Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 7 July 1777 (Adams Papers)
Being Necessiated to use a Certain peace of Linnen so Nearly up that I Cannot spare my Friend the bit she Requested I Let her know if I Come across any that I think will suit her I shall not forget her. I Could spare a Yard of very Good Irish Linnen but the price is more than Adequate to the Goodness so do not send it. If you are able to write yourself do Let me hear from you soon. If you are...
942Eunice Paine to Abigail Adams, 26 April 1797 (Adams Papers)
From an old friend the companion of your youthfull days you will allow the familliarity I use— I was so Struck with the intelligence m r Belcher left this morning that I am hardly capable of writing but the Spirit constraineth me the dispensations of providence are so visibly kind they have a voice of their own and need not be repeated— Peace to the Spirits of the departed they had their Dear...
943From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 7 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour of writing you on the 21st. of June, but the letter being full of treason has waited a private conveiance. Since that date there has been received for you at Auteuil a cask of about 60. gallons of wine. I would have examined it’s quality and have ventured to decide on it’s disposal, but it is in a cask within a cask, and therefore cannot be got at but by operations which would...
944John Adams to Abigail Adams, 4 January 1782 (Adams Papers)
I hope, Charles is at home by this time or that he will be in a few days. I presume he sailed from Bilbao in the Cicero, with M ajor Jackson and Mr. Trumbul, one of the first days of december yet I have no certain news of his sailing at all. John is well with Mr. D ana at Petersbourg. I cannot tell you any News—there are great questions upon the Tapis here, but how they will be decided, I know...
945John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 19 November 1782 (Adams Papers)
In my melancholy, unhappy Moments, (for such I sometimes have), I recur to my old Letters for Consolation, and to none with more pleasure than the sentimental ones of Portia. Letters give Wings to the Imagination; and by their Aid I can transport myself in an instant to H ingha m, or B rai n tr ee and there enjoy the Company of my Friends. In reading over again your’s of the 18th. July last, I...
946John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 December 1786 (Adams Papers)
Three months have now elapsed, since, I have received, one line from Europe; and the only information I have had in all that time, were a couple of paragraphs in the newspapers, the one mentioning your departure from London, and the other your return there; I feel very impatient and anxious for letters, a vessel arrived a few days since; but, I do not hear, that she brought any: if I have been...
947John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
Our Coach is Still immoveable. The Anarchical Warriours are beat out of all their Entrechments by the Arguments of the Friends of Peace and order. But Party Spirit is blind and deaf. totally destitute of Candour—unfeeling to every candid sentiment. The People are alarmed and Petitions are coming from all Quarters, mostly in favour of the Treaty. The Business will not be finished, if the first...
948John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 May 1775 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Eliot of Fairfield, is this Moment arrived in his Way to Boston. He read us a Letter from the Dr. his Father dated Yesterday Sennight being Sunday. The Drs. Description of the Melancholly of the Town, is enough to melt a Stone. The Tryals of that unhappy and devoted People are likely to be severe indeed. God grant that the Furnace of Affliction may refine them. God grant that they may be...
949John Adams to Abigail Adams, 6 November 1778 (Adams Papers)
We have received Information that so many of our Letters have been thrown overboard, that I fear you will not have heard so often from me, as both of us wish. I have written often. But my Letters have not been worth so much as other Things which I have sent you. I sent you a small Present by Captain Niles. But he is taken by a Jersey Privateer. I sent you also, some other Things by Captain...
950Samuel B. Malcom to Abigail Adams, 16 May 1800 (Adams Papers)
It was my intention immediately after our late Election to have acquainted you with the expectations that might be relied upon from its result, and also to have informed you of the conduct of the principal Agents who projected and supported it; a serious indisposition however frustrated this intention— From the public prints you will have discovered that the Election here is now decided, and...
951James Lovell to Abigail Adams, 26 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Alliance may have brought you Letters: neither that nor the Franklin have given us any from Mr. Adams. Mr. Dana on the 4th of April resolved to go from Paris to Holland on the Sunday following. He mentions nothing of Mr. A but I send you a Scrap from the Hague which proves the Health of him and his, in a good Degree, March 4th. Any Thing to the contrary would have been mentioned by Mr....
952William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 4 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
I should have answer’d your kind letter of 16 th. ult o. before this time, but I have only this morning return’d from the General Court at Annapolis. I thank you most sincerely for the interest you take in my affairs, and for the parental advice you have given. I have already suffer’d enough by becoming surety for others, to know how to prize that advice, but it requires a kind of hardness of...
953John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 February 1795 (Adams Papers)
You have sometime since, I presume, received my Letters inclosing those of our son Thomas of the 19 th. of October: You have also I hope and doubt not been informed by Col smith or Charles of the good Fortune of our Daughter, who on the twenty Eighth of January went to bed in good health as could be expected with an healthy Daughter. I congratulate you on all these prosperous Events, and wish...
954John Adams to Abigail Adams, 22 February 1799 (Adams Papers)
Your last Letter, which I have rec d was dated the 10 th. — I have one from M r Thomas at Brookfield of the 8 th. — I hope your ill turn was soon over and that your health is reestablished. What the ultimate determination of our son will be I cannot conjecture.— I would not overpersuade him. Phyladelphia is on many Accounts, a good place. My Inclination as well as yours is for Quincy: his for...
955John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 March 1794 (Adams Papers)
I know not how to throw off, the Lassitude that hangs upon me.—weary of a daily round, which to me is more confined and more insipid than to any other. I would gladly go home: but at a time So critical as this, it would not be justifiable, to quit my Post if there were no particular Reasons against it. But as the Senate is nearly divided in all great questions, and the President pro tem, has...
956John Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
Prices with you are much more moderate than here. Yesterday I was obliged to give Forty shillings Pen. Cur. Thirty two L.M. for one Gallon of Rum. In my station here, I have Business with many Gentlemen who have occasion to visit me, and I am reduced to the Necessity of treating them with plain Toddy and Rum and Water—a Glass of Wine, once in a while to a great stranger, of uncommon...
957John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 27 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
Your kind favour of the 10 th: inst t: came to hand last evening— And I would take this opportunity to request that all letters for me from Quincy, may be put in to the post-office there; without waiting to send them to Boston— I shall thus get them sooner— My own letters too I hope go directly to Quincy.— My brother I imagine will be satisfied with the frequency of my writing or inclosing...
958John Adams to Abigail Adams, 25 January 1784 (Adams Papers)
I was much disappointed, on the Arrival of Mr. Temple in London, at not finding a Letter from you, but last Week at Amsterdam, I had the Happiness to receive your kind favours of Sept. 20. and Oct. 19. Mr. Trumbull is not arrived. The Loss of my kind Father, has very tenderly affected me, but I hope, with full Confidence to meet him in a better World. My ever honoured Mother I still hope to...
959John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 January 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am (by the Grace of God) once more safely arrived at Bilbao. I have wrote you an account of my Voyage and why we put into Spain. I have heard Since I left Ferrol that a Child of foar years old might be put into the leak. It was well for us that we arrived as we did, one more Storm would very probably carried us to the bottom of the Sea. We arrived here yesterday at about one o’clock and...
960Abigail Adams Smith to Abigail Adams, 7 September 1788 (Adams Papers)
I received, on Wednesday last, from the hands of Mr. T——, your letter, No. 4, of August 25th. He was so obliging as to call with it himself, in company with Mr. King. * * * Mr. George Storer came out last evening to pass Sunday with us, and by him I propose to forward my letter. He is very civil in forwarding letters for me, and is disposed to be sociable; I am glad that he is pleased with his...