1John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I am almost asham’d to acknowledge how long it has been since I wrote you last, and can only hope you will consider my numerous letters to my brother, most of which I intended as much for you as for him, to be a sufficient apology— I have not received a line from you or from my father since last June, though I think it impossible but that you should have written more than once— My last letter...
2John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 21 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
While I was sealing up on the last post day; the cover to M r: Pitcairn, of my number 29. I received two packets from you, containing three copies of the translation, and the three first numbers of the Port-Folio, with a couple of newspapers besides— Your few lines of January 23 d: were in one of the packets; and the next day came to hand your N: 23. of January 15 th: The packets are marked as...
3John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 24 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
My last letter to you, was of November 25. since which I have not enjoyed the pleasure of receiving a line either from my mother or from you— To her I have in the interval written once; and now enclose a press-copy of the letter, in case the original should fail in the conveyance. My numerous letters to the Secretary of State, and to my brother will I hope apologize for my silence during so...
4John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 28 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
It is my intention during the short time that I expect to remain here, to send you from time to time such new publications in the french language, as may fall in my way, and appear to promise entertainment or matter of interesting meditation for you. With this design I purpose to combine another, which I am at least desirous to render of some utility to my Country— The translation from Juvenal...
5John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 March 1801 (Adams Papers)
I now enclose together with a press copy of my last letter to you, the original of one addressed to your father, containing observations upon a french pamphlet, which I have sent him. This letter however is not to be sent to him, but to be published in the Port Folio, if the Editor thinks proper. Of course, without indicating either the writer, or the person, to whom it is addressed— My design...
6John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 4 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
You will receive enclosed with this, a duplicate of my letter, relative to your annual account, and a literary letter of this date, containing an account of an interview between Frederic 2. and the poet Gellert, which I hope will amuse you.— If you chuse, it may be published as one of the letters on various topics of foreign literature. At the same time with your accounts, I received a couple...
7John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 11 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
You have here a triplicate of my letter respecting your account—a duplicate of the conversation between Frederic. 2. & Gellert. And the first number of a series, in which I purpose to review an important late french work, which I shall send to your father. It seems to me as if the frequency of writing shortened the distance between us. But you will not complain if it likewise sometimes...
8John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days ago your kind letter of 29 January. After having been so many months without a line from you, it gave me sincere pleasure to see your hand-writing again, though I could not but sympathise with the afflictions under the immediate burden of which it was written— I have cordially and deeply lamented my poor brother, and will obey your injunction respecting his child I learn...
9John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 18 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
I enclose herewith the second number of my Gazette, which completes the Journal for the month of March. By the last post I sent to Hamburg a letter for my mother with the information, that on the 12 th: inst r: my wife was delivered of a son. But she was then extremely ill, & I wrote under the impression of great alarm on her account. She has since very much recovered, & as I am assured quite...
10John Quincy Adams to Catherine Nuth Johnson, 18 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
As Nancy has vindicated her privilege of giving you the first notice that you were a Grandmamma, I presume I have no occasion to scruple at letting you know that last Sunday the 12 th: inst t: at half-past three o’clock afternoon, our dear Louisa gave you another grandson— To have been able to add that both she and her child have been ever since as well as the occasion could admit, would...
11John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 25 April 1801 (Adams Papers)
As I am informed there is a vessel soon to sail from Amsterdam for Boston, I now forward to M r. Bourne to go by her, this letter enclosing copies of my numbers 2 and 3. upon the Etat de la France &c. The book itself will go with the copy of my first letter concerning it, from Hamburg— Hauterive has generally been given out as its author; but Talleyrand himself is now understood to have had...
12John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 1 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have received, and communicated to this Government, my recall from the mission here— I shall hasten my departure as much as possible; but the situation of my wife who is still confined to her bed, renders it uncertain when she will be able to travel at-all, and yet more when to undertake the voyage. If a favourable opportunity from Hamburg for Boston occurs I shall give it the preference—...
13John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 16 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
M r: Welsh proposes to return home by the way of Amsterdam, and will be the bearer of this letter— With it, I enclose the 4 th: number of the Gazette, and copies of former letters to yourself and to my dear mother. I wish I could promise myself a more speedy departure than that which I anticipated in my last Letter to you; but we can no longer form a hope of my wife’s immediate recovery— There...
14John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 30 May 1801 (Adams Papers)
I enclose you for M r: Oldschool a letter commencing the review of a new publication of M r: Gentz— You will perhaps enquire, why I begin upon this before I have finished the examination of the Etat de la France — The reason is that this last book was lent to me; that the owner called upon me to return it and that I have been unable to procure me a copy of it either in this town or at the...
15John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 9 June 1801 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you last week that I expected to sail on board the Catherine, Captain Ingersoll, from Hamburg for New-York— But he goes so much sooner than I expected, that I am unable to take the advantage of this opportunity, and shall be obliged to wait for another— Perhaps even, I may embark for Philadelphia, though from various reasons I am averse to going there; balanced only by the single...
16John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 4 September 1801 (Adams Papers)
After a passage of 58 days from Hamburg we have this day landed here, where we purpose to stay five or six days— My wife will then go to spend a few weeks with her parents at Washington, and I shall hasten towards Quincy where I hope within three weeks to present myself before you— Her health though yet very infirm is better than we could have expected, and your little Grandson is as hearty as...
17John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 16 September 1801 (Adams Papers)
On Sunday morning, after a cold and somewhat tedious ride all the preceding night I reached Newark— Pass’d the day and next night there, and on Monday, your sister took me into town with her. I have bespoke my passage for Providence, and am waiting only for a wind. Old M rs: Smith and her daughter Nancy were very obliging, and the Col l: is friendly and hospitable as usual.— He has introduced...
18John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 23 September 1801 (Adams Papers)
I hope you have duly received the letter which I wrote you, from New-York, giving you a regular account of my proceedings untill I reached that city.— T[he] packet on board of which I took passage was detained by adverse winds untill Friday , the 18 th: when we sailed at about 5 in the afternoon— Of all the passages by water that I ever made, this I think was the most perfectly pleasant; and...
19John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 27 September 1801 (Adams Papers)
I arrived here in three days from New-York, last Monday Evening, the 21 st: inst t: — I found my father in good health and spirits— My mother has been very unwell, but I am happy to tell you is upon the recovery. Whitcomb got here two days ago, and brought me, your facetious letter of the 18 th: —with the Port-Folio, for which I give you my thanks— But it is still incomplete for the prospectus...
20John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 29 September 1801 (Adams Papers)
Last friday Evening, the 25 th. Whitcomb to my great joy arrived and brought the tidings of your safe arrival at Washington; he was detained four days at New-York; so that your letter of the 16 th: reached me at the same time— I enjoyed over again the happiness of your meeting with your parents and family; and as you are apprehensive of too much inconvenience on your journey hither without me,...
21John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Adams, 8 October 1801 (Adams Papers)
The day after I last wrote you, I received your favour of 22 d: Sept r: and am much distress’d to find that you had again been ill with the cramps, and continued to suffer the pain in your hands which has so much afflicted us heretofore— I hope with you it is not imputable to the cause our friends apprehend, and that it will subside when the agitation upon your spirits occasioned by our...
22John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 October 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have duly received your letter enclosing the 8 per Cents, and the bank bill, for which I am to give you my best thanks. I arrived here safely after a fatiguing journey of thirty hours from Philadelphia, and had the happiness to find my wife and child in very good health— Louisa looks better than she has for years before, and I flatter my self with the hope that she will find this climate...
23John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 November 1801 (Adams Papers)
I have intended every day since my arrival here to write you a line and inform you of my having safely reached it; but have hitherto been prevented, partly by business, and partly by the waste of time in visits, dinners and other avocations of the like nature: I say partly by business, for I have found much more of that to do here than I was aware of: upon undertaking to settle my accounts...
24John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 November 1801 (Adams Papers)
We left Washington on the 3 d: inst t: as I informed you in my letter from that place of the 1 st: it was our intention to do.— M r: and M rs: Johnson and their two youngest daughters accompanied us to Frederick— But M r: Johnson and my child were both taken so ill on the road that we had some difficulty to complete our day’s journey— M r. Johnson’s illness detained us a week at...
25John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 28 November 1801 (Adams Papers)
The remnant of our pilgrimage since we left you at M rs: Roberts’s door, stands thus— Monday Nov r: 16. lodg’d at Trenton—Tuesday, at M rs: Smith’s in Newark; where we found only the old lady and little Abby—M rs: Charles Adams was in New-York— Wednesday morning we reached that place— The roads began to be deep and reminded us that we were quite late enough in the season— Two days at New-York—...
26John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 9 January 1802 (Adams Papers)
I have received three letters from you without making the proper returns— The occasion of which has been the continual occupation I have found in moving, repairing and furnishing my house, and entering upon my office— These things are now chiefly accomplish’d, and I hope in future to have more leisure for making communications to you.— I can however not promise much in that respect.— My time...
27John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 18 January 1802 (Adams Papers)
Two months having elapsed since I made the proposal respecting the note of hand due from your brother Justus to me, and being still without an answer from him, I presume either that the proposal was not agreeable to him, or that some accident has delayed or misdirected his answer, and prevented its coming to hand. I have now settled once more in this town, and resumed the practice of the law—...
28John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 March 1802 (Adams Papers)
I am sorry that we are again obliged to postpone our visit to you at Quincy, as George is this day breaking out with the meazles— His symptoms however are favourable, and we hope he will have the disorder lightly.— I send out by William the two turkies and a fish. There is no Cod at market, for which reason I send a haddock— You will also receive a Rochefort cheese enclosed in a leaden cover—...
29John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 11 April 1802 (Adams Papers)
Since my last letter to you, I have not had the pleasure of receiving a line from you— I have it not yet in my power to unpack my books, and consequently not to take out and send you those belonging to you. But I have sent you a set of the Massachusetts Laws, and a copy of the translation from Bulow, by the Sylvia, Captain Seth Daggett, who has already sailed, and will probably reach...
30John Quincy Adams to Walter Hellen, 28 April 1802 (Adams Papers)
I received last evening your favour of the 20 th: inst t: containing the distressing intelligence of M r: Johnson’s decease; which I had indeed been in some measure prepared to expect, by a letter from M rs: Johnson to M rs: Adams, received a few days before— I endeavoured to communicate the melancholy event to my wife in a manner which might soften as much as possible the shock— The agitation...