Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 November 1794

Abigail Adams to John Adams

Quincy Novbr 7 10th 1794

my dearest Friend

I hope you are agreably lodgd and that your Company will be to your mind. I rejoice in the ReElection of mr Ames, and mr Smith of Carolina. tis Said mr Freeman is chosen for Barnstable a clasmate of our Son JQA, a Lawyer, a worthy Sensible Man as I have heard.1 for this district mr Reed I hear is chosen. I do not however approve of Clergymen becomeing politicians. you may mak a Chaplin of him. I hear however that he is an ingenious Sensible Man.2 mr Dexter tis thought is not yet chosen, oweing to their being several persons voted for. a large number of votes for mr Gerry who did not wish to be considerd as a candidate and whose influence will be given to mr Dexter should a second vote be necessary.

I have read mr Munroe speach in the National assembly!!! Charmed with the stability of their counsels! what a consience. the Translater may be in fault. every minister could not have made Such a speach.3

You wish to know how the Business proceeds— Savil Nightingal & Bracket have been constantly carting sea weed. they have brought sufficient to compleatly cover the orchard. it is not yet all spread oweing, to the potato which has taken of Some of the Hands, and will take they tell me, two days more to compleat. I inclose you a journal of the Buisness of every day since you left me. I set out tomorrow for Haverhill, leaving the weeks buisness agreed upon with Shaw.4 I hope to return on fryday, and by saturdays post to hear from you. do not let Brisler omit my flower. it has risen here to 52 shillings Remember me to all inquiring Friends Thomas thought mr Brisler had best send round his Bed & what things he left. I forgot to mention it to him. he will judge whether it is best to send them now or in the Spring

Your ever affectionate

A Adams

julia has scarcly got upon the settee since you went away She however retains her affection for the Bed—

ENCLOSURE

Shaw at this place I call N1. Shaw at the other No2

october 30. Shaw No 1 & 2 carting Sea weed. Joy getting wood Trask Hayden & Minos the No leged Negro diging potatoes5 Arnold & Bass spreading sea weed Copland absent. Statson in the Garden—

31 Shaw No1 Bass Arnold joy Minos at the Beach medow diging potatoes very small & slow work— driven of at 12 oclok by a heavy Rain. Spread sea weed in the afternoon shaw No 2 at home getting wood for himself & making a pigs trough Stutson in garden

Novbr 1 All Hands at the Beach medow. left only half a dozen Bushel

2d. sunday—

3d Shaw No1 No 2 joy and Copland splitting Hills Arnold & Bass spreading sea weed, a drisly wet day—

4th Shaw No 1 & 2—Copland Arnold Bass joy & Minos diging potatoes at shaws place

5 all Hands at potatoes stutson Garden

6 ditto—

7th shaw & Howard killing creatures6 Bass & Arnold employd all day in bringing round the Scow— Copland Minos shaw No2 & joy at potatoes

8 shaw No1 & Bass loading the Scow & carting up sea weed joy Shaw No 2 Arnold Copland Minos diging potatoes

9th sunday—

10th shaw & Bass loading the Scow & carting up sea weed shaw No2 plowing captain Beals joy Copland Arnold potatoes

RC and enclosure (Adams Papers). Filmed at 7–10 Nov. 1794.

1. Nathaniel Freeman Jr. represented Massachusetts in the 4th and 5th Congresses (Biog. Dir. Cong. description begins Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–1989, Washington, D.C., 1989. description ends ).

2. Rev. John Reed (1751–1831), Yale 1772, had been a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and was the minister of the First Congregational Church of West Bridgewater, Mass. He served as a representative in Congress from 1795 to 1801 (same).

3. James Monroe, the new U.S. minister plenipotentiary, was introduced in the French National Convention on 6 Sept. 1794 (An. II, 26 thermidor). His speech emphasized the commonalities and friendship between France and the United States: “Their governments have much analogy to each other. They both cherish like principles, and repose on a similar basis, to wit, the unalienable and equal rights of man. The remembrance, even of common dangers, can but augment their harmony, and cement their union.” He also praised “the wisdom and the firmness of her councils” and pledged the support of the U.S. government for “the liberty, prosperity and happiness of the French republic” (Boston Federal Orrery, 10 Nov.).

4. AA was going to Haverhill to visit Elizabeth Smith Shaw, whose husband, John Shaw, had passed away on 29 September. See AA to TBA, 30 Nov., below.

5. Possibly Samuel Trask (1736–1808), originally of Hingham but at this time living in Quincy (Sprague, Braintree Families description begins Waldo Chamberlain Sprague, comp., Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, Mass., 1640–1850, Boston, 1983; repr. CD-ROM, Boston, 2001. description ends ).

6. Possibly Samuel Hayward (1760–1812) of Roxbury, a cordwainer (same; JA, D&A description begins Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. description ends , 3:238).

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 November 1794
Author: Adams, Abigail
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 10 November 1794

Reference

Cite as: “Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 November 1794 ,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-10-02-0157. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 10, January 1794 – June 1795, ed. Margaret A. Hogan, C. James Taylor, Sara Martin, Hobson Woodward, Sara B. Sikes, Gregg L. Lint, and Sara Georgini. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2011, pp. 250–252.]

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