Adams Papers Digital Edition

Adams Family Correspondence, volume 9

Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams to Cotton Tufts
196 Samuel Magaw, James Hutchinson, Jonathan Williams, and John Vaughan to Abigail Adams, 26 February 1791 Magaw, Samuel Hutchinson, James Williams, Jonathan Vaughan, John Adams, Abigail
Samuel Magaw, James Hutchinson, Jonathan Williams, and John Vaughan to Abigail Adams
Madam Philad. 26 Feby 1791—

Having been honored with the Vice Presidents consent to attend the Eulogium in Memory of Dr Benjamin Franklin. We in the name of the Philosophical Society, presume to hope you will do them the honor of your presence on the Same important occasion1

We have the honor to be / with the greatest respect / Madam / Your obedient Servants

Sam. Magaw James Hutchinson Jona Williams Jn Vaughan Committee2

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs Adams.—”

 1.

Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia on 17 April 1790. Nearly a year later, on 1 March 1791, JA and AA were in attendance when American Philosophical Society vice president William Smith delivered a eulogy before members of the society at Philadelphia's German Lutheran Church: “From west to east, by land and on the wide ocean, to the utmost extents of the civilized globe, the tale hath been told—That the venerable Sage of Pennsylvania, the Patriot and Patriarch of America, is no more” ( DAB ; William Smith, Eulogium on Benjamin Franklin, L.L.D., Phila., 1792, title page, p. 1; Philadelphia Freeman's Journal, 9 March).

 2.

This word is written alongside the list of names preceded by a large brace. Samuel Magaw (1739–1812) was rector of St. Paul's Church, Philadelphia, and vice provost of the University of Pennsylvania. James Hutchinson (1752–1793) was a physician and University of Pennsylvania professor of medicine ( Colonial Collegians ). For Jonathan Williams, see vol. 3:72; for John Vaughan, see JA, D&A , 3:226.