Adams Papers Digital Edition

Adams Family Correspondence, volume 14

William Stephens Smith to Abigail Adams Smith

Abigail Adams to Martha Washington
William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams Smith, 23 December 1799 Shaw, William Smith Adams, Abigail (daughter of JA and AA)
William Stephens Smith to Abigail Adams Smith
My Dear: Union Brigade, December 23, 1799.

I received yours of the 19th this afternoon, and yesterday received orders from General Hamilton to prepare for the funeral rites of our departed General, on Thursday next.1 I have put every thing in the necessary train of execution, preparative to the reception of his final orders, which I expect to receive in the course of the night; and last night I determined to erect a monument to his memory, and penned the enclosed.2 This morning, consulted the field officers of the brigade, who cheerfully consented to share the expense. It will be erected on the centre in front of the cantonment, of white marble, engraved with black letter, on a mound to be raised for the fixture of the pedestal of the monument. Its rear will be conical, adorned with military trophies in black lines; its front will bear the inscription enclosed. I wish the President could spare time to overlook it, and make such alteration as may strike him as necessary.

I wrote you the day before yesterday, to which refer.3 Present me respectfully to all. My love to my baby and you.

In haste, yours,

W. S. Smith

MS not found. Printed from AA2, Jour. and Corr. , 2:164.

 1.

AA2’s letter has not been found. Alexander Hamilton, through his aide de camp, Philip Church, on 21 Dec. conveyed orders to the U.S. Army that were based on JA’s directions regarding the commemoration of George Washington’s death. Hamilton ordered that funeral honors be paid by all units and troops wear armbands for six months (Hamilton, Papers , 24:111–114).

 2.

The enclosure has not been found, but WSS probably sent a copy of the proposed monument inscription that he also sent to Hamilton the same day. The inscription featured twelve lines of verse, concluding: 82 “On drooping boughs, Heroes, their Armour hung, / Their hearts depress’d, their Warworn nerves unstrung, / Columbia’s genius bending o’er his bier / Breathes the sad Sigh, and drops the melting Tear” (same, 24:120–122).

 3.

Not found. WSS wrote again to AA2 on 27 Dec., offering a detailed account of ceremonies held at the camp the day before in Washington’s honor (AA2, Jour. and Corr. , 2:166–172).