Papers of John Adams, volume 15

337 From Patience Lovell Wright, [1 November 1783] Wright, Patience Lovell Adams, John

From Patience Lovell Wright

Satrday 11 oclock [1 November 1783]1

Mrs Wrights Most Respectfull Complents to Mr Adams and Lements and is Extreem Sorry she was Stept out at the moment Mr Adams did her the honour to Call on her—Cock Spur Street Mrs Wright begs he will Call again and would wait home from any other pleasure Engagement or Bussiness to have a Visit from him as her Esteem for Mr Adams is founded on the high and good principle as to Call for Atention from him— the pleasure of Seeing the Man who has undr God Saved his Coutry with those other Worthyes Calls on Mrs W to Shew all Possable Respect to him

Mrs was gone to Mr Jennings lodging at 10. oclock this mornig

Mrs Wright is now made hapy by Seeing Mr Adams Son—and has forgive her People in not detaining him— the Son of her friend has added new pleasure to the Pleasing prospect of Seeing them togethr at her house in London and also in America with the most sincer Regard this token wrote from the heart of a old friend / and most sincr humbl Servt Patience Wright2

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “John Adams Esqr”; endorsed: “Mrs Wrights Note.” Filmed at [April 1786].

This date is derived from JQA’s Diary entry for Saturday, 1 Nov., where he indicates that he visited “Mrs. Wright’s waxwork” (JQA, Diary , 1:198).

Patience Lovell Wright, a wax modeler living in London since 1772, had acted as an American spy during the Revolutionary War. In 1783 she had her exhibition rooms and her residence in Cockspur Street, Charing Cross. Wright had written to JA and John Jay on 8 March to solicit their cooperation in her plan to create a series of wax busts of prominent Americans for display at the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia (Charles Coleman Sellers, Patience Wright: American Artist and Spy in George III’s London, Middletown, Conn., 1976, p. 46–47, 138; Jay, Unpublished Papers , 2:602–603). For more on Wright, see Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 5, above.

The President of Congress to the American Peace Commissioners, 1 November 1783 President of Congress American Peace Commissioners

The President of Congress to the American Peace Commissioners

Gentlemen, Princeton 1. Nov. 1783

I am honored by the commands of Congress to transmit you a set of instructions in consequence of your joint and seperate letters of the months of June and July last, by Captain Barney, which I do myself the honor to enclose. These were not finished till the 29th. ult. after having undergone the most mature deliberation and fullest discussion in Congress.1

338 339

Yesterday we received from Colo. Ogden the news of the signature of the definitive Treaty on the 3d. of September, and that Mr. Thaxter was on the way with the official news. We long for his arrival tho’ we have no doubt of the fact, which is also announced by the post this day from Boston.

I do most sincerely congratulate you, Gentlemen, on this most important and happy event, which has diffused the sincerest Joy throughout these States; and the terms of which must necessarily hand down the names of its American Negociators to Posterity with the highest possible honor. May the Gratitude of your Country ever be the fair reward of all your labours.

New-York is not yet evacuated, but Sir Guy Carleton has informed our Commander in Chief, that he shall get clear of it in all this month, tho’ I think they will not dare to stay much beyond the 15th. instant.2

Your &c.

E B

FC (PCC, No. 16, f. 261–262); internal address: “The Honorable / The Ministers Plenipotentiary / of the United States of America / Paris—”

See the enclosed instructions at 29 Oct., above.

Sir Guy Carleton informed George Washington of his timetable for the evacuation of New York in a message delivered orally by Daniel Parker in early October. The last British troops departed from New York City on 25 Nov. (Smith, Letters of Delegates , 21:71, 157).