Papers of John Adams, volume 18

378 The American Commissioners to Paul R. Randall, [7 July 1786] American Commissioners Randall, Paul R.

The American Commissioners to Paul R. Randall

Sir London June 29. 1786— [ 7 July 1786 ]1

We have written to Mr Lamb, to return to America without Loss of Time, either by the first Opportunity from any Port in Spain, or by the French Packett at L’Orient.— If You Should choose to Accompany him, We wish to accommodate you and therefore consent: but our Desire is rather that you Should come first to Paris & London that We may avail ourselves of an opportunity of conversing with you more particularly upon the Affairs of the United States with those of Affrica. We have written to Mr Lamb to furnish You with Cash from the Sum that remains in his Hands, to defrey the Expence of your Journey to Paris and London.

We have the Honour to be, Sir / your most obedient & most / humble servant

John Adams.

RC (DLC:Jefferson Papers); internal address: “Mr Randal.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 113.

Thomas Jefferson would have presumably signed this letter on 7 July if it had been sent on to Randall. The letter was drafted by JA, who then enclosed a signed fair copy with his 29 June letter to Jefferson for his signature (Jefferson, Papers , 10:79). By 5 July, when the letter arrived, Randall had reached Paris. Jefferson therefore retained the letter in his papers (from Jefferson, 9 July, below). See also the letter that JA drafted on 29 June to John Lamb at [7 July], the date on which Jefferson signed it, above.

From John Adams to the Abbés Chalut and Arnoux, 8 July 1786 Adams, John Chalut, Abbé Arnoux, Abbé

To the Abbés Chalut and Arnoux

Mes chers Amis— July 8th. 1786 1

Permettez moi de vous presenter Mon Ami monsieur John Trumbull Fils du Governeur Trumbull et cidevant Colonel au service des Etats Unis— Il a l’Ambition noble de consigner a l’immortality les Evenemens de notre Histoire par son Pinceau— vous verrez son Warren et son Montgomery— Mr. Trumbull est un Citizen tres estimable, et Je vous prie de l’assister avec vos Bontés

J. A—

TRANSLATION

My dear friends 8 July 1786 1

Allow me to present to you my friend Mr. John Trumbull, son of Governor Trumbull and erstwhile colonel in the service of the United States. He has the noble ambition of immortalizing the events of our history with his 379 paintbrush. You will see his Warren and his Montgomery. Mr. Trumbull is a very praiseworthy citizen, and I pray you to assist him with your hospitality.

J. A—

LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Messieurs Les Abbes / Chalut & Arnoux—”; APM Reel 113.

This letter is unusual in being one of the very few from JA to any correspondent written in French. He also wrote to the Comte de Sarsfield on 7 July and to the Marquis de Lafayette on the 8th to introduce John Trumbull, but those letters were in English (both LbC’s, APM Reel 113).

Trumbull was traveling to Paris, where he would reside with Thomas Jefferson, to have his paintings “The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack of Quebec” and “The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill” engraved ( AFC , 7:153–154; Jefferson, Papers , 10:251–252). Besides the letters of introduction, Trumbull carried JA’s letters to Jefferson and John Paul Jones of 16 and 17 July, respectively, both below.