Adams Family Correspondence, volume 12
d1797
Your letter of the 21st of April, appears to intimate a doubt of the possibility of our meeting, my last disappointment my beloved friend, has taught me to fear, and I have endeavored to acquire fortitude, in case of the worst—1 Heaven knows with what delight I should have accompanied you, and how rejoiced I should be to have it in my power to contribute to your happiness but if this cannot be done, without inconvenience to you, my Adams, I should surely consult my own happiness not yours, if I wished it—
I am happy to hear that your brother means to accompany you, could I envy any one it certainly would be him— We have this day hear’d of the Peace between the French and the Emperor of Germany your brother is fortunate as this it is said has made Paris very gay—2 Papa has been very ill, but is now recovering—
Adieu, write to me I entreat you my best friend, endeavor to mitigate the pain, I cannot help feeling, at the idea of your departure, and believe / me unalterably yours
RC (Adams Papers).
In a short letter to LCA of 21 April, JQA suggested that their separation was likely to continue owing to the difficulty of finding American vessels bound for Lisbon. JQA also wrote that TBA, who was currently visiting Paris, had decided to accompany him to 102 Portugal. He wrote again on 28 April reporting his intention to travel from Amsterdam to Lisbon aboard a Danish vessel and that ongoing friction between Portugal and France would likely prohibit her accompanying him (both Adams Papers).
The London Evening Mail, 1–2 May, published a report from the French Directory announcing the signing of the preliminary peace agreement with Austria.
LCA wrote a similar letter to JQA on 16 May, repeating her acceptance of their continued separation and her happiness that TBA would remain with him. She also commented on her father’s preparations to return to the United States (Adams Papers).
Your Letters of the 21. 22. 23. and 26 of April are all before me—1 They have inspired me with all the Melancholly in which they were written.
Our Mother and our Niece are gone to rest. The first a fruit fully ripe the last but a blossom or a bud.— I have Suffered for you as much as you have Suffered— But I could give you no Aid or Amusement or Comfort.— I pray God that these dispensations may be for ever good. My Mothers Countenance and Conversation was a Source of Enjoyment to me, that is now dried up forever, at Quincy. Our Ancestors are now all gone, and We are to follow them very Soon, to a country where there will be no War or rumour of War, no Envy, Jealousy Rivalry nor Party.
You and I are now entering on a new Scene, which will be the most difficult, and least agreable of any in our Lives.— I hope the burthen will be lighter to both of Us, when We come together.
I am, as long as Life lasts your / ever affectionate
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs Adams.”
AA’s letters to JA of 21 and 22 April have not been found.
JA wrote AA a second letter of this date, reporting that he would be unable to send his coach and horses to Paulus Hook, N.J., for her but that he would try to meet her in Bristol, Penn.; he also enclosed $150 to pay for the rest of her journey (Adams Papers).
I this day receiv’d your kind Letter from Springfield. I Set you down in Brookfield in my mind that day however I think you did right to go on as fast as you could the President must want both you & mr Brisler & could I think you would have any rest after you arriv’d I should feel better about you. but I do hope you will not think 103 of Staying thro the hot months your Life is of too much importance to be thus risk’d— I did feel—I cannot Say how the day you left me— I could not bear to stay at Quincy I Should have done like poor Prince wept all day it was necessary also for Cousin Betsy to get out She Set the greatest part of her time at the kitchen chamber window looking into the Burying Ground. I have not let her know I notic’d it but I lead her away as much as I can. Sister Smith has had a terrible [crazy] turn quite raving last Saturday & a monday She made mrs Brackit believe She was going to dye we were there the most of the day She made mrs Brackit lug & lift her about like a baby till I went over.1 She was very cross wanted a Doctor & a nurse. had nobody to take any care of her. wishd She could be among people who had some feeling I told mrs B it would not last long I had Seen her so many times we put her to Bed & I desired them not to let her get up till She could do it herself I knew she put all them airs on to fright them She hinted about her [Peuking] to fright Cousin Betsy. She was Strong enough the next morning. tis a Strange disorder which can make a person act so— She is now much better—but it has worried Cousin—
mr Whitney is gone a journey So we have no meeting to day. capn. Lindsey has had a drumb & a Fife playing all day at his house & all the worst drunkards in town with him & he has been fireing guns himself & this evening they have been before mr Apthorps house making a wretch’d noise—2 you will be Surpriz’d I believe when I tell you that mr whitney had a large majority of the votes on monday & more Still that upon a motion made to know if those who had voted for mr Flint would consent to join the others, that but eight Should Stand back & not one of them have any objection to mr Whiteny & that finally they consented to Suffer the Clerke to record it a unanimous vote
they chose a Committe to desire him to preach till the last of May & the Same Committe to draw up what they might think a proper offer to make him & lay it before the Town at a meeting they are then to have I hope it will be what he can accept. but mr Flint will be mortified I have a great value for him but I must say I had rather hear mr Whitney. this harmony is so unexpected that I hope we shall have him3
I hope you found your children well at new york & the President in good health I must send my Love to him if he was five times as big as he is— & now my Sister how is it possible for you to take your Pen & not write Politicks I see tis right that you Should not— I do 104 not want Secrets but I Shall want to See my Cousin Letters from abroad I Shall know what is taking or too take place just as I do when I read a Prophesy only I do not think him supernaturally inspir’d— will you be So kind as to send us all the inteligence from them that we may Safely know— I shall feel myself Shut out of the world if I cannot have your oppinion how it is going on—
my dear Louissa will keep up her spirits & write us often. Cousin Betsy will not leave me I hope or think of any other home untill She gets one of her own
I Shall tell mr Porter about your Trees & take every other care you wish me to— pray let me hear from you or Cousin every week it Will comfort the heart of your affectionate Sister
mr Cranch & madam welsh Send their affectionate regards
RC (Adams Papers).
Possibly Rachel Marsh Brackett (1746–1818), who had worked for the Adamses prior to her marriage to Capt. Joseph Brackett in 1767 (vol. 1:50; Sprague, Braintree Families
).
For Capt. John Linzee, see JA, D&A
, 3:227. James Apthorp, for whom see vol. 7:174, lived on School Street in Quincy, the same street as the Cranch family (vol. 7:255; Sprague, Braintree Families
).
At the Quincy town meeting of 1 May 1797 a vote was taken to settle a colleague for the aging Rev. Anthony Wibird. In the first round of voting Rev. Peter Whitney Jr. received 46 votes to Rev. Jacob Flint’s 34 votes; the second ballot saw the balance shift to 60 to 8 votes, respectively. Whitney, however, refused the offer at that time but would accept a subsequent call in 1800 (Pattee, Old Braintree
, p. 92, 95).