Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
I hope the enclosed letter from my dear Louisa, will be more fortunate in its passage than those which she wrote you from Hamburg, and upon her recovery from illness after her arrival here.1 Several of our Letters have failed and it gives us much pain to find that those which we wrote to you, were particularly among the unsuccessful number.— I hope however that even before this you have the evidence under the own hand of your beloved daughter that she is in good health, and as well satisfied as she can be in a strange country, with an ocean rolling between her—and almost all her dearest friends and relations.— Since her recovery she has formed some agreeable and valuable acquaintances here, and wherever she has been seen she has been invariably loved and admired
Since writing the enclosed she has received a letter of 26. May from her kind and affectionate father to whom I beg to be cordially remembered, and to whom I feel warmly grateful for his remembrance of me.—2 I hope he will find his affairs at home growing more pleasant and satisfactory as he advances with them
I suppose by the time when this arrives it will be in season to
give joy to Nancy to whom the warmest friendship can only wish that she may be as
happy as she deserves. Caroline, I dare say will soon follow the example, and will
alike participate in our most ardent wishes and prayers for her happiness.3 To them, and to all the rest of the family I
beg to be affectionately remembered, and am, Dear Madam, your very sincere friend, and
/ hble: Servt:
A young gentleman, who feels himself highly flattered by the kind
remembrance, which he has been told is contained in a letter from a certain lady to
her daughter, cannot refuse himself the satisfaction of expressing his best
acknowledgments for it. He retains a lively sense of gratitude for the many marks of
kindness & hospitality heretofore experienced from the same source, and hopes that
the period is not far distant, which will place in his power an opportunity of giving confirming by a verbal assurance, his
respectful attachment & esteem for the Lady & her amiable family, to each of
whom he presents his best regards.
RC (MH-H:Autograph File); addressed by TBA: “Mrs: C. Johnson / Georgetown / Maryland”; internal address by TBA:
“Mrs: C Johnson.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 133.
Not found.
Not found.
For Ann Johnson’s marriage to Walter Hellen, see vol. 12:533–534, 535. Carolina Virginia Marylanda Johnson did
not marry until 1807 (LCA, D&A
, 1:33).
I acknowledge with Pleasure your Letter of the 7th Inst:
1 thinking it uncertain whether you may
not have left Philadelphia before this reaches that City I shall desire the President to
open it provided you should have entered on your Journey northward unaccompanied by him
I am induced to do this least the Appointments should be made out before I could make
known my Wishes to him they are to obtain an Appointment in either of the Departments of
the Medical Staff of the Army or Navy I mean one of the Principal Offices I have been
flatered by my Friends I mean not those immediately of the Family but by others that I
could fill one of them with Reputation I partake in a Degree of this Sentiment and shall
fell myself honored and served should this Opinion meet the Approbation of the
President. I am sensible that although the Law has passed impowering the President to
make these Appointments yet the Officers may not immediately be called into Service and
that they will not receive any Compensation untill they perform Service and I am also
sensible that Congress have not attended to the Medical Marine Establishment. but I can
hardly conceive that the Session will close without making Provision for such Prisoners
as may be brought in sick or wounded or may be sick in their Places of Confinement if
they take this Business up they will find it necessary to establish a Marine Hospitel in
the Great Maritime Districts and if so no doubt one must be founded in Massachusetts and
I suppose in the Harbour of Boston should this be the Case I should wish to have the
Charge of it. but should it not be taken up this Session and the President should think
proper to fill up the Commissions of Phisicans General to the Army perhaps they may be
instructed to take Charge of such Sick and Wounded either of our own Fleet who are left
on Shore without a Surgeon or Prisoners as may require Medical Aid ’till the Meeting of
Congress. But should The President not incline to fill up these 192 Commissions at Present and no Provision be made touching the Marine Establishment
still Many of our own Sailors will be left on Shore when the Ships leave Port who will
require medical Assistance as well as those of the Enemy perhaps it may be thought
expedient to fix up a temporary Warrant ’till further Provision can be made I hope I
shall not be thought too minute upon this Occasion but these things have made a
considerable Impression on my Mind and no doubt they will if not at the present Moment
eer long be attended to by Congress.2
My Son is waiting with Impatience for a Passage there is no Opportunity from this place sooner than a fortnight.3
I am with great Esteem & Respect your obliged Friend &
Humble St
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “dr Welch 15 july / 1798.”
Not found.
On 16 July JA signed “An Act for the relief of sick
and disabled Seamen,” which deducted 20 cents per month from sailors’ pay to fund the
building of marine hospitals and care for the sick. One such hospital was established
at Castle Island in Boston Harbor, where Welsh served as medical officer until
overseeing the construction of a permanent facility in Charlestown between 1802 and
1804 (
U.S.
Statutes at Large
, 1:605–606;
Sibley’s Harvard
Graduates
, 18:185).
Thomas Welsh Jr. sailed on the ship America, Capt. Robert Jenkins, from Newburyport on 3 Aug. 1798. The America sailed to Emden, Germany, before continuing to
Hamburg, where it arrived by 10 September. After a few days’ rest, Welsh continued to
Berlin, arriving on the 28th (William Smith to JQA, 31 July, Adams Papers; Ship
Registers of the District of Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1789–1870, Salem,
Mass., 1937, p. 12; Newburyport Herald, 3 Aug.; JQA to AA, 14 Sept.; TBA to AA, 14 Sept., both below;
D/JQA/24, 28 Sept., APM Reel 27).