Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
Your welcome letter of the 20th instant
I did not receive till last evening, on our return from Mount Vernon, where we had spent
a very agreeable week, and left General and Mrs Washington
in perfect health.1 they often mentioned
the President and yourself much wishing to see you at Mount Vernon.
I am truly happy to find my account gave satisfaction, as to Mr
Daltons conduct in the affair of Mr Cranch, and Mr Duncanson. the truth will always
speak for itself, and that is what I ever aim at. soon after I had the pleasure of
writing to you, in conversation with Mrs Cranch she told me
he nor she had wrote you, but that Mrs Johnson had given you
the particulars, and from her I suppose you must have heard that Mr Dalton was Bondsman,
I shall feel very unhappy to thing wrongfully of any Person. What ever accounts you may
have in future I trust you will with your Usual candour, acquaint us. I hope you will
never have reason to doubt our Friendship, which you may rest assured is as firm as it
has been long.2
I am very happy to find Mr Cranchs wounds were not so bad as they
were thought at first. He has left of all the bandages for ten days past, and Mrs Cranch told me his head was quite well. I hope he will never
feel any bad effects from them.
Our intimacy with Miss Duncanson has been ever since she came.3 as to Mr Daltons with Mr Duncanson it has
not ever been great, onely common Frendly intercorse. Mr Dalton has never been consulted
about his affairs nor took a part in them. he has so far acted the Friend as to tell Mr
Duncanson that he was too warm, that he hurt himself very much by the Violence of his
temper. he has not been in our House since Mr Dalton refused to be bound for him. you
know Capt Duncanson. he has often spoke of you with great respect to me, I think he saw
you at New York. as to his and Miss Duncansons connections Mrs Liston can give you a better account than I can4
I hope the Law will soon settle all these disputes and the City
Once more be at peace, and both in Publick and private concerns in a better situation,
as we do not proceed very well at present. there has not been a board of Commissioners
for Several weeks-past. Mr Scot is gone to the springs for two or three Mounths, in very
bad health. Mr White has not been here for a long time, so that only Docttor Thornton is
on the spot and he can do nothing alone. such is the
present state of the City, which gives the well wishers to it great concern—5 I fear I am taking up too much of your time, but
indeed dear Madam I have been very unhappy since we received Mr Bartlett’ letter, to
find that any body wishes to injure us in your good opinion which has made me trouble
you on the subject, wishing the President and you a very pleasant Journey hope you will
find your Friends well, Mr Dalton and my Daughters joyn me in sincear Regards to the
President and yourself with our love to Louissa. I remain Unalterably / Your very
affectionate friend / and humble servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs Adams”;
endorsed: “Mrs dalton July 28 / 1798—”
Not found. George Washington recorded in his diary that he dined
with the Daltons on 22 and 25 July (Washington, Diaries
, 6:309, 310).
Tristram Dalton wrote to JA on 16 July (Adams Papers), also explaining that he had “studiously avoided taking either Side” in the “violent disputes in this City” along with “a denial of a most gross falsehood” about his alleged support for William Mayne Duncanson. He also enclosed a letter from Ruth Hooper Dalton to AA, which has not been found.
Martha Duncanson (d. 1799) had followed her brother, William
Mayne Duncanson, to the United States and lived with him in Washington, D.C. (Clark, Greenleaf and Law
, p. 263, 282; Allen C. Clark, “Development of the
Eastern Section and the Policy of the Land Owners,” Columbia Hist. Soc., Records
, 7:125 [1904]).
Henrietta Marchant Liston (1751–1828) had married Sir Robert
Liston in 1796 just before he began his service as British minister to the United
States (
DNB
).
The commissioners of Washington, D.C., put their work on hold
during the summer of 1798 after George Hadfield, the superintendent of the Capitol’s
construction, was dismissed. They had been in conflict with him over payment for his
designs of executive buildings and concerns about the Capitol’s roof. He was replaced
by White House architect James Hoban (Arnebeck, Through a Fiery
Trial
, p. 481–482, 486, 488–489;
ANB
).
1798] Monday Evening
we left Philadelphia on Wedensday last. the day preceeding was very
Hot a partial Rain had waterd the Roads for 15 or 20 miles So as to render the first
part of our journey pleasent. we were overtaken by showers—and detaind by them, but on
thursday we found clouds 221 of dust for want of
Rain. troops and calvacades did not lessen it, and the Heat was intolerably oppressive,
so much so as to nearly kill all our Horses, and oppress me to such a degree as to
Oblige me to stop twice in a few hours, and intirely undress myself & lie down on
the Bed. at night we could not get rest—small Rooms bad Beds & some Company obliged me to stretch my wearied Limbs upon the
floor upon a Bed not longer than one of my Bolsters. from twesday untill the afternoon
of this day, we have not had any respite from panting beneath the dog star. I never
sufferd so much in travelling before. the Rain I hope will cool the Air & enable us
to proceed, but I fear we shall not reach Quincy this week. mrs smith & little
Caroline will be of our Party1
it is a long time, Since I had a Line from you—near a fortnight before I left home. I had a Letter from your Son since I left Home.2 he writes me that he is well, and that his family are so. I wrote you inclosing to you a Hundred dollors which I hope You duly received, as I found it necessary to give you some trouble to procure me several articles.
If I can get time on the Road I shall write you as I progress onward. mrs smith desires to be kindly rememberd to you—so does your affectionate sister
RC (MWA:Abigail Adams Letters); addressed by JA: “Richard Cranch
Esqr / Postmaster / Quincy”; endorsed by Richard Cranch:
“Letter from / Mrs. A: Adams / East Chester July 29.”;
notation by JA: “J. Adams.”
AA and JA left Philadelphia without
notice on the morning of 25 July. They arrived in New York City on the evening of 27
July and continued on to Eastchester, N.Y., where they collected AA2 and
Caroline Amelia Smith. The group arrived in Quincy on the evening of 8 Aug., escorted
for the last few miles by the Boston Cavalry and a large group of citizens (Timothy
Pickering to CA, 25 July, MHi:Pickering
Papers; Boston Columbian Centinel, 4 Aug.; Boston Russell’s Gazette, 9 Aug.).
Cranch’s last extant letter to AA was that of [7 July], above. The letter from William Cranch has not been found.