Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
From Rileys in Berlin, We went to Newhaven 26 miles to dinner at
your Friends Mrs Smiths who were very respectfully
inquisitive after your health, and very sorry to hear an Account of it from me, not so
flattering. A Visit from Dr Dwight detained Us agreably for
a short time but We found enough to cross the Ferry over the Housatonnac by sunsett and
soon reached Lovejoys in this Town.1 We
had our Fire made in our Bedchamber and our Tea and Oysters Served up, When behold a
Vision of the Night in the Forms of Mrs Smith and the fair
Caroline bolted in upon Us without the least previous notice or Suspicion. The first
Sight convinced me that you was better than When I left you. The Ladies have born the
Journey to Admiration, and Mrs Smith is convinced as I am
that the Stage is the easiest mode of travelling. I shall take them in my Carriage the
rest of the Way which is not more than fifty five or sixty Miles to East chester. We
shall not however reach Col Smiths before Monday night, for
my Horses have been pushed too much already.
I rejoice to hear you are better, and now my most immediate Anxiety is for my dear Brother Cranch, who is represented by my Daughter to be very sick. I pray for his Recovery as well as yours.
Generals Washington, Hamilton & Pinckney are at Philadelphia, not waiting for me, I hope.2
Envoy Logan is said to be returned, for any Thing that I know Ambasador from the Directory to——3
I wish you a good night.
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs A”; endorsed: “J A Nov’br / 16 / 1798.”
That is, Rev. Timothy Dwight, for whom see JA, Papers
, 18:19–20. In 1783 Dwight founded the Greenfield Academy in Fairfield, Conn.,
a school that admitted and instructed male and female students without
differentiation. In 1795 he assumed the presidency of Yale, a position he held until
his death in 1817 (
ANB
).
Alexander Hamilton, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and George Washington arrived in Philadelphia between 9 and 13 Nov. 1798 to discuss plans for the provisional army. On 10 Nov. Washington sent Hamilton and Pinckney a set of questions that James McHenry had drafted along with a list of his own “Queries.” The objective was to address issues on commissioning officers and to determine how many troops were to be raised and in what locations. On 13 Dec. Washington submitted the final report to McHenry in three letters and also commented on the possibility of appointing WSS lieutenant colonel commandant of New York, provided he could clear allegations of “very serious instances of private misconduct,” specifically his lawsuit with William Ward Burrows, for which see vol. 12:377. Washington left Philadelphia for Mount Vernon on 14 Dec.; Hamilton departed for New York City the following day.
277On 17 Dec. McHenry submitted a copy of Washington’s report to
WSS, also showing a copy to JA. WSS replied
to McHenry on 20 Dec. to answer the charges against him. He informed McHenry that the
“infamous and cruel callumny” that he was being subjected to was unjust. He admitted
that he made an error when attempting to settle debts with Burrows but claimed “the
mistake was soon discovered and as soon rectified,” and he considered the matter
resolved. McHenry was satisfied with WSS’s report, telling Washington on
28 Dec.: “Upon a deliberate weighing of all circumstances as they may affect the
public concerns, it may be expedient his name should be presented to the Senate,
Something must be yeilded to obtain harmony, and yet I do not know that this will
secure it. If presented I think he will be appointed” (Hamilton, Papers
,
22:199, 232–233, 341–366; Washington, Diaries
, 6:323; Washington, Papers, Retirement Series
, 3:191–197, 250–265, 267, 291–293;
Philadelphia Gazette of the United States, 13 Nov.;
Bernard C. Steiner, “Miscellaneous Letters from the McHenry Papers,” Publications of the Southern History Association, 11:38–43
[Jan. 1907]). For WSS’s subsequent appointment, see JA to AA, 31 Dec., and note 1, below.
On 10 Nov. Dr. George Logan returned to Philadelphia from his
unauthorized diplomatic mission to France, for which see JQA to AA, 14 Sept., and note 3, above. Logan
brought with him dispatches indicating that the French Directory sought peace. On 11
Nov., eager to present them to government officials, Logan departed Philadelphia for
Trenton, N.J., and the next day he met with Timothy Pickering, who reprimanded him for
his mission: “Sir, it is my duty to inform you that the government does not thank you
for what you have done.” On 13 Nov., accompanied by Rev. Robert Blackwell, rector of
Philadelphia’s St. Peter’s Church, Logan met with an equally unresponsive Washington.
JA met with Logan on 26 Nov., offering him a more receptive audience
than either Pickering or Washington. JA questioned him on whether France
would receive another envoy. Logan assented, allegedly sparking JA to
remark: “I suppose if I were to send Mr. Madison or Mr. Giles or Dr. Logan they would
receive either of them. But I’ll do no such thing; I’ll
send whom I please.” JA was satisfied with Logan’s answers, later stating
that Logan spoke with such “candour and sincerity” that he “convinced me of its truth”
(Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 13 Nov.;
Amer. State
Papers, Foreign Relations
, 2:236; Deborah Norris Logan, Memoir of Dr. George Logan of Stenton, ed. Frances A.
Logan, Phila., 1899, p. 85, 86; Washington, Papers, Retirement Series
,
3:200–202; Tolles, George Logan
, p. 175–180; Boston Patriot, 22 April 1809). For William Smith Shaw’s account of the
meeting, see his letter to AA, 18
Dec. 1798, below.
br18 1798
By the post of yesterday I received your two Letters, one from Brookfeild and one from Suffeild1 I rejoiced in your rapid progress as the Weather was so fine but I mournd for mrs smith, Who I knew was following you with all speed, but I fear from your rapid movement did not overtake you untill last night, if then. by a Letter which came yesterday to her from her sister Clarkson which I ventured to open:2 I am sure she judged right in going on, tho it leaves me more lonely than I could wish I could not have enjoyd her company whilst she approhend any censure could fall upon her; her struggle was hard between her two duties. I decided for her. I knew for her peace of mind, tho she earnestly desired to remain with me. I shall want to hear when and where she overtook you. I have 278 written you twice, and addrest my Letters to N york to the care of Charles, hoping you would get them when you reachd that city.
my Health is much as it was the third day I have the intermitting & a sleepless night but I get two Nights of pretty good Sleep. I must find out something if I can to rid me of so troublesome a companion, for it destroys in one night all I acquire of Health and strength the preceeding ones—and it cramps and dejects my spirits in a very great degree. I however strive to throw it of and engage in the Family affairs so as to amuse my mind, yet melancholy thoughts will frequently get the better of me. I hope however to reconcile myself to the solitary lot of absence better in a few weeks than at present. Cousin Betsy was married here on thursday, and went to Boston the next morning to Housekeeping. I did not mention it to you before you went away least you should think I should make some exertion and injure my Health, but I did not. We had only a small Number of the nearest connextions, and I stayd in my chamber untill after Tea, and retired to it again soon after they were married. Mr Foster being one of dr ackeley parisioners he ventured to Marry him, tho out of his own Limits, and Sister Peabody was desirious of seeing her married before she returnd home.3 they both left me on fryday morning, and here sit Louissa & I looking at each other, and now and then wishing for little caroline to enliven the scene— our Pleasure was much alloyd by the sickness of Brother Cranch & the concequent absence both of him and sister Cranch. Mrs Tufts was the only lively spirit with us—
mrs Peabody was at Grenoughs, and he lamented very much that you had gone without his seeing you again as he thought he could have renderd you much easier after trial. he expected you would have call’d again upon him, say’d that he was not able to do so well as he should have been, if he had not been so afflicted with his Eyes—4 I am affraid you must have sufferd an inconvenience from the motion of the Carriage, as you was not Sufficiently innured
Mr Porter will attned to your orders as soon as possible, but the vessel with the Lumber is just arrived and must be attended to directly. I inclose with this, Letters, received by the last Mail. you will find one addrest to me and will consider the subject if attended with proper recommendations—5
Your ever affectionate
Present my Respects to Genll Washington with thanks for his & mrs Washingtons kind wishes as exprest in his Letter to you—7
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “The / President United / States / Philadelphia”;
endorsed by William Smith Shaw: “Mrs. Adams / received 27th of Dec.”
JA’s letters from Brookfield, Mass., and Suffield, Conn., dated 13 and 14 Nov., respectively, reported the progress of his journey and his complaint of a toothache (both Adams Papers).
There are no extant letters between Belinda Smith Clarkson and AA2.
Rev. Joseph Eckley (1750–1811), Princeton D.D. 1793, was the
London-born pastor of Boston’s Old South Church (vol. 7:162;
Princetonians
,
2:206–209).
Likely David Stoddard Greenough (1752–1826), a merchant and
lawyer who lived in Roxbury (Hamilton Perkins Greenough, Some
Descendants of Captain William Greenough of Boston, Massachusetts, Santa
Barbara, Calif., 1969, p. 57; Massachusetts Mercury, 10
Oct. 1800).
Not found.
AA wrote again to JA on 22 Nov. 1798 updating him on her health and that of Richard Cranch. She also reported that a recent storm was delaying delivery of the lumber (Adams Papers).
In a letter to JA of 21 Oct., George Washington expressed his and Martha Washington’s concern for AA’s health. He also commented on candidates for adjutant general (Adams Papers).