Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1781-06-14
This morning Mr. Jennings and Mr. Greves came here with An English Gazette; in which there is the detail of the action between Cornwallis and Green. Cornwallis writes1 that he has obtain'd a compleat victory; but he has thought proper to run away to Wilmington, General Green is at Camden; Cornwallis has made a Proclamation of pardon to every body (murderers ex-79cepted) but does not mention of one single man's having came over to him yet; his army was two days without any provisions. He writes in one part of his letter that a defensive war wou'd be certain destruction to the british forces; in another, he says he can only act upon the defensive; therefore by his own confession let him act after what manner he will; it is certain destruction to the british there.
Mr. Jennings and Mr. Greves breakfasted here; I did not go out in the forenoon: Mr. Waldo din'd with us; after dinner I went and took a walk with Mr. Dana. We went to the printer's of the Amsterdam Gazette for a couple of old numbers for Mr. Dana, We Walk'd to the Western market; and look'd about the shops, and then came home.
Continued From Yesterday from Guthries Grammar. Chap: 4th §:6th.2
Cornwallis to Lord George Germain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 17 March (two
letters), Cornwallis to Germain, 18 April, with his Proclamation of 18 March, all published
in the London Chronicle for the Year 1781, 49:537–540 (5–7
June).
On the next two and one-half pages in the Diary JQA has copied the first
paragraph of the section entitled “population, inhabitants, manners, customs and
diversions,” from Guthrie, Geographical Grammar
, p. 401.
1781-06-15
This morning Mr. Dana, Mr. Thaxter, brother Charles and myself went to Kaa's, to see Mr. Jennings and Mr. Bordly. We found Mr. Searle1 there; he has just arriv'd from the Texel; where he has been since saturday.
We stay'd sometime there and then went to take a ride; we went out of the Haerlem Port, and rid round by the side of the outer Cingel2 and came in again into the Leyden Port.
After dinner I wrote a letter to Dr. Waterhouse;3 and then went to Madam Chabanel's where I found Mr. Brailsford; he went away soon after, and I went to take a walk, with the young ladies; when we got back we found Mr. Le Roi, and young Mr. Chabanel at home; I return'd home soon after.
The English papers are arriv'd. There is an account of an action between Commodore Johnstone and the french Squadron which was going to the East India's, but we have not got the paper in which an account of it is given; and therefore, do not yet know the details.
80
From Guthrie's Grammar. Chap 4th § 6th (Continuation from
yesterday).4
Biog. Dir. Cong.
; Mildred E. Lombard, “James Searle:
Radical Businessman of the Revolution,”
PMHB,
59:284–294 [July 1935]).
The outer Singel canal, one of two by that name in Amsterdam: this one formed the outer boundary of the old city.
Letter not found.
On the following two and one-half pages in the Diary JQA continued his transcription of the second paragraph from the same subsection of Guthrie which he began the day before (p. 401–402).