Papers of John Adams, volume 8
1779-12-18
Mr. Adams presents his Compliments to the Governor of Corunna,1 and informs him according to his desire, express'd last Evening, that the Names of the Persons for whom he requests a Passport, from His Excellency, the Governor of this Province, are as follow
John Adams, a Ministre, plenipotentiary from the United States of America
The Honourable Francis Dana Esqr., Secretary, to Mr. Adams's Commission, a Member of Congress, and a Member of the Council of the Massachusetts Bay.
Mr. John Thaxter, private Secretary to Mr. Adams
300John Quincy Adams a Son of Mr. Adams of about twelve Years of Age
Charles Adams another Son of Mr. Adams, near 10 Years of Age.
Mr. Jeremiah Allen a private Gentleman, of Boston in the Massachusetts2 accidentally travelling in Company,3 he is a Merchant travelling with a View of establishing a private Commerce in Spain as well as France.
Samuel Cooper Johonnot, another Infant of 10 or 11 Years of Age, a Grandson of a particular Friend of Mr. Adams's in Boston going to Paris for an Education in the University there.
Joseph Stevens a Servant of Mr. Adams
John William Christian Fricke a Servant of Mr. Dana
Andrew Desmia a Servant of Mr. Allen
Mr. Adams requests a Passport for all these Persons4 to go to Madrid, and from thence to Bilbao and from thence to Bayonne in their Way to Paris, with Liberty at the Same Time to go directly to Bayonne by the nearest Road without going to Madrid or to Bilbao, as it is uncertain whether Mr. Adams will have the Time to gratify his Inclinations with the Sight of those Cities or not.
As the passport that resulted from this letter (see note 4) makes clear, JA was addressing Don Pedro Martin Cermeño, governor of the province of Galicia, not the military governor of La Coruña, Galicia's administrative capital.
The preceding five words were interlined for insertion here.
The remainder of this sentence was interlined.
Only JA is named in the passport, the rest of the party being described by their relationship to him. The document, in Spanish, is in the Adams Papers, dated 18 Dec., and is reproduced in JA, Diary and Autobiography
, 2:following 290.
1779-12-18
I thank you for your ready Answer to my Letter of the Sixteenth and for the Itinerary.1
After deliberating as maturely as I can, upon the Contents of your Letter of the 17th, I have concluded, to go to Madrid, and therefore request that you would hire a Coach of four Places, and a Cabriolet of two Places, and Mules for the other four Persons as soon as possible. If a Cabriolet cannot be had there must be two other Mules.
We are all determined to Strip ourselves as bare of Baggage as possible and carry nothing but what is of indispensable Necessity. The rest We shall leave here in Chests which We shall ask the favour of the 301french Consul to send on Boa
I shall Submit it to you entirely to make the best Bargain you can for the Carriages and Mules, and to give me a Copy of the Contract in Writing. And I pray, if it is possible that We may be ready to sett off, upon our Journey by Monday Morning.2 I have the Honour to be, with much Respect, sir your most obedient Servant
See JA's letter of the 16th, note 4 (above).
That is, the 20th. JA and his party did not leave, however, until the 26th. See Lagoanere's letter to JA of that date, and note 1 (below).