Papers of John Adams, volume 10
1780-08-25
Behold the fruits of the french Alliance! Our young men no longer look upon Great Britain as their home or Mother Country, but turn their eyes entirely to France for all the purposes of business and knowledge. The bearer of this letter Mr. Wm. West1—a young merchant of excellent character, and of a respectable Quaker family waits upon you with a proof of this assertion, I beg leave to recommend him to your particular notice and patronage. He will thank you for Advice and information in every thing that relates to his business or company.
We are exhibiting to the world a new phenominon in the history of nations. We are carrying on a war without its Sinews. We raise—cloathe—and feed whole Armies without money. This must be ascribed in part to our patriotism, and in part to the force of our governments—both of which circumstances have a favourable Aspect upon the permanency of liberty in our Country. We wait only for the Arrival of the 2nd. division of the french fleet to open the Seige of New York. It is reported that it has been twice seen off the banks of 92Newfoundland. Our troops live with the french Army as brothers—a thing unknown to Britons and Americans when they fought together.
General Gates who you know is used to creating Armies is doing wonders in the Southern states. We expect every day to hear of Lord Cornwallis being confined to the Sands of Charlestown.2
Commerce and Agriculture flourish among us in Spite of Embargoes and the regulation of prices. Nothing but a premature peace can ruin our country.
Adieu, from your most Affectionate humble servt
PS: As you associate with Academicians, I must give you a word for them. The heat of the Weather in the Shade has been for several days from 93—up to 95° of Farenheits thermometer within these three weeks. Many have died from drinking cold water, and a few have expired suddenly without labour or exercise from the excessive heat.
William West remains unidentified.
Rush's hopes were doomed to disappointment, for on 16 Aug. Gates suffered a disastrous defeat at Camden, S.C., and as a result, he was replaced by Nathanael Greene as commander of the southern army (
DAB
).
1780-08-27
I have been made very happy by the letters you forwarded to me. I presume you must have been also, by those you wou'd receive by the same hand. Pray give my regards to Mr: Guild.1 You make no mention whether you have paid Messrs: de Neufville and Son the £60 sterling agreable to our proposal, nor whether there are any vessels going from Amsterdam for Massachusetts.2 If so I shall give further orders to those Gentlemen immediately. I enclose a short memorandum of Messrs. Gardoquis draft on you.3 I carried the Drs: last draft in your favour to Mr. Grand, and desired him to carry the whole to your Credit, which was done accordingly. I yesterday waited on the Dr: to beg for myself, and very readily procured a draft in my own favour; so that you will consider the last you obtained; as appropriated solely to your use. I have th'ot it adviseable to give you this information that you may order your affairs accordingly. Please to give my love to the Children. Admiral Geary went into Port with his whole Fleet, except two, on the 18th instant. This Mr. Genet communicated to me in the time of it.4 The combined Fleet sail'd from Cadiz the 30th. ultimo and you see what has taken place on the 939th. instant.5 Perhaps we may receive some few deductions. But it is a very happy stroke on many accounts which will be obvious to you. No news yet from our poor Country. God bless it, and soon put an end to all its distresses. I remain, Sir, with the greatest respect and most sincere friendship Yours, &c,
Benjamin Guild delivered numerous letters from AA, AA2, and others to JA, JQA, and CA at Amsterdam on 19 Aug. (JQA,
Diary
, 1:57;
Adams Family Correspondence
, 3:326, 334–335, 361; from Samuel Cooper, 23 May, note 6, above). Guild also carried letters for Francis Dana, one of which was of 26 May from Nathaniel Peaslee Sargeant. Dana acknowledged this in a letter of 22 Sept. (MHi: Francis Dana Letterbook), and indicated that he had received the letters carried by Guild on 25 Aug., but no letter from JA forwarding them has been found.
In a letter of 25 July to Jean de Neufville & Son, which was carried by JA to Amsterdam, Dana had indicated that JA would pay them for goods shipped to America at Dana's order (MHi: Francis Dana Letterbook), but see JA's letter of 2 Sept. (below).
In a letter to Joseph Gardoqui & Sons of 20 Aug., Dana acknowledged receiving a letter from the firm to JA and indicated that he had paid the enclosed bill (MHi: Francis Dana Letterbook). The last known letter to JA from Joseph Gardoqui & Sons was of 10 June (above), but it is unlikely that Dana refers to that letter, since in his letter he refers to a letter of 5 Aug. directed to him. If that is the case then neither the letter nor the memorandum referred to by Dana has been found, but a partial account of JA's expenses for the period from Dec. 1779 to 10 June 1782 indicates that a bill from Joseph Gardoqui & Sons for 928L was paid on 19 Aug. 1780 (MH-H: Schaffner Collection).
This information was apparently contained in a note from Edmé Jacques Genet of 24 Aug. that Dana acknowledged in a letter of 25 Aug. (MHi: Francis Dana Letterbook).
This refers to the French translation of the London Evening Post's (22–24 Aug.) account of the capture of a large portion of the British convoy bound for the East and West Indies by the combined French and Spanish fleet on 9 Aug. that was contained in John Thaxter's letter of 27 Aug. (not printed, see descriptive note). There Thaxter indicated that Dana had just received the report from Edmé Jacques Genet, but see also William Lee's letter of 27 Aug. (below). The total loss was enormous: 61 ships valued, with their cargoes, at £1,500,000, and 3,000 prisoners (Mackesy, War for America
, p. 357).