John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

4. My father arrived in town early this morning— And at 10. O’Clock I went with him to the Senate chamber, in the State-house, from which, a procession of the Governor and Council, with the Selectmen of the Town, and a numerous company, went to the Old South church; where the Town Oration was delivered by Mr: William Tudor junr:— While in the Church, and immediately after the delivery of the Oration, Mr: Shaw gave me several letters, one of which was from the Secretary of State, enclosing the Commission to St: Petersbourg— The others were from Mr: Giles, Mr: Anderson, Mr: Bacon, and my nephew William S. Smith, at New-York— After the Oration the company invited by the Governor and Council returned to the State-house, and partook of a Collation— I saw there Mr: Lovell, who told me that he and Mr: Hunt were perfectly satisfied that the suspicions he had mentioned respecting Nelson, were all groundless— The second procession, that of the Bunker-Hill Association went from the Representatives chamber, soon after the other had returned to the State-House— I joined them according to the invitation I had received, and walked with Mr: G. Blake— The procession, with various emblems of Agriculture, Commerce and Manufactures, and consisting of about five hundred persons, including three militia-companies went through the town, over Charles river Bridge, to Bunker’s Hill, where a dinner was prepared under an arbour, covered with a tent and four rows of tables for the Company.— Deacon Tilden was the President. Mr: W. C. White who at 9 in the morning had delivered an Oration to the Association was of the party— The toasts after dinner were many of them too much in the usual stile of party, on these occasions— Mr: Jonn: L. Austin came and told me that he had a son, who would be glad to go with me, as my Secretary, but the application was too late— Early in the Evening I left the Company at Bunker-Hill, with Mr: Blake, and we went with Mr: Blake to pay a visit to the young Republicans assembled at the Exchange-Hotel; to make which visit I had received a special invitation— We stayed there only a few minutes to reciprocate salutations and give toasts, after which we retired. Walking in the Mall, I met Mr: John Gardner, and walked sometime with him— I asked him why I had not seen him for so many days, and he told me that he had been unwell, and out of town. We walked some time together, and witness’d the fire-works, which were exhibited on the Common— About ten at Night I returned home, and found that my father was gone, on his return to Quincy, and that Mrs: Adams and Catherine were at my neighbour Mr: William Foster’s— I went there, and found them with all the family, on the top of his house looking at the fire-works— They were principally from the gun-house, and the rockets sent up, came down in blazing paper and burning sticks upon the house itself and several of the neighbouring houses and yards, including mine—in a manner which I thought dangerous— No accident of fire however ensued. I found at home a letter from Mr: A. H. Everett requesting me to take him with me as my Secretary— This application was also too late.