A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.
Home
Search
Browse
About the Letters between John and Abigail Adams
Adams Family Papers : An Electronic Archive

Help
Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 6 August 1777


Philadelphia Aug. 6, 1777 Wednesday

Price current. -- Oak Wood 4 : 15s: od. Pr. Cord. Bad Beer, not so good as your Small Beer, 15d: Pr. Quart. Butter one Dollar Pr. Pound. Beef 2s: 6d. Coffee a dollar a Pound. Bohea 8 dollars. Souchong 4: 10s. Hyson 6. Mean brown sugar 6s. 6d. a pound. Loaf sugar 18s. a pound. Rum 45s. a Gallon. Wine 2 dollars a Bottle.



The Hounds are all still inat a Fault. Where the game is gone, is the Question. The Scent is quite lost.

Sullivan Thinks the Fleet is gone to Portsmouth -- Green to Newport --Parsons, up the North River -- Mifflin to Philadelphia. Thus each one secures his Reputation among his Townsmen for Penetration and Foresight, in Case the Enemy should come go against his Town.

Some Conjecture Charlestown S.C. -- others, Georgia -- others Cheasapeak Bay.

For my Part, I have formed an Opinion, in which I am as clear and positive as ever I was in my Life. I think I can adduce Arguments enough to convince any impartial, cool Mind, that I am in the Right.

My Opinion is, that four Months Time will discover where the Fleet is gone -- perhaps less Time than that.

Some begin to be whimsical, and guess them gone to the West Indies. But this is impossible. Some surmise Hallifax -- some old England. But these are too flattering Conjectures.