Adams Papers Digital Edition

Adams Family Correspondence, volume 5

John Thaxter to Abigail Adams

Arthur Lee to Abigail Adams
John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 22 April 1783 JQA JA

1783-04-22

 John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 22 April 1783 Adams, John Quincy Adams, John
John Quincy Adams to John Adams
Honoured Sir Hague April 22d. 1783

I arrived here in very good health yesterday morning at about 6. o'clock, after having spent some days at Amsterdam. I found here a letter from you,1 by which you leave to my choice to stay here or 2 go to Leyden: if you return to America this summer I think I had best stay here; because, if I go to Leyden; I shall only stay there a few weeks at most. You advise me yourself to stay here until you return.

Mr. Dana gave me when I left him two letters; one for you,3 and the other for Mr. Livingston4 which he enjoined me to deliver into your hands myself; but he has since wrote me to give the one for Mr. Livingston, to Mr. Ingraham, to be forwarded to America, but he forbids me absolutely to send yours by the post.5 I hope however to see you pretty soon here, as Mr. Oswald is said to be at present at Paris, to finish the Definitive treaty of Peace.

I am your Dutiful Son J. Q. Adams 131

RC (Adams Papers).

1.

Of 18 Feb., above.

 2.

Lost when the seal was cut out.

 3.

That dated 15 Oct. 1782, marked “Secret & confidential,” and endorsed by JA: “Letter by my Son” (Adams Papers). The date is evidently old style (26 Oct. N.S.), from the dating of other letters around it in Dana's letterbook. The text is in Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. , 5:815–817.

 4.

Probably that dated 14 Oct. 1782, O.S., in Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. , 5:812–814.

 5.

See Dana to JQA, 1 Nov. 1782, N.S. (Adams Papers, filed and filmed under 21 Oct., O.S.). Dana repeated his injunctions on 21 Nov. 1782 (Adams Papers).