The Writings of Samuel Adams Volume III Part 23

Your

P. S. Mr William Barrell will deliver you this Letter--he was kind enough to tell me he would go out of his way rather than not oblige me in carrying it--he boards with us at Mrs Yards, and is a reputable Merchant in this City. Richard Checkley is his Apprentice--you know his Sister Mrrs Eliot. I know you will t[re]at him with due respect.

_________________________________________________________________ 1Addressed "To Mrs Elizabeth Adams at Dedham, near the Hon Mr Dexters Favord by Mr Barrell."

2Amos Adams; under date of July 18, 1775.

MOSES GILL TO SAMUEL ADAMS. RECEIPT.1

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

DEDHAM Septmbr 4 1775.

Receivd of Samuel Adams the following Sums of Money which were deliverd to him by several Gentlemen in Philadelphia for the Benefit of the Poor of Boston, viz

One thousand Dollars delivered to him by . . . Reed Esqr being the Donation of the County of Newcastle on Delaware.

One second Bill of Exchange drawn by Samuel & Robert Purviance on Mess Geyer and Burgess Merchants in Boston for the Sum of L228.

2. 11 and another second Bill, drawn by the said Saml & Robt Purviance on Stephen Hooper, Esqr Mercht in Newbury Port for L78.

2. 1, both payable to the said Adams and amounting to three hundred and Six pounds Pennsylvania Currency, the Donation of Cecil County in Maryland.2

Three hundred and fifty Eight pounds ten s.h.i.+llings and four pence Pennsylvania Currency, being the produce of two sterling Bills of Exchange deliverd to said Adams by Peyton Randolph Esqr the Donations of the City of Williamsburgh and the County of James River in Virginia, viz L239. n. 2p. sterling sold in Philadelphia at 50 p cent and one hundred and fifty pounds Pennsylvania Currency being the produce of a Bill of Exchange for L100 sterling deliverd to said Adams by Patrick Henry Esqr and the Donation of the County of Hannover in Virginia.

Seventy pounds Pennsylvania Currency deliverd to said Adams by Mr Moor Fyrman and the Donation of the County of Hunterdon in New Jersey.

Thirteen ounces fourteen pennyweight and twenty Grains of Gold deliverd to the said Adams by . . . Jefferson Esqr and is the Donation of the County of Lancaster in Virginia.

Four ounces and Nineteen pennyweight of Gold and two pistarenes being the Donation of the County of Amherst in Virginia.

Four ounces two pennyweight and five Grains of Gold, five ounces ten pennyweight and six Grains of Silver, and fifty-seven Dollars, the Donation of King William County in Virginia-- Containg 51. 5. 4 Phila Currency.

Fifty-one pounds fifteen s.h.i.+llings & nine pence Pennsylvania Currency deliverd to him by Mr Winccoop and is the Donation of the County of Bucks in Pennsylvania.

One hundred and seventy Eight pounds fourteen s.h.i.+llings and Nine pence deliverd to said Adams by James Willson Esqr, being Pennsylvania Currency and the Donation of the County of c.u.mberland in Pennsylvania.

Also a Bill drawn by Eliezer Callander on William Shattuck, Merchant in Watertown for forty Eight pounds Sixteen s.h.i.+llings and nine pence Virginia Currency payable to Charles d.i.c.kn Charles Was.h.i.+ngton and George Thornton Esqrs and by them indorsd, being the Donation of the County of Augusta, in Virginia.

All which Sums of Money and Bills as aforesaid I have receivd of the said Samuel Adams in behalf of the Committee appointed by the General a.s.sembly of this Colony at the last Session, to receive Donations that are or have been made, for the Reliefe of the poor Sufferers by the Boston Port bill and others in the Town of Boston and Colony of the Ma.s.sachusetts Bay.

MOSES GILL, Treasurer to sd Committee.

_________________________________________________________________ 1Wholly in the autograph of Adams; except the signature.

2Cf, page 204. [back]

3Cf, page 193. [back]

TO ELBRIDGE GERRY.

[J. T. Austin, Life of Elbridge Gerry, vol. i., pp. 113, 114; the text is in Force, American Archives, 4th ser., vol. iii., p.

806.]

PHILADELPHIA, Sep. 26, 1775.

MY DEAR SIR,

I arrived in this city on the 12th instant, having rode full three hundred miles on horseback, an exercise which I have not used for many years past. I think it has contributed to the establishment of my health, for which I am obliged to my friend Mr. John Adams, who kindly offered me one of his horses the day after we sat off from Watertown.

I write you this letter, princ.i.p.ally to put you in mind of the promise you made me to give me intelligence of what is doing in our a.s.sembly and the camp. Believe me, Sir, it is of great importance that we should be informed of every circ.u.mstance of our affairs. The eyes of friends and foes are attentively I fixed on our province, and if jealousy or envy can sully its reputation, you may depend upon it they will not miss the opportunity. It behoves our friends, therefore, to be very circ.u.mspect, and in all their public conduct to convince the world, that they are influenced not by partial or private motives, but altogether with a view of promoting the public welfare.

Some of our military gentlemen have, I fear, disgraced us; it is then important that every anecdote that concerns a man of real merit among them, and such I know there are, be improved, as far as decency will admit of it, to their advantage and to the honor of a colony, which, for its zeal in the great cause, well as its sufferings, deserves so much of America.

Until I visited head quarters at Cambridge, I had never heard of the valour of Prescott at Bunker's hill, nor the ingenuity of Knox and Waters in planning the celebrated works at Roxbury. We were told here that there were none in our camp who understood the business of an engineer, or any thing more than the manual exercise of the gun. This we had from great authority, and for want of more certain intelligence were obliged at least to be silent. There are many military geniuses at present unemployed and overlooked, who I hope, when the army is new modelled, will be sought after and invited into the service of their country.

They must be sought after, for modest merit declines pus.h.i.+ng itself into public view. I know your disinterested zeal, and therefore need add no more than to a.s.sure you that I am with cordial esteem,

Your friend,

TO MRS. ADAMS.

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

PHILADELPHIA, Octobr 20th 1775.1

MY DEAR BETSY

I have not yet receivd a Letter from you, altho' it is more than seven Weeks since I left you. I do not mean to chide you, for I am satisfied it is not your Fault. Your Want of Leisure or opportunity to write to me, or perhaps the Miscarriage of your Letters, is certainly a Misfortune to me, for the Receipt of them would serve to alleviate my Cares. I have wrote you several times since my Arrival here. In my last I gave you a particular Account of our latest Intelligence from England, which I [rely upon;] it came from a Correspondent whose [Connections] have always afforded him the Opportunity of giving me the earliest and best Advice.

The Affairs of our Country are at this Moment in the most critical Scituation. Every Wheel seems now to be in Motion. I am so fully satisfied in the Justice of our Cause, that I can confidently as well as devoutly pray, that the righteous Disposer of all things would succeed our Enterprises. If he suffers us to be defeated in any or all of them I shall believe it to be for the most wise and gracious Purposes and shall heartily acquiesce in the Divine Disposal. It is an unspeakable Consolation to an Actor upon the publick Stage, when, after the most careful Retrospect, he can satisfy himself that he has had in his View no private or selfish Considerations, but has ever been [guided] by the pure Motive of serving his Country, and delivering it from the rapacious Hand of a Tyrant.

I am exceedingly anxious to hear from our Northern and Eastern Armies. Much, I was going to say, All depends upon the military Virtue of Schuyler and Arnold. If they do what they can, it will be all in Reason their Country ought to expect from them. Mortals cannot command Success. Should they succeed, (G.o.d grant they may!) the plan which our Enemies have laid for the Destruction of the New England Colonies, and in the Event of all the rest, will be defeated.

Pray, my dear, let me hear from you soon. I am greatly concernd for your Security & happiness, and that of my Family. I wrote to my Daughter yesterday. Pay my particular Regards to Sister Polly.

Tell my Domesticks individually that I remember them. I pray G.o.d to bless you all.

________________________________________________________________ 1A letter by Adams, on the same date, to William Heath has recently been printed in Collections of Ma.s.sachusetts Historical Society, 7th ser., vol. iv., pp. 6, 7.

TO ELBRIDGE GERRY.

[J. T. Austin, Life of Elbridge Gerry, vol. i., pp. 119-122; the text is in Force, American Archives, 4th ser., vol. iii., p.

1248.]

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 29, 1775.

MY DEAR SIR,