CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN

JOHN ADAMS AND PROF. JOHN WINTHROP.

Ar a meeting of the Massachusetts Historical Society, held on the 9th of April, 1874, as recorded in the volume of its printed Proceedings including that year, page 263, the President announced the reception of certain papers from Colonel John Winthrop, together with a letter expressing his wish to place them on permanent deposit in the Society's Archives, with authority to make such use of them in publication as they might see fit. The Society accepted the trust, with thanks; and the papers have since remained deposited among their most valuable records.

Upon an examination of this deposit, it appeared that one portion consists of a correspondence of ten letters, between that learned professor and earnest patriot, John Winthrop of Cambridge, and John Adams, then serving at Philadelphia as a delegate from Massachusetts to the second meeting of the Congress assembled there. Four of these were letters written by the Professor, and six by Mr. Adams, during a period of seventeen months, beginning at the end of May, 1775, and ending in September of the next year. It happens that, in conducting his part of the correspondence, Professor Winthrop made use of those portions of the letters he received from Mr. Adams that remained in blank, to inscribe on them copies of his own. The spaces left were so small, that he had recourse to a method of abbreviation, generally difficult, and at times impossible, to decipher. They must have remained partially unintelligible for ever, but for the fact that his original letters were, with a single exception, found among the papers left by his correspondent. Under these circumstances, it has been deemed most prudent to avail at once of the opportunity, now offered by their possessor, of furnishing the means of securing accuracy, while the time permits.

On the other hand, it may be considered that out of the six original letters from Mr. Adams which were preserved by Professor Winthrop, and now in the hands of the Society, no copies of the two earliest in date are to be found recorded in any books left by the writer himself.

For these reasons, it has been deemed advisable to devote a few pages of the present volume to the purpose of securing this correspondence from any further danger of error.

CORRESPONDENCE.

JOHN ADAMS TO PROFESSOR JOHN WINTHROP.

PHILADELPHIA, May 29, 1775.

DEAR SIR, -The bearers of this are two young gentlemen from Maryland, Aquilla Hall and Josias Carvill Hall, both of one of the best families in Maryland, and both of independent fortunes. Their errand to Cambridge is to join our army, as volunteers, against the enemies of their country, in order to gain experience in the art of war, in which they have already made good proficiency.

As it is of importance that they should be treated with politeness and respect, I have taken the freedom to give them this letter, and to beg the favor of you to show them Harvard College.

The Congress, sir, have great objects before them, indeed. All is secret but what you will see in the newspapers. If the Ministry, upon receiving intelligence of the battle of Lexington, don't recede, all ceremony will be over. At present we shall be fully united, and, I hope, shall do well. My respectful compliments to all friends. News of every kind will be told you by the bearers. JOHN ADAMS.

Your humble servant,

We suffer excessively for want of letters and intelligence from Cambridge. I must beg you would do me the honor to write me, and desire all our friends to do the same.

[Address]:

J A.

To the Honorable JOHN WINTHROP, Esq., LL.D., Cambridge. [Indorsed] Mr. ADAMS, 29 May, 1775.

JOHN WINTHROP TO JOHN ADAMS.

June 21, 1775.

DEAR SIR, -I received your favor of the 29th May, by Messrs. Halls. I was much concerned that I had it not in my power to treat those young gentlemen with as much respect as their characters and your recommendation entitled them to. When your letter was delivered me, which was but a few days ago, we were all in the utmost hurry, packing up the library and apparatus, for their removal to a distance in the country for safety, in consequence of an order of the Provincial Congress, which was sent us that day; so that the young gentlemen could only take a transient view of things, as they lay in confusion. It was then universally expected that there would be an action in a day or two; which happened accordingly. The night following, a body of our men were sent to throw up an entrenchment on a hill in Charlestown. As soon as the daylight appeared, they were discovered, and fired upon from the men-of-war and the battery on Copp's Hill. That day (the 17th inst.) exhibited a most shocking spectacle. About two in the afternoon, a large body of regulars were carried over to Charlestown; and at four in the afternoon the menof-wars' boats set fire to the town in different places, which in a few hours was burnt to the ground. When it was all in flames, they attacked our entrenchment, which was very imperfect, being only the work of a few hours; but they were vigorously opposed, and a hot engagement ensued, which lasted above an hour, in which numbers fell. When our soldiers had fired away almost all their cartridges, and the regulars were entering the entrenchment with their bayonets charged, and an incessant fire of artillery kept on them on all sides from the men-of-war and floating batteries, our people retreated,