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Familiar letters of John Adams and his wife AbigailAdams, during the revolution ([c1875])
Author:
 Adams, John, 1735-1826; Adams, Abigail, 1744-1818; Adams, Charles Francis, 1807-1886
Publisher:
 Boston : Houghton, Mifflin and Co.
Possible copyright status:
NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT
Language:
 English
Call number:
srlf_ucla:LAGE-472624
Digitizing sponsor:
 MSN
Book contributor:
 University of California Libraries
Collection:
 americana; cdl
THE LIBRARYOF v.THE UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIALOS ANGELESGIFT OFFAMILIAR LETTERS OF JOHN ADAMSAND HIS WIFE ABIGAIL ADAMS,DURING THE REVOLUTION.MEMOIR OF MRS. ADAMS.CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.NEW YORK:PUBLISHED BY KURD AND HOUGHTON.Cambrttje: C(je Htoewfoe Press.1876.Copyright, 1875,By CHAKLES FRANCIS ADAMS.RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE:
 
STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BTH. 0. HOUGHTOX AND COMPACT.CollegeLibraryPEEFACE.THIRTY-FIVE years ago a collection of letterswritten during the period of the Revolution andlater, by John Adams and his wife, Abigail Adams,came into my hands. They interested me so muchthat I thought they might possibly interest othersalso, especially the growing generations not familiarwith the history of the persons and events connectedwith the great struggle. The result was an experi-ment in publi cation, first, of a selection from theletters of Mrs. Adams addressed to her husband ;and, at a later moment, of a selection from his re-plies. The first series proved so acceptable to thepublic that it ran through four large editions in eightyears. The second, though slower of sale, has like-wise been long since exhausted. Applications havebeen made to me from time to time for informationwhere copies of either might be had, to which I couldgive no satisfactory answer. I purchased one copy,whilst residing in London several years ago, whichI found by chance advertised in a sale catalogue ofold books in that city. I know not now where Icould get another.Reflecting on these circumstances, in connectionwith the approaching celebration of the Centenaryiv PREFACE.year of the national existence, it occurred to me that areproduction of some portion of the papers, with suchadditions as could be made from letters not then in-cluded, might not prove unacceptable now. To thatend I have ventured to embrace, in a single volume,so much of the correspondence that took place be-tween these persons as was written during the periodof the Revolutionary struggle, and terminating withthe signature of the preliminary articles of the greatTreaty which insured pacification and independenceto the people of the United States.The chief alteration made in the mode of publica-tion will be perceived at once. Instead of printingthe letters of the respective parties in separate vol-umes, it has now been deemed more judicious to col-lect them together and arrange them in the preciseorder of their respective dates, to the end that the
 
references to events or sentiments constantly madeon the one side or the other may be more readilygathered and understood. This will show more dis-tinctly the true shape of familiar letters which prop-erly belongs to them. It is not likely that eithercorrespondent, in writing them, ever dreamed thatthey might ultimately be shown to the world, andperhaps transmitted to the latest posterity. May Ibe permitted to add an humble opinion that it isthis feature in them which constitutes their chiefattraction ?CHAELES FRANCIS ADAMS.MEMOIR.THE memorials of that generation by whose efforts the inde-pendence of the United States was achieved are in great abun-dance. There is hardly an event of importance, from the year1765 to the date of the definitive treaty of peace with GreatBritain, in September, 1783, which has not been recorded,either by the industry of actors upon the scene or by theindefatigable labors of a succeeding class of students. Thesepersons have devoted themselves, with a highly commendablezeal, to the investigation of all particulars, even the most mi-nute, that relate to this interesting period. The individualscalled to appear most conspicuously in the Revolution have manyof them left voluminous collections of papers, which, as timepasses, find their way to the light by publication, and furnishimportant illustrations of the feelings and motives under whichthe contest was carried on. The actors are thus made to standin bold relief before us. We not only see the public record,but the private commentary also ; and these, taken in connec-tion with the contemporaneous histories, all of which, howeverdefective in philosophical analysis, are invaluable depositories offacts related by living witnesses, will serve to transmit to pos-terity the details for a narration in as complete a form as willin all probability ever be attained by the imperfect faculties ofman.Admitting these observations to be true, there is, neverthe-less, a distinction to be drawn between the materials for a his-tory of action and those for one of feeling ; between the laborsof men aiming at distinction among their fellow-beings, andthe private, familiar sentiments that run into the texture ofthe social system, without remark or the hope of observation.Here it is that something like a void in our annals appearsstill to exist. Our history is for the most part wrapped up inthe forms of office. The great men of the Revolution, in thevi MEMOIR.eyes of posterity, are many of them like heroes of a mytholog-ical age. They are seen, chiefly, when conscious that theyare upon a theatre, where individual sentiment must be some-
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