Adams Family Correspondence, volume 3
This goes by Colonel Fleury, whom you know, who desires to carry a Letter to you.1 My three Boys dined with me Yesterday, being a Playday for them, in fine Health and Spirits.
I long to hear, whether Captain Trash arrived from Corunna, who had Letters from me to you, or Captain Babson who had Letters and more. I dont know whether you have yet heard of our Arrival.
There are a great Number of Letters for You, in the Hands of the Marquis de la Fayette, the Viscount de Noailles, Mr. Lee, Mr. Brown, 317Mr. Izard, and others. I hope you will receive them and some small Packetts with some of them.
My dearest Love to my N
If you send me any Minutes in future of any Thing to send you, pray be more particular in describing the Things. I find a great difficulty in getting french Words to express them often, because not knowing the Nature and the Prices of the Things myself, I am puzzled.
François Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, a volunteer French officer who had served with distinction in the Continental Army, 1776–1779, and who then, following a leave in France, returned to serve with Rochambeau's army, 1780–1781 (Lasseray, Les français sous les treize étoiles
, 2:425–433; JA, Diary and Autobiography
, 4:104). Congress voted Fleury a medal for his gallantry in the storming of Stony Point, July 1779; see reproduction in Lasseray, vol. 2, facing p. 430. From a list of passengers recorded in JQA's Diary under date of 24 Nov. 1779, it appears that Fleury returned to France on the Sensible with the Adams party; thus he could have met AA in Boston or Braintree before they sailed. See, further, Fleury to AA, 6 Oct.; AA to JA,
15 Oct. and 13–24 Nov., in vol. 4, below.
Mr. Izard goes off, the day after tomorrow, and will carry this, and all the News there is. We have none from America, a long time. I have only yours of 10 decr. since I left you. I hope you have received Letters from me, from Corunna and Bilbao. There are gone many for you, since my Arrival here, but I suppose are still detained at the Sea Ports. They will soon sail.
My 3 Boys dined with me to day, all well. Send their Duty, and their brotherly Love.
There are no present Appearances of Peace, altho the English House of Commons have voted down the Board of Trade, which signifies that they are convinced the Plantations are lost.—I think you will have a quiet Summer: The English are too much exhausted to send Troops to N. York.
The News, i.e. the common Talk is that there is an Armament preparing at Cadiz and another at Brest, to act in Concert—but where is a great Secret. You will know sooner, than We. There will be more Communication this summer, than ever. Dont loose opportunities to write.
318My Duty to your Father and my Mother, Love &c. to Brothers and sisters and Children. A Trunk of Things will go in the Alliance, but she will go to Philadelphia, I fear. If she does the Trunk will be left with Mass. Delegates, and must be sent by Land in a Waggon.