Adams Papers Digital Edition

Diary of John Adams, volume 2

1776 Jany. 3d. Wednesday.

1776. Jany. 25. Thursday.
1776. January 24. Wednesday.<a xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" href="#DJA02d270n1" class="note" id="DJA02d270n1a">1</a> JA 1776. January 24. Wednesday. Adams, John
1776. January 24. Wednesday.1

Began my Journey to Phildelphia, dined at Colonel Mifflins at 227Cambridge with G. Washington, and Gates and their Ladies, and half a Dozen Sachems and Warriours of the french Cocknowaga Tribe, with their Wives and Children. Williams is one, who was captivated in his Infancy, and adopted. There is a Mixture of White Blood french or English in most of them. Louis, their Principal, speaks English and french as well as Indian. It was a Savage feast, carnivorous Animals devouring their Pray. Yet they were wondrous polite. The General introduced me to them as one of the Grand Council Fire at Philadelphia, upon which they made me many Bows, and a cordial Reception.2

1.

First entry in D/JA/25 since 30 Oct. 1775. The following entries, through 29 Jan., are from the same booklet.

On 15 Dec. 1775 the General Court elected the two Adamses, Hancock, and Paine to another year's term as delegates to the Continental Congress, but replaced Thomas Cushing with Elbridge Gerry—an action that disturbed conservatives both in Massachusetts and in Congress. See Mass., House Jour , 1775–1776, 3d sess., p. 44; Samuel Adams to James Warren, 8 March 1776, Warren-Adams Letters , 1:211–212. But JA was pleased by it and had the company of Gerry on the road to Philadelphia, where the two arrived on 8 Feb. and took their seats in Congress next day (JA to AA, 11 Feb. 1776, Adams Papers; see also JCC , 4:122).

 2.

On the Caughnawagas, who had come to offer their services to the Americans, see Washington to Philip Schuyler, 27 Jan. 1776 ( Writings, ed. Fitzpatrick, 4:280–281).