Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 2
Saltmarsh. Read. Mr. Cranch's.
The Marquis to Sainneville, commander of the french Squadron now in the harbour, and the Chevalier Maccarty de Martegues captain of the Achille, dined here to day. Several other officers were detained by the badness of the weather.1
In his line-a-day entry, JQA mentions “Meeting, forenoon” (D/JQA/13, Adams Papers, Microfilms, Reel No. 16).
Company afternoon. Angier.
Went over to Milton.
The Governor with the Captains of the french vessells, the french Consul, and some other gentlemen dined with us.
Mrs. Smith and Louisa. W. Cranch.
I left Braintree to return to Newbury-Port. Found Bridge in Boston. Dined at Mr. Smith's. We left Boston at about five o'clock and rode ten miles; to Newhall's tavern; where we lodge.
Breakfasted in Salem: saw Amory and Learned. Dined at Ipswich. We got to Newbury-Port, at about five. We lodge this night at Mrs. Hooper's.
I did not sleep a wink the whole night. My nerves are in a very disagreeable state of irritation. I attended meeting all day at Dr. 454Tucker's, with Bridge. I called in the evening at Mr. N. Carter's, and at Mr. Tufts's to deliver letters. At Mr. Tufts's I saw Mr. Shaw, who, I find preached for Mr. Andrews this day. I retired early, and went to bed, but could get no sleep. After laying about three hours, I got up and went over to Dr. Swett, and requested him to supply me with an opiate, which he did; it gradually composed my nerves, and gave me a few hours of sleep.1
This is the first of several references during the fall of 1788 to JQA's uncertain state of health. David Musto has argued that he was in a depressed state of mind, owing to the pressure that his family was placing on him to distinguish himself (to perpetuate the “family myth”) and to his own worries about his future in an overcrowded legal profession. Musto's explanation for the resolution of these difficulties, which apparently occurred only months later, is largely undocumented (“The Youth of John Quincy Adams,” Amer. Philos. Soc., Procs.
, 113:269–282 [Aug. 1969]).