Papers of John Adams, volume 14
Monsieur Vôtre fils à été ici pendans cet hiver, et nous a été recommender de Petersbourg par nos amis et Mr Dahne.
Nous Lui avons fournis L’argent necessaire pendans Son Sejour qui n’a eté que d’un mois, et il nous à eté un Vrai plaisir d’avoir pû Lui rendre tous Les Services qui ont pû dependre de nous. C’est une jeune personne qui S’est acquit beaucoup d’amitié ici et qui merite bien qu’on L’aime.1
Nous venons d’apprendre par un de nos Amis ici, auquel on a ecrit d’Amsterdam, que vous éties inquiet à son Egard, n’ayant point eu de Ses Nouvelles dépuis Le mois de Decembre passé.
Nous Somes Surpris Monsieur que vous n’ayés point de Ses Lettres. Nous n’avons aucune de Lui même dépuis Son depart, mais Selon Les Avis que nous avons il Se portoit trés bien à Gothembourg il y à quinze jour.
Il est partis d’ici vers La fin de Decembre, pour Gothembourg munis de trés bonnes Lettres de recommendation, il à Sejourner à Norkoping pendans 3. Semaine par raport au mauvais chemin, et il est arriver à Gothembourg vers La fin de Janvier ou il etoit encore il y à 10 jours. Nous Lui croyons pourtant partis à ce moment.2
Nous Vous faisons nos Sinceres Compliment Sur la Paix Glorieuse que vous venés de Signer. Nous Serons trés flatter Monsieur Si dans notre pais nous pouvons vous être de quelque Utilité, dans quel genre que ça Soit; Soyés persuader de nôtre zele pour tous ce dont il vous plaira nous charrer.
Nous avons L’honneur d’etre avec un trés parfait Estime; / Monsieur! / vos trés humbe & trés obeist Servit
rL
n.Brandenburg & Company
Translation
Your son was here this winter and was recommended to us from St. Petersburg by our friends and Mr. Dana.
We provided him with the money he needed during his stay, which was only a month, and found it truly a pleasure to do everything in our power to be of service. He is a young man who earned himself many friends here and who deserves affection.1
We have just learned from one of our friends here who had received a 305letter from Amsterdam that you were worried about your son, not having heard from him since last December.
We are surprised, sir, that you have received no letters from him. We have not had any either since he left, but according to our information he was very well when in Göteborg about two weeks ago.
He left here for Göteborg toward the end of December, provided with excellent letters of introduction. He stayed in Norrköping for three weeks on account of the poor roads and arrived in Göteborg in late January. He was still there ten days ago, but we think he must have left by now.2
We offer our sincere compliments on the glorious peace treaty you have just signed. We shall be most flattered, sir, if we may be of use to you here in our country in any way at all. Please believe how eager we are to do anything you ask.
We have the honor to be with most perfect esteem, sir, your very humble and very obedient servants
rL
n.Brandenburg & Company
RC (Adams Papers).
In his Diary JQA wrote that a “Mr. Brandenburg,” presumably a member of this firm, visited him on his first day at Stockholm to deliver a letter from Francis Dana. In a 6 May letter to his father, JQA indicated that at Stockholm he received 420 Swedish “Rixdallers,” worth approximately 1,250 guilders (JQA, Diary
, 1:161;
AFC
, 5:150–151).
JQA traveled from Stockholm on 31 Dec. 1782 and reached Norrköping the following day, remaining there until 14 January. He was in and around Göteborg from 16 Jan. until he departed for Copenhagen on 11 Feb., arriving there on the 15th. On the date of this letter he was still at Copenhagen awaiting passage to Hamburg (JQA, Diary
, 1:162–171;
AFC
, 5:97–98).
efevr. 1783.
Le Baron Dedem a échoué. Mr. Van Berkel le Bourguemaître de Rotterdam, frere du Pensionaire d’Amst. s’est présente subitement, & l’a emporté venit & vicit. C’est donc lui qui sera Minre de la Rep. en Amérique. Je viens de l’en féliciter cordialement. Vous avez ses respects. Il sera charmé de vous avoir pour compagnon de Voyage.1 J’ai les respectées votres des 18,2 22 & 23. Je fais de mon mieux pour Mr. Weelock. Nous aurons bien soin de Mr. Votre fils. C’est tout ce que je puis Sans manquer la poste, ajouter aujourdhui au respect avec lequel je suis Monsieur / V. t. h. & t. o. servit,
Translation
Baron Dedem lost. Mr. Van Berckel, Burgomaster of Rotterdam and brother of the pensionary from Amsterdam, presented his candidacy unexpectedly and was chosen: venit and vicit. It is therefore he who will be the 306republic's minister to America. I have just given him my hearty congratulations. He sends you his respects. He will be delighted to have you as a traveling companion.1 I have your esteemed letters of the 18th,2 22d, and 23d. I am doing my best for Mr. Wheelock. We shall take good care of your son. Lest I miss the post, this is all I can add for now to the respect with which I am, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Paris à Son Exce. Mr. Adams.”
The Gazette d’Amsterdam of 4 March reported the selection of Pieter Johan van Berckel, noting that he was the brother of Engelbert François van Berckel, who was renowned for his role in the negotiation of the 1778 Lee-Neufville Treaty (“Traité Préparatoire avec l’Amérique”). It then expressed the hope that a new American minister to the Netherlands would be appointed in place of JA, then actually at Paris, who was expected shortly to take his leave at The Hague and return to America on a Dutch warship in company with the new Dutch minister. It was from that notice, quoted in his letter of [23 March], below, that Francis Dana learned of JA's plans to return to America.
JA's 18 Feb. letter introduced Dr. John Wheelock, president of Dartmouth College (LbC, APM Reel 108). See JA to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 18 Feb., and note 2, and JA to the Trustees of Dartmouth College, 25 Feb., both above.