John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

28. VI: Sent Mr Smith by the morning Post, the packet made up for him last Evening.— Received a Letter from Mr: Grubb enclosing one left at the Office with a Card, by Mr John Delafield. It is from Mr William Payne of Boston, dated 27. October last; merely an introduction of Mr Delafield, whom Mr Payne mentions as his nephew, settled and married in London— Mr Grubb has been to the new Prison, and seen young Cleland, from whom he received an account of the follies which have brought him into that situation. He has been much more than imprudent and extravagant, so that I scarcely know whether it will be possible for me to do any thing for him— He is now in prison for a debt of more than £100 Sterling to Hughes & Duncan of Liverpool, and being utterly unable to pay any part of it, he is equally without means of extricating himself from the prison. Mrs Adams wrote a Letter for me to Mr Hughes of Baltimore, and I made draughts of Letters to the French and Spanish Ambassadors, in answer to those which on the 13th. and 18 instts. I received from them— Mrs Adams made fair copies of them, which in the Evening I made up to be sent by the Post, to-morrow Morning— Walk to Gunnersbury and Brentford; but as yesterday, shorter than usual, owing to the foulness of the roads— Part of the Evening we played at Loto with the Children, two of whom are still confined with obstinate coughs to the house.