John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

11 Thursday 26. June 1828.

I begin upon this Volume with the record of yesterday. See Vol. 9. for the last preceding date

June 1828

25. IV. Wednesday. Sun rose 4:42. last Solstitial day. Ride and Swim— Fahrenheit 90.

Bomford— George Jones— Roger Foy Porter Peter B. Delafield Rush Richard Southard Samuel L

I sent for Coll. Bomford to speak with him of a man named Copeland, who was employed at the armoury at Harper’s ferry, and was dismissed for making frivolous and groundless charges against the Superintendent. He is now applying to me for other employment, and I sent to Coll. Bomford to enquire into the circumstances of his case. He said he had since his dismission employed him occasionally, and would again if opportunity should occur— But he was a bad tempered man, and he could not give him a permanent appointment because there was nobody in the public service willing to be associated with him. Coll. Bomford promised me some white mulberry-trees of which he has many from the seeds sown in the Summer of 1826— Coll. Jones the Adjutant General, brought over the Letter of General Scott to him, asking a leave of absence from his command for 20 days, and the answer— Scott’s Letter is private, and asks not a furlough to be announced in general orders, but this short leave of absence, which by order of the Secretary of War was granted. I told Coll. Jones, that I must ask for copies of both the Letters, because I should now limit the time of General Scott’s leave of absence, and it was therefore necessary to authenticate the time and manner of his obtaining it— General Scott was pursuing such a course that I thought it probable these Letters would all be published— He asked his leave of absence to visit his family who were about to embark for France— I told Coll. Jones that he might inform General Scott that I had required a copy of his Letter asking for the leave of absence— Mr Foy came to complain of Mr Elgar the Commissioner of the Public buildings, who proposes to reduce the width both of the border and of the gravel walk within the railing of the Capitol Square on the western side; which Mr Foy thinks will have a bad effect on the whole enclosure— He thinks Mr Elgar encroaches upon his domains and calls for my interposition. He spoke also of work to be done at the yard of this house; and I promised to see and advise with Mr Elgar— General Porter came with Major Delafield, and spoke of the disingenuous proceeding of Mr Barclay the British Commissioner under the seventh Article of the Treaty of Ghent— Major Delafield undertook with my assent to draw up a statement in reply to that part of Mr Barclay’s Report— It appears that both parties have abandoned Mitchell’s Map which is acknowledged to be incorrect of the topography of those regions— The adjourned Cabinet Meeting was held at one. Present Mr Rush, General Porter, and Mr Southard— General Porter had the draft of a Letter in answer to the last from General Scott— It varied a little, as we thought with improvement upon that which was proposed yesterday— In refusing the furlough which he asks till next April, it states that the reasons which he assigns for asking it are conclusive against its being granted— And adds that as the Order from the War Department granting him leave of absence was not limited in time, I had thought proper to fix the 25th. of July next as the term, and that I expected he would by that day have returned and resumed the Command of the Western division of the army. One or two slight modifications were necessary, which were pointed out; and with them 12General Porter is to despatch the Letter this Evening— After the Meeting was over I had much conversation with Mr Rush upon the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and with Mr Southard upon the proposed exploring Expedition. The By-Laws of the Corporation have been reported and adopted, and the Salary of the Officers is fixed— Mr Rush thought they might have dispensed with a Treasurer; but that was not agreed to. Mr Southard said he believed Captain Wadsworth would decline taking the command of the Expedition—and he was perplexed to find a substitute for him. There was much and I hope not useless discussion of various topics connected with the fitting out of the expedition— I visited the Garden before Riding and the Nursery afterwards with Mr Foy— The unknown trees are a Cane, A Button wood, a Plum, of peculiar character, and several grape-vines. The Evening was extremely sultry, and afterwards a rain gust with winds from the East.