John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

20. V:10.

Mr Cary is from Bridgwater and came to renew a solicitation for the appointment of his Son in Law Dunham as keeper of a Light house now building in the State of Maine— I was not sure whether the place was yet open or had been filled a few days before I left Washington. Cary asked me if I remembered a Company of Militia, who about the time of the Battle of Lexington in 1775. came down from Bridgwater, and passed the Night at my father’s house and barn at the foot of Penn’s Hill; and in the midst of whom, my father placed me, then a boy between seven and eight years, and I went through the manual exercise of the musket, by word of command from one of them— I told him I remembered it as distinctly as if it had been last week— He said he was one of that company. Coll. Thayer Superintendent of the Academy at West-Point called here to take leave, being on his return to his Post— He has been upon a short visit to his father, who resides at Braintree, where he was born. He said he had Letters to a late date from the Point, and they were entirely satisfactory as to the present condition of the School, and conduct of the Cadets. He also mentioned that there would shortly be two or three professors to be appointed. Mr Gray is the Minister at Jamaica Plains. R. G. Amory who came with his Son in Law Captain Freeman, invited me to dine with him on Thursday. Of our afternoon visitors Mrs Whittemore and Mr Loring are Relations of ours from Hingham. Mr Loring urged me to make one of a party with other friends from Hingham to visit Nantasket Beach, which I promised I would. De Grand came out from Boston, with Mr Brown, who was a delegate from Boston to the recent manufacturing interest Convention at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; which he says was conducted and terminated very harmoniously. Lieutenant Schuler is the officer who last May was tried by a Court Martial, upon two sets of Charges— Sentenced to be dismissed upon both; but the remission of the Sentence was in both cases recommended by the Court. It was accordingly remitted, and I added an expression of regret that the charges had been made subjects of a Court-Martial— He now came with great familiarity to tell me that he had been much hurt by the Sentences of the Court-Martial, that he wanted to get away from the army—would be glad to be attached to the academy at West-Point or to the Artillery School of practice at Point comfort, or anything to get away from the army And he asked my advice what he should do; observing, that he might be insulted, I advised him to repair to his Post, and by the strict and undeviating propriety of his conduct to remove any unfavourable impression left by the decisions of the Court-Martial. That by such conduct, he would recover his character, and probably avoid insult—but if he should be insulted, he would have the remedies provided by the laws in such cases— He thanked me for this advice, said he would follow it, and went away But his deportment drew the notice of the company present, and his breath was inflammible. He said he would go to see Coll. Thayer at Braintree, but I informed him that the Coll. had left that place. 271I spent the Evening with my brother and his family at Mr Marston’s— My Son Charles went this morning to Boston, to reside, and to pursue his study of the Law in the Office of Mr Webster— My brother and his Son Thomas went to Boston this Morning, and returned to dinner— Thomas brought me out a heavy Mail of despatches and Letters, which the whole afternoon, allowed me not time sufficient to read through— George went after dinner to Boston with Antoine, who returned here in the Evening— I wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury, and enclosed the Petitions and papers of Henry Fry and Charles Anderson, with orders for the discharge of Fry from prison, and for the remission of the penalties incurred by Anderson, Master of the British ship Newry for bringing from that place to New York, an excess of 18 passengers. I wrote also to N. Frye junr and T. J. Hellen.