John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

22. V:30. Wednesday— From Philadelphia to Washington—

At Seven O’Clock this morning we parted from the Chesnut Street wharf at Philadelphia in the Steamboat Robert Morris— Landed at Newcastle at ten, passed in the Rail-road Car in one hour to Frenchtown— Then took the Steamboat 426Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Captain Chaytor, to Baltimore— We landed there at 4. in the afternoon, and Lieutenant Bartlett of the Engineers collected a sufficient number of Passengers, for a Stage to Washington. Mr Lawrence, and Joel B. Sutherland, one of the members of Congress from Philadelphia, were of the company— As we approached the half-way house near the Bridge over the Patuxent the two leaders with the pole, and fore-wheels of another Stage coming from Washington ran full tilt up, and struck the pole of our Carriage in front. The other Stage had overset at a bad place almost impossible to pass— My fellow Passengers and I walked to the half-way house, where we were to change horses, and as we passed by the spot where the other Carriage was overset, we thought it had saved us from the same accident— This delayed us about an hour—and it was just ten O’Clock, when I alighted at the House of my Son John, at Washington— William C. Greenleaf came to the door, and as I came out of the Carriage, I asked how my Son was—he said—very low. Mrs Frye received me in the drawing-room; and Mr Frye in my chamber.— Mrs Frye advised me at first not to see him till the morning, but afterwards changed her mind, and thought it best I should see him before retiring to bed— I sent for Dr Huntt in the middle of the Night— He came, and advised me to see him— I went to his bed-side twice, and saw and heard him; he had no consciousness of any thing on Earth— His wife was in bed in the upper chamber, very sick herself—on seeing me she burst into tears— I promised her that I would be a father to her and her children— Finding myself much exhausted and unwell, I retired at 2 in the morning to bed—