John Adams to William L. Jackson, October 20, 1781

Amsterdam Oct. 20. 1781

Your Letter, Sir, of the 26 Ult. I received last night, and should have [been] astonished at its date and Contents if I had not seen yours to Mr. De
Neufville, of the same date, which he received three days before.

I had ever 1 taken Mr. Gillon, for a Man of
Honour, drawn insensibly into difficulties by a Train of Disappointments: but I cannot
reconcile his Conduct upon this occasion.—But it is to no Purpose to enlarge upon this
Subject.—What is become of the Dispatches to Congress? There were on board half a Cart Load
from me. All my Letters to Congress for 6 or 8 months were there.

Your Account of the Health, and especially of the good Behaviour of my dear Charles, gives
me great Pleasure.

I can give you, no Instructions what to do with him. If you have a Prospect, of a Passage
soon to America, and can conveniently, take him with you, I suppose that would be most
agreable to him. In this Case, if you go to Paris, I wish you would leave him in the meantime,
in the Care of Mr. Johnson or Mr. Williams at Nantes, or Mr. Cummings at L’orient, 2 desire those Gentlemen to give him a Latin or a
French Master, and draw upon me for the Expence. But if you should come to Amsterdam, bring
him with you: but in this Case Mr. Charles must lay aside his Thoughts of going to America,
untill I go.

I am extreamly sorry you are likely to be embarrassed with the Care of this Child, in
Addition to all your other Vexations.

My best Regards to Mr. Searle and Coll. Trumbull. I have received some Letters for Mr.
Searle from his Excellency Governor Reed. Should be glad of Mr. Searles directions where to
send them.

With great Esteem, I have the Honour to be Sir your most obedient & obliged humb.
sert.

Pray what do you intend to do, with the Continental Goods left here?