Thomas Boylston Adams to William Smith Shaw, October 13, 1799

Germantown. 13 th: October—99

Dear William

I must beg you to congratulate the President &
yourself from me, on your safe arrival in our neighborhood. Your journey
was, I apprehend, more favorable in point of weather than my mother’s is
likely to be, for we have had very heavy rains & dull skies all the last
week more or less— Even on Tuesday, the all important 8 th: , of October, big with the fate of
Pennsylvania, we had in the morning a very unpromising prospect of weather,
but it fortunately cleared away before noon & left a chance for a fair trial of strength on both sides. I was
present on the election ground a considerable part of the day, & retired
with stronger hopes of success than I went. The Demo’s however mustered
strong after dark & poured in their numbers beyond calculation, so that
we came off with only a small majority in the
City. 1 It was however
larger than I expected, and the federal
candidate yet keeps his competitor at a respectful distance. I am in better
hopes than I was prior to the Election, but not by any means confident of success—

It will give me great pleasure to see you here, though I
cannot promise to accompany you back to Trenton, very speedily. If it should
be in my power however, without inconvenience to make the excursion, I will
give you timely notice. If you meet, as you cannot fail, I think, with the Lay preacher, return
him my best thanks for his recent remembrance of me, communicated by my
friends Ross & Simpson. 2

Your letters of the 20 th: 29 th: ult o: & 11 th: inst t: came in course; 3 If you could
have acquainted me with the time of your intended departure, it would have
been acceptable, as I wanted some books put into my trunk, which is coming
round by water. I shall not go into the City to stay sooner than the 1 st: November, about which time we expect the
public Offices will return.

I have a letter from JQA, of July 16 th: the latest from him, & but a few lines—
From Consul Pitcairn I got the precis des événemens
militaires No s 2 & 3. with a line
to the 10 th: August; no, news— 4

Present me kindly to my father & believe me / Your’s
sincerely

T. B. Adams. 5

PS. I have the key of the President’s house,
remember!—