William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams, June 1, 1800

Fredericktown Maryland June 1 st Sunday, 150 miles from Philadel a.

My dear Aunt.

Before I left Philadelphia, I wrote you, expecting the
letter would overtake you at Brookfield. 1 The rain on monday prevented our
leaving the city till Tuesday, as we had previously intended. The great
rains, which they have had this way, have made the roads very bad— they are
ploughed up, by the heavy loaded German waggons, exactly like the corn
fields in New-England, and you might with equal convenience travel over
them, as the ground, which we have passed. The accommodations at the public
houses, have been generally speaking very good and remarkably cheap. Between
two and three dollars at noon—and 7 and 8 at night have been the amount of
our bills.— The horses have performed the
journey, thus far extremely well. Currie proves himself to be an excellent
driver and an extremely obliging and excellent coachman—the two footman do
very well.

Notwithstanding the extreme badness of the roads, yet
such has been the beauty and fertility of the country which we have passed
and such the constant attention of the people—exerting themselves in every
possible way to make the journey agreeable, that the President has been
highly gratifyed. , Start deletion, Our eyes , End, Every inch
of the land from Philadelphia to Frederick Town is a perfect
garden—luxuriant as any in the world and only equalled, the president
thinks, in Flanders and England. Our eyes have been delighted throughout the
whole of our journey, with cultivated fields and prospects of a fruitful
harvest, and our minds gratifyed with the pleasing reflection, that the
people are prosperous and of course ought to be happy.

The inhabitants have appeared to be universally gratified
and highly honored by the presidents passing their Country—this they
repeatedly expressed and proved in action. His arrival at Lancaster was
unexpected and therefore could not , Start deletion, come , End, go out to meet him, as they had wished—they were very pressing that he
should remain and dine with them the next day which he refused. A troop of
horse and many citizens escorted him to the Susquehannah—ten miles. We rode
about five miles and were met by another troop of horse from York Town.
Little out of the town there was a company of volunteer Infantry, which
joined the procession and marched into town, where the President received a
very cordial welcome. A very handsome address was presented him—speaking of
the great services which he had rendered to his Country and expressing their
wishes that he might be continued in office— 2 From York a troop of horse
accompaned us about four miles. In the evening of the same day, we arrived
at a little village called Tauny Town—which soon after our arrival was
compleatly and beautifully illuminated—the next morning a troop of horse
accompanied us half the way to this place. A very handsome troop of horse,
accompanied by a large number of citizens met us at four miles distance from
Frederick Town—to which was afterwards added a company of Infantry and thus
we marched into the city—the bells were instantly rung and every possible
mark of veneration and respect paid. We dont expect to arrive at the federal
city till Tuesday, it being upwards of forty miles and bad roads.— General
Marshall has accepted of his appointment which gives general
satisfaction.

In very great haste I am my dear Aunt / Your very
affectionate nephew

W m. S. S.