To John Adams from Alden Bradford

I am much obliged by the information & advice given in your Note of the 5th. instant—I hope I have not deviated materially in my plan from your views on the subject—In most instances, I have given, by way of note, the names of Committees, who prepared & reported the documents printed; especially the important ones—But it is not my intention to say who of the Committee was the writer—It would be difficult to ascertain, & improper to conjecture.

All the papers, letters, petitions &c enumerated in your letter, are printed in my book—And I find by the Journals, that J. Otis, S. Adams, Col. Otis, Major Hanley, S. Dexter &c were on the Committee—

If I knew the writer of the “Appeal” &c. it would not be my opinion to mention it—But only to give the names of the Gentleman who composed the Comtee.

I was desirous of ascertaining the fact, whether it was J. Otis or S. Adams who wrote the appeal—for my own individual satisfaction—and further, because, I had lent Mr. S. A. Welles the pamphlet, taken from the library of the Historical Collections; & he on which some one had written the name of J. Otis, as the writer—& when the pamphlet was returned, a paper was attached to it by a wafer, on which was written, “this pamphlet was written by Saml. Adams—as a part of the Ms in his hand writing is in the possession of S. A. Welles.”

very respectfully