John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

15. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away— Blessed be the name of the Lord— At twenty-five minutes past one this morning, expired my daughter, Louisa-Catherine, as lovely an infant as ever breathed the air of Heaven— It becomes me not to murmur at the dispensations of Divine Providence— Believing in the existence of another and a better world than this, I humbly trust in the hope, that her agonies, long and severe as they were atoned here for all the imperfections of her nature, derived from earthly Parents, and that her transition from the pangs of death to the bliss of Heaven was instantaneous; and complete. Her last moments were distressing to me and to her mother, beyond expression. Catherine Johnson was beside the Cradle, but unconscious of the moment of her departure— She was immediately seized with violent illness herself, which continued the whole Night— My dear wife to whom it was my lot to communicate the bitter knowledge of the Event, fainted for a few minutes, but received the shock with a resignation and fortitude, which manifested that her strength had been proportioned to her trial— I sent immediately for the physicians and for the surgeon—none of whom came however untill the morning. Catherine was then bled, but was confined to her bed the remainder of the day— Mr Smith at my request called upon Dr: Pitt and Mr Gray, the Clerk of the English Church, to whom I gave the directions necessary for performing the last sad offices to the remains of my Child— Mr Harris called on me twice in the course of the day, and obligingly offered me every assistance in his power— I sent out to request Mrs Krehmer to come and see my distressed wife and her Sister— She came, and passed the day in acts of kind and soothing Consolation.— The latter part of the day, my wife was very ill— Mr Smith watches this Night— I sent in the Evening to Mr Fisher and Mr Harris, but neither of them was at home.