[1]Alternatively spelled Hoysted Hacker or Hoystead Hacker, Naval Captain during the Revolutionary War. His service included commanding the sloop Providence. Department of the Navy. "Providence." Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p12/providence-i.htm (accessed 9/26/2005).

[2]Perhaps Samuel Brown, a Boston Navy agent cited as a source in the 2nd edition of Thomas Clark's Naval History, who served as "agent for the officers of the Queen of France and Sloop Providence." Clark, Thomas. Naval History of the United States, from the Commencement of the Revolutionary War to the Present Time. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: M. Carey, 1814. Vol. 1, pp. 95-96. May also be John Brown (1748-1833) of Philadelphia, Secretary of the Marine Committee and Board of Admiralty during the Revolutionary War or John Brown (1736-1803), Providence merchant whose family had dealings with the Vernons.

[3]The Vernon mentioned in Adams' letter may be William Vernon or his brother Samuel Vernon, both of whom were involved in the Revolutionary War. William served on the Eastern Navy Board and the Board of Admiralty. See Newport Notables - William Vernon, http://www.redwoodlibrary.org/notables/vernon.htm for more details as well as the Finding Aid to the Vernon Family Records - Winterthur Museum, http://findingaid.winterthur.org/html/col165.html.

[4]Thomas Clark (1787-1860), United States Topographical Engineer and author. Mathew Carey published two editions of his Naval History (1813,1814), although it is suggested that "Thomas Clark merely wrote from an outline that the Irishman [Carey] had sketched out using documents and statistics Carey had collected from such men as Adams, Jefferson, Bainbridge, Decatur, and Truxtun" (Carter, 187-188). Clark's Naval History, written during the War of 1812, "is a persuasive piece of political propaganda aside from its historical value" (Carter, 187) and promoted the need for a strong Navy. Carter, Edward C., II. "Mathew Carey, Advocate of American Naval Power, 1785-1814." American Neptune 26 (July 1966): 177-188.

[5]Perhaps John Marston (1796-1885), a midshipman in the Navy at the time of this letter, who would go on to earn the post of rear-admiral. It is said that he was the first to bring John Adams news of the Constitution's 1812 victory over the Guerriere and that Adams was influential in Marston's appointment as a midshipman in 1813. Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton and company, 1887-89. It was presumably this same John Marston who was among those present at John Adams' deathbed and wrote to John Quincy Adams about the former president's final hours (McCullough, 645,647). McCullough, David. John Adams. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2001.

[6]Thomas Simpson (ca. 1728-1784), Portsmouth, N.H. native and brother-in-law of John Langdon, was first lieutenant of the Ranger under the command of Captain John Paul Jones. Jones arrested Simpson for disobedience shortly after the Ranger captured the HMS Drake. Jones only dropped the charges after much correspondence with Adams and the other statesmen stationed in France, finally allowing Simpson to take command of the Ranger in July of 1778, while he went on to command the Bonhomme Richard. Adams suggests in his autobiography (1802-1807) that "the arbitrary Conduct of Jones was the cause of great Injustice to him [Simpson]" (Adams, sheet 28). Morgan, William J. Captains to the Northward: The New England Captains in the Continental Navy. Barre, MA: Barre Gazette, 1959, pp. 134-36 and John Adams Autobiography, Part 2, "Travels, and Negotiations," 1777-1778, sheets 25-36 of 37 [electronic edition]. Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/.

[7]John Paul Jones (1747-1792), after his victory over the HMS Drake with the Ranger, John Paul Jones took command of the Bonhomme Richard. It was with this ship that he defeated the Serapis, while issuing his famous declaration, "I have not yet begun to fight!"

[8]In April 1778, after a series of raids along the British coast, the Ranger, captained by John Paul Jones with Lieutenant Simpson as his first officer, defeated the 20-gun HMS Drake in Irish waters, with 40 British casualties and only two American men lost. Department of the Navy. "Ranger." Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r2/ranger-i.htm (accessed 9/26/2005). In his autobiography, John Adams contended that "The Captain was thought to be desirous of monopolizing the honor of conquering the Drake. The Officers and Men, although they allowed that the Captain was a Man of desperate Courage, yet unanimously affirmed that the Lieutenant was an abler Seaman and more skillful in Battle, and that the Victory was in a greater degree due to him." John Adams Autobiography, Part 2, "Travels, and Negotiations," 1777-1778, sheet 36 of 37 [electronic edition]. Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/.

[9]Jonathan Williams (1750-1815) was a commercial and diplomatic agent in France at the time of the Drake's capture and, along with his great uncle, Benjamin Franklin, he was a supporter of John Paul Jones. He went on to serve in the Army as Chief Engineer and as the First Superintendent of West Point. At the time of this letter, he resided in Philadelphia and was volunteering to build the city's fortifications. John Adams Autobiography, Part 2, "Travels, and Negotiations," 1777-1778, sheets 26,28 of 37 [electronic edition]. Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/ and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "Colonel Jonathan Williams." Portraits and Profiles: Chief Engineer, 1775 to Present. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/coe.htm#6 (accessed 9/26/2005).

[10]Mathew Carey (1760-1839) a Philadelphia-based publisher and political writer, well known for his 1814 Olive branch, or, Faults on both sides, Federal and Democratic. During the 1800 presidential campaign, he was instrumental in promoting Thomas Jefferson towards his victory over John Adams. Nevertheless, John Adams went on to work closely with Carey while he published the two editions of Thomas Clark's Naval History. Adams' own interest in promoting a strong Navy made him eager to help Carey improve the work for the second edition and "[t]hroughout July of 1813 he bombarded Carey weekly with suggestions and complaints" (Carter, 186). Carter, Edward C., II. "Mathew Carey, Advocate of American Naval Power, 1785-1814." American Neptune 26 (July 1966): 177-188.