Scanned Document - National Security Agency

confusion about the cipher. In writing to
John Adams in Amsterdam on 21 June 1781,
Lovell again used the cipher key CR, which he
explained again guardedly in his letter of 30
November 1781: "You certainly can recollect
the Name of that Family where you and I
spent our last Evening with your Lady before
we sat [sic] out on our Journey hither. Make
regular Alphabets in number equal to the first
Sixth Part of that Family name.'j4 The name
Lovell alludes to is CRANCH; however, he
erred when he said a sixth part, and instead
he should have written the "first third part."
As a result of such mistakes, John Adams had
many problems with enciphered messages,
partially because he did not completely
understand the design but also because of
enciphering error^.^
In a letter to Abigail Adams of
19 December 1780, Lovell explained the
necessity for a cipher and sought to convince
her of its value. He stated that he did not want
any of his letters to Adams thrown overboard,
as was the custom when a packet ship was in
danger of capture by the enemy, unless he
specified on the cover of the letter that it was
to be thrown overboard. A confident Lovell
stated that his cipher would protect the
message: "I chalenge [sic] anybody to tell the
Contents truly. . . I am told the Enemy have
another Mail of ours or yours, this prevents
my giving you such Explanations of my
private letter to Mr. A as I at first intended."6
He chided Abigail about being averse both to
ciphers and to his enigmatic character. Had
she felt otherwise about ciphers, Lovell wrote,
"I would have long ago enabled you to tell Mr.
A some Things which you have most probably
omitted." He promised to send her a key to
use on special occasions in letters to or from
her husband. Lovell again implied that the
use of a cipher would save the letters from
being thrown overboard if the vessel were in
danger of capture: "I am told Letters from
Holland have been thrown from Vessels now
arrived at Boston when only chased. Those
losses at least might be avoided."
Despite Lovell's frequent urging, there is
no evidence that John or Abigail Adams ever
enciphered letters in the Lovell design;
moreover, both had great difficulty
in deciphering messages using Lovell's
rea at ion.^ Abigail thanked Lovell in June
1780 for the alphabetical cipher that was sent
to her but thought she would never use it: "I
hate a cipher of any kind and have been so
much more used to deal in realities with those
I love, that I should make a miserable
proficiency in modes and figures."' She
added that her husband held similar views:
"Besides my Friend is no [sic] adept in
investigating ciphers and hates to be puzzled
[sic] for a meaning." But she did try to
decipher the parts of Lovell's letters to her
that were written in cipher, as well as copies
of Lovell's letters to her husband John. She
continued to find the cipher troublesome,
though she became somewhat adept in
deciphering, mainly due to the help of her
friend, Richard Cranch, and only after Lovell
in one letter reminded her that the family in
the "Evening" referred to ranch.^ And, in
fact, she instructed her husband, though not
very clearly, as to how to use the cipher.
As late as June 1782, almost two and one-
half years after the cipher's introduction, she
wrote, "With regard to the cypher of which
you complain, I have always been fortunate
enough to succeed with it. Take the two
Letters for which the figure stands and place
one under the other through the whole
Sentance [sic], and then try the upper Line
14th the under, or the under with the upper,
always remembering, if one letter answers,
that directly above or below must omitted,
and sometimes several must be skiped [sic]
over."lo She wrote these words to her
husband after reading his complaint in a
letter of 12 February 1782, to Robert
Livingston: "I know very well the name of
the family where I spent the Evening with
my worthy friend Mr. blank space in the
original, apparently for security] before
we set off, and have made my alphabet