John Adams and the Camino

I've come across this information on the American Pilgrims on the Camino's website (http://americanpilgrims.com/camino/route_descriptions/route_ingles.html):

'In December 1779, the leaking ship carrying John Adams and his companions to Paris was forced to put in at Ferrol from where they eventually made their way by land. Adams wrote about the Camino in his journal and he remarked there that he "…always regretted that We could not find time to make a Pilgrimage to Saint Iago de Compostella."'

Image showing the route Adams and his group took across Spain - image taken from https://www.americanpilgrims.org/assets/documents/essays/john_adams_camino.pdf

In his diary Adams wrote:

Tuesday, December 28, 1779: I have always regretted that We could not find time to make a Pilgrimage to Saint Iago de Compostella. We were informed, particularly by Mr. Lagoanere, that the Original of this Shrine and Temple of St. Iago was this. A certain Shepherd saw a bright Light there in the night. Afterwards it was revealed to an Archbishop that St. James was buried there. This laid the Foundation of a Church, and they have built an Altar on the Spot where the Shepherd saw the Light. In the time of the Moors, the People made a Vow, that if the Moors should be driven from this Country, they would give a certain portion of the Income of their Lands to Saint James. The Moors were defeated and expelled and it was reported and believed, that Saint James was in the Battle and fought with a drawn Sword at the head of the Spanis[h] Troops, on Horseback. The People, believing that they owed the Victory to the Saint, very chearfully fulfilled their Vows by paying the Tribute.… [2, p. 217]

Further information can be found in an article by Gene McCullough at https://www.americanpilgrims.org/assets/documents/essays/john_adams_camino.pdf

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