Page:Letters of John Andrews.djvu/50

 I I 1.11 J ERS OF JOHN A.NDBEWS.

tion wag Bel on foot. The boats from all the Men of War were man'd with soldiers, with orders to dismantle the fort and bring off all the Ordnance, Stores, &ca. : bul I imagine their chagrin was as greal as their disappointment. So much for the honor of Pig Village, Bill! Tell Breck, if with you, that Bradstreet is al least a fool higher upon the occasion.

September 9th. Neither prompted by a brutal gratification, oor destitute of tender feelings, bul led by a curiosity natural to mosl men, early this morning I attended the execution of the poor fellow whom 1 mentioned in one of my former letters to have been taken up in y m:irkrt for desertion. After the Parson had pray'd with him, and while his grave was digging, he address'd himself to the Soldiers (who were drawn up from all the Regiments around him) : he spoke for half an hour very fluently and compos'd, bul when he was 6x'd to the spot from which he was not to remove but into an awfull eter- nity, his spirits were much agitated, and after another exhortation and prayer, which continued about a quarter of an hour, he received the discharge of six muskets from about eight yards distance, and least that was not sufficient, a fourth stepp'd up and presented his gun close to his head and discharg'd it, which put a period to his life, lie was then laid upon the lid of his coffin and expos'd to the view of the whole Army, who were made to march in a slow, solemn step close on one side his body, as an example in terrorem, J suppose; though I immagin it will have a quite contrary effect (unless they are lost to all sense of humanity) and create in them an utter detestation to remain subordinate to a set of men. who were instrumental in committing such an unjust act of cruelty.

Colonel Frye, of Salem (who was the magistrate that endeavor'd to commit the committee of correspondence there) has resign'd all Ids posts of honor snidprofit. Indeed necessity oblig'd him to, as he and his family were in danger of starving; for the country people would not sell him any provisions, and the inhabitants, however well dis- pos'd any might he to him, dare not procure him any. And Colonel Browne of the same place, a lately appointed Judge as well a- coun- cellor, is oblig'd to repair here for an assylum. A committee from that county waited on him yesterday to require a resignation. Whether they obtain'd it or nol I cant learn. The present temper of the People throughout the Province is such, that they wont sutler a tory to remain any where among 'em without making an ample recantation of his principles; ami those who presimn to be so obsti-

�� �