Page:Letters of John Andrews.djvu/54

 48 LETTERS OF JOHN A.NDBEWS.

admit, to give you a true Btate of things, untiuctur'd with mistaken zeal or bad policy, at least Bo far as I can judge for myself, upon which principle mine of the 6th " 13th instant was founded, which will be handed you by your old friend, Doctor Loring; and regarding the same mode, shall proceed to acquaint yon with an instance "I the military's disposition to preserve peace and live in harmony among n-. Yesterday S. Rogers, J. Smith and \Vm. Palfrey were con- vei'sing together near the Province House, when one of y' guards posted at y* gate came out, and wvy insolently order'd them to dis- perse, and upon refusal, tlireatned to make 'em, by a push of yl bayonet, upon which Palfrey immediately walk'd up to the door to acquaint hi> excellency -with the usage, and was waited upon by his aid de camp, who directly ordered the fellow under guard, and beg'd y': favor of y' gentlemen that they would attend the court martial this morning, and they should have all the satisfaction they would wish or desire.

Precepts are issued out to call a general Court to be conven'd at Salem, but the Governor certainly dont intend they shall sit there, as he sent Baker off this day to bring the Records, papers, &ca., from there. Besides, he would not chuse to risque his dear self there, now that all the troops are come away : for after laying out near, or quite two thousand sterling iu building hospitals, liutts. &ca., they have tore all down again, save the chimnies, anil brought entirely away.

September loth. As few days pass without affording some matter lor -peculation, what engrosses the attention of the public this morn- ing is the mighty feat perform'd by the General last night, having order'd two ships near the North battery, with a spring upon their cables, ready for an engagement, while a number of Soldiers were spiking up all the guns : in which measure he has anticipated the intentions of a number of y' inhabitants, who have had it some time in contemplation whether to remove, or treat them in y'.' sami manner least they might be made use of to fortifie the Neck: though am told they had such a tremor upon their spirits while about it, as to do them very ineffectually. One man, who had been to view 'em, told me he would engage to reinstate 'em all, in the course of a day. But what occasion.- some small diversions is, that a captain of an arm'd schooner and the lieutenant id' the Preston went between ten. and eleven o'clock p.m. to inquire for \" beys, to see if the business was done properly, when a woman waited upon 'em, unlock'd the door and let 'em in, and watching their motions, she observ'd when they

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