Page:Letters of John Andrews.djvu/74

 68 LETTERS OF JOHN ANDREWS.

example of tin' Continental congress and kept all their debates and transactions to themselves. All we can learn is, thai they have seve- ral times agitated the matter about requesting the inhabitants of this town to leave it : which is as absurd as it is impracticable. Several times since their sitting it is likewise been reported, that they were about establishing a standing army to be COmpos'd of fifteen thousand men : a scheme not only ridiculous, but fraught with a degree of mad- ness at this juncture.

It has been given out by some of the members, that they have pre- par'd a pill for the governor. I hope not. from my soul, as there is no man existing could behave better than he has done, considering the difficult part he lias to act. As to removing the cannon from the Neck, no reasonable man can blame him for it, when they con- sider how many hostile threats he has had. For should he comply, and by that means be surpriz'd and worsted, he must inevitably lose his head. Not that 1 am in the least apprehensive that he would be attack'd — but then it's his duty to guard against even a bare possibil- ity — though it maybe represented to him as improbable, and as such he may believe it.

Sunday the 30th October. Last evening an affray happen'd at New Boston with three or four drunken officers of the 28th Regiment, who to support their character abus'd every person they met by cutting some and beating others, when at last they met with one Thomas Moore, a noted man for Cruizing, whom they fell'd at the first onset. He found them too many for him, and being without a cudgel, he fled into Ned Carne's house, and they after him. lie got out the back way, and crossing the fences came to his own house in Battle street, furnish'd himself with a club and two assistants, and return'd to the charge. He met them by Chardon's house, and told 'cm it was his turn now, and fell to and beat them pretty decently — took three of their swords and one hat as booty. — Thus in ev'ry affray as yet the officers have been the aggressors and came off second best.

October 31st. Am in hopes tomorrow will produce some plan to preserve peace and harmony among the Soldiers and inhabitants, as the Governor is then to send in his proposals to the town meeting for such a purpose, in consequence of the measure being propos'd to him last Sunday by Mr. Richardson. He readily acquiese'd with it, and said he would confer with any committee the town might chuse. They accordingly made choice of seven, who have negotiated the mat- ter, and are to make report of their proceeding and lay the govern-

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