Page:Letters of John Andrews.djvu/86

 80 LETTERS OF JOHN ANDREWS.

Dulap an ensign, being warm or rather frantic with liquor, stop'd a man, who drives a waggon between Salem and here, in union street, and order'd him to turn out of the way for him to walk on. The waggoner refus'd; he made no more words but struck across the fare with a hickory stick, upon which the waggoner clos'd in upon him, took hi< stick from him, ami beat him pretty decently. Before the affray was over, upwards of fifty soldiers had collected upon the place — some smiling with inward satisfaction (especially those of his own regiment) and others pretending to assist him.

January 4th. The Discontent of the Soldiers has become so general that they have doubled all the guards and made one or two regiments lay under arms, as well as that they have fix'd a field piece in the Centre of the town to he fir'd in case of a mutiny, whereby all those that arc not concern'd in it are to appear under arms.

January 6th. This morning we had quite a novel sight. The Sailors belonging to the Transports consisting of about 30 or 10 dress'd in white shirts ornamented with various color'd ribbons dispos'd crosswayS on their bodies with knots and garlands, paraded each side of a long rope dragging a plow, accompanied with one compleatly tar'd and feather'd, representing a he Devil, together with a She Devil, and an attendant, each furnish'd with a bag to collect money, stopping every person of genteel appearance to request a remembrance of Old England, wishing 'em a merry Christmas. The former look'd as compleatly like the devil as the most fertile invention could form an idea of or picture. The General gave them two half Joes, and it is suppos'd that they collected at least forty guineas. The design of it was to celebrate the twelfth night, or the breaking up of Christmas.

January 7th. The uneasiness of the tenth regiment has caus'd a general report, for several days past, that they had mutinied and were disarm'd in consequence of it. This much is very certain, that they have lost a number of their men by sickness, and near forty of the regiment in particular are down with inflammatory fever, caus'd by the hard duty on the Neck several very stormy days. Am told they one and all. i. e. of the privates, came into some agreement- among themselves, which they would not divulge to their officers, and were depriv'd of the use of their arms, when off duty.

January 9th. For this fortnight past, scarce a day passes without three or four soldiers' funerals: a spot of ground at the bottom of the common being allotted for them, which they have improv'd for upwards of a hundred already.