Page:Letters of John Andrews.djvu/93

 LETTERS OP JOHN ANDREWS. 87

rather wade up to his knees in blood, than that the Ministry should give wa}\ Thursday was observ'd here as a general fast An officer, with men from the 1th Regiment in Barracks at West Boston, erected a couple of tents just at the back of Howard's meeting and conducted a parcel! of fifes and drums there, which play'd and beat Yanky Doodle the whole forenoon service time, to the great interruption of the con- gregation. They intended to repeat the same in the afternoon, but were prevented by orders from the General. The officers in general behave more like a parcell of children, of late, than men. Captain

[ ] * of the Royal Irish first expos'd himself by behaving in a

very scandalous manner at the South meeting, while Doctor Warren was delivering the oration in commemoration of the Massacre. lie got pretty decently frighted for it. A woman, among the rest, attack'd him and threatened to wring his nose. Last Wensday, the day tin- oration was publish'd, a vast number of Officers assembled in King -licet, when they proceeded to the choice of a moderator and seven out of their number to represent the select men, the latter of whom with the moderator went into the Coffee house balcony, where was provided a fellow apparrell'd in a black gown with a rusty grey wigg ami fox tail hanging to it, together with bands on — who deliver'd an oration from the balcony to a crowd of few else beside gaping officers. It con- tain'd the most scurrilous abuse upon the characters of tin- principal patriots here, wholly made up of the mosl vile, profane, blackguard language as ever was express'd. They intend acting the same farce over again on farce day, or rather to deliver a sermon from the same place, but the General, knowing more than we did at that time, pru- dent Is- forbid it. The affair of Colonel Nesbitt of the 47th having tarr'd and feather'd a countryman, and Colonel Leslie's expedition t>> Salem, do them equal honor, and I dare say will become subjects of the keenest satire. A Committee from the country in behalf of the coun- tryman above, waited on the General on fast day. who was greatly disgusted with their remonstrance (being a very spirited one) but finally dismiss'd them with every assurance of protection from danger, and that [in] quite a pleasant manner: also assur'd them that he would undertake that the man should have full satisfaction. Had 1 time and room, the subject would afford large comments. The same day I overheard a number say that they were going to have a congress,

��* This name is also legible in the original manuscript, though erased by the pen

of the author.

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