Page:Letters of John Andrews.djvu/94

 bb LETTERS OF JOHN ANDREWS.

consisting of a deputation of three officers from each regiment, but I imagine the late news will put a stop to their folly in this respect.

Really, Bill, its necessary a person should have eyes and no ears to be in the way of these chaps—for a person must [be] more than a stoic to prevent his irracibility rising at the speeches they are continu- ally making, more so of late than ever before — That they may return the same harmless tools they came, is the wish of your affectionate brother.

[P. S.] Monday morning. Its by Captain Hamilton's particular desire that I write you. He intends writing you himself also. Its my opinion, that if we had not had some News, as a check upon the army, it would have been impossible to have bore with their insults, as they increas'd every day. stimulated thereto by the damn'd refugees, who have one and all, directly or indirectly, declar'd their sentiments as the Reverend Doctor above. Our provincial congress is to meet next month at Concord, when, I am told, there is to be an army of observa- tion incamp'd, consisting of twenty thousand men. Am also inform'd that the congress have expended near a million in our Old tenor for amunition and provisions. This I know, that they have had upwards of fifty ton of shot, shell, &ca., cast, besides an innumerable number of Musket halls. Have seen twenty load cover'd with dung to go out of town myself, but lately all carts have been search'd by the Guards, and unluckily last Saturday evening a load of cartridges were seiz'd pack'd in candle boxes, consisting of 13500 besides 4 boxes balls. The coun- tryman struggled hard before he would deliver 'em, and received two or three bad wounds. The same evening eight or nine officers paraded the street and abus'd every person they met, but finally met with their matches and were all made to lay level with the ground—and yester- day four Sergeants and as many men were sent to insult John Hancock, under pretence of seeing if his stables would do for barracks. He went directly to the General, who order'd a party there, but they were gone. The General told him if he was any ways insulted again, to write a billet and send by a servant, and be would immediately redress him — but it seems the officers and soldiers are a good deal disaffected towards the Governor, thinking, I suppose, that he is partial to the inhabitants, many of the latter have made no scruples to call him an Old Woman.

In regard to the season, Bill, am perswaded you could not have been more favor'd than we have been. The oldest man among us can't