Old Boston Days & Ways. Mary Caroline Crawford
consisting of a thousand men each, chose their officers and turn out twice a week to perfect themselves in the military art — which are called minute men, i. e. to be ready at a minute's warning with a fortnight's provision, and ammunition and arms. ... At Newbury bridge they have got an Old Man fixed with a drum, who, as soon as he observes a government man enter, parades with his drum beating and proclaims through the town, ' a tory come to town.' "October 14 A committee from the provincial Congress waited upon the Governor this afternoon, with an address or remonstrance.
He treated them very politely but would not allow it to be read to him. He told them he would consider whether he could admit of an address from a provincial congress. Colonel Lee of Marblehead, their chairman, told him that admit or not admit, times were such now that something must be done and that it was highly necessary that they should be heard and regarded. Upon which his Excellency told him he would take it as a favor if he would leave it for his perusal, and he would endeavor to give them all the satisfaction in his power consistent with his duty to his Majesty.
"October 25. By a vessel just arrived from Bristol, we have accounts rather more favorable than heretofore, as they now begin to view the Port Bill in its true light, and have opened subscriptions, both in London and Bristol, for the relief of this town. Am told that one alderman in the former city put down five hundred pounds sterling — which circumstance has served in a great measure to compose the minds of the people here, as one third of the inhabitants, by reason of things looking very dark lately, are in pursuit of houses in the country, in order to remove with their families.
. . . Am determined for my own part not to think of anything of the kind but to stay here as long as I can get provisions to eat and can go and come where I please. . . . We have had so remarkable a fine season that many bushes that had lost their leaves are rebudded again — and in some Gardens in town they have trees that are in blossom; this, and several preceding days, have been as warm as in June."
The next entry of interest to us is that of "December 18th. The Somerset of 74 guns arrived this forenoon, being the last of the squadron that came out with the Scarborough."
Then, on December 25, — which, it is interesting to note, John Andrews does not call Christmas day, —" The packet has brought credentials that dub William Pepperell a Night, for his steady adherence to the Government side in not resigning his Councellorship — a bauble he has been seeking after a long time, and could not procure it when at home, because not worth an estate of three thousand a year — the most he could presume upon being seven hundred."
Pepperell's house — then worth " seven hundred" ?— is still standing in Kittery, Maine; from this mansion it was that he escaped to Boston after the people of his own county (York), had passed, on November 16, 1774, a resolution in which he was declared to have "forfeited the confidence and friendship of all true friends of American liberty, and ought to be detested by all good men." Pepperell was a grandson of the hero of Louisburg and had married the beautiful Elizabeth Royall, daughter of Isaac Royall, who built the fine old mansion which still stands, bearing his name, in Medford, Massachusetts. Lady Pepperell, it is sad to note, died of small-pox on the vessel which was bearing her and Sir William from Boston to the more congenial soil of England, directly after John Andrews wrote the letter just quoted. Her husband was allowed £500 annually by the home government and treated with much deference. He was the good friend of all refugees from America, and entertained hospitably at his pleasant home. He died in Portman Square, London, December, 1816, at the age of seventy. He appears to have been sincerely devoted to the king's cause from the first, and so does not merit the anathema often bestowed upon him as a turncoat.
John Andrews begins quite blithely the year now at hand: "January 1, 1775. With wishing you a happy new year, Bill, I must add my wishes that we may have a less troublesome year than last and that Great Britain may see her error in distressing the Colonies, and restore to them their just rights and liberties; that we may once more see that harmony prevail which formerly used to subsist between them." By the next day, however, Andrews seems to have concluded that there was very little chance of harmony, for he writes: "This afternoon, an officer of the 10th regiment, one Dunlap, an ensign, being warm or rather frantic with liquor, stopped a man who drives a waggon between Salem and here, in union street, and ordered him to turn out of the way for him to walk on.
The waggoner refused; he made no more words but struck across the face with a hickory stick, upon which the waggoner closed in upon him, took his stick from him and beat him pretty decently. . . . January 4, 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 fixed a field-piece in the Centre of the town to be fired in case of a mutiny, whereby all those that are not concerned in it are to appear under arms."
"This morning we had quite a novel sight," writes Andrews, with real journalistic enthusiasm, on January 6. "The Sailors belonging to the Transports consisting of about 30 or 40 dressed in white shirts ornamented with various colored ribbons disposed crossways on their bodies with knots and garlands, paraded each side of a long rope dragging a plow, accompanied with one compleatly tarred and feathered, representing a he Devil, together with a She Devil and an attendant, each furnished 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 looked as compleately like a deveil as the most fertile invention could form an idea of or picture.
The General gave them two half Joes, and it is supposed that they collected at least forty guineas. The design of it was to celebrate the twelfth night or the breaking up of Christmas."
Those in high places were glad enough to have the soldiers amuse themselves. For the poor fellows were dying at an alarming rate.
"Scarce a day passes without three or four soldiers' funerals," Andrews records, "a spot of ground at the bottom of the common being allotted for them, which they have improved for upwards of a hundred already."
The Queen's birthday — January 18 — was duly celebrated by the army and painstakingly described by our indefatigable letter-writer: "In the afternoon a large company of officers assembled at the Coffee House, with a band of Musick in the balcony, and the King's own grenadiers upon the opposite side of the street; when upon every toast they gave three chears, after which one of their number came out to the balcony and announced it to the Commander of the Granadiers, who thereupon ordered a volley to be fired, when the music struck up and after that succeeded the drums. This they continued till near nine o'clock. Among their toasts was . . . Confusion to the American Army, — Lord North — with a number of such exasperating toasts, which the populace which were gathered upon the occasion took no notice of, save the last, when they gave a general hiss and exclaimed damn him, upon which the announcer of the toast cryed bless him, which was retorted upon him by frequent curses and execrations, [so] that the Grenadiers were ordered to clear the streets with their bayonets. . . ."
It was about a fortnight after this that there occurred the famous remonstrance of the schoolboys whose coasting privileges were being curtailed. Andrews tells the story thus: " Shall close this letter by giving you a small anecdote, relating to some of our school lads — who as formerly in this season improved the Coast from Sherburn's hill down to School street.
General Haldiman, improving the house that belongs to Old Cook, his servant took it upon him to cut up their coast and fling ashes upon it. The lads made a muster and chose a committee to wait upon the General, who admitted them and heard their complaint, which was couched in very genteel terms complaining that their fathers before 'em had improved it as a coast for time immemorial &c. He ordered his servant to repair the damage, and acquainted the Governor with the affair, who observed that it was impossible to beat the notion of Liberty out of the people as it was rooted in from their Childhood."
A sidelight upon the religious situation in Boston, just at this time, is afforded by Andrews in a letter dated March 18, 1775.
"An express came to the Governor with letters by the packet on Wednesday evening but nothing transpired but to a few of his refugee councellors, who have been observed ever since to be much crest-fallen. Old Bl—e (Parson Byle, the Tory wit?) was heard to exclaim yesterday — ' We shall lose the day. Good God!