The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 Part 11

the 23. Nothing remarkable hapned at night I went upon the piquet and nothing hapned worth a mentioning.

the 24. Nothing remarkable hapned this day onely we heard that the french were a going to join us upon conditions that we would trade with them.[174]

[Footnote 174: As early as July, 1775, Dr. Franklin had suggested the propriety of a political confederation of all the colonies, and the establishment of governmental relations with foreign powers, especially with France, which, it was well known, hated England. In November of that year, Benjamin Harrison, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Johnson, John d.i.c.kenson, and John Jay, were appointed a committee to open and carry on correspondence with foreign governments; and in March following, Silas Deane was appointed a special agent of Congress to the court of France.

Rumors of such intentions appear to have reached the army, according to our Journalist, as early as the 24th of October, 1775.]

the 25. We turned out and went to the Larm post and it was very cold and we came home and there was a high go of Drinking Brandy and several of the company were taken not well prety soon after[175]

nothing more this day.

[Footnote 175: A very natural consequence.]

the 26. This morning early their was several Laidies came down from wrentham and they went to cambridg and the rest of their acts are they not writen in the Lamentations of Samuel Haws, finis.

the 27. This day I went upon fatigue and we got our Stents done about noon.

the 28. Nothing remarkable this day onely I was chose cook for our room consisting of 12 men and a hard game too.

the 29. Being Sunday the officers had hard work to get hands for meting it was so cold nothing more this day.

the 30. This day nothing remarkable hapned.

the 31. Nothing remarkable.[176]

[Footnote 176: During the whole of October, affairs were very quiet, and no skirmish of importance occurred. The "Ess.e.x Gazette" of the 19th said, "Scarcely a gun has been fired for a fortnight." On the 4th, a small fleet, under Captain Mowatt, sailed from Boston harbor, and destroyed Falmouth (now Portland), Maine. On the 15th, a committee from Congress arrived, to consult with Was.h.i.+ngton concerning the future, and a reorganization of the army.]

NOVEMBER 1775.

the 1. Las night the fire ran over Samuel Hawes's hair and that provoket him to wrath Nothing very remarkable hapned this day that I know of.

the 2. their was Some gentlemen and Laidies came down from Wrentham and they went to cambridg.

the 3. It was a very rainy day and we went to childses and had an old fudg fairyouwell my friends.

the 4. Nothing remarkable hapned this day onely the gentry went home to Wrentham.

the 5. Being the memorial 5th of novem. the enemy fired from every s.h.i.+p in the harbour nothing more remarkable this day.

the 6. Nothing remarkable hapned this day.

the 7. Their was a vendue opened att this house and their was not Less than a hundred and twenty Dollars worth of things vendued and sold at private sale and Swapt.

the 8. Nothing remarkable hapned this day that I know of.

the 9. Nothing remarkable hapned this day that is worth amentioning.[177]

[Footnote 177: On this day there was quite a severe skirmish occurred at Lechmere's point, now Cambridgeport.]

the 10. This day I went home upon furlow,[178] yesterday Sergent Yett went home.

[Footnote 178: That is, a written permission from his commanding officer, to leave for a specified time.]

the 11. I went to captain whitings and nothing remarkable hapned.

the 12. Being Sunday I went to meting Nothing more this day.

the 13. This day the Long faced People trained at Wrentham and Serg Felt went upon the piquet and fired several times upon the centrys.

the 14. This day I came down from Wrentham with Serg Felt and at night their was three men deserted from the floating Battery this day we had a Lottery and Serg Foster drawd a pair of Breeches[179] worth 5 Dollars and their was considerable other tradeing caried on at night their was 8 men more deserted.

[Footnote 179: At that time leather breeches were much in vogue, because they were durable. The more costly ones of buckskin were worn only by officers.]

the 16. Nothing remarkable hapned captain Pond Listed three or four men for the next campaign[180] att night it was very cold.

[Footnote 180: Late in October a new organization of the army took place, and enlistments for a certain term were commenced. Hitherto there had been great confusion in the matter. The army had gathered around Boston from sudden impulse, and it was continually changing. The excitement which had brought them together had in a measure subsided, and enlistments went on slowly. After a month's exertions, only five thousand names were enrolled; and Was.h.i.+ngton, lamenting the dearth of public spirit, almost despaired. Alluding to the selfishness exhibited in camp, he says: "Such stock-jobbing and fertility in all low arts, to obtain advantages of one kind and another, I never saw before, and pray G.o.d I may never witness again."]

the 17. Very bl.u.s.tering and their was a man Whipt thirty and nine Lashes for Stealing and getting Drunk and running away and afterwards he was drummed out of the camps thus he &c.

the 18. Nothing remarkable hapned this day that I know of.

the 19. This day being Sunday it was very pleasant and we had Preaching Nothing more this day.

the 20. This day nothing very remarkable at night their was a regular deserted and Swam over to Dorchester and escaped.

the 21. This day Nothing very remarkable this day the piquet was made easier by half &c. &c.

the 22. To morrow is thanksgiveing this day ended without any thing remarkable.

the 23. Being thanksgiveing I went with Serg Felt up to newtown and kept thanksgiveing their and returnd to our Barricks at night and we had not ben a bed long when our captain came to us and ordered us all to Lye upon our arms by order of General Was.h.i.+ngton Lesemo[181] of the American Army incampt at cambridg and roxbury and other places[182]

nothing more this day that I know of onely 2 regulars deserted at night on cambridg side.[183]

[Footnote 181: Generalissimo.]

[Footnote 182: On the previous day, General Putnam, with a strong detachment, broke ground at Cobble hill, where the M'Lean Asylum now stands. The object was to erect batteries for the purpose of cannonading Boston. It was expected the British troops would sally out of the city and attack them, and that expectation caused Was.h.i.+ngton to issue the order for _all_ the troops to be ready for action at a moment's warning.]

[Footnote 183: Frothingham says, "Two British sentinels came off in the night to the detachment"

of General Putnam.]

the 24. Nothing hapned very remarkable this day that I know of.

the 25. This morning Captain Pond inlisted several men for the next campaign; o you nasty Sloven how your Book Looks.[184]

[Footnote 184: This remark refers to several blots of ink which disfigure the page of his Journal on which he was writing.]

the 26. Being Sunday it was Stormy Nothing remarkable this day.

the 27. Nothing very remarkable hapned this day.

the 28. Nothing very Strange onely Peperiss curacle came out of Boston that old tory Dog.