 | Letters of Mrs. Adams, |  |
TO JOHN ADAMS.
I am very impatient to receive a letter from you.
You indulged me so much in that way in your last
absence, that I now think I have a right to hear as
often from you, as you have leisure and opportunity
to write. I hear that Mr. Adams[1]
wrote to his son,
and the Speaker[1] to his lady; but perhaps you did
not know of the opportunity. I suppose you have
before this time received two letters from me, and
will write me by the same conveyance. I judge you
reached Philadelphia last Saturday night. I cannot
but felicitate you upon your absence a little while
from this scene of perturbation, anxiety, and distress.
I own I feel not a little agaitated with the accounts
I have mis day received from town; great commotions
have arisen in consequence of a discovery of a
traitorous plot of Colonel Brattle's,—his advice to
Gage, to break every commissioned officer, and to
seize the province's and town's stock of gunpowder.
This has so enraged and exasperated the people,
that there is great apprehension of an immediate
rupture. They have been all in flames ever since
the new-fangled counsellors have taken their oaths.
The importance, of which they consider the meeting
community, withholds the arm of vengeance already
lifted, which would most certainly fall with accumulated
wrath upon Brattle, were it possible to come
at him;—but no sooner did he discover that his
treachery had taken air, than he fled, not only to
Boston, but into the camp, for safety. You will, by
Mr. Tudor, no doubt have a much more accurate
account than I am able to give you; but one thing I
can inform you of, which perhaps you may not have
heard, namely, Mr. Vinton, our Sheriff, it seems, received
one of those twenty warrants,[2] which were issued
by Messrs. Goldthwait and Price, which has cost
them such bitter repentance and humble acknowledgments,
and which has revealed the great secret
of their attachment to the liberties of their country,
and their veneration and regard for the good will of
their countrymen. See their address to Hutchinson
and Gage. This warrant, which was for Stoughtonham,[3]
Vinton carried and delivered to a constable
there; but, before he had got six miles, he was overtaken
by sixty men on horseback, who surrounded
him, and told him, unless he returned with them and
demanded back that warrant and committed it to the
flames before their faces, he must take the consequences
endure their vengeance, returned with them, made
his demand of the warrant, and consumed it, upon
which they dispersed and left him to his own reflections.
Since the news of the Quebec bill arrived,
all the Church people here have hung their heads,
and will not converse upon politics, though ever so
much provoked by the opposite party. Before that,
parties ran very high, and very hard words and
threats of blows upon both sides were given out.
They have had their town meeting here, which was
full as usual, chose their committee for the county
meeting, and did business without once regarding or
fearing for the consequences.
I should be glad to know how you found the people
as you travelled from town to town. I hear you
met with great hospitality and kindness in Connecticut.
Pray let me know how your health is, and
whether you have not had exceeding hot weather.
The drought has been very severe. My poor cows
will certainly prefer a petition to you, setting forth
their grievances, and informing you that they have
been deprived of their ancient privileges, whereby
they are become great sufferers, and desiring that
they may be restored to them. More especially, as
their living, by reason of the drought, is all taken
from them, and their property which they hold
elsewhere is decaying, they humbly pray that you
would consider them, lest hunger should break
through stone walls.
The tenderest regard evermore awaits you from
your most affectionate
| Letters of Mrs. Adams, | |