University of Virginia Library

Dear Father—I take my pen in hand to let you
know that I'm as hearty as a bear, and hope these
few lines will find you, and mother, and grandfather,
and cousin Debby, and all the children, enjoying
the same blessing. We stood our march remarkable
well, and are all alive, and safe, and

sound as a whistle. And Sargent Johnson makes
a most capital officer. He's jest sich a man as is
wanted down here—there's no skeering him, I can
tell you. He'd fight against bears, and wild-cats,
and the British, and thunder and lightnin', and
any thing else, that should set out to meddle with
our disputed territory. And he's taken a master-liking
to me, too, and says if he has any hard fighting
to do, although I'm the youngest in the company,
he shall always choose me first for his right-hand
man. He says I had more pluck at the
drafting than any one in the whole company, and
he should rather have me by his side in battle,
than any three of the rest of'em. But maybe you'd
like to hear something about our march down
here, and so on.

For the first four or five hours, we marched rather
too fast, and got pretty nigh tuckered out; for we
was all so arnest to get down there before the first
battle come on, that we almost run half the time.
At last, about one o'clock, Billy Wiggins—you
know what a short-legged little fat chunk of a
thing he is—he begun to lag behind a good deal,
and puffed and sweat as bad as our colt when we
plough alone with him. At last, as I said afore,

about one o'clock, Billy Wiggins, who had got
away a good many rods behind us, stopt short in
the middle of the road, and called out to Sargent
Johnson as loud as he could holler, and says he,

“It's no use; I can't run like a hoss all day,
and without a mouthful to eat, tu. I'm half starved
now, and as tired as a dog. I say, Sargent
Johnson, we must stop and rest a little while, and
have something to eat, or I can't keep up with you
no longer, and it's no use to try.”

At that Sargent Johnson ordered us to halt till
Billy come up. So the poor feller come puffing
along up to us, and rubbing his arm across his
forehead to wipe the sweat off; and the sargent
told him, bein' it was past one o'clock, we'd halt,
and have some refreshments. There was a house
a little ways ahead of us, and a plenty of wood
piled round the door-way, that would make good
seats for us to set down on; so we marched along
up to it, and halted, and sot down on the wood-pile,
and took off our knapsacks, and got out our
victuals, and begun to eat our dinner. Presently,
the old gentleman of the house looked out of the
window and see us, and he opened the door, and

come right out to us, without any hat on, and says
he,

“My boys, are you going down to fight for our
disputed territory?”

Sargent Johnson told him, that was jest exactly
what we was up to.

“That's right,” said the old gentleman, “and
you look like brave fellers, too. Our company
started off yesterday, and one of my boys has gone
with it. I hope you'll be able to get there about
as soon as they do, so that our side may be strong-handed
before the first fight comes on.”

Sargent Johnson told him he was determined to
be there before the first battle come on, if possible,
and meant to have a hand in't too.

“Ah, you're the boys for me,” said the old gentleman;
“if I was a few years younger, and wasn't
quite so lame, I believe I should go with you.
Did you ever hear any thing so impudent as 'twas
for them British to carry off our land agent as they
did? and then to be stealin' logs on our disputed
territory—why, it makes my blood bile, when I
think of it. But, come, don't set out here on the
wood-pile; come, go into the house and eat your

dinners, and you shall have as much of my cider as
you can drink.”

We thanked him, and told him we didn't keer if
we did. So we went in, and had a good drink of
cider with our victuals, and sot and rested ourselves
nearly an hour, and then marched along
again. We took it a little slower in the afternoon,
so that Billy Wiggins made out to keep up with
us pretty well.

We got to Augusta about sunset; and jest as
we was marching along by the State-house, which
is a very fine building, more than as big again as
our barn, and all made of hewed stone, and stands
up on a little hill, pretty near the road; so, jest as
we got along against the State-house, the Legislater
was adjourned, and the folks was all coming
out in a heap, right down towards the road.

“Halt,” cried Sargent Johnson, all at once.
“Left face; front, dress; rear rank close to the
front: heads up.”

Then he run along and whispered to us, and
says he, “Now boys, we'll give 'em a solute; and
I want you should do it man-fashion. Now you
mind and have your guns well shouldered, and be
very careful to mind the word of command, and

all shoot at once. You must mind and pint your guns
high, so as to go over every body's heads, for you
know there's balls in 'em—and these ain't the
British folks that we are going to fire at now, remember
that. I shall give the word of command,
make ready, take aim, fire—and when you hear the
word fire, you must pull trigger all at once, and
blaze away like thunder.”

We all told him we would, and he went along
and took his stand at the head of the company.
We'd all kept our guns well loaded during the
day, for fear what might happen, and we shouldered
'em as the sargent told us, and got all fixed,
and stood with stiff upper lips, and all ready to
fire. Jest as the main body of the legislater-folks
and the people got along down within about two
rods of the road where we stood, Sargent Johnson
hollered out, with a good loud military voice,

“Make ready—”

Crack! went Billy Wiggins' gun—smoke, powder,
wad, and every thing blazing into the air. I
never see any body so struck up as Sargent Johnson
was—he coloured as red as a blaze, and looked
as if he would a bit Billy Wiggins' head off. But
when he see the rest of us held on, and didn't pull,

he plucked up courage again, and give the rest of
the word of command. “Take aim—Fire—”

In a moment we all pulled, pretty near together,
tu, and if we didn't give 'em a real stunder, I
won't guess again. Some of the people jumped,
and some squat like geese going into a barn door.
But when they found nobody wasn't killed, they
come along down to the road, and inquired of Sargent
Johnson what town we come from, and shook
hands with us, and seemed to be very glad to see
us, and said they was glad we'd got along; for
things looked terrible squally down to our disputed
territory, and the sooner we could get there the
better.

Bime-by Governor Fairfield come out of the
State-house, and come along down to the road, and
says he,

“My brave fellow-soldiers, I'm glad to see you,
what town do you come from?”

Sargent Johnson told him we was the Smithville
detachment, and was on our way down to our
disputed territory, and if he had any commands to
send that way, we should be happy to carry 'em.
The governor's a little piece of a man to look at;
but they say he's got grit enough aboard for two

common sized men. He said he had no particular
commands to send by us, only he wanted us to get
down there as quick as we possibly could, and report
ourselves to Colonel Jarvis, and he would take
command of us, and tell us what to do. And, says
he, “I want you to tell Jarvis to hold on down
there like a dog to a root, and not give up an inch
to them British chaps; if he wants more men, only
send word to me, and he shall have 'em by regiments,
as many as he wants. But tell him never
to give up an inch; if Sir John Harvey frets—let
him fret. But above all, tell Jarvis to hold on to
the logs, live or die. And now my brave fellers,”
said the governor, “it's too late for you to go any
further to-night; you shall have a chance to sleep
in one of the lobbies of the State-house, and I'll
see that you have victuals and drink provided for
you; and I want you to be under way again by
sunrise in the morning, whether I am up or not.”

So we bid the governor good night, and he sent a
man to show us the way into the State-house, and
to bring us what we wanted to eat and drink. And
we fared well, too, I can tell you—a plenty of
bread and meat, and hot coffee, and a basket of
apples. We helped ourselves you may depend, as

though we hadn't had any thing to eat for a month.
The legislater-folks come back in crowds and flocked
round the door, and a great many of 'em come
in and talked with us about the war down in our
disputed territory. They all said the land was
ourn, every inch of it, and we must stick to it, and
not give up a single tree; for the legislater was
determined to stand by us, and would vote to pay
all the expenses. After they'd all cleared out, we
laid down and took a nap. And about an hour
before sunrise I got up and looked out, and see
'twas all broad daylight; so I went and touched
Sargent Johnson, and told him 'twas time to be
stirring. He sprung on his feet quicker than if
he'd been shot, and says he, “Where? where?
where be they? I'm ready for 'em. Give me my
gun! give me my sword! Stand by, boys, I'll go
ahead! Where be they?”

And then he begun to rub his eyes, and looked
round and see me, and says he,

“Oh, John, is it you? I believe I was dreaming.
I thought the enemy was jest a breaking into our
camp, and I was going to send daylight through
'em about the quickest.” And then he looked out
of the window, and says he, “By zounds! it's

morning; come, John, call'em up, and let us have
a bite of something to eat and be a going.”

So I roused them all out, and we got some
breakfast, and got all ready to start a little before
sunrise. We found out where the governor
boarded, and Sargent Johnson said he meant to
give him a salute as we went by, if he wasn't up.
So when we got along against the house, he give
the word to fire, and we blazed away like a clap
of thunder. In a minute the governor come running
to the window in his shirt sleeves, and he
opened the window and looked out, and says
he—

“That's you my brave fellers, you are the sort
for me. I never shall be afraid of the British
while I have sich fellow-soldiers as you are. Tell
Jarvis to stick to the old line; we'll have the line
of '83, come what will. And don't forget to tell
Jarvis to mind and hold on to the logs.”

He wished us a speedy march, and shot down
the window, and we jogged along.

It's no use for me to try to tell you all about
the everlasting great long road we had to
go over to get down here; for there's more
mountains, and hills, and woods, and rivers,

and ponds, and brooks, and snow-banks, and
swamps, than you could shake a stick at for a
month. Our disputed territory is a terribly long
ways off, and there's no end to it when you get
there. We didn't stop to Houlton, for our orders
was to go right down into the midst of it, and report
ourselves to Colonel Jarvis. So we inquired
the way along and found Colonel Jarvis and his
men was gone on to Fitzherbert's farm, down
close to the line, and was building up a fortification. We marched along till we come clear
in sight of the farm, and could see the men to
work.

“Now,” says Sargent Johnson, “now, my boys,
is the time to show your best. See that your guns
are well loaded, and march up to the camp like
heroes.”

We stopped and examined our guns to see if
they was well loaded, and as Billy Wiggins was
fumbling over his lock to see if the priming was
good, some how or other he let her go; and he
had a monstrous heavy charge in, and she roared
away through the woods like a harrycane. At
that, Sargent Johnson almost swore, and said he
wished Billy Wiggins had staid at home. But he

told us to shoulder our guns and march up quick-step
towards the camp. So we marched along,
and in a minute or two we see a terrible mustering
round the camp. They come out as thick as
bees and begun to form into a line, and went to
loading their guns as fast as they could make their
hands fly. And a little, small, brisk man seemed
to be taking the command, and placing the men
this way and that, and making his bright sword
fly about like a streak of lightning. Sargent
Johnson told us to halt; for we begun to feel a
little blue all to once. We didn't know but we
had missed our road and got over the line, and
that night be a camp of the British. So Sargent
Johnson thought it was best to stop and reconnoitre
a little.

Bime-by we see one chap from the camp
running towards the woods as hard as he could
spring.

“'Tis the British,” said Sargent Johnson,
“'tis the British; and they are afraid of us; see
how that feller runs!”

But in a minute we heard the brisk little man,
that had the command, bawl out after him to stop,
and he swung his sword round as if he'd take his

head off. The feller looked over his shoulder, but
kept along. At that the commander ketcht up a
gun and called again, and says he, “If you don't
come right back, I'll put a ball through your heart
in a minute.” That stopt the feller, and he come
back again and took his place in the ranks.

“There's spunk there,” said Sargent Johnson,
“let 'em belong to which side of the line they will.
If I knew they was British, we'd face 'em and give
'em battle at once. But I should hate to fire at
'em till we know, for fear they might belong to our
side.”

We was a little staggered for a while to know
what was best to do. As near as we could see
what they was about at the camp, they was busy
to work getting ready to fight us. And as there
was only eleven of us, and there seemed to be
some hundreds of them, we thought it was best for
us to be on the look out, and see that they didn't
get the advantage of us. Sargent Johnson said
he didn't see how he could have missed the road,
and he couldn't hardly believe yet, but what they
belonged to our side. So says he—

“If there's any one of you that dares to go up
with a flag of truce, I think we better send up and

have a fair understanding with 'em before we begin
to fight.”

None of the rest of 'em started, so I told the
sargent I was the boy for him to send on that are
arrant. And says he—

“That's you, John, I knew before I spoke, you
was the man for it. So get ready.”

But come to look round we couldn't find any
thing to make a flag of truce of; for Sargent
Johnson said it must be white, and we hadn't one
of us got a white handkerchief or any sich thing;
so we seemed to be kind of stuck. At last, says I,
“You needn't bother about that. There's more
ways to kill a cat than one.” So I tore off a
good large square piece of my shirt and tied it on
to the end of my gun, and says I—

“Sargent, I'm ready.'

After he told me what to say, I shouldered my
gun and marched up towards the camp with my
flag of truce flying. The camp stood up on a
rising ground about a quarter of a mile from our
company, and their soldiers was all out and formed
in a line three or four deep. But I marched
right straight up to 'em; and when I got up within
a few rods, the commanding officer come along

out with his sword in his hand and met me.
Says I—

“Who commands these troops?”

“Colonel Jarvis,” says he.

“I want to see him,” says I.

“I'm the man,” says he.

“Well, sir,” says I, “you are the very man
we've been looking for all day.”

“Well, sir,” says he, “I'm ready for you, let
you want what you will. But is Sir John Harvey
any where about here? If he is, you may go back
and tell him we don't want any of his flags of
truce, and no parleying about it; for we are determined
to hold on to the land, every inch of it,
and the logs too, if we have to die in the last ditch,
and he may help himself if he can.”

“But,” says I, “my dear sir, you are mistaken;
we ain't Sir John Harvey's folks by a jug full. We
are the Smithville detatchment, under command
of Sargent Johnson, and have come down to jine
your forces.”

“Ah, ha!” says the colonel, “that alters the
case.” So he run back and told his men how
'twas, and they set up three tremendous cheers
that made the woods ring again.

As soon as our company heard that, they come
running up the hill like a flock of sheep, and Sargent
Johnson and the colonel was so glad to see
each other, that they shook hands so hard, I didn't
know but they would have pulled one another's
hands off. The colonel took us right into the
camp and give us some dinner, and said “he was
most confounded glad we'd got along, for he'd
been expecting a brush with the British a number
of days.”

We hain't had much chance to look about here
yet, but when we do, I'll write again. You
needn't be consarned about our giving up any of
our disputed territory, for our troops is all as fierce
as tigers about it, and Colonel Jarvis, though he's
a little, small, thin man, he's jest as smart as a
steel-trap.

Give my love to all the folks, and I remain your
loving son,