[Extract]

Lexington
Decr 10th 1775 } Being interrupted by Company, on the Evengs I had devoted to this Letter, I rose early the next morning intending to fill this sheet, at least, & send it by Mr [Paul] Revere ー I had wrote to the bottom of the preceding page, when a Gentleman called me aside & whispered ー that he had the day before been in a large Company, among whom were Collo [James] Otis, Doct: [James] Winthrop & his Lady, that Mrs Winthrop censured my Conduct respecting the letters very highly; in which she was joined by her Husband and Colo Otis. one of the Company suggested that I had satisfied General Washington, but was answered by Colo Otis, with a good deal of warmth, that he knew neither the Genl nor any of the Officers about him, were in any degree satisfied with my Conduct. ー this Story induced me to postpone writing till I shoud hear from you ー Your most welcome Letter of the 6th ulto did not reach me till yesterday. this delay happen'd by my taking a different House in the Country, to what my Friend (who took it out of the Post office) expected ー I assure you Sir, nothing cou'd have come mo[re] opportunely, no event cou'd have given me equal Satisfaction; it contained every thing I coud wish for, so far as respected myself & is full of Sentiments, that are certainly just, independent & liberal

one thing only I must dissent from you in, because I know you are mistaken. you suppose the accident that threw your Letters into their possession, has exposed you to the ridicul[e] of our common Enemies. ー believe me Sir, it is directly the reverse ー they all dread (& many of them were ingenuous enough to aknowledge that they respected) your firmness in a system of Politics that must prove fatal to their Schemes. the incidental Remarks upon private Characters & occurrences they found themselves so little interested in, & so much qualif[d] by other observations, that I scarcly heard them mentioned. even the humorous anec[dotes] of [H ー ] ² (at which I believe the [G-E is so much] disgusted) they called a Boyish performance [& it hardly produced a smile. ー ]

[you] are a better judge [of the] Effect it may have upon private Friends, than I can pretend to be; but I am certain it will have but one bad tendency, among many good ones, with your adversaries ー Till this Event, your political Character has been so blended with your Name-Sake's, in the Minds of those who had not a personal Acquaintance with you, that he has been saddled with a greatshare of your political Crimes; but since your treasonable designs have been convey'd to his Majesty under your own Hand, you may possibly, have the Honor of an Exception, in the next tender of a general Pardon. ー you are pleased to say you shoud be glad to have my whole Story. ー I woud with pleasure give it to you, but as it is very long, & I am yet weak & but poorly provided with every material for writing, I must beg leave for the present to omit it

from an expression in your Letter I imagine you presume I was dischargedby Graves & Gage ー the fact is this ー my very ill State of Health preventing my Swiming away while the water was mild enough for such an enterprise, I had constructed a vehicle of two kegs & a strip of pine board, which I coud put together in two minutes, & was determind to set off on it the first favourable opportunity: but fortune made better provision for me than I was able to make for myself. ー on a very stormy day a small Canoe belonging to the Capt: was fastened to the Stern of the Ship, an exceeding dark night Succeeding & the Storm continuing, afforded a Season exactly Suited to my purpose. from long confinement, miserable diet & a disorder which had not then entirely left me, I was quite feble: but anticipating the pleasures I have since realied with my Friends, [I felt superior to] every difficulty & hazzard. about Ten o'clock that evenng I stole out of the Gun-room-port [&] by the rudder & let myself down (not without some danger as the Sea was running high) into the Can[oe] after being upon the water [about two hours] & a half [I reac]h'd Dorchester Neck, half drownd [but] completely happy. ー as I find you are upon a Committee for collecting Evidence of the Hostilities committed by the British troops & Navy, I cannot omit the following anecdote as a remarkable Instance of their Savage barbarity ー One Drew now a Lieutenant of the Scorpion or Viper, ³ I am uncertain which, & Bruce a private belonging to the Preston, landed on Bunkers Hill, soon after the battle of the 17th of June. Drew, after walking for some time over the bodies of the dead, with great fortitude, went up to one of our wounded Men, & very Deliberately Shot him through the Head. Bruce advanced further over the Hill, & meeting with a forlorn wretch, begging Mercy for Gods Sake! he advanced & with a "damn you, you Bugger you! are you not dead yet?" instantly demolished him ー in a day or two after, Drew went upon the Hill again opened the dirt that was thrown over Doctr [Joseph] Warren, spit in his face, jumped on his Stomach & at last cut off his Head & committed every act of violence upon his Body. I had this story from two Gentlemen belonging to the Preston who were eye Witnesses of the facts. in justice to the Officers in general I must add that they despise Drew for his Conduct, the other was below their notice. ー I am very happy to find that your Zealous Efforts in promoting so important a Matter as the better regulation of the Army have not been altogether without effect. Knox is in a station that I think he is fit for, & dare say, he will make a figure in ー I am pleased to find Two or so agreeably circumstanced, but must own I shoud be much more happy to see him in a station that woud give him greater military Consequence, & more extensive advantages for improvement in the Art of War. for my own part, I can truly say, as I never had a view seperate from the interest of my Country, in wishing to be concerned in public affairs, I can be not overlly contented, but happy in a path of private life, among a few Friends, whose Confidence I am sure to possess without bounds & whose esteem it is my greatest ambition to merit. ー however I have done, & ever shall do everything in power, consistent with the Character of a Man of honor, to alleviate the distresses & promote the happiness of my Country. ー The Speculation you were so partial as to call ingenious, I must confess I was so much engaged in, that I felt no small disappointment in not finding it encouraged. wou'd not propose a Plan, which I was afraid to execute, & there fore offered to rest my life upon it's success. it wou'd be illiberal in me, to suppose it was rejected mainly because it was a proposal of mine; I must, therefore presume there were some good reasons against it, tho I am not able to fathom them. ー Many People have been much alarmed at the backwardness of the Soldiers to inlist for an other year, but this disposition I think, may be accounted for very easily, without attributing to them an indifference to the Cause; indeed I can say from my own knowledge, that the People are as warm & annimated to support the contest as ever they were; & the ready supply of 7,000 minute Men upon a late Demand of the General, appears to me full evidence of it. ー

Our privateers have made so many Captures that, it is,impossible for me to be particular, most of those from Europe I am informed have considerable quantities of Coal in them ー Capt: Broaton [Nicholson Broughton] who in Company with another, (I think Capt Selman) were ordered to cruise in the Mouth of the River St Lawrence have [done] a feat which seems to meet with general disapprobation. [in their] way home, they called in at the Island of St Johns & by force brought off [Mr. Callbeck who married N. [Cof]fins Daughter & Capt. Higgins [who married a Daughter of Job Princes.] Higgins had just arrived from [Europe & I believe had not been on shore ー] Higgens told me [he expected to be released, with his Vessel & Cargo] immediately ー Capt: Broaton may perhaps deserve censure for going counter to his orders, but I think in justice to ourselves we ought to seize every officer in the Service of Government wherever they may be found. for the propriety of this observation, we need only observe the Effects of our politeness to Lord Dunmore, & I am much mistaken if we don't soon see a Tryon i[m]mitating that malevolent genius...

It is [not] easy to conceive the advantag that wou'd instantly arise, upon a Continental Declaration of Independence. Many thousands of our Merchants & Mechanics who are now idle in the Country woud repair to the Sea Coast and begain a Commerce that must be constantly encreasing, a very numerous Body who are now a burthen upon the Community, woud be thrown into employment, the laws woud be rendered respectable & every one woud wear a cheerful Countenance. ー As we may expect our Coast to swarm with Transports & Men of War next spring, I hope the Congress will take the precaution of having some ships of considerable force prepared to receive them. ー

two or three Frigates of two & thirty Guns, woud be of incredible Service with such a naval force, we might venture among a fleet of Transports & perhapscaptivate the greatest part of their mighty armament ー shoud any thing of this kind be in agitation, I woud beg leave to mention Mr Natl Tracy is a Person every way qualified to undertake the building & fitting such vessels for the Sea. and I think his Zeal of Service to the Publick in providing transports for Cello Arnold's Expedition, without the least Consideration (tho' he advanced large sums of Money, which he has not yet received) may entitle him to some notice. but I presume you are too well acquainted with his Character & disposition, to need any thing I can say by way of Recommendation. ー

I am under a necessity of omitting [man]y Matters which I wish to mention, but you may expect to be trouble[d] with a series of Letters, unless you forbid it in Season ー please to accept in Return for your kind [endeavours] to promote my happiness & success in every [laudable pursui]t, the warmest wishes of my heart for yours I am Sir [&c.]