Dear Sons

After my affecnate Love to your Mother Sisters &c: Inform you that on the 27th of april I Left the Ship took passage on Board a packet sloop on the 1st Instant in Health arrived here, Where I Expect to Stay till the Rebels are Subdued, which I Believe will not be long first as the Ships and troops are Dayly Expected, my Greatest feers are you will be Sedused or Compeld to Take arms with those Deluded people. Dear sons if those Wicked Siners the rebels Intice you believe them not, but Die by the Sword Rither than be hanged, as Rebels, which will certainly be your fate Sooner or Later if you Joyn them or be Kild in battel and will be no more than you Decarve; I wish you in Boston and all the frinds to Government. the Rebels have proclaimed that those frinds may have Liberty and Cum in, but as all there Declarations have hether too proved I fear false this may be so, Let Ruggles Know his father wants him here,² you may Cum by water from Newport; if here the King will Give you provisions & pay you Wages but by Expearance you Know your Persons nor Estates are not Safe in the Countrey for as Soon as you have Raised any thing theyl Rob you of it, as they are more Savage and cruel! then Heathens or any other Craturs & it is Generaly Thought then Devils, you will put yourselves out of ther power as soon as posable ー This is from your Effectionat Father

To Thomas, Peres, Bradford Gilbert

P.S.  Pagget, Green, and Jack are here, it will be well if these Lines Reach you as all my Letters are inter septed by those Rebels who want Every one to be kept in Dark like them selves  (Misery Loves Compy)

Directed to Major Thomas Gilbert, in Burkley ³