The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 Part 5

Monday ye 23rd. I come of guard--Clerk Burrows began his Month with bess--at night 3 rigiments of Province men came down from ye Lake & Lodged in the wood near the uper Block House--a number of teames down from ye Lake Loaded with Artilliry stores.

Tuesday 24th. A number of teames started for ye Lake again--I received 2 Letters from Capt. Benjamin Lyon & 1 from Joshua--the Post came up yesterday to Fort Edward--This day our drawing & we had good pork--3 rigiments of Bay men moved down along which was Colonel Pribbels[89]

Colonel Williams & Colonel Nichols.

[Footnote 89: Prebles.]

Wednesday 25th. Jineral Abbacromba arived at Fort Edward near night and all our rigiment there were of duty were ordered to be out upon the perrade with their side arms on but the jineral for Bid it--Col.l Partrages rigiment came down & some of the Lather caps & stayed Here.

Thursday ye 26th. Stormy morning--snow pretty wet & raw cold--I went upon the pickit last night and had one Quort of rum for keeping sheep.

Friday 27th. Being lowry & wet one of our men Discharged home & sot of--Nathaniel Barnes a number of teams sot out for the Brook & returned again before son down.

Saterday 28th. Being stil cold all our men turned out to work son rise & that want a Nuf & they sent for every weighter[90] & every one that belongs to the rigiment--a number of teams sot out down Home ward & 3 of our company went with them viz. Sergt. Armsba Jonathan Child and Pain Convis--this after noon the orders came out that every setler[91] that Belongs to the Provinshols should Quit this place by the first of November.

[Footnote 90: Waiter.]

[Footnote 91: Sutler.]

Sonday ye 29th. Rany & wet--about 9 o clock in the morning Every man in the Rigiment that could go went to the falls[92] to help Draw down the battoes and very muddy it was.

[Footnote 92: The "third fall," as it was called, in the Hudson, at Sandy Hill.]

Monday ye 30th. Being very pleasant in the morning we were all turned out after Battoes up to the falls & we went twice apeace.

Tuesday ye 31st. All our men turned out by the Revallies[93] Beating to go after Battoes & jineral Provorce[94] was out amongst our tents to help turn us out & he said it was the last work we should do that was flung up to day--I went upon the Quarter guard at noon and they got down all the Battoes.

[Footnote 93: Reveille.]

[Footnote 94: Provost.]

Wednesday November ye 1st. Lowry & wet I come of guard our men all upon works & 3 rigiments of our Conneticuts came down about noon & Colonel Whitings had orders to go over to the Royal Block House and their to remain til further orders and tother 2 rigiments Sot of Home in Battoes & 2 or 3 rigiments of lobsters--we had orders com out that we should have 2 days to clean up in & to set for Home on Sonday--this day I wrote a Letter & sent to John.

Thursday ye 2nd. Very cold--our men turned out to cutting fashheens & the orders were that it was the last days work that we should do.

Friday ye 3d. Very cold--our men all turned out upon works notwith Standing yesterdays promise--our men had but poor incouragements to work & laid but Little weight to what the jineral promised them for he said the first man that disobeyed his orders again should be shot to death whatsoever soldier or officer.

Sat.u.r.day 4th. I was orderly after the jineral & our men all to work a drawing in Canon into the fort & our quorter guard was not releaved til after noon & after that orders com out that we should strike our tents by 8 oclock and be ready to march by 9--one Cimbals got his discharge from the regular service to day.

Sonday ye 5th. Being very cold it began to rain so that we were detained but Colonel Whiting Marched of--rainy all day Long--we had orders to be ready to march at 7 Oclock in the morning.

Monday ye 6th. Cloudy stil--at 8 Oclock we struck our tents & at 9 aclock we marched of & about half after 12 we arrivd at Fort Miller and made a little stop then marched again and arived at Saratoga Son about one hour high & made no stop their but marched on about 3 mile & Encampt in the woods.

Friday ye 10th. Very stormy & snow in the Morning--we drawd 2 days alowance of provissions but no money and about 2 o clock we sot out from Green Bush & arivd at Cantihook Town about ten a clock at knight--13 of us & Lieutenant Larnard.

Sat.u.r.day 11th. From thence we marched son two Hours high & arivd at John Hug gar Booms[95] & revived our selves a little & bought som rum that belonged to Colonel Whitens Rigiment & from thence to Love Joys & went to supper & from thence to Robberses & lodged their in the Patterroon lands.[96]

[Footnote 95: Hogeboom's.]

[Footnote 96: See note 8.]

Sonday 12th. Being stil cold we sot out at Son rise & arived at Bushes in Sheffield and had a good brecfirst & their was moore with Horses & from thence to Larrances & revivd our selves their--to Coles & thence to Seggick in Cornwel & then to Wilc.o.c.ks in Goshen & Lodged their.

Monday 13th. Cold--I com up to Holleboate & sent my Pack a long from goshen & then we marched and arived at Litchfield & then to Herrintown to Wiers & from their to Strongs in Farmingtown & Lodged their.

Tuesday 14th. Very cold & frosty--marched 5 mile through the Meadows & went to Brecfast and com to Mercies and stayed their & capt.n Holmes came up.

Wednesday 15th. We marched & arived at Chenys in Bolton and from thence we marched and Arived at Lees in covantry[97] & Lodged their--very rainy Stephen Lyon met us with the Horses.

[Footnote 97: Coventry.]

Thursday 16th. Being warm & pleasant we arived at Woodstock.

NOTE.--The soldiers had, necessarily, a great deal of leisure during permanent camp-duties, and contrived various ways to amuse themselves, and "kill time." In those days the common soldiers carried their powder in the horns of cows or oxen, and many amused themselves by ornamenting them by a skilful use of their knives. Below is a specimen of one of these ornamented horns, prepared during the campaign of 1758. Upon it is neatly cut the figure of a fortified building (a part of which is seen in the engraving), the owner's name, and a verse, as follows:--

"Eluathan Ives His Horn, Made at Lake George, September ye 22d, Ad. 1758.

"I, powder, With My Brother Baul A Hero like do Conquer All.

Steel not this Horn For Fear of Shame For on it is the Oners name.

The Roos is Red, the Gra.s.s is Green-- The Days Are past Which I Have Seen"

[Ill.u.s.tration: Horn]

A JOURNAL FOR 1775, A. D.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

The following is a literal transcript of a Journal kept by a common soldier named SAMUEL HAWS, of Wrentham, Ma.s.sachusetts, who appears to have been one of the _minute-men_, organized toward the close of 1774 and early in 1775. At that time there were about three thousand British troops in Boston, under General Thomas Gage, who was also governor of the colony of Ma.s.sachusetts. He was popularly regarded as an oppressor; and act after act of the British government, during a year preceding, had convinced the American people that they must choose the alternative to submit or fight. They resolved to fight, if necessary. During the summer of 1774, the people commenced arming, and training themselves in military exercises; the manufacture of arms and gunpowder was encouraged; and throughout Ma.s.sachusetts, in particular, the people were enrolled in companies, and prepared to take up arms at a moment's warning. From this circ.u.mstance they were called "MINUTE-MEN."

With his strong force, Gage felt quite certain that he could suppress the threatened insurrection, and keep the people quiet. Yet he felt uneasy concerning the gathering of ammunition and stores by the patriots at Concord, sixteen miles from Boston; and on the night of the 18th of April, 1775, he sent a detachment of soldiers to seize them. They proceeded by the way of Lexington, where they arrived at dawn of the 19th. The expedition became known, and the country was aroused. When the British approached Lexington, they were confronted by about seventy minute-men. A skirmish ensued: eight patriots were killed, and several were wounded. _That was the first bloodshed of the Revolution._ The British then went on to Concord, to seize the stores, where they were again confronted by minute-men. Indeed, they had been annoyed all the way by them, as they fired from behind buildings, stone-walls, and trees. They destroyed the stores, and in a skirmish killed several more American citizens. The country was now thoroughly aroused, and the minute-men hastened toward Lexington and Concord from all directions. The British found it necessary to retreat, and nothing saved the whole troop sent out the night before from utter destruction, but a strong reinforcement under Lord Percy. The whole body retreated hastily to Charlestown, and across to Boston, with a loss, in killed and wounded, of two hundred and seventy-three men.

Intelligence of the tragedy soon spread over the country, and from the hills and valleys of New England thousands of men, armed and unarmed, hastened toward Boston, and formed that force (of which our Journalist was one) that, for nine months, kept the British army prisoners upon the peninsulas of Boston and Charlestown. By common consent, Artemas Ward, a soldier of the French and Indian war, was made commander-in-chief, and he performed the duties of that office with zeal until he was superseded by Washington, early in July, 1775.

A JOURNAL FOR 1775.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Journal for 1775 in Wrentham April the 19 Samuel Haws FAC-SIMILE OF A PORTION OF THE Ma.n.u.sCRIPT JOURNAL.]

WRENTHAM,[98] April the 19.