University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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John Adams had been sent to Phila- delphia to attend the second continental congress. He was lonely and in a lot of ways out of touch with his native land. Letters were the only means of staying in touch not only with peoplebut also with events. In the privacy of his letters to his wife, he gives us a look at what our founding fathers were really concerned with much of the time. No one had all the answers and much was in doubt. John knew better than most the great- ness of his task. John Adamsg June 10, 1775 Another story, concerning Parson Ashley in Deerfield, is that in a sermon soon after the battle of Bunker Hill, he declared that the souls of the rebels who fell there went straight to Hell. When he went back for the afternoon service, he found the pulpit door nailed up. He called upon his Deacon, Jonathan Arms, the blacksmith, to get some in- strument and open the door. The dea- con replied that he did not use his tools on the Sabbath. THIS BELFRY WAS ERECTED ON THIS HILL IN l7E AND REMOVED TO THE COMMON IN l768. IN l' WAS HUNG THE BELL WHICH RUNG OUT TH ALARM ON THE I IN THE SOUTH PART OF THE TOWN IN ISSI IT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THISHILLBY LEXINGTON HISTORICALSOCIET I 9' OF APRIL l775. IN I797ITWAS REMOVED TO THE PARKER HOMESTE T DESTROYEDBYA GALEIBO9. REBUILT I9 Captain Dickinson gathered some men to form a company of Minutemen after the battle of Concord had been fought and trained them till they were ready to see battle. The Amherst Min- utemen first fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Charlemont town trail was used as a highway for soldiers and supplies from Boston to the Hudson Valley. Charlemont also saw the troops march- ing back to Boston with the wounded and the prisoners from the Battle of Saratoga. ln I777 in Conway, every ablebodied man is said to have marched out ofthe town to meet and fight General Bur- goyne. ig f t fl!!! F-I . v .I . It ii f I I s l I My dear, with smarting eyes, I must write a few lines to ' you. I never had in my life such severe duty to do, andl was never worse qualified to do it. My eyes depress my spirits, and my health is quite infirm. Yeti keep about, and attend congress constantly. I wish I could write freely to you, my dear, but I The scene before me is complicated enough. It requires better eyes and better nerves than mineg yet I will not despond. I will lay all difficulties prostrate at my feet. My health and life ought to be risked in the cause of my country, as well as yours, and all my friends. l It is impossible to convey to you any adequate idea of the discomforts I am under. I wish that you and our friends may not be in greater distress than I am. Yet I fear you are. Pray let me know as often as possible. I don't know the state of Boston people as exactly as I could wish. t U Two days ago we saw a very wonderful phenomenon .in this city: A field day. Three battalions of soldiers were reviewed, all in uniforms, going through the manual exercise, and the maneuvers, with remarkable deitter- ity. All this has been accomplished in this city since the 19th of April: so formation of an army never took place anywhere. In congress we are bound to secrecy. But, my dear, I believe that ten thousand men will be maintained in Massachusetts and five thousand in New York I must close now. My love and duty where due -n1f'.l?w9' 26 v. I

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By the middle of June, the Mass. committee of safety had learned that the British were about to fortify Dor- chester Heights, which overlook Bos- ton. The rebels sought to counteract this by beating the British to it, and fortifying Breed's Hill on the Charles- town Peninsula. Henry Hulton is the Commissioner of Customs in Boston. His loyalities and his superiors are in England. He is a Bureaucrat, a white collar worker. But he is a sincere man who loves his country and his king. Massachusetts is his home, but this is not his war. Henry Hulton's letters provide us with a unique opportunity to view the first major battle of the war, from the Tory's point of view. Commonly known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, we are all well aware of how the militia supposedly held their fire until they could see the whites of the redcoat's eyes. Well, Henry's version of the events is not as glorious a picture as our history books would have us believe. Henry Hultong June 20, 1775 Northampton took no part in the Battle of Bunker Hill, except for one man. The Northampton Minutemen had marched home when the news of Bunker Hill reached the town. General Seth Pomeroy, a gentleman farmer of 69 years old, borrowed a horse and rode straight to the battle. He found the commanding officier, General Putnam. Putnam, who knew how committed Po- meroy was to the Revolution, said, You're here, Pomeroy! God, I believe a Cannonball would wake you up if you slept in your grave! Northampton sent some men to Can- ada to join the troops up there. These men wrote home of all the difficulties with their expedition. There were no doctors or nurses. One French woman watched over them and tried to nurse them when they were ill. The men fond- ly referred to her as Aunt Sarah . The men brought no medical reme- dies for any illness, so all they had was a syrup and some homemade pills from boiled buttcrnut bark. food was also a problem. It became so scarce that they were forced to kill and cat ratllesnakes. For these two months past our situation has been critical and alarming. The town is blockaded, and the whole country is in arms all around us. The people have not only cut us off from all supplies, but they do their utmost to prevent any kind of' provi- sion form being brought to us from neighboring ports. As wewere surprised into these circumstances, it's a wonder that we have held out as long as we have. We are now very anxious for the arrival of the second division, and I am afraid it will be necessary to add another to that, before the army can operate effectively around this place. The country is very rugged by anture, and the rebels have possessed themselves of all the advantageous posts. They have thrown up intrenchments in many parts. From the heights of this place, we have a view of the whole town, the harbor, and the countryside. And last saturday, I was a spectator of a most awful scene. On the morning of the 17th, it was observed that the rebels had thrown up a breastwork, and were preparing to open fire upon the heights above Charlestown. There they could obstruct the shipping, and destroy the north part of Boston. Immediately, a cannonading began from the battery in the north part of town and from the ships of war, on those works, and on the enemy, wherever they could be discovered. Soon after eleven o'clock, two battalions marched out of their encampments, and embarked in boats. Before high water, they were landed to the eastward of Charles- town. Great are our fears that they would be attacked by superior numbers, before they could be all assembled and properly prepared, but more boats arrived and they all advanced, some on the other side, round the hill where the cannon was erected, and some through part of Charles- town. On the side of the hill which was not visible from Boston, it seems very strong lines were thrown up. and were occupied by thousands of rebels. The troops advanced with great zeal towards the intrenchments, but were met with both artillery and small arms tire. Many brave officers and men were killed and wounded. As soon as they got to the entrench- ments, the rebels fled. Many of them were killed in the trenches and in their flight. The marines, in marching through part of Charlestown, were fired at from the houses. Because of the firing from the houses, the town was immediately set in flames. At four o'clock, we saw the fire and the sword, all the horrors of war raging. The town was burning all the nightg the rebels sheltered themselves in the adjacent hills, and the neighborhood of Cambridge. The army possessed themselves of Charlestown neck. We were exulting in seeing the flight of our enemies, but in an hour or two we had occasion to mourn and lament. In the evening, the streets were filled with the wounded and the dyingg the sight of which along with the crying of the women and children over their husbands and fathers, pierced one to the soul. Through the night, we heard of some officer, or one of our friends, who had fallen in our defense, and in supporting the honor of our country. The rebels have now occupied a hill about a mile from Charlestown neckg they are very numerous, and have thrown up intrenchments. The ships and troops cannonade them wherever they can reach them. In the same manner, on the other side of Boston neck, on the high ground above the Roxbury metting house, the rebels are intrenching. It grieves me, that gentlemen, brave british sholdiers, should fall by the hands of such dispi- cable wretches as compose the rebels of the country. They are a most rude, depraved, degenerate race, and it is a mortification to us that they speak english, and can trace themselves from that stock. Since Adams went to Philadelphia, A Dr. Warren, who is a patriot and apothecary of this town, has had the lead in the provincial congress. He signed commissions, and acted as the president. This fellow happily was killed, in coming out of the trenches the other day, where he had commanded and spirited the people to defend the lines which he assured them were impregnable. You may judge what the herd must be when such a one is their leader. Pray the lord deliver us. I remain your faithful and obedient servant. ll I 28