The post is very regular, and faithfully brings me all your letters, I
believe. If I do not write so often as you do, be assured that 't is
because I have nothing worth your acceptance to write. Whilst the army
lay this way I had constantly something by way of intelligence to write.
Of late there has been a general state of tranquillity, as if we had no
contending armies.
There seems to be something preparing against Newport at last. If we are
not wise too late, it will be well. Two thousand militia are ordered to
be drafted for that place, and last week the independent company marched
very generally; expect to tarry six weeks, till the militia are
collected.
Your obliging favors of various dates came safe to hand last week, and
contain a fine parcel of agreeable intelligence, for which I am much
obliged, and I feel very important to have such a budget to communicate.
As to the town of Boston, I cannot give you any very agreeable account
of it. It seems to be really destitute of the choice spirits which once
inhabited it, though I have not heard any particular charges of Toryism
against it. No doubt you had your intelligence from better authority
than I can name. I have not been into town since your absence, nor do I
desire to go till a better spirit prevails. If 't is not Toryism it is a
spirit of avarice and contempt of authority, an inordinate love of gain,
that prevails not only in town but everywhere I look or hear from. As to
dissipation, there was always enough of it in the town, but I believe
not more now than when you left us.
There is a general cry against the merchants, against monopolizers,
etc., who, 't is said, have created a partial scarcity. That a scarcity
prevails of every article, not only of luxury but even the necessaries
of life, is a certain fact. Everything bears an exorbitant price. The
Act, which was in some measure regarded and stemmed the torrent of
oppression, is now no more heeded than if it had never been made. Indian
corn at five shillings; rye, eleven and twelve shillings, but scarcely
any to be had even at that price; beef, eightpence; veal, sixpence and
eightpence; butter, one and sixpence; mutton, none; lamb, none; pork,
none; mean sugar, four pounds per hundred; molasses, none; cotton-wool,
none; New England rum, eight shillings per gallon; coffee, two and
sixpence per pound; chocolate, three shillings.
What can be done? Will gold and silver remedy this evil? By your
accounts of board, horsekeeping, etc., I fancy you are not better off
than we are here. I live in hopes that we see the most difficult time we
have to experience. Why is Carolina so much better furnished than any
other State, and at so reasonable prices?
I hate to tell a story unless I am fully informed of every particular.
As it happened yesterday, and to-day is Sunday, I have not been so fully
informed as I could wish. About eleven o'clock yesterday William
Jackson, Dick Green, Harry Perkins, and Sargent, of Cape Ann, and A.
Carry, of Charlestown, were carted out of Boston under the direction of
Joice[170] junior, who was mounted on horseback, with a red coat, a
white wig, and a drawn sword, with drum and fife following. A concourse
of people to the amount of five hundred followed. They proceeded as far
as Roxbury, when he ordered the cart to be tipped up, then told them if
they were ever caught in town again it should be at the expense of their
lives. He then ordered his gang to return, which they did immediately
without any disturbance.
Whether they had been guilty of any new offense I cannot learn. 'T is
said that a week or two ago there was a public auction at Salem, when
these five Tories went down and bid up the articles to an enormous
price, in consequence of which they were complained of by the Salem
Committee. Two of them, I hear, took refuge in this town last night.
I believe we shall be the last State to assume government. Whilst we
harbor such a number of designing Tories amongst us, we shall find
government disregarded and every measure brought into contempt by
secretly undermining and openly contemning them. We abound with
designing Tories and ignorant, avaricious Whigs.
Monday, 21st.
Have now learned the crime of the carted Tories. It seems they have
refused to take paper money, and offered their goods lower for silver
than for paper; bought up articles at a dear rate, and then would not
part with them for paper.
Yesterday arrived two French vessels--one a twenty, some say thirty-six
gun frigate; dry goods, and four hundred stand of arms, 't is said they
contain. I believe I wrote you that Manly had sailed, but it was only as
far as Cape Ann. He and MacNeal both lie at anchor in the harbor.