the 1. Being Sunday I went to meting up to the conecticut forces and
Mr. Wilard preacht a Sermon from chronicles the 20th chapter 10-11-12
v also in the afternoon Mr. Wilard preachd a sermon from 1st of
corrintheans 15 ch 54 &. 55 vers, also Last night their was six
mareens dessrtd from on board the Scarborough.[164]
[Footnote 164: This was a sloop-of-war, carrying
twenty guns.]
the 2. Nothing remarkable hapned this day General Thomas Brigade passt
Mustter about Sunset as our piquet paraded on the grand parade the
enemy fired 3 or 4 shots up to the meeting house one of the balls went
through the shed by the Providence tavern but did no damage of
consequence at night our chimney Swallow went on the piquet for
nothing and found himself.
the 3. Nothing remarkable hapened this day at night I went upon the
piquet.
the 4. We past muster nothing remarkble hapened this day onely their
was four of the enemy deserted at night.
the 5. Nothing remarkable hapened this day onely their was 5 or 6
prisoners went through the camp that were taken at Dartmouth[165] on
board the prize that our men took.
[Footnote 165: He probably refers to the prisoners
taken in the armed schooner _Margaretta_, at
Machias, Maine, in the month of May, by some
Americans under Jeremiah O'Brien; or they may have
been of the crew of two small cruisers afterward
captured by O'Brien. They were taken to Watertown,
where the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts was
in session.]
the 6. The enemy fired between 80 and 90 Canon at our men but killed
nine onely cut of one mans arm and killed too cows So much for this
day.
the 7. I went upon the creek guard and nothing remarkable hapned at
night their was a regular deserted and the regular guard fired upon
him but did not hurt him.
the 8. Being Sunday it rained and we had no preaching nothing
remarkable hapned at night their was a regular deserted and came to
our men and their was another set out but they were discovered and
they took one of them.
the 9. About eight o clock their was a Rifle man whipt 39 stripes for
Stealing and afterwards he was Drummed out of the camps if the
infernal regions had ben opened and cain and Judas and Sam Haws[166]
had been present their could not have ben a biger uproar.
[Footnote 166: The writer of this Journal.]
the 10. I went up on the creek guard and nothing remarkable hapened
their.
the 11. Their was a Rifle man[167] Drummed out of the camps for
threatning his offisers also I went to Cambridg with Boats.
[Footnote 167: These riflemen were from Maryland.
The company had been raised by order of Congress,
and placed in command of Captain Michael Cresap,
who, without a shadow of justice, was made to
figure unfavorably in the celebrated speech
attributed to Logan, the Mingo chief. Proof is
abundant that the stain put upon the character of
Cresap, by the speech of Logan from the pen of
Jefferson, was unmerited. Captain Cresap was taken
sick, and, at about the time here indicated, he
started for home, but died at New York, on the 18th
of October, 1775, at the age of thirty-three years.
His remains yet lie buried in Trinity churchyard, a
few feet from Broadway.]
the 12. This day nothing remarkable hapned only I went to work along
with the general at Mr. Parkers at night I went upon the piquet.
the 13. I went a chesnuting with a number of respectable gentlemen
that belonged to the army and we had a rifle frolick[168] and came
home about 10 Oclock.
[Footnote 168: Shooting at a mark, for liquor.]
the 13. About 2 or 3 o clock their was one of our men taken and caried
to the quarter guard for thieft abel Weatheril by name but it was made
up and he was taken out at night and returned to his Duty.
the 14. This day nothing remarkable hapned.
the 15. Being Sunday I went upon fatigue down to the george tavern and
their was a flag of truce went in and another came out.[169]
[Footnote 169: Communications are thus had between
belligerent armies. By common consent, as a rule of
war, a person approaching one army from another,
with a white flag, is respected as a neutral; and
to "fire upon a flag," as the phrase is when the
bearer is fired upon, is considered a great breach
of faith and honor.]
the 16. Nothing remarkable hapned Colonel Reeds Laidy came down to
reveu the Regiment and treated them[170] nothing more this day.
[Footnote 170: The wives of officers often visited
permanent camps, and formed pleasant social
parties. Mrs. Washington visited her husband at
Cambridge, while he remained there. She also spent
a portion of the winter with him at Valley Forge,
and likewise at Morristown.]
the 17. I went a chesnuting up to neutown[171] and at night our
floating Baterys went up towards the canon and fired 13 shots but
unlucky for them one of their 9 pounders split and killed one man dead
and wounded 8 more one of them it is thought mortally.
[Footnote 171: Newton, seven miles north from
Boston.]
the 18. I went upon the creek guard and John Bates was Lanch corporeal
also in the afternoon their was 3 Boston men came out under pretence
of fishing but they made their escape to Dorchester point.
the 19. Was rainy and nothing remarkable hapned.
the 20. The things that were taken at the Light house were vendued and
went very high[172] Nothing more remarkable hapned this day at night
their was a regular deserted from the enimy.
[Footnote 172: When Major Tupper destroyed the
lighthouse on Nantasket point, he carried away all
the furniture and the great lamp by which it was
lighted.]
the 21. I went upon the creek guard[173] and it rained all day nothing
remarkable hapned.
[Footnote 173: The creek referred to is Stony
brook, northward from Roxbury fort.]
the 22. Being Sunday nothing remarkable this day.
the 23. Nothing remarkable hapned at night I went upon the piquet and
nothing hapned worth a mentioning.
the 24. Nothing remarkable hapned this day onely we heard that the
french were a going to join us upon conditions that we would trade
with them.[174]
[Footnote 174: As early as July, 1775, Dr. Franklin
had suggested the propriety of a political
confederation of all the colonies, and the
establishment of governmental relations with
foreign powers, especially with France, which, it
was well known, hated England. In November of that
year, Benjamin Harrison, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Johnson, John Dickenson, and John Jay, were
appointed a committee to open and carry on
correspondence with foreign governments; and in
March following, Silas Deane was appointed a
special agent of Congress to the court of France.
Rumors of such intentions appear to have reached
the army, according to our Journalist, as early as
the 24th of October, 1775.]
the 25. We turned out and went to the Larm post and it was very cold
and we came home and there was a high go of Drinking Brandy and
several of the company were taken not well prety soon after[175]
nothing more this day.
[Footnote 175: A very natural consequence.]
the 26. This morning early their was several Laidies came down from
wrentham and they went to cambridg and the rest of their acts are they
not writen in the Lamentations of Samuel Haws, finis.
the 27. This day I went upon fatigue and we got our Stents done about
noon.
the 28. Nothing remarkable this day onely I was chose cook for our
room consisting of 12 men and a hard game too.
the 29. Being Sunday the officers had hard work to get hands for
meting it was so cold nothing more this day.
the 30. This day nothing remarkable hapned.
the 31. Nothing remarkable.[176]
[Footnote 176: During the whole of October, affairs
were very quiet, and no skirmish of importance
occurred. The "Essex Gazette" of the 19th said,
"Scarcely a gun has been fired for a fortnight." On
the 4th, a small fleet, under Captain Mowatt,
sailed from Boston harbor, and destroyed Falmouth
(now Portland), Maine. On the 15th, a committee
from Congress arrived, to consult with Washington
concerning the future, and a reorganization of the
army.]