Boston April 25 1775
Dear Sir
I wrote you by Capt. Robson & should not so soon
have
troubled you again, were I not impelled by the unhappy
Situation of this Town, which by the late cruel & oppressive
measures gone into by the British Parliament is now almost
depopulated or will be in a few Days. Filled with the Troops
of
Britain & surrounded with a provincial Army, all
communi-
cation with the Country is cut off, & we wholly deprived of
the necessaries of Life, & this principal mart of
America is
become a poor garrison Town. The inhabitants have been confined
to the city more than a week, & no person suffer'd to enter --
At length the General hath consented that if the Inhabitants
would deliver their Arms they should be sufferd to depart
This proposal humiliating as it is, hath been complied with
In consequence of this agreement almost all are leaving
their pleasant habitations & going they know not whither--
The most are obliged to leave their furniture & effects of
every kind, & indeed their all to the uncertain chance of war
or rather to certain ruin & destruction--- The last Week I
thot
myself in comfortable circumstances had a convenient
dwelling well furnished, a fine Library made so very much
a large, affectionate, & generous Congregation, happy in a Consort one
of the best of Women, & surrounded by a large Number of desirable
Children; now I am by a cruel Necessity turned out of my House
must leave my Books & all I possess, perhaps to be destroyed by a
licentious Soldiery; my beloved Congregation dispersed, my dear Wife
retreating to a distant part of the Country, my Children wandering
not knowing whither to go, perhaps left to perish for Want, myself
soon to leave this devoted Capital, happy if I can find some
obscure Corner wch will afford me a bare Subsistence. I wish to God
the authors of our Misery could be Witnesses of it. They must have
Hearts harder than an adamant if they did not relent & pity us.
I am sensible your tender Mind is deeply affected wth this tragick
Scene. How would it have torn the benevolent Heart of our that
excellent Man whose Death we so deeply deplore, but who as you
justly observe is taken from the Evil to come? Alas when you so
pertinently & almost prophetically used that Phrase little did I
think what was to come. What misery doth Pride & a Lust of
Dominion bring on mankind? What doth Great Britain gain by this
unnatural Contest? How long before the proposed Revenue if it should
be submitted to would repay the Charge of this cruel Expedition? Your
Trade is destroyed as well as ours, & all parts of the British Empire
will severely feel the effects of this dreadfull exertion of power. Must
millions be sacrificed to a mere Punctilio, to a mere Point of Honour
for the Dispute with which Great Britain maintains against her Colonies
is in Fact but [illegible] more. She would gain if she conquered not
near so much by Taxes, as she does in a way of Trade. But unhappily for us she must assert her Authority & her supreme
Power must be owned, that is her Pride must be gratified let what
will follow. Forgive Dear Sir these severe Reflections on the Parent Country
my Heart is wounded, deeply wounded, almost to [illegible] Death.
Surely there is a God that judgeth in the Earth, & what must the Contrivers
of these Schemes have to answer for in another World, if not in this.
But I know not why I should make you unhappy by reciting what
we suffer. My Design is only that the Friends of America. The Friends of Liberty
Friends of Humanity may unite their Efforts for our Deliverance.
Great Britain may ruin the Colonies, but she will never subjugate
them. They will hold out to the last gasp. They make it a common
Cause & they will do so. In this Confusion the College is broke up,
nothing is talked of but War. Where these Scenes will end, God only
knows, but if I may venture to predict, itthey will terminate in a
total Separation of the Colonies from the Parent Country. Your Troops
have made a most ill judg'd Manoeuvre, were obliged to retire, & are
now cooped up in Boston, afraid to march out, & expect to be assaulted
within. If you should favour me with your Correspondence it must
be by the Way of New York. Please to direct to Mr. Andrew Eliot
Minister in Fairfield in the Colony of Connecticut. That Direction
answers to my son wch will be the safest in the present State, for
suspected Letters are opened. You need not put under Cover, my
Son will know for whom it your letter is designed. Through his hands, a Letter so directed it will come safe to Hand me, if I should not be at Fair-
field myself. But I trouble you too much, & shall only add
that I am,
Yr. Afflicted Fr'd & Hble Servt. [The following endorsement is written on the long edge of page 4 (perpendicular to the main orientation of the page) and relates to the letter on pages 1-3 of this manuscript leaf :]
[Endorsement]
[The following is a draft letter from A. Eliot to an unidentified recipient:]
May 31. 1775
Dear Sir
I have remained in this Town much ag: my
inclination [previous addition to text appears below the line]
till this day in a lonely solitary state My
family is dispersed gone - My
Congregation dispersed. Most of the Ministers being gone I have been
prevailed with to officiate to those who are still left to tarry -
but
my situation is uncomfortable to the last degree ... Friends perpetually coming
to bid me adieu take their farwell
Much the greater parts of the inhabitants gone out of the town --
the rest following as fast as the Genl will
give
leave. -- Grass growing in the public walks & streets of this once
populous & flourishing place - Shops & warehouses shut
up - business at an end every one
in
anxiety & distress. The provincial army at our doors -- The Troops
absolutely confined in
this town which is almost an Island & surrounded with ships which is
its greatest security. -- There have been two or
three little skirmishes in which has been verified what I wrote some time ago,
That
our people would certainly fight. Certainly the
advantage hath hitherto been on that the side
of the provincials & it is not improbable to me yt if 44 attempt ye town 44 will
carry it for 44 are numerous & very
determined -These things you will easily believe keep us in perpetual
alarm keep us in perpetual alarm - & make this a very unquiet
habitation -- I cannot
stand it long - but whatever may becomes of me - may you enjoy every
blessing you can yourself
desire & for a long time.
This is the sincere wish & prayer of your very obliged humble
Servt