Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 2
I1 have taken a World of Pains to get a gilt sheet to answer You in Coin, and intended as unmerciful Treatmant to it's Virgin White, but tho I have practisd this half Hour with the feeble feather of a green Goose on the well-worn Glove of a snuff-Seller I cannot rival thy ragged Regiment of Letters; Confusion! The Sheet was certainly expos'd to a Storm at Sea & blown into this topsy-turvy Condition—what! Mr. Brown,2—Croke's Reports3—odd—can hist him—favours, Heavens! What wd. the Man—don't write poetical too! A sweet harmonious Temper of Mind after reading or rathur attempting to spell out such a Hodge-Podge, an alphabetical Medley, thy own Offspring Thou Gallypot of Andromachi Composita. But to be serious I have elaborated sufficient to enquire of Brown what Books you wanted, and can serve You as I am well acquainted with a large Whole-sail Bookseller provided he let's me have the Catalogue, which he has yet neglected to do. I am glad to find you think of me, and esteem it doubly kind of Mr. Paine to write me as he is gloriously avaritious of his Moments. But you want facts; I long to see Boston that's fact, & will see it soon that's another, and shall bring a Wife over wt. me, that a'nt another—O You Dog You was galloping to Belchers4 open Mouth'd wt. the Cry Ha, Ha, Ha—a fine black Eye, Pain! Cherry Lip, wounds5 I shall feel Poetical by & by—O this Cough! Ill go & take my Linctus—Now Boy! News—the King of Prussia in full chace of Count Daun6 who retires into Bohemia—the Prussian Army much superiour—Commodore Keppel7 gone on a private Expedition suppos'd to attack Martinique A Fleet sail'd from Brest supposed to relieve them, a Cutter sent to give Admiral Saunders8 an Acct. of it wt. orders to pursue them—His Majesty been ill of the Gout, better, I have been ill of a Sore-Throat, better likewise—much better—what News! Is Fort du Quesne taken?9 Is Hannah Hill taken yet, O I had forgot Poor Sam10 is turn'd123off—I thought to have seen Ned11 here possitively before this—what his Resolution fail'd at last Ha!—Ask Sam: if he'll go to the Oratorio to Morrow Night Attalo12 is to be perform'd a new thing, tell him likewise I had much rather come & smoak a Pipe with him than be there—Cranch!13 O Monstrous! A Girl of Fourteen—you Court too, a pretty Poetical Thought faith! I wrote to no Girls in Boston by my Troth—Sam: has been the kind remembring Friend, Ned & Belcher have been negligent—Paine I love You, so shall say no more about it, only secundium Morem subscribe to it—by saying I am Yr. Affectnate. Friend & Humble Servt.,
Dr. Benjamin Church (1734–1778) attended Harvard College where he became known for his satiric verse. After three years in London studying medicine under Dr. Charles Pynchon, Church returned to Boston to practice medicine and took part in town affairs and liberal politics. He quickly became prominent both in his profession and as an influential Son of Liberty. Appointed a Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 13:380–397; Allen French, General Gage's Informers [Ann Arbor, 1932], 147–200; DAB).
Gawen Brown.
Sir George Croke (1560–1642), Reports of Select Cases in the Courts of K.B. and C.P., during the Reigns of Eliz., James I., and Charles I., revised and published in English by Sir Harbottle Grimston. London, 1683 or 1685 and later editions.
Perhaps Belcher Noyes (1709–1785), a Boston gentleman and frontier land speculator (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 8:235–239).
Short for God's wounds.
Count Philip Daun, commander of the Austrian army, had defeated Frederick the Great's army at the battle of Hochbirch in October 1758 (Ernest F. Henderson, A Short History of Germany, 2 vols. [New York, 1916], 2:169–170).
Augustus Keppel, Viscount Keppel (1725–1786), admiral, was actually headed for West Africa. 1n September 1758 he commanded a squadron of ships of war and transports sent out to reduce the French settlement of Goree in Senegal. The mission was accomplished on Dec. 29 (DNB).
Sir Charles Saunders (1713?–1775), admiral, who commanded the British fleet at the taking of Quebec in 1759 (DNB).
Fort Duquesne, erected in 1754 by the French on the site of the present city of Pittsburgh,124Pa., was destroyed by them on Nov. 24, 1758 to prevent its falling into the hands of the British forces under Gen. John Forbes (DAH ).
Samuel Quincy (1734–1789), the Boston loyalist, married Hannah Hill of Boston (1734–1782), on June 16, 1761. She died in Saint John, Antigua on Nov. 2, 1782 (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 13:478– 488).
Edmund Quincy (1733–1768), son of Col. Josiah and Hannah (Sturgis) Quincy and brother of Samuel. He graduated from Harvard in 1752 and engaged in business and Boston politics before his early death in Bermuda (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 13:285–289).
Attalo, re di Bittinia, an opera rather than an oratorio, was a pasticcio with libretto by Antonio Salvi and music by Auresichio, Coffarello, Perez, Potenza, and Cocchi, which opened in London on Nov. 11, 1758 (Franz Steiger, Opernlexikon [1975]).
Richard Cranch.
Being now at Mr. Wibird's1 Lodgings, who informs me of his design to go to Boston this afternoon, I take this oportunity of kindly thanking you for your friendly invitation to go with you to Taunton; But I think upon the whole I cannot go, having various things of more importance which require my stay. I assure you I wish I had the Wings of a Dove that I might fly away and be at Peace, for my mind is ill at rest at present; I never wanted your company more than now, and have some tho'ts of coming to Town this week. But whether I do or not, believe me to be your sincere Friend and Servt.
Anthony Wibird (1728/9–1800) was minister of the First Church of Braintree (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 12:226–230).
You may remember I mention'd to you the affair of getting Roburt Shilston's1 wages due for Service in the Battoes, home to the time he dy'd; I therefore write you this to inform you farther that he had with him a very good Musquet of his own, which I apprehend belongs to me as Administrator. I don't know the exact time when he dy'd, but can inform my self of it, I suppose, from Persons who are come from the125Service, if you think it needfull. I suppose he was on Duty about 4 Months before he dy'd. I have enclos'd a Paper which Roburt & Elijah had from their Officer Captn. Geo: Wilmot at the time of their Enlistment, which he gave them as a security that their going in the Battoes should stand in the same stead, as if they had gone as Soldiers (which, by the Way, was not in his Power, and was only made use of, I suppose, to tempt them to enlist under him). This Paper, tho of no use for the purpose mention'd, will however shew the time of their Enlistment, for which purpose I send it to you. Roburt told me before he went that Mr. Apthorp2 would pay the Battoe-men, but whether he was to have done it or not, I can't tell, but must leave it to you to enquire. If you must have any formal Power from me for getting the mention'd wags &c. please to draw such a one and send it to me and I'll execute it. I am, dear Sir, your ever affectionate Friend & Servt.
The enlistment document in the hand of George Willmot is enclosed, dated Apr. 15, 1758. It was signed by Roburt Shilston and Elijah Hayden (RTP Papers).
Robert Shelston (Shilston) had previously served on the Eastern frontier as a private in Capt. Samuel Goodwin's company in 1755. His estate was administered by Cranch in Suffolk County Probate Court in 1758 (file 11830). Elijah Hayden of Braintree had previously served as a private in the 1754 Fort Halifax expedition and the Crown Point expedition and subsequently settled in Boston (Massachusetts Soldiers in the French and Indian Wars , 1744–1755, ed. Robert E. MacKay [Boston, 1978]; Massachusetts Officers and Soldiers in the French and Indian Wars, 1755–1756, ed. K. David Goss and David Zarowin [Boston, 1985], 173, 92; John Adams Vinton, The Vinton Memorial [Boston, 1858], 328).
Charles Apthorp (1698–1758) was paymaster and commissary in the British service (Thwing Index).