Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
Mr. Greenleaf this moment has call’d upon me, as he is going to Roxbury, to write to you, & as my hour is but short shall give you only a few crude Lines. Your letter dated at Hartford I receiv’d last Sunday,1 & am happy in finding such Instances of Unenimity at the Southward, & that your health is in any measure restor’d to you, little as it is, may God long preserve it. Doctr. Baylies return’d last Week from Congress, by whom I am inform’d that they are now digesting a plan of Government & mean to put it into exicution immediately without consent of the Congress at Philadelphia, which has given some little uneasiness to the moderate Wiggs of the Provence; as they suppose the Provence Congress will be sufficient for all the purposes of Government untill the Continental Congress had given their sanction to a Form of Government for us. The uneasiness just mentioned is not known out of doors. Our Regiments are filling fast in every part of the Provence, the most of the men from this 51part of the Country are already march’d to their Camp at Roxbury. Genll. Gage still acts the villainous part with the Inhabitants of Boston, few of which git out now & then but in general are oblig’d to leave every thing behind them, as is the case with Mr. Greenleaf & Family who are now at your house. Doctr. McKinstry has mov’d to Boston with all his Family, in consequence of which the Committee of this Town shut up his Shop, but suppose it will soon be open again; the Doctr. has a quantity of Pork, Grain &c. in his shop, which I believe the Town will take & give him security, & as some of the Committee knew that he was indebted to you they desir’d me to write, whether you’d exchange the Doctr security for the Towns.2 You’ll inform me by your next. For the news of the Day you must at present depend upon some better hands, our distance from Head Quarters being such, ’thô we have a plenty of News, that it is impossible to seperate truth from falshood. I’ll write you a few days hence when I am more at leasure. Mr. Greenleaf is now in waiting, must therefore conclude. Your Family are in good health & spirits, but abundantly encreas’d since your absence. Mr. Adams’ Family of Braintree, as I heard last evening are well likewise. Write by the first oppertunity & by every one; excuse bad pen, bad writing, bad spelling, bad every thing I am yours affectionately
Not located.
The Taunton Committee of Inspection and Correspondence, which was appointed on July 3 and which included Dr. Cobb, on July 10 voted: “That Geo. Godfrey, esq., Capt. Simeon Williams and Col. Geo. Williams be a committee to take into their custody the Pork and Grain now in the store of Doc. McKinstry and send the same to the army as soon as may be, and take an account of the same and keep an account of the cost of transportation” (Emery, History of Taunton, 474). On Aug. 29, 1777, RTP, as principal creditor, was appointed administrator and agent of Dr. William McKinstry’s estate following the latter’s death in 1776. The inventory of assets included a listing of books and hollowware; “One Negro Woman (Billy by name) about 45 years of age & infirm,” £3; seven acres of land in Taunton near the bridge, £430; a shop on the south side of Taunton Green, £100; and a small fish house near Ware Bridge, £9, for a total of £646.19.6. An account that RTP filed on Mar. 18, 1782, removed the “Negro Woman” from the inventory as “not being legal Merchandize.” He also noted that a committee of the General Court sold the seven acres of land and paid the proceeds into the treasury of the Commonwealth. RTP charged £15 “For the Agents Trouble, Time & care in settling the Estate consisting of a great number & very perplexed accounts Notes &c.” In the end, debts exceeded assets, the estate was declared insolvent, and creditors received 2s.8d. on the pound (Bristol Co. Probate, 27:71, 73, 28:410, 147:160)
A number of routine letters about the settlement of the McKinstry estate between RTP and Moses Brown 52of Providence (1738–1836), the second largest creditor, are among the Moses Brown Papers, Rhode Island Historical Society, viz., RTP to Brown: Apr. 30, 1777; July 17, 1777; Aug. 7, 1785; Feb. 13, 1786 [a draft of this letter is in the RTP Papers, MHS]; Mar. 31, 1786; and Brown to RTP: July 30, 1777; Jan. 26, 1778 (2); July 31, 1782; Mar. 7, 1786.
Doct. Curch is this moment a going for philadelphia. I Set me Down to write one word that you might know that we are all well at present. Our family are much inlarged Since you Left home but I hope they will Live by themselves before Long for it is most too hard for me to have the care of So Large a family at present. I hope you got thorough your Journy very well. I Long to hear from you. Due write by the first opportunity that I might know how you doe and when you think you Shall come home. Dont Stay all Summer, for thats a Long time. Our Garden begins to Look nicely but it would better if you ware hear. Theirs a great many inquires about the Esqr. wellfare. I am in haste your Loving wife,
Doctr. Church is just arriv’d as soon as meeting is done will set out for Philadelphia. Both sisters being gone to meeting I shall write you a short general epistle.
Your son Bob waits on his Mamma Sally and Tommy are at home well in health your garden grows finely nature smiles around us in all her gayety as if to cheer our drooping hearts. My tribe are in usual health excepting Naby who has had a very ill turn but is better. We long for letters from you. Capt. Beals left your kind tokens at Newport. We hope to have them soon. Mr. Greenleaf is just return’d from head quarters in health and spirrits is to go back on tuesday. We injoy the present moments 53depending on the kindness of Providence for the future. Our affairs wear a gloomy aspect to us women, who shrink at the noise of war. But Providence seems to smile on our preparations and health cheers our Camp so that we sing of mercy as well as judgment. I mourn poor Mr. Peck who I hear is taken prisoner and put on board a man of war in Boston harbour. Wishing you every needed Blessing I remain you Oblig’d Sister,
Just return’d from the house of prayer, where you were all most Earnestly remember’d. May our Petitions procure for you Every assistance you stand in need of. Great hast must Excuse my saying more than that I hope you have recd. a letter I sent you ten days ago. Pray let me have a line from you. Dada Says your Sister,
In the hand of Abigail: