Philada. July 6th. 1775 Dear Sr.,

Mr. Stephen Collins the Bearer hereof a worthy Citizen here & a freind of mankind, being about to visit your Camp deserves some credentials of his great merit. His great kindness to our Country men & Zeal in the Common Cause recommends him to notice; Mr. John Kaighn reputable citizen here & promoter of military Skill among the Quakers travels with him.1

I hope your Welfare & Success & a full reward for your military Labors & am with great Regard & affection your freind & hble. Servt.

RT Paine

RC (Charles Roberts Autograph Letters Collection, coll. 720, Special Collections, Haverford College Library, Haverford, Pa.)

1.

A similar note from RTP addressed to Gen. Artemas Ward, but misdated July 6, 1776, is at Houghton Library, Harvard College. On July 4, John Adams wrote his wife a more detailed letter of 65introduction for Collins and Kaighn (“they pronounce his Name Cain”). That letter and Abigail’s response of July 16 detailing the pair’s visit to Braintree are printed in Adams Family Correspondence , 1:238, 245–246.

Taunton July 12 1775 Dear Husband,

I have Receiv’d 6 Letters from you Since you Left home1 & Should have wrote as many to you but tommy & I have been So unwell that I could not write but we are much better. The rest of our family are well. We have had very dry weather but for this weak past we have had fine Showers but Extream hot weather. The day before yesterday we had a very hard thunder Shower and John Cobb of this town was kill’d by Ligtning & five others were Struck down but has Since recoverd. This young Cobb is the more to be Lemented for he was the only gun Smith there was in town.2 I heard from norton to day that your aunt hunt was dead.3 She died the 17 of June. You desired me to let you know how many I had in my family. I have 6 of mr Greanleaf family & your Sister Eunice. Our Lot & Garden Look finely this year. We have cut part of our grass & the rest we Shall cut next weak. I hope we Shall have four Loads tun. I wish you Could Look in upon us & See how we doe. I long to hear when you Shall Come home. I depend on your coming by the Last of august. Dont fail of Coming then for I Cannot due with out you then. Were it not for the Small pox I belive I Should fly to you for the noyse of Cannon & the alarms we have had it Seems if it would be too hard for me.

13

I had the pleasure of waiting upon your Good friend Mr Collins to Breakfaste with us to day & Mr Cane with an English Gentleman who was traveling with them. Mr. Collins is a very agreable man. I Like him very much. I asked him to make Some tarry with us but he Could not. He wanted to Get to Cambridge the next day. I Receved a Letter by him but not one word about Coming home. I ask’d him when twas thought the Congress would rise. He Could not tell but he thought twas Likely they would Set till next december. I hope you dont think of tarrying half So Long. I beg you’ll write the docter what he Shall due about that debt of Mc kinstrey for Brother has it in his power to Save it for you if he Could know Soon. I want to write a great deal 66more but for want of time must ommit it. Hoping to hear from you Soon I am your Loving wife

Sally Paine

PS. We had our town meeting monday 10th you and Coll. Williams were Chosen as Representatives.

RC ; addressed: “For Robert Treat Paine Esqr. In Philadelphia”; endorsed.

1.

None located.

2.

According to the Vital Records of Taunton (3:51), John Cobb was “kill’d with thunder” on July 11. His relationship to the family of Sally Cobb Paine is not known.

3.

Experience (Paine) Hunt (1703–1775) was a younger sister of Thomas Paine. See 1:380, 2:71.