in his mind encreasd the anxiety of my too often desponding imagination but I think a New Year presents a brighter View. I congratulate you on our late Success, let us my friend enjoy this Victory, and tho a Skillful General has been meanly kidnapped let us not think the Fate of America hangs on the Prowess of a single person. My son William receivd a letter last night from an officer of distinguished rank in the army who writes - The Scale is turnd greatly in our Favor. The enemy are intimidated and fleeing before them and says if we had but 5000 Continental Troops he makes no doubt they would be able to cut them all off. However he hopes to diminish them greatly. What a pity it is to want men at so important a Crisis. He gives the N. Englanders great merit in the Late glorious Action. He mentions a brisk Cannonade supposed to be at Princetown Jany the 3d from whence we expect some important news. The description you give of the meeting of our Ambassadors on Long Island is romantically pleasing. The Sage the Venerable Mentor who is gone beyond Sea I think gives a dignity to all his Negotiations. I wish to Heaven he may succeed in what ever he undertakes. He wrote a short leave to the small Circle of His Favorites intimating that His encreasing Years forbid him thinking of a return to his Native Clime; ‘but he left them with the most invigorating Sentiments of Affection for His dear Country.' How happy would it be if such Valuable lives might be protracted beyond the four score Limits. I hear the other gentleman is now blest with returning Spirits. I long to know your Sentiments of present Appearances. I hear Plimouth has producd lately a Prophetical Egg that bodes no good to America for the year '77, but as it is said to be laid by a Tory hen I interpret it to be what is wishd rather than what will happen. The inscription on it is said to be Howe will Conquer America, but I believe the Prophecy will prove as Brittle as the Tablet on which it is engravd. If I tho't you would not charge me with an Affectation of dabbling in Astronomy I would tell you I was lately an Humble Attendant on my observer of the grand movements of the Celestial Orbs in His observation of Cynthia in Eclipsing that glorious Luminary that rules the day. However enwrapt in incertainty the events in which we of this Terrestrial ball are interested a perfect regularity reigns there. No intervening accident can prevent the Completion of their appointed route. The Sky at the begining of the Eclipse was unkindly overspread with Clouds but soon Cleard off, and gave so good a View as to be able to judge with Precision the Quantity and duration of the Moon's path over the Sun. He has also this fall taken a trip with little Mercury across the Sun similar to the Transit of Venus. I think a beautifull Sight. I assure you these are great Points to an astronomer, tho the greater part of Mankind are so inattentive to these Glorious works of an Almighty Creator that they rise and shine and perform their amazing Circuits without any other observation than its being sometimes a fine sunshine day, or a fine Starlight Evening. Now I have incurrd your Censure pray pass Sentence; however I hope the inhabitants of those States are better employd than in spreading devastation and death among their Loyal Subjects and brethren. My Sister has been obligd to make another move, they reside in Coll. Phips's House. Her pearly drops are often flowing at her unhappy Situation-five removes since the Cruel burning of Charlestown. I endeavor to bring to her View the Scenes of ravage and bloodshed which mark the progress of British and Hessian Troops thro the Jerseys, enough to thaw the most frozen heart, but it is much easier to Preach Fortitude and Patience under Sufferings than to Practice them. You and I are enjoying our homes, but I dare not indulge the thought how it will be with us in the Spring the only Consolating Consideration is an alwise Superintendant at Helm with Universal Nature at Command. I give you joy on the recovery of Your Sons from the Small Pox. A great easment to the mind of anxious parents when they enter on the Theatre of business. General Warren, I hear, is closely engagd in matters of great moment. Mr. Winthrop joyns me in wishing him health and happiness and in kind regards to you. Allow me to Subscribe Your Ever Attentive Friend, HANNAH WINTHROP Miss Chrisy presents her most respectfull regards to Mrs. Warren. SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN 1 1777 I [have] receivd a Letter a few days ago from the Council of Massachusetts Bay, requesting a Sum of Money for [paying the] Bounty to the Troops to be raisd in that State. Accordingly three hundred thousand Dollars are orderd for that Purpose, which will be forwarded to the Paymaster in Boston 2 as soon as it can conveniently be done. In the Mean Time I hope our Assembly will advance if necessary, for the Levies must be made at all Events. I observe that our Assembly have made it necessary that three of their Delegates should be present and concurring in Opinion, before the Voice of our State can be taken on any Question in Congress.3 I could wish it had been otherwise. Three only of your Delegates are now present. It may so happen at other Times. One of them may be sick. He may be on a Committee or necessarily absent on publick Business, in which Case our State will not be effectually represented. While I am writing at the Table in Congress a worthy Colleague is unavoidably employd on Business of the Publick at home, and the two present cannot give the Voice of the State upon a Matter now in Question. Were all the three present, one of them might controul the other two so far as to oblige them to be silent when the Question is called for. But I only mention the Matter, and submit, as it becomes me, to the Judgment of my Superiors. Major Hawley and my other patriotic Fellow Labourers, Are they alive and in Health? I have not receivd a Line from any of them excepting my worthy Friend, Mr. Nath. Appleton, whose Letter I will acknowledge to him by the first Opportunity. My Friends surely cannot think I can go thro' the arduous Business assignd to me here, without their Advice and Assistance. I do not know whether you ever intend to write to me again. Assure the Major from me that a few more of his "broken Hints" would be of eminent Service to me. You cannot imagine how much I am 2 Ebenezer Hancock. I Journals of the Continental Congress, vII. 28. 3 Journals of the Continental Congress, VII. 25. It was altered by the Massachusetts General Court, February 4, so that any two of the delegation could act. Ib., 169. pleasd [with the Spir]it which our Assembly discovers. They seem [to arouse] every County into Motion. This forebodes in [torn] that something great will be done. I [never have] since this Contest began had so happy Feelings as I now have. I begin to anticipate [the coming] of Peace on such Terms as independence [seems] to demand, and I am even now con[sidering] by what Means the Virtue of my Country[men can] be secured for Ages yet to come - Virtue which is the Soul of a Republican Government. Future Events I have learnd by Experience, are uncertain and some unlucky Circumstance may before long take place, which may prove sadly mortifying to me. But no such Circumstance can deprive me of the Pleasure I now enjoy of seeing at a Distance (not I believe very long) the rising Glories of this new World. Adieu my Friend and Believe me to be unfeignedly Yours, S. ADAMS The Bearer, Mr. Allen,1 I think, is a good Man. Congress have appointed him Agent to the Indians of Nova Scotia. SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN BALTIMORE, Feb. 1, 1777 MY DEAR SIR, - The Proceedings of the Committee of the four New England States have been read in Congress and are now under the Consideration of a Committee of the whole.2 They are much applauded as being wise and salutary. I had heard that one of your Delegates at that Convention had written a long Letter to his Friend and Confident here; and hearing it whisperd that the Massachusetts State had disapprovd of those Proceedings I was led to ask the Gentleman who had receivd the Letter concerning it. He confirmd it, and said that not only the Trade, but the landed Gentlemen in the House of Representatives were sanguine against 1 John Allan. His instructions are in Journals of the Continental Congress, vII. 38. 2 Transmitted to Congress by Governor Trumbull, January 12, and received by that body the 28th. The convention met at Providence December 25, 1776, and separated January 2. The proceedings are printed in Hoadley, Records of the State of Connecticut, 1. 585. The approval of the Continental Congress is in the Journals, vII. 124. 3 The delegates from Massachusetts were Thomas Cushing, Azor Orne and Tristram Dalton. Cushing was probably the writer of the letter. it. I beggd him to let me see his Letter; but he refusd in a kind of Pet, telling me it was a private Letter. I was left to conjecture, whether I had been really impertinent in asking a Sight of his Letter, or whether the Contents of it were such as it was not proper for me to see. You will easily conceive what a Scituation one must be in here, who having receivd no Intelligence himself, of the Sentiments of his Constituents, is obligd in vain to ask of another, upon what Principles they have disapprovd of a Measure (if indeed they did disapprove of it) upon which he is called to give his own Opinion. But it is difficult to account for men's peevish Humors, and it is generally not worth ones while to attempt it. You see, my Friend, from this Instance, the Necessity of your writing to me oftener. When I was told upon the forementiond Occasion, that I would be intitled to see the Letters of Another, whenever I should be disposd to communicate those which I receive myself, I could have said truly that I had scarcely receivd any. Two only from you in the Space of near four Months. But I have no Claim to your Favors, however much I value them, unless perhaps upon the Score of my having not neglected to write to you by any Opportunity. Your omitting of late even to acknowledge the Receipt of my Letters, I might indeed construe as a Silent Hint that they were displeasing to you. But I will not believe this till I have it under your own Hand. While I am writing, your very acceptable Letter is brought to me by Mr. Lovell. You therein speak, as you ever have done, the Language of my Soul. Mr. Adams tells me you are President of the Board of War; I am therefore inducd to recall what I have just now said, which you may construe as an implied Censure for your not having written to me oftener. I am sure you must have a great Deal of Business. I am not sorry for it, for a Reason which I need not mention. I pray God to preserve the Health of your Body and the Vigor of your Mind. We must chearfully deny ourselves domestick Happiness and the Tranquility of private Life, when our Country demands our Services. Give me leave to hint to you my Opinion that it would be a Saving to our State in the Way of Supplys, if the Board of War would consign the Cargoes which they order here to a Merchant of |