Eatton of Reading in the County of Middlesex Setting forth that he lives in the North Parish of said Reading, in which Parish Captain William Flint deceased heretofore obtained a Licence to sell Spirituous Liquors, Praying the General Sessions of the Peace for the said County may be impowered to Grant him a Licence (at their next Term) to sell Spirituous Liquors."1 Passed April 16, 1762. The letter follows: MY DEAR I now send you a line or two to let you Know that I am in helth 'hoping that you are all well I have had a bad turn wth a cold & cawgh and flux or canp Deceaze but thro the undeserved Mercys of my God I am in good helth. I have Buried Jon Hart and fear I shall Loose Serjt Masson two as hearty men as any in my Company we have Rain Every Day and it is very unwholsom weather hear I can scarse Keep my Cloaths that ant on my back from Moulding and spoiling as for Living I live well anough for we have fresh beef Evry week & Salt Fish and I have Bought me a Good tea kittle wh cost me abou[t] two Dollars very handy in the ca[mp I] have Tea Chocalat or Coffee wth Biscit & Butter for Breakfast Constantly when at my tent, things have be[en] Dull wth us but there is a Sudden turn of affairs and we Genera[lly] suppose that we shall Quickly come to action the Lord grant us victory. We are going to march forward tomorrow or next Day and shall not tary long at the lake but shall (God Willing) speak to our perfidius Enemies In the High places of the Field we have good news from oswago of a great victory obtain'd against them wh certainly Enlivens ye Sperits of our Army to Emulation be not two Anxiously Trobled for me but let y' soul joyn wth mine in Fervant Petitions for the pardon of our Sins and for a prepared State for that world where the Wicked cease from Troubling. let Billy write all y' concernes and afairs and send to me, the post Rides Every week from Boston to Albany and Esq' Nichols or Mr Temple can send Along yr Letters I have Recd one from Esq' Nichols in wh was inclosd yrs & M3 Putnams I have wrot to Capt Damon some time since & to unkl[e] Benja and to Father Flint and should be Glad to hear if they Recd em and to hear from em: return my hearty thanks to Mr Putnam and Desire Publick prayrs for us if you Rece this before you hear any further. Reading People are all well Lynn End are all Sick but none Dangerous but Masson: Now my Mind is ten times in midst of my Famely before I can write five words, but 1 Massachusetts Province Laws, xvii. 188. Wth with hope and patience I cheerfuly Submit to my duty beliveing what is is best, neither will I Carve for Divine Providence but trust in the Goodness of God wh if it should please him to return me to my Famely & frinds then Shall I enjoyce wth you in his Salvation, but if not God Grant thro Christ that I may rejoyce in heaven where the joy shall be Compleat & full of Glory Amen we have Good Ministers in the Camp I believe but many bad Hearers send me how Every thing prospers you and how all the children Do and Fail not in your Duty to them: Give my Kind regards to all my Frinds and Neighbours and my love & Duty to my Mother & Bretheren I have heard that Ant Flint is Dead and Edmond Damon and Philip, the Officers of the Bay and Espeshaly of our Regiment have all a very Good Understanding one with Another and we live very hapily together but the New York Rigements are a Sink of Filth and a publick disturbance both by Night & by day but some of their Officers are prety Genteel civil Gentlemen I and my Company a[re ] in the Left wing of the Bay forces and New York long side me so that I hear a Great Deal of Cursing and swaring and I perceve some whoring too there being 3 or 4 weomen in the tents near unto mine, but anough of this Filth If you could see what I have seen perhaps it would make you wonder if not Blush We hear that France has proclaimd War at last which we like well and hope to pay em well for their trechery & perfidy and if Cannada should fall a prey unto us I hope we should not be unthankfull, Such provision of stores and armaments were never seen in America before as is with us besides wt was up last year and the Highlanders added wth their Broad Swords makes a very daring prospect, but vain is the help of man. I fear most, the Difeculty of Commands will Bread jealousy and Difficulty with our Cheif Commanders Gen1 Ambercrombie will have the command but I hear that he says Winslow shall councel & Direct and he will pursue but some of our Collonels are bitterly against having any thing to Do with em but we run a great risk if we go on wth out em for if we should then not succeed we shall never be paid from home and if we go on wth em it seems we shall loose the Glory if we Do succeed, but I say let us all go and prosper & let God have all the Glory and let N England say Amen. I have not above half Done but for this time will conclude with subscribing your Loving Husband Camps at Half Moon 14 July. 1756. W FLINT P. S. When I shall have so much Leasure time again is uncertain but hope you and my Frinds will Improve an oppertunity to write unto me I want to hear from Every body &c Mr. ALBERT MATTHEWS stated that a year ago Mr. William C. Lane gave a list of "fellow-commoners" at Harvard College,' and offered as an addition to that list the name of George Ball of the Class of 1734, who was admitted a fellow-commoner in 17302— perhaps the last of that privileged class. Mr. Matthews added that information about Ball was desired, as nothing seemed to be known about him with certainty.3 1 See pp. 165-175, above. 2 "At a Meeting of yo Presidt & Fellows Agreed that George Ball be admitted a Fellow-Commoner," August 18, 1730, Faculty Records, i. 30. 3 It is sometimes said that Ball was born in Cambridge, but of this there is no proof and the statement is probably due to a misapprehension. The Class of 1734 was placed on September 22, 1730, when Ball was assigned to the fourth place. (Faculty Records, i. 32.) His age is given as 14, and his place of residence at entrance (but not necessarily of birth) as Cambridge. In an interleaved Triennial Catalogue he is said to have been a Captain in the British Navy during the Revolution. (Harvard Graduates' Magazine, xxvi. 565.) |