Papers of John Adams, volume 2
1774-10-02
Since I wrote you, Jealousies seem to rise higher between the People and the Army. It has been Rumour'd they were about to Fortifie Dorchester neck, which if they Attempt I am well satisfyd the people will Rise, but at Present that Report Seems to Subside. There was a plan of their intended Operations droped and which was made publick. I have it not by me but the Substance that Occurs, was to fortifie Fort and Bacon then adjourn. We were Greatly dismay'd when the News of the Glorious Farmers5 being made one of the Congress proved abortive; he would have done you Great honour as well as Render'd the Continent Great and Signal Service; however, your Omiting of him bro't that text to my mind Wisdom is not always to the Wise. Wait upon him, often. Yours affectionatly,
P.S. Advise also as to the Straw, which they are now in want of. I could Sincerely Wish you would write the Sentiments of the Congress Relative to the Barrak's being made by our Carpenters, so Should the Soldiers keep together &c and not distract the Town, or whether as this is to be a Garrison'd town whether it would not be deemed an Acquiescence.
Although Swift's letter is addressed solely to Cushing the salutation makes plain that he is writing to the whole Massachusetts delegation.
Following the example of New York and fearing that continued acquiescence in workmen's building barracks for soldiers would give the province a bad name, “country people” approached the Boston Committee of Correspondence, which voted on 24 Sept. that such work should be stopped (John Andrews to William Barrell, 25 Sept., MHS, Procs.
, 1st ser., 8 [1864–1865]:367–368).
When Gage protested to the Boston selectmen, they presumably replied that they could not influence the country, but that themselves preferred that all the soldiers be kept together if they had to be in the town (same, p. 368; but see Boston Record Commissioners, 23d Report
, p. 229).
On 26 Sept., Gage conferred with Hancock, seeking to get him to use his influence with the Committee of Correspondence to persuade it to change its vote. Hancock refused, citing the continued prohibition of trade even within the harbor of Boston (John Andrews to William Parrell, 26 Sept., MHS, Procs.
, 1st ser., 8 [1864–1865]:368; Herbert S. Allan, John Hancock, N.Y., 1948, p. 164).
John Dickinson, author of the very popular The Letters from a Pennsylvania farmer. See Adams'd Service in the Congress, 5 Sept. – 26 Oct. 1774, No. I, note 1, above.
Harvard Graduates
, 9:580–583; JA, Diary and Autobiography
, passim).