Boston Oct. 16th 1774 Dr:Sr:,

When I write to you, I don’t mean to exclude any Gent. we have sent to the Grand Congress, or any other of that most honble. Body. Sometime Since I wrote you that while the Kings Troops are dayly making such advances upon us, & more Troops & men of Warr soon expected to arive whereby; If we must dispute with them in good Earnest, we shall be under an unspeakable disadvantage wch., at this time, we shall not Labour under. I thot the Grand Congress ought to take the most & speediest concern upon them for our Safety. The next news I had, whether true or false I cannot conclude, that our Best Friends the Southern Colonies, could not come into a non Exportation agreemt. before next September. If by that time they will be able greatly to strengthen themselves, and weaken our Common Enimy the Britons, I shall be easy & will endeavour to make others so too: but in the mean time The Grand Congress must give us their Approbation, at least, for a timely opposition to our Enimies, & while we see all their Actions giving the Lie, to the Generals most solemn declarations, we can nether believe him, nor rest quiet any longer. You will see our Provincial Address to the Genrl. & next Monday or Tuesday we expect his Ansr. but are as satisfied, as if he had told us, that it is out of his power to demollish his Fortifications, therefore after a day or two, it will be peremptorily demanded of him by our Provincial Congress.1 I suppose he will pay no regard to it. The Consequence will be, a speedy Provincial Encampmt. without any Intention of Coming to Blows, & we are well assured the Regulars will not begin Hostilities, but it’s probable they will continue to fortify; & if they should; I believe it will be impossible to keep our hand off from ’em. Many members of our Provl. Congress think we cannot carry on an Encampmt. before we have some Established form of civil Government: & that can’t be done but by the Grand Congress. I tell ’em an Encampmt. may & I think must be made, by all the Towns and Districts, Enlisting their Quota of men & voting ’em pay. If that should be our Case: Their Desertors, will know where to run, then the Genrl. will immediately send Home & a Cessation of Arms will take place. The Grand Congress must not rise or adjourn before they have settl’d a form of Governmt. for all the Colonies, & know what will be finally done by Britain. And it is impossible, that 14the Grand Congress should not approve secretly & in their own minds at least of our provincial Conduct in defending Our selves, when under such absolute Necessity as aforesd. Never was a Maxim of more importance than Obsta Principiis.2 I believe many Thousand lives, will be sav’d by it.

no signature

RC ; addressed: “For Robert Treat Payne Esq; at Philadelphia by fav. Mr. Tudor”; endorsed: “Benja. Kent Esq. Octr. 1774.”

1.

Gage’s response, dated Oct. 17, appears in The Journals of Each Provincial Congress , 20–21. Concerning the new fortifications, the governor stated that it was “an act of duty” for him to construct the fortress in reaction to the “unusual warlike preparations throughout the country,” but he also commented that “unless annoyed, it will annoy nobody.”

2.

Withstand beginnings; resist the first approaches or encroachments.

Taunton Octr: 23d. 1774 My dear Uncle,

Last night we recived your two letters to my Aunts, dated the 7th. of this month.1 You cant imagine Sir, the joy we felt upon reading them, & no one more sincerely rejoiced than your neice which is now writing to you with so much freedom. We had the mortification to hear that there was letters from you in town almost a fortnight ago, but could get no Friendly hand to Cheer our hearts with the invaluable Pacquet, untill yesterday Docr. Cobb, returned from the Provincial Congress, and as he came home, he was kind eno, to call at our house and take them. You wonder why I did not write a P.S. to my Aunts Letter. I know Sir, I ought to; & I fully intended it, but if you remember; you said, that we must all write upon one sheet, & to say the honest truth Poor I was complemented out of my share of the Paper. I did not think it my Place to write before my Aunt Paine. Tis true she asked me to, but I declined because I thought it impropper, but if I had have known it would have been any Pleasure to you Sir, I should not have done so, but I thought, as you had so many other agreable engagements; you would not find Leisure to read the Poor Productions of my Pen. Pray Sir excuse me for thinking so, since that, I have wrote, & Docr. Cobb must answer for your not, ere this time having one testimony of my duty & respect. He Carried it to the Congress Promising to write himself & inclose all ours, but however it 15happened he can best tell he wore them a fortnight in his Pocket & has now brought them back again. I intend to inclose it in this & send it along to make my apology. I think tis likely it may reach Philidelphia before you will Leave it. I look forward to the day of yr. return, with great Pleasure. Your Charming house, and all the advantages you left us to enjoy, will be much more agreable when your Presance graces it. We have long been impatient to see you. We miss you most at dinner time, when we always talk of you, & drink your health. Sally many times in a day speaks of you, but always says, ‘my Pappa will come home next Monday’. Bobby is more taken up with his Play, so dont think so much of his absent Friends. Dear Little Tomy grows finely, but does not remember Pappa. He is well & fat as butter. I hope our Country will reap great benifit; from this meeting, & that the seeds you are now sowing, will bear such fruit, as shall will repay you all for your labours. We have no news to write you: only that of our Private familys, but what you will hear other ways. We have a liberty Pole created last week, upon the knoll before Capn. Cobbs door. Tis upwards of a 100 feet high. Has a very large handsome flag that is Put up at the rizing of the Sun & a gun fired under the Pole. At sun down tis taken down & the same Ceremony Performed. Please to accept my thanks for your kind invitation to all of us to come to Taunton. I hope twill not be nessesary to move out of town. I heard last night that Pappa has removed to that house Mr. Wingfeild lived in, since you have been gone, he is dead last weak,2 my Grandfather departed this Life! in a good old age in his 83d. year. We could not expect his life much longer, on a third shock of the Palsy Carry’d him of this stage of action. I long most ardently to return home. I expeted to tarry here 6 weeks, & have been here 12! I hope Sir youll. accept this from most dutifull Neice & humle. Servant.

Abigail Greenleaf

RC ; addressed: “To Robt. Treat Paine Esqr.”; endorsed.

1.

Not located. These are probably the letters that RTP noted in his diary under the date of Oct. 11: “Wrote Wife, Eunice, Dr. Cobb, Mr. Greenleaf by Mr. Revere who sat out this day with an answer to his Express.”

2.

The death of Capt. William Wingfield, merchant, was noticed in the Massachusetts Gazette and Boston Weekly News-Letter, Aug. 18, 1774. The house mentioned was Wingfield’s home on Union Street, near the Boston town dock (Suffolk Deeds 130:222).