friends and beleive me with sincere Love your Affectionate Brother, PARMA, the 2d of July, 1775. JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY. This Day will dead Colour all my Picture of St. Jerome. DEAR HARRY, Copley to Henry Pelham [PARMA, July 15, 1775.]1 The deplorable state of Boston is such that I dont know. what you may be called to in so critical a conjunctor. it may be (for my fears suggest many terrable things) that you are called to Arm yourself. But if you should be, it is my injuntion that You do not comply with such a requi[si]tion if this does not come too late which I pray God it may not. I trust an injuntion from me will have its Weit intirely. my reasons when I am happy to see you I will give you, and if y[ou] find it a requi[si]tion that is submitted to by all Orders of People you need not be backward to give my desire as a reason. let it have its full weit, and if you Love me in the least, let the desire be from whom it may comply not. I have this exceedingly at heart and trust you will implicitly oblige me in this way. I conjure you to do as I desire. for God Sake, dont think this a 1 This note was sent to Pelham in Boston enclosed in Mrs. Copley's letter of September 18, 1775. Upon the margin, Mrs. Copley wrote: "P.S. this letter is dated the 15 of July." Copley's letter of the same date to Mrs. Copley, from Parma, is printed in Amory's Life of John Singleton Copley, 60-61. On July 22, 1775, Copley again wrote Mrs. Copley: "I would here renew my instructions to Harry not to suffer himself, for any person, or on any account whatever, to take part in the present dispute. I doubt not he will comply with my wishes; my reasons are very important." Ib., 63. The note to Pelham above bears the postmarks, "Lu[glio] 29; Inglitterre; 1/-" Triffling thing. my reasons are very important. you Must follow my directions and be neuter at all events. if I could say more to bind you I would, but I know this is sufficient, and I depend upon you. Adieu, my Dear Brother, Adieu, may God preserve y[ou]. All Duty to our Dear Mother. J. S. COPLEY. [Addressed :] To Mr. Henry Pelham To the Care of Mr. Thos Bromfield Mercht at the New England Coffee House, London To be forwarded to Boston by the first oppertunity. Henry Pelham to Susanna Copley1 MY DEAR MADAM, BOSTON, July 23, 1775. I should ill deserve that friendship and Regards with which you have hitherto honour'd me and which I am ambitious, ever to possess, was I longer to omitt congratulating your departure from this land of Ruin and Distress, and expressing my hopes that long ere this you are happyly arrived at a more friendly and peacefull shore, where I sincerely pray you may long enjoy every blessing that can fall to the lot of Human Nature You had scarc[elly left us before we began to experience all the inconveniences attending A seige, and behold the desolations ever consequential upon a War. As you have doubtless had the perticulars of the destruction of property at Noddle Isle, of the Govenou[r]s proclimation declaring Adams and Hancock with their Abetters and aiders traitors and Rebels, of the suspension of all Civil Law and Courts, and the establishment of the 1 This draft was written in red ink on absorbent paper, with corrections in black ink. The letter actually sent was dated July 26. See Mrs. Copley to Pelham, September 18, 1775. Martial Law and the important Battle and Victory at Charlestown and distruction of that Town, of all which I had with my Telescope a very perfect, but very malencholly View, I shall forbear reciting an account which cannot fail of renewing Sensations which would be painful to a mind as yours susceptable of the finest feelings of Humanity Benevolence and Compassion. Its retrospect for a few Years back compared With the present Contest cant but be a matter of uncommon surprize to the most inattentive Observer. Within the few years which indulgent Providence has permitted to rool over my head, I well remember the Inhabitants of this Town and adjacent Country put into the greatest consternation and uneasiness upon a vague report of the approach of a small Army of French, and this at a time too when they had added to their own Strength the Victorious Arms of the most powerfull Nation in Europe Drawn in their Defence. Now we see this very Country arming themselves and unsupported by any foreign Power ungenerously Waging War against their great Benefactors, and endeavouring to Ruin that State to whom they owe their being, Whose Justice and Gennerosity has fostered them to the[i]r late flourishing and Happy Condition, and whose arms has protected them in the uninterupted Enjoyment of all the blessings of Peace. We are at present invested by an army of about 14000 Men, whose almost Continual Firing of Shot has in a gr[ea]t degree reconciled us to Noise of Cannon; and we are daily spectators of the Operations of War. since the last Vessel sailed from this 500 Men in whale boats attacked and, I am sorry to say it, within sight of the British Flag, carried of from long Island just below the Castle 13 Men, who had fled to this Town from the Country and Miss Lydia Ward, Doct'r Perkin's Neice, who was there for her Health. they have not since been hea[r]d off. likewise a Number of sheep and cattle, and returned the next day and burnt all the buildings with a Quantity of Hay. A few days ago they distroyed the light House at Noonday, with in a quarter of a Mile of a Man of War.1 I with pleasure inform you that your Friends here are as happy if not more so than could be expected considering the narrow limmitts to which we are confined, and our being entirely cutt off from all supplies, except what our Friends in Europe will let us have. I was in hopes I should have had the Happyness of seeing you in England this fall, but now give over all thoughts of it, as I cant at present prevail upon My honoured Mother to undertake the Voyage, and should be very unneasy at leaving her during this scene of Confusion. Your Son is a fine boy in goo[d] Health. My buisness is entir[e]ly ceased. (I have not now a single day's buisness. But to fill up time I have begun a Survey of Charlestown, for which I have permission from Gen❜l Gage and Gen'l Howe, who were polite eno to grant me a general Pass directed to all Officers commanding Guards for going to and returning from Charlestown. Gen'l How[e], to assist me in the labori[o]us part of Measuring, has kindly put a Sarjant and his2 Men under my Comm[an]d. This Plan when finished will give a good Idea3 of the late battle and I propose sending Home a Coppy to be engraved, together with a View of it as it appears in its present Ruins, with the encampment on the Hills behind it. I have often passed Doct Warren's Grave. I felt a disagreab[le] Sensation, thus to see a Townsman an old Acquaintance led by unbounded Ambition to an untimely 1 See Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, XIV. 290. 2 Possibly "two", or "ten"; but probably "two" changed to "his." 3 Possibly "view." 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