vestigating the great Temple of the Skies and adoring the Divine Architect of Heaven and quietly quitting this lower Creation.

When I think of the sufferings of my Friends in Boston, I am ashamed that my inconvenience should have such an undue effect upon me. I blush that I have so little Fortitude to encounter the Struggles we must expect to meet before the unnatural Campaign is over. I must confess I sometimes Indulge Fears which excite mirth rather than Sympathy in my Philosop[h]er. I have not seen our son since his return from sea. It is a Satisfaction that our Sons possess that love of Liberty which will engage them in the Cause of their Bleeding Country. It would give me great pleasure to pay you a Visit in your hospitable abode of peace and elegance, but the Length of the journey and the uncertainty of the times forbid it. It would add Inexpressible pleasure to us to see you in our Rural retirement, then might I profit by your Example of Equanimity and patience in times of Affliction. We are now cut off from all our Living, but those divine intimations in that sacred Book which have been the Consolation of many an exild one must be our Support. pray let me hear from you as often as possible. As it has been the mode of some distinguished Patriots on the other side the water in their late letters to a person of my acquaintance in these perilous times not to affix any Signature to them but that of Sentiment and Affection, so in humble imitation, after offering my partner's and my best Affection to you and Coll. Warren to subscribe yours Unalterably

JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS

[No signature.]

WATERTOWN, June 21, 1775

MY DEAR SIR, I got up yesterday morning with a determination to have wrote to you and acknowledged the pleasure I received by yours, but was then prevented and shall be able now to write very little before the Bearer will call for this. The Multiplicity of Business to be done in the present Situation and Hurry of our Affairs fills up every moment of my Time with an Attention hardly tolerable. The late Action at Charlestown you will hear of before this reaches you. I gave our Friend, J. Adams, an Imperfect Account of it yesterday.1 I refer you to him and haveing nothing to be relied on since shall only say that tho' the Troops and Torys in Boston Exult much, I think they have nothing to Bragg of but the possession of the Ground, and what was still of more Consequence to us, the Death of our worthy Friend Doctr. Warren. but you may de1 Vol. 1. 62, supra.

pend on it they paid very dearly for their Acquisition. I believe we shall find their killd and wounded very great, perhaps not much less than 1000, and among them many officers. Their Troops that came over it is said were 5000, Commanded by Lord How. it is amazeing how uncertain we remain to this time of many facts you might suppose we were fully possessd of. we are not at this time able to ascertain the number of our own men killd and wounded, tho' we have reason to suppose they will not greatly Exceed 100. we are well pleased with the Spirit and Resolutions of your Congress. we could only have wished you had suffered us to have Embraced so good an Opportunity to form for ourselves a Constitution worthy of Freemen. all Bodies have their Foibles. Jealousy, however Groundless, may predominate in yours. we have, however, submitted and are sending out our Letters and shall Express our Gratitude by this Conveyance for your kindness and Benevolence to us in this Respect. our Good Major Hawley can be very sincere and your Brother Cushing I suppose likes it. he has relieved me by an Intimation of a probability that you will regulate the Constitution of all the Colonies. I must again. refer you to my Friend Adams for my Sentiments of the Situation of our own Army. you would tremble to be possessd of the true state of it. fine fellows you know our Countrymen are and want nothing but a general of [struck out] abilities to make them a fine army. all our Efforts, which are many, cannot supply that defect. Yours must do it. could you believe he never left his House on Saturday last. I shall Add no more. I wish that was the worst of it. by the way I must do Justice to Thomas. he is a good Officer and is Esteemed. we have no trouble with his Camp; it is always in good order and things are Conducted with dignity and Spirit in the military Stile. we Yesterday chose Heath to succeed our Friend Warren as second Major General. Whitcomb is the first. The Humanity of the Good Genl. Gage that we have heard so much of has reduced Charlestown to ashes and will I presume treat all other Towns in his power in the same manner. I am now called on and must conclude, with my regards, etc., to all our Friends and am with my best wishes for every Happiness to you your Friend

JAS: WARREN

do write to me and among other things let me know how it is with Health and Spirits.

your

JAMES WARREN to Samuel Adams 1

WATERTOWN, July 9th, 1775

I dined Yesterday with Genl. Washington. he is an amiable man and fully answers the high Character you and my Friend Adams have given of him. I admire the Activity, Spirit and Obligeing Behaviour of Miflin. Coll. Read [Reed] is a very sensible, agreable Gentleman.... The armys have been for some time very quiet. we hear little from them, but at times a few Cannon. this Morning they have fired many, I suppose on Roxbury. I wish we were able to return the Compliment. I should have told you if I had not done it before that we are Concerned here about the Arrangement of the other Generals, particularly our own. I can't tell you how high Thomas' Character runs here. he was by far the best Officer we had. I hope you'l find some way to rectifie what realy is a mistake. I fear your Excessive Establishments may be the Ground of Uneasiness. I hope they wont descend lower than to the Generals. I observe you are very spareing of your Intelligence but I am well pleased with some of your proceedings I have heard off, and my Expectations are much raised. with what is to come. if the present policy, or rather Folly, of Britain should last a little longer we may be a Grand and a happy People. I now fear the repeal of the Acts which I have heretofore wished for. We talk of riseing this day to take a little Breath before we meet in General Assembly. the arrival of the Generals have relieved us of much trouble from the Army. when are we to see all the Governments, and our own with them, reformed and set upon a Good Bottom. we look for such an Event. dont you talk of adjourning this way. I find the General wishes for it. we have done it, all along we hear that some of the Troops destined for York are arrived and the whole Expected every Minute, and that the army in Boston are prepareing for some new Expedition. have many Boats of a particular Construction, flat bottomed and Calculated for Shoal Water. I Expect another Action very soon. A few more such as the last will ruin them. I refer you to Mr. J. Adams to whom I have given an Account of that matter which I believe true. I wrote to him Yesterday and he will have it by this Opportunity. do let me know how your Health is. I met Mrs. Adams the other Day. She was well and looked as Blooming as a Girl. I Pity the poor Creatures left in Boston. was very glad to see your Son out. My regards to all our Friends. I am obliged to Mr. Cushing for his frequent mention of me. I am your Friend, JAS: WARREN

1 From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library. A part of this letter is printed in 1. 69, supra, and only what was not in that note is here given.

I have just heard that our Army at Roxbury succeeded last Night in an Attempt to Burn Brown's House which Excited their Ire to fire the Cannon this morning.

JAMES WARREN to Samuel Adams 1

WATERTOWN, July 20, 1775

MY DEAR SIR, - I had the pleasure of yours of the 2d Instant by Mr. Thomas this day. it has been so long on its passage that I shall look for another in a day or two, tho' I claim no title to such a favour but from the most sincere Friendship. I am very sorry you have so much reason to Complain of your friends. I flatter myself, however, that I am not the most negligent of them. if I have not done my Duty I shall Endeavour for the future to reform, if you Continue to wish for Letters from me.

They Certainly have paid Excessively dear for the purchase of Bunker's Hill, but your Intelligence of the Death of How is without foundation. he seems to have deserved that fate and, perhaps, it is reserved to the next dome they may take. I want much to see you, but the Importance of the Business you are Engaged in suppresses every desire of that kind for the present. I am sensible from what has Transpired, tho' you have not been perticular, that your Patience is put to the Trial. I hope it will be supported. you flatter me with great Expectations. I hope I shall not be disappointed, but you must be aided by the folly and Wickedness of Britain. so much Moderation and Timidity still prevail here that there is no doing without them. I should be glad to give you a minute Account of our Civil and Military Affairs, but they are so numerous and so Complicated that it is difficult to know where to begin, or where to End, and besides I have wrote pretty fully to our good Friend Mr. Adams, which I consider in some Sort as writing to you. Our New Assembly met here yesterday. Chose only a Speaker and Clerk - your unworthy Friend for the first, Mr. Freeman for the second. the Choice of Concellors was postponed till Tomorrow Morning. I must furnish you with a List of them by another Opportunity. The Inhabitants of your poor devoted Town had a very Social Collection from their dispersions at Concord on Tuesday last to the number of about 200 and Chose Mr. [Samuel] Adams, Hancock, [John] Pitts and [Dr. Benjamin] Church to Represent them. I have no Expectation that the Election of Tomorrow will please either you or me. I could almost wish we were again reduced to a Congress till we had a Constitution worth Contending for. our AsI From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library. 2 Vol. 1. 82, supra.

sembly is numerous, about 160 Members, pretty nearly of the old Complection. Our Congress was dissolved yesterday morning. their most material proceedings you have seen in the papers. from them you will be able to form some Judgment of the general Tenour of the whole. I cant describe the difficulties we have had from the Caprice, Humour and whims of the Army, as well as many others. The Army is now perfectly quiet and in good Spirits, while their's is out of humour, ill supplied and dispirited. from the Appearances here, situated so nigh as we are to two Camps, you could hardly suppose an Army was within fifty miles of us. The Town is as still as perhaps it ever was on a Sunday. This Fast has been observed as you could wish, with that deference to the Authority that appointed it, and with that devotion that our Circumstances require. it is a grand Solemnity. 3,000,000 of People on their knees at once, supplicating the Aid of Heaven is a strikeing Circumstance and a very singular one in America. May the Blessings of Heaven follow in answer to our prayers. it gives me great satisfaction to hear your Health is better. if Gage's Proclimation has Contributed to it, as I am told it has, I will in one Instance acknowledge my Obligations to him. I am desired to Inclose to you a Letter from one Mrs. Nash and to desire Mr. Hooper's Care of it. my regards to all Enquireing Friends and sincerely

yours

JAS: WARREN

JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS 1

1

WATERTOWN, July 27th, 1775

MY DEAR SIR, - I yesterday received yours of the 12th Instant 2 by your Friend, Mr. Hughes. I shant fail to Introduce him to our friends and do everything I can to make his Visit here agreable to him. the Recommendation you have given is quite sufficient to Engage my good Opinion of him. I have but Just seen him. Expect to see him again this day. we sent you a Hint sometime ago with regard to takeing up Crown Officers. I could wish to see it Improved more and especially in one Instance. if I have Tryon's Character, his Intrigues are dangerous and require your perticular Attention. no Events of more Consequence that that of Choosing your Honour to the Board have taken place since my last. The Armys Continue to look at each other and fortify themselves. no Action or prospect of [one.] it is said they are very sickly and dispirited in Boston. Our Army is tolerably well and in good Spirits. I really wish to I From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library. 2 Vol. 1. 82, supra.