| Title: | Patten, Matthew to , 1774-76 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6672 |
| Collection | Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan. Letters and memoirs from colonial and revolutionary America (1675-1815) [K.A. Miller et al.] |
| File | caanan/86 |
| Year | 1774-76 |
| Sender | Patten, Matthew |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Bedford, New Hampshire, USA |
| Destination | unknown |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | unknown |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 2075 |
| Genre | journal, war |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Matthew Patten Day-Book, Bedford, New Hampshire, 14 July 1774– 1 August 1776 <July> 14th <1774> Was Generally observed as a fast through this and the Bay province att the desire of the Committees of correspondance altho Mr Houston would not observe it in Bedford I and my famely keept and I went to Meeting in Derryfield and heard Mr Strickland preach from the 5th Verse of the 2d of Revelations .... <September> 19th james Orr mended my plow Shear that was broke in the wing he had a good deal of pains in the doing it the charge unknown and I went to a town meeting at Evening and the people intended to go to Amherst tomorrow to Visit Mr Atherton who Insisted on my going with them and they told me I must and Should go and that if I did not they would Viset me on which I said I would go 20th james Orr and Shed set the shoes on my horses fore feet and I went to Amherst and about 300 men assembled and chose a Commitie who went to M r Atherton and he came to the people to the Court house and he Signed a Declaration and Read it to the people who accepted it he Invited them to go to Mr Hildreths and Drink what they pleased the people Dispersed about Midnight without Doing any Out Ragious act I stayd till morning.... <February> 21st <1775> Was a Meeting at Amherst of Amherst and Bedford <men> to chuse a Representative which I attended and Was chosen Moderator and We chose Paul Dudly Sergant to Represent the two towns he had Votes and Col: Goffe had and I was chose one of the Commitee to prepare instruction for Mr Sergant and I lodged at Mr Hildreths.... <April> 20th I Recd the Melancholy news in the morning that General Gages troops had fired on our Contrymen at Concord yesterday and had killed a large number of them our town was notified last night We Generaly met at the meeting house about 9 of the Clock and the Number of twenty or more went Directly off from the meeting house to assist them.... And our john came home from being down to Pentuckett and intended to Sett off for our army to morrow morning and our Girls sit up all night bakeing bread and fitting things for him and john Dobbin 21st our john and john Dobbin and my bro r Samu ell two oldest sons sett off and joined Derryfield men and about Six from Goffestown and two or three more from this town under the comand of Capt john Moor of Derryfield they amounted to the No of 45 in all SunKook men and two or three others that joined them marched in about an hour after they amounted to 35 there was nine more went along after them belonging to Pennykook or thereabouts and I went to McGregores and I got a pound of Coffie on Credit 22d I was wakoned in the morning by Mrs Chandlers comeing with a letters from the Committee of the Provincial Congress for calling another congress of the Province imeadeatly and I went with it as fast as could to john Bells but he was gone to our army and both the others allso and I went to Robert Alexanders and got bushell of Rie on credit and took it to Capt Moors mill and got it groand and I had the Toal and I had 1/2 a bowle of Tody at McGaws for which I paid Lawful 4/ 24th my neck was so Stiff that I could not do anything with a cold I had got 25th I went and Notified on the River Road to meet at the meeting house in the afternoon on our publick Distress and I went to Col: Goffes to ask his advice and met toward Evening and acted on what we tho t necessary and my Brors jos: helped me with their 3 pair of Oxen to cross plow 26th I went at the desire of the town to Col: Goffes and Merrils and McGregores and Cautioned them to take Special care of Strangers and persons Suspected of being Torys crossing the River to Examin and Search if they judge it needful and I got a pound of Coffe and nine flints from McGregore for which I paid him 11/8 Bay old ten 27th Was The Province Fast by the Governors Proclamation 28th I began to Stock Capt Blairs Gun and I went and got jamey Orr to forge me a Screw nail for the breech of the Gun and I fitted it and cut the Screws and he made me a burning iron all of my iron.... MAY 1st The boys planted potatoes and I worked at the Gun and William Barnet gelded Dobbin came home lambs and a Boar for us and our john and john 2d Shed forged a Guard and some Rods for pining on the Quils and Stock on the Gun and I attended a Meeting of the town on our affairs of the country and Capt Moor had a training and our john and john Dobbin came home.... From the 15th to the 20th Inclusive I fished at the falls I got 106 Ells and how ma<n>y shad I cant Remember on the 19h we finished planting corn on the 16th we had a town meeting in Bedford at which we Voted to Shut the meeting house against Mr Houston and I was chosen to attend the county Congress next wednesday at Amherst.... 29th I went to Amherst and met the Rest of the Commitee and we took the care of the Goal and took from under his hand to Deliver it to us the first Tuesday in July next and I came home at Break of day next morning my Expences was Bay old Tenr 19/6.... <July> 3d I hooped the pail I set up the first and the afternoon I went with Samll Vose my Brors and Met john Bell at Adam Dickeys And took his Wifes Deposition and james Mathies and his son Roberts of some Discourse M r Houston had to them Relating the cruel acts of Parliament.... 13th I went to Amherst to judge Esqr Whiting for his being a Tory and I took two Salmon with me that weighed 20£ I sold one to Mr Holdreth and I gave him the other I had 2/6 £ Bay old Ten my expences was Bay old Tenor.... 17th There was 4 <members> of Goffestown committee and 4 of Merrymac and 2 from Derryfield met in Bedford by the desire of Bedford committee to judge of Mr Houstons being an Enemy to this country They judged him Guilty and confined him to the county without leave from the majr part of one of the commitees of the towns who judged him we broke up the next morning after day break.... 20th Was the Continantal Fast and Mr Cook preached with us in Bedford he preached with us last Sabath day which was the first preaching we have had since we shut the meeting house doors against Mr Houston NOVEMBER 1st The boys digged about 17 bushel of poatotes the last we have 170 bushell in all this year we put them all in the Cellar and I spent the day framing a Complaint for the Selectmen to the Commitee of Safty for Mrs Heppers casting her Daughter Hannahs child on the town and a Warrant to the Constable to Seize her goods to maintain the child and going with the constable and Selectmen to Seize the goods <December> 5th I went to Col: Moors mill and I took two bushell of Indian corn and a bushell and a half of Rie and got it Ground and the Commitee Recd The coppy of a letter from General Sullivan to the Com tee of Safty for the Province for 1984 men to be Raised in the Province to fill the place of Conecticut men who were to be dismist the 6th Instant 6th The town met at the Meeting House and there was men Turned out and there was 12 men Turned out and Enlisted there was 7 Guns lacking to Equip them and the Com tee is to procure them my Brors Samll and I borrowed john McLaughlins gun 7th I spent the day in going to Lieut Moors and other places to procure Guns for the men that goes out of this town but got none 8th I went to McGaws to meet our men that listed to go into the army I got home the latter part of the night My Expences was a pistereen and I bot an almanack for which I paid Six coppers 9th john set of<f> for the Army and Bob went with him.... <February> 5th <1776> I went to Amherst and was Qualified by Mr Claget and Doctr Nichols as judge of Probate and a justice and I lodged at Mr Heldreths and I took two bushel of corn and two of Rie to Col Moors mill and had it Ground and I had the Toal. 28th I went to Amherst to hold a Probate Court we granted four administrations the fees was 29/6 the Rigister gave me 10/6 I was chose to Represent Merrimac and Bedford in the General Court. <March 9– 23> I sit in the General Court untill the adjournment which was the 23rd I Recd pay for 15 days attendance my travil was 11/8 my wholl pay amounted to 5-1-8… <May> 16th I set out for Exeter to attend as one of the Comtee of Safty Colony and arived there that night 17th 18th 19th & 20th I attended at Exeter on the affairs and set out for home the afternoon of the 20th and came to Chester and lodged at Capt Underhills I left a Gown and near 26 yards of Fustin at Mr Barkers to Cloathiers to be dyed and dressed My Expences was 13/4 1/5 I bot 4/ worth of things viz 2 £ of Tobacca a Rub ball for my breeches and a Declaration for Independence 21st I came home and went to writing letters to Crown point for on my journey down I got an account of my johns Death of the Small pox at Canada and when I came home my wife had got a letter from Bob which gave us a particular account it informed us that he was sick of them at Chambike and That they moved him to S johns where they tarried but one night when They moved him to Isle of Noix where he died on the 20th day of june the Reason of Moveing him was the Retreat of the army which was very preceipatate and he must either be moved or be left behind whether the moveing him hurt him he does not inform us but it seems probable to me that it did He was shot through his left arm at Bunker hill fight and now was lead after suffering much fategue to the place where he now lyes in defending the just Rights of America to whose end he came in The prime of life by means of that wicked Tyranical Brute (nea worse than Brute) of Great Britain he was Twenty four years and days old 22d I writ at letters to send to the army in all I wrot four one <to> Col: Stark one to Major Moor one to Master Egan and one to Bob.... 25th I set out to go to McGregores to meet the post and Met McGregores boy comeing for me on the post horse and I gave the post four letters for the carriag of which I paid him and he Agreed to bring my johns things Exceept the Gun and 4/ accoutraments toward his doing it I paid him 8/.... August 1st Col: Kelley according to orders from the Comtee of Safty published INDEPENDENCE in Amherst one of Amherst Companies under Capt John Bradford and Lindborough company under Capt Clark attended under arms The whole was conducted with decence and Decorum and the people departed in peace and good order The prinsaple Gentlemen of the County attended But not any who have been suspected of being unfriendly to the Country attended my Expences was 5/.... |
