Charlestown, So. Carolina, 5th Feb. 1780.

Dear Sir,-I beg leave to refer you to my late address, under the 24th ult. I do not write to Mr. Lovel by the present conveyance, from an opinion that he has before this time left Congress.

Permit me to recommend for immediate dispatch the inclosed Letter, directed to Mess. Smith, Codman and Smith, at Boston.

You will learn from my letter to the committee for Foreign Affairs, that I am chagrined and mortified by the finesse of the French Commodore, and the too great complaisance of our worthy General Commandant.-What, in such circumstances, can I do? I can do nothing for serving or promot ing my private interests, and as little for public benefit. My mind is anxious, and sometimes agitated-my powers are stagnant. I would give a great part of the little remains of my estate that I had never accepted your appointment.

I am not accustomed to being in still water-but the dilemma is intolerable when I ought to be in motion by command of my Country. Be assured I will leave no proper * untried for obeying those commands with all possible expedition.

We are here preparing for the reception of a menaced attack by a very formidable force from New-York and Geor gia four hostile ships are at this moment cruising before our door. Thank God! they cannot come within. But we have not yet learned what troops, or whether any, are landed in Savannah. Report says no less than 8000 are expect ed.

I will not boast of the merits of my countrymen ; but I believe they are displayed in general more upon the spur, than in wise precautionary measures. We have suffered much of our fortification to go to decay, and burned the former range of abattis. We are now all alive in repairing these defects at tenfold expence of labor and money.

Adieu, dear Sir.-Present me in the most cordial terms to all friends, and believe me to continue, with great respect and regard,

Your most obedient humble servant,

The Hon. Nathaniel Peabody, Esq.

HENRY LAURENS.

Delegate from N. H. in Congress at Philadelphia.

* A word wanting in the original.

Letter from Gen. Nathaniel Greene to Col. Peabody.

Camp Charlotte, Dec. 8th, 1780.

My dear Friend-I have had no opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your polite letter of introduction to Mr. Lee, with whom I was very gracious during my stop at Richmond.

What shall I say to you respecting this department? To tell you the truth, I dare not; nor would you believe me if I should. Give scope to your imagination, and form to yourself as bad a picture as you can draw, and still it will fall short of the real state of things. To effect an entire reformation of the plan and politics of this country, would be a greater task than that attempted by Martin Luther in the Romish church. What is the true interest of this country appears to be least likely to be adopted. The people are impatient under sufferings; and I am afraid their desire to remove the enemy hastily will only serve to precipitate them into new misfortunes.

Nothing can save this country from ruin, but a good permanent army, that can face the enemy with confidence. Then, and not till then, the people will be with you. Every thing in this country depends upon opinion. The great bodies of militia which this State have kept on foot, has well nigh ruined the State, and its currency; and must, if persisted in, destroy both.

Every body is a General here; and all are Legislators; but the inhabitants are so dispersed, and so little accustomed to control, that it is difficult to govern them, either by civil or military authority.

I have not had sufficient opportunity to look about me, to form any judgment what can be done with the little force I have. But my great object will be, to avoid a great misfortune, and do the enemy as much mischief as I can in the little partizan war.

General Gates left this to-day, on his way to visit his family. Many think him more unfortunate than criminal; and I believe his long retreat was the only fatal stab to his reputation. The loss of his son upon the back of his misfortune, has almost broken his heart: it has effectually his spirits.

How goes on the battle between the Committee and Congress? Will it prove a second edition of the battle of the Kegs, without blood or slaughter, notwithstanding a most tremendous fire of hot shot and round charges? What is

likely to be the issue of the New-England Convention? Congress must have powers to control all the States, or America is forever lost. Yours affectionately,

Hon. Nathaniel Peabody.

N. GREENE.

INDIAN TROUBLES AT BOSCAWEN.

10

[From the History of the town of Boscawen, N. H., just published, by the Rev. Mr. Price.]

101

May, 1754. Nathaniel Meloon and family were taken captive. Mr. M. had recently moved his family from the fort to Stevenstown, the westerly part of Salisbury. While on his way back to the fort on business, a party of Indians came upon him, and took him. They knew him-where he lived, and directed him home. The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. M. and five children, named Nathaniel, Rachel, John, Daniel and Sarah ; all of whom were taken captive, excepting their eldest son, who was at work in the field in sight. The father was ordered to call his son, and he did; but the son saw the Indians, and understood his father's wish for his escape, by the significancy of his voice; dropped his hoe, fled to the woods, swam Blackwater river, eluded the Indians' pursuit, and reached the fort in safety. Thealarm being thus given, a strong detachment marched directly up, in hope of recovering the captives, but it was too late. The Indians had hastily taken a few things and the six captives, and were out of their reach on their way toward Canada. Mr. Meloon's youngest daughter, about a year old, was sick, and being exposed, grew worse. The Indians took the child from the parents, under pretence of applying medicine, who never beheld her afterwards. In other respects they were treated humanely by their savage captors, though their travel and fare were very hard. When they arrived at Canada, they were separated, and sold to the French. Mr. M. and wife, however, lived together, and their son Joseph, now living in Salisbury, N. H. was born in their captivity, 1755. After a servitude of more than three years in Canada, Mr. M. and wife and their three sons were shipped for France; but on their voyage, near the Grand Banks, were taken by the British, and safely landed at Portland, Me.; from whence they travelled by land, and once more gained their home, after an absence of 4 long years in tedious captivity. Their eldest daughter, Rachel, was left behind, and continued in Canada, among the French and Indians nine years; when Samuel Fowler, Esq. employed by her parents, brought her home, though much against her inclination. She afterwards married, and had a family; but always retained a partiality for the manners and habits of an Indian life.

re

August 15, 1754, a party of Indians came to the house of Philip Call, who had just before moved from the fort into the edge of Bakerstown, now the casterly part of Salisbury.* Mrs. Call was in the house, but Mr. Call, his son and a hired man were laboring in the field. They saw the Indians, and ran towards home; but before they arrived, the barbarous enemy bad killed Mrs. Call with a tomahawk, while her husband and sen were so near as to hear the fatal blow. The Indians took her scalp, and immediately retired to the woods. Mr. Call's young man repaired to the fort as quick as possible to give information; and to avoid the chase of the Indians, he swam the Merrimack several times. A detachment of fourteen men, armed with muskets, marched directly on; but the Indians, in the mean time, suspecting that an alarm had been given, and that they should be pursued, secreted themselves in- ambush by the way side. Our men had no sooner passed them, than the Indians rose from their hiding-place, and, after a short struggle, made a prisoner of Enos Bishop. Timothy Cook, whose father had been killed at Clay Hill, plunged into the river; seven shots were made at him, and the seventh took his life. But the other twelve of the detachment made their escape, and returned in safety to the fort, not having been able, from some cause, to fire a single gun. Mr. E. Bishop was carried captive to Canada, and there unfortunately, by accident, lost one of his eyes; but the next year made his escape and returned home. It seems that provision was made for his ransom, but he made his escape before it was applied.

1756. Ezekiel Flanders and Edward Emeryt were killed by Indians, when hunting beaver by New-found pond, between Bristol and Hebron, in the county of Grafton, N. H. The Indians afterward informed, that one of them was shot when skinning a beaver in the camp, and the other shot at the same time, in sight of the camp, bringing in a beaver on his back.

Mr. Moses Jackman, now living, at the age of 73, son of Richard Jackman, deceased, was taken captive by the Indians, June 1757, when about 11 years old. Being on a visit at his uncie Clough's in Canterbury, and, at that time hoeing in the orchard with Dorset, Mr. Clough's negro man; four Indians of the St. Francis tribe unexpectedly leaped over the log fence within a few rods of them. The sight was so appalling, that Dorset caught young Jackman by the arm, and endeavored to hide; but when the Indians had gotten within a few feet of them, they separated. Jackman ran toward the barn, but before he reached it he stumbled, and fell, and was taken by an old Indian and young sanop,

* We have some doubts as to the correctness of the local distinction here given to the former names of Salisbury. That town was originally granted by Massachusetts, and was kuown by the name of Bakers-town. It was afterwards granted by the Masonian proprietors, October 25, 1749, and then called Stevens-town, from Col. Ebenezer Stevens of Kingston. We had always understood these names to be applied to the whole township, and not to its different sections.-Editors. + Inhabitants of Contoocook.

who pursued him. He very soon made an attempt to escape out of their hands by running, but was re-taken, beaten and tied; and to intimidate him, as it would seem, the old Indian, who held him, drew his hatchet over him as if to cleave his head asunder, but stopped the blow. This was all the violent usage he experienced from his savage master. Dorset, who had fled to the woods, was pursued by the other two Indians; who took the poor fellow, after he had made the most obstinate resistance, and received from them much abuse, by beating his face and head; which drew from him many bitter cries of "master! murder! murder!!"

The Indians soon joined in company with their captives, and without rifling the house, the family having all gone down to the fort, they sat off for Canada. They travelled through the woods, and crossed Merrimack river, at the falls, having made a light raft for Dorset, who could not swim, and one carried young Jackman over upon his shoulders. Their first night's encampment was by Smith's river. Jackman being without shoes, his feet and legs were very much injured; and, for his relief and comfort, the Indians kindly provided him with moccasons and stockings. He was too young to notice the points or the distances of their daily marches, or the country over which they passed; but after several days hard travel, supported mostly by the scanty game they took in their way, the Indians reached their encampment, where they had large packs of beaver's fur and one canoe. Here they stopped long enough to make another canoe, and then embarked with their captives and effects, and descended the stream, which brought them into Lake Champlain;-thence to St. Johns and to Montreal. At Montreal,Jackman and Dorset were imprisoned for a fortnight, while the Indians were employed in trafficking off their furs. But on their return, to the no small grief of these captives, they were separated; and Jackman never saw or heard from Dorset afterwards.

The Indians soon after this conveyed Jackman to St. Francis, and sold him to a Frenchman. While on this tour, he saw Christi, whom he had often seen in Boscawen, and knew him, and was recognized by the Indian. He lived with his new master until 1761, after peace was settled between the French and English, when he regained his liberty, and returned to his friends.

NOTE BY THE EDITORS.

In our Collections for 1322, page 62, we published a letter of Enos Bishop, written while in captivity, and addressed to the Rev. Mr. Jewett, of Rowley, Mass. In a note, it is there stated, that others beside Bishop were taken captive at the same time; but these were probably inhabitants of Bakerstown and did not belong to the detatchment mentioned by Mr. Price.