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CHAPTER V

MORE BELFRY ECHOES.- BOSTON POOR

      "IT was some days after the rehearsal of my grandfather's experience by my father," said Uncle Eli, "before the weather favored another gathering of the same company. Farmers were obliged to spend all the time in fair weather on their land, and, in fact, there were duties enough for foul weather; but there was an advantage in the interchange of ideas for the older people, and the boys, such as Sydney Lawrence, Theodore Parker, and myself, improved those opportunities.
      The Parker and Simonds stories had revived an old theme; and the older belfry speakers, when at their homes, refreshed their memories by the aid of wives and parents.
      John Parker himself was not averse to taking a part in the ordinary belfry gossip; and when conversation turned, as it often did, upon the subject of the Revolution, especially when others of his age were in the company, he was sure to drop his auger or mallet, push up his spectacles, and join. Being in his fifteenth year when Major Pitcairn, backed by eight hundred regulars, ordered his father with his company to disperse, John Parker

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was admitted to be good authority, and even Jonathan Harrington (the last survivor) would give a listening ear.
      It was a catching day in haying season, dog-days are usually uncertain," said Uncle Eli, "when the belfry was filled with young and old, and conversation was at its height, a discussion of the two stories was in order, and Mr. Parker interrupted the speculation by saying, 'We had become so alarmed by the reports from the army in Boston that we hourly expected to see them rush in upon us, and rob and butcher young and old; of course, much of this was the result of exaggerated stories, yet it took but the slightest alarm to set all in motion. Why, I stood there by that wall' (pointing to the fence near by) 'on the 19th, and listened to the old bell as it clanged and clanged in this old belfry up there on the Common, and I longed to be there with father and the rest; but mother needed me, and I well remember her anxious face as she came running out of the house, with her silver spoons and other valuables, which she intrusted to my care. Now, if you will just come with me, I will show you where I secreted them.' To this call and lead of the speaker, we all responded, regardless of the falling rain, and followed down to where a decayed stump of an apple-tree was yet visible," said Uncle Eli.
      "'Here is where I put it,' said Mr. Parker; there was much more of the tree here at that

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time, but it was hollow; and thinking of the successful hiding of the charter of the Connecticut Colony from Sir Edmund Andros, by Willian Wadsworth, I determined in my haste to intrust the household valuables to a hollow tree. I dug into the decayed heart, and pushed down my treasures, with as stealthy motion as though the whole army of the king was near at hand. So anxious were we about father's safety (for he was ill when he left the house) that I was kept a good part of the time stationed down near the highway so as to catch the slightest intimation of tiding from any one passing.' Upon returning to our belfry shelter, a hitherto earnest listener was seer to take a fresh pinch of snuff, strike a positive attitude, and take his turn in the conversation.
      "Said the new speaker, 'That didn't begin with the Cutlers over to the west side. Thomas, you know, was a minute-man, and was off to answer the call, and all of the men of the family were gone. The womenfolks were so frightened that they all fled to the woods, and left the babe in the cradle.' -- 'Do tell!' cried out a half-score of voices, 'What became of it?' -- 'Oh, it lived to tell its own story,' resumed the speaker. 'I guess it was much more comfortable than were those who forgot it, sleeping away as though the redcoats were cracking jokes down in Boston camp.
      "'But some of the folks at the Centre hid their

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silver under a heap of stones, thinking it would never be discovered there; but in the afternoon, when the regulars came back from Concord, the owner looked out from her hiding-place, and saw an officer standing directly on top of the stones. But he had little thought of what was under him, being too much absorbed in that which was about him.'
      "' I declare,' said Uncle Caleb, that reminds me of the folks down to the east side, when the regulars went into the house and ransacked everything. No one dared resist, although some were where they saw all that was done, until one red-coated fellow began to tear the leaves out of the old Bible; then a boy pushed his head out from under the table, and exclaimed, "My dad 'ill give it to you, if you spoil our best Bible!" They did not meddle with the boy, thought it not worth the while, I suppose.'
      "'No more than our folks did the little fifer,' said Lieutenant Munroe. 'He was a bright little fellow, and had piped away for Pitcairn as well as he could, in coming down from Concord, until an old fellow had let fly at him from his musket loaded with shot for wild geese, and had broken one of his wings; at least, there he sat, with his fife stuck into the breast of his jacket, begging for help.' -- 'We gave it to him too,' cried a voice from the perch above; `although they abused our folks, young and old.' -- 'If they hadn't

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thought any of us worth killing,' said Mr. Blodgett, 'more than they did Black Prince, why they would have gone right on, and we should have been as free to go to dinner as we are to-day.' With this closing remark the company decided to disperse at the ringing of the noon bell, cheered by the promise of haying weather for the rest of the day."
      Weeks passed before the same company assembled again under the roof of the old belfry. But they had casually met in twos or threes in their daily walks, and some plans for the presentation of incidents in the military history had been the result.
      Jonathan Harrington was the leading speaker at the next meeting. He was about one year older than John Parker, and was a fifer in "that phalanx of freemen" on the 19th of April, 1775. He said, "I was aroused early that morning by a cry from my mother, 'Jonathan, get up, the regulars are coming, and something must be done.'" Mr. Harrington said, "But fighting was not the whole of it; our people had burdens to bear that are not suggested by the experiences in the field. The loss of ten of our citizens carried mourning into many families, and sorrow rested upon the hearts of a broad circle at the close of that eventful day. But that was not all. There had been a wanton destruction of property on the route of the enemy's march, and the pecuniary

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sacrifice had scarcely begun. Each town was called upon to share in it. With the operation of the Port Bill came grim want. Business was suspended in Boston, and sources of supply were cut off. The Whigs refused to furnish their produce to the Tories and British officers; Tories were severely dealt with when attempting to secrete supplies into Boston. Many who had been in comfortable circumstances were brought to the level of others who had been previously dependent. Many of the poor of Boston made an early removal into the country to the homes of friends, but there were others who were forced to remain and suffer. So great was their want that relief was sent from other colonies. Colonel Israel Putnam came with a drove of sheep from Connecticut to succor the inhabitants of the besieged town. Sickness naturally followed the scarcity of provision, and the condition was distressing to the extreme. The towns did all in their power for the relief of the sufferers, taking them into their own homes, and sharing their reduced income with those more needy. The extremity was so great that on May 1, 1775, the Provincial Congress ordered that they should be supported by the country towns, and the expense of removal of thousands unable to be met by themselves should also be borne by the towns. Lexington, with the others, had its share sent out. They were sent to the selectmen, and by them distrib-

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uted around among the families. Each family was provided with a certificate from the committee of donations. This, which I have in my hand, was brought to my neighborhood with a family who found a good home there." The speaker paused to give each of the belfry company opportunity to examine the original from which the cut was made: --

[Photo - "Certificate"]

He continued by saying, "After the camp was established at Cambridge, there came the demand for supplies of food and clothing, and above all there was a continual demand for necessaries for the hospitals. As each colony was at first managing its own army, it also made provision for them. But up to the time of the coming of General Washington, and the organization of the

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Continental army, a good deal was supplied gratuitously and voluntarily. Brave young men, unused to hardship, who were in service on April 19, and went immediately to Cambridge, were soon stricken down with disease, and either went home to die, or perished there in the illy fitted hospitals." So great was the want of the British army at one time in 1775, it is said that the town bull, aged twenty years, was slaughtered in order that the officers might have a change of diet from the salt meat to which they were reduced. The price per pound was eighteen pence sterling. We can imagine that a steak from this patriarch had staying qualities, at least.
      Each town within the distance of twenty miles was called upon to furnish its quota of wood, hay, and beef for the army at Cambridge. During the entire war there were continual calls upon the towns for shirts, shoes, stockings, and blankets, and other necessaries. While the men were striving to meet the oft-repeated calls of the tax-collector, the women were busy at the spinning-wheel and loom, and there was no one exempt from duty."

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