Chapter 17, Part II 

These troops were designed for the defence of the towns, and were for garrison duty only. Hadley was made headquarters, and a garrison of fifty-one men was detailed there. Forty-five were stationed at Hatfield, nine were sent to Springfield, and forty-six at Northampton. The following petition and letter explain themselves:

Petition of Mrs. Mary Turner.

To the Honoured Gouvernour and Councill Now Assembled in Boston.
The Humble petition of Mary Turner wife to Wm Turner now in the Service of the Country Under Comand of your Honours, Humbly Sheweth,

That whereas your poor petitioners husband Voluntarily & frely offered him selfe unto & now Is In your Service far from home together with his son & servants leaving onely one servant with me which God by his Providence hath bereaved me off soe that I Am at present wholy Almost left destitute of maintenance for myselfe which calls uppon me to crave of your honours Consideration of my present Condition And order the payment to me of the whole or whatt part your honours think fitt of wages due for the time my husband son & servants have bene In the Service of the Country which shall further Ingage your poor petitioner to pray for As In duty Am Bound: the future peace & prosperity of your honours & All the people of God In this poor Country.

MARY TURNER.
In Ansr to the petion, It is ordered that the Committee of the Army forthwith order the petitioner be payd Seven pounds on ye Account exprest therein.

Dated at Boston the 24th of Aprill 1676
By ye Council EDWd RAWSON, Secty.
Mass. Archives, vol. 68, p. 225.

Honored Sirs.
Since the army marcht hence under the Command of major general Savage and left mee here by order from your honours: I have not had any thing worth sending downe A post: And now having an opportunity I thought meete to acquaint your honours that the souldiers here are in greate distresse for want of clothing both Linen and Woollen: So I desired the Commissaries here to send down to quabouge to see if there any supplies: So they brought from thence A few Shirts Stockings Shoes and drawers: but not an eighth of what wee want: So that I shall beseech your honours to take some speedy Course for a supply to be sent to the Commissaries here for thei[r] [rele]eafe: here will want much as the enclosed note will show you: (???), forasmuch as it hath pleased your honours to commit the care of [these] townes to my charge: So I shall beseech your honours that my [wi]fe may have my wages due to mee for to supply the wants of my family: for whome I am bound by the lawes of god and nature to make provision: 

And I should be glad if there might be some fitter person found for this imployment: for I much doubt my weaknes of body and my often infirmities will hardly Sufer mee to doe my duty as I ought in this imployment: And it would grieve me to be negligent in anything that might be for the good of this yeare country in this day of their distress: Therefore shal leave it to your honours Consideration: whether some other man may not be fitter to be imployed in this place by reason of my weaknes of body: I have here sent you those Lists of my Company as they came from boston and afterwards from marlborough as they Continued to the seventh instant: also an account from the Commissary of northamton to that day: I have also sent A List of those Left the 7th instant under my Command in these 3 townes: most of them having beene here long before my time: Thus hoping your honours will Consider so as to send some speedy supply for the souldiers here and also order something for the supply of my family in my absence: I shall beg the Lord to be your Counsellour and guide in this time of distracktion and sore trouble: And remaine yours to serve your honours to the uttmost of my power wherein I may.

WILL: TURNER.
I beseech your honours deliver these lists to whome they may concerne: And command the souldiers to make hast backe to their quarters:

Your honours since ye close of this there is come in a young man taken from Springfield at the beginning of last month who informes that the enemy is drawing up all their forces towards these townes: and their head quarters to be at (Deere) field alias pegunkugg.

Dated 25 April, 1676.

Mass. Archives, vol. 68, p. 228.

Following are the lists referred to in the letter. The first shows the organization of his company until April 7th; the second list shows the disposal of his force for the defence of the towns up to April 25th.