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 A Story About A 
 Little Good Boy 
 
 1795 
 
GENERAL PELEG WADSWORTH 
 
 t748— 1829 
 
A 
 
 STORY ABOUT 
 
 A 
 
 LITTLE GOOD BOY 
 
 How he became a great man and 
 had little good boys of his own 
 
 Gen. Pcleg Wadsworth defending his home 
 (From an old ^.,f,i6' :, ; ; 
 
 PORTLAND. MAII^E 
 J903 
 
E. ■•■ ^^ 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 CONGRESS, 
 
 Two Copies Receive^; 
 
 AUG 20 1903 : 
 
 ^Copyright Entry 
 
 cuss ^ a XXc No 
 
 COPY B. 
 
 Copyright J 903 by 
 LUCIA WADSWORTK LONGFELLOW 
 
 Portland, Maine 
 
 ' ; £*rivately Printed 
 ■ Vt'the Press of 
 Lefavor-Tower Company 
 
TO THE READER. 
 
 Ninety-six years ago this story was written in 
 the city of Philadelphia for some little boys in 
 Portland, Maine. 
 
 The story is awtobiographicaL Through its 
 tjnconscioos revelation we learn how Peleg Wads- 
 worth, its writer, grew up to be a man of heart 
 and courage and charming personality. 
 
 In the story, we know him more particularly 
 as the ** Little Good Boys, ** devoted and admon- 
 ishing Papa. In his private history, we know 
 him as a graduate of Harvard College, a soldier 
 of the Revolution, a member of Congress, and an 
 honored and beloved citizen of Portland, where 
 he built a house, spoken of at the present time as 
 the ** Wadsworth-Longfellow House,^ whose 
 rooms, the favorite shrine to-day of pilgrims 
 passing through the town, are filled with treas- 
 ures of a bygone age, and overflow with dear 
 memories and old associations. 
 
 Of the personal appearance of Peleg "Wads- 
 worth, gentleman and soldier, we have the 
 
 111 
 
following: word picture, found in a letter from his 
 daughter Zilpah : 
 
 ** Imagine to yourself a man of middle age, well propor- 
 tinedt witli a military air, and who carries himself so truly, 
 that many thought him tall. His dress, a light scarlet coat, 
 buff small clothes and vest, full ruffles over the hands, white 
 stockings, shoes with silver buckles, white cravat bow in 
 front, hair well powdered and tied behind in a club, so called/* 
 
 Let us add to this picture a three cornered 
 black felt hat, which among other family relics 
 may still be seen in the old house. 
 
 Of the character of Peleg Wadsworth, surely 
 there can be no more complete summary than 
 that briefly recorded on the stone which marks 
 his grave: 
 
 ** He was a Patriot, Philanthropist and Christian/' 
 
 Of his high thinking and feeling, of his natu- 
 ral grace of expression these few chance selections 
 from his many delightful letters are best able to 
 testify* 
 
 In the first, a letter to his wife, we obtain a 
 
 pleasant knowledge of his affectionate intercourse 
 
 with his family* 
 
 ^Philadelphia, 24th Jan'y. J799 
 Not a line, my love, have I to acknowledge this morning 
 from any of my dear family. I know it is not because I 
 have lost their love, but I suppose it is because they are agree- 
 ably engaged some other way amongst themselves. This is 
 not an unpleasing idea to me for I delight in their enjoyment. 
 
 IV 
 
I hope John and the sisters will not cease to engage the 
 attention of the little boys to something that may be useful 
 and improving The behaviour of the little ones of a family 
 very much depends upon the attention paid them by the great 
 ones. I promise myself that my little ones will not suffer by 
 the neglect of their elder brothers and sisters, but that they 
 will at all times concur and cooperate with their Mama in 
 rearing the little branches 
 
 In about a month after this reaches you, my dear, I hope 
 to be with you. The time will soon be past. The hours 
 are in full pursuit of those that have gone before, and are 
 lessening dow^n the mass of time. All we have to do, my 
 love, is to improve them as they fly ; to seize the present mo- 
 ment and to do with a good will all we find to do. The 
 past is gone ; the future may never reach us ; neither are 
 now in existence Tis what we are is all the question. One 
 thing be assured of — 
 
 I am your very affectionate husband, 
 
 P Wadsworth. 
 written in Philadelphia, April J 6, 1800. 
 
 In a letter to his daughter Zilpah, replying to 
 one which contained his daughter's confidences 
 on the subject of a rejected suitor, he says : 
 
 ** I believe, my dear, that love is an involuntary passion, 
 that it is an essential ingredient in matrimonial happiness, and 
 that that voyage ought never to be undertaken without a 
 sufficient stock of that indispensable article. Unless the way 
 is lighted by that ethereal spark, it will be at the best but dark 
 and gloomy. 
 
 This passion of all others ought to be treated with ingenu- 
 ity, candor and tenderness, for it is a spark of Deity ; without 
 it, this world is a wilderness, and well has it been said by 
 Inspiration, ** Where love is wanting, all is wanting, yet how 
 often is it treated the very reverse and instead of being the 
 great source of happiness, it is made the snare and bane of 
 life. 
 
 You will perceive, my dear, that I would never advise a 
 
cowple to enter the state matrimonial, where there was not a 
 mutual affection. Till that shall happen to any or all of my 
 children, I shall be very happy to have their company in my 
 family as at present, and I will try to make them as good and 
 as happy as I can ** 
 
 In a letter to his wife, written in "Washington, 
 January, t803, we find a liberality of thought 
 in regard to religion quite unusual at that time* 
 
 ** In the morning, we all went to church in the capitol ? 
 
 Dr. Grant our chaplain, gave us what some would call a 
 Hell-fire sermon — I could not join with him in more than 
 half he uttered and yet he called upon me to believe or be 
 
 d d. Now I do not believe that my faith depends upon 
 
 my will although we are apt to believe or think we believe 
 what we wish to believe, yet unless I am convinced of the 
 
 truth of a fact, how can I believe it to be so ? The God 
 
 whom I have heard preached to day was a vindictive God, 
 very different from my God, However I have charity for the 
 preacher and have no doubt he has been preaching what he 
 believed to be the word of God But then I must claim the 
 
 same liberty which he has taken, to judge for myself 
 
 I ever wish to instill into the minds of my family the principles 
 of benevolence, justice and good morality, that is a love to 
 God and love to man, and with these they shall have the lib- 
 erty to chose their own mode of putting them into practice/' 
 
 The Portland house was built ten years before 
 the writing of the story to the ** little good 
 boys/' 
 
 It has generous rooms of fine proportions, and 
 a broad stairway, whose low steps were especially 
 designed for the comfort of the mistress of the 
 mansion* The many windows face on the front 
 
 VI 
 
toward the sea and on the back, across a long 
 garden toward distant hills and the sunsets But 
 that was in the days when the house was sur- 
 rounded by green fields* The town has crept 
 about it now, and it looks upon a busy street* 
 In the rear there still remains a suggestion of the 
 old garden with its elm trees and syringas and 
 lilacs, and from the western windows one has a 
 glimpse of the sunset sky. 
 
 An historic house in the midst of the pleasant 
 town, it bears witness silently but with gentle 
 eloquence, to the underlying principles of good 
 building, principles, which the illustrious grand- 
 son of Peleg Wadsworth later expressed in song* 
 
 Build to-day then strong and tftie, 
 With a firm and ample base^ 
 And ascending and secure 
 Shall to-morrow find its place* 
 
 It was to the first children of this house, the 
 Wadsworth children, one of whom in after years 
 became the mother of the poet Henry Wads- 
 worth Longfellow, that this story, with its divi- 
 sion into fifteen little volumes, was written, and 
 sent week by week in as many letters* 
 
 Fifteen little volumes, each of a single chapter, 
 containing a most varied and entertaining nar- 
 ration of an old time childhood, boyhood and 
 
 Vll 
 
manhood! The ofiginal manuscript is now 
 the cherished possession of a granddaughter, 
 Mrs* Lusannah Wadsworth Hubbard of Hiram, 
 Me. 
 
 One of the concluding chapters gives a descrip- 
 tion of the writer's capture during a period of 
 military duty on the coast of Maine* An inter- 
 esting supplement to this account may be found 
 in the following extract from a letter written by 
 General Wadsworth to his wife, after he was 
 taken prisoner at Thomaston* 
 
 Bagaduce, Fort George J 9th of Feb. J 78 1. 
 
 It is with supreme gratitude, my dear Betseyt that I ac- 
 knowledge the preservation of my sweet family in the late 
 hostile conflict. I recall to have seen my whole Family, ex- 
 cepting my Little Charles, for whom I am under much appre- 
 hension, knowing that his Zeal and activity is such that he 
 would certainly have come to his Father's aid, had he been 
 awake, altho but five years old. Heaven grant that the dear 
 boy may be safe. I am extremely afflicted at the idea of 
 your situation. The windows dashed, the Doors broken, the 
 House torn to pieces and Blood and Slaughter around. You 
 without help — without your Bosom Companion. 
 
 After I left you I was conducted to the giggt then taken on 
 Board a Small Privateer commanded by Mr. Lang and 
 landed at Bagaduce on the afternoon of the same day. On 
 my passage and since my arrival I have received the great- 
 est Civility and am treated according to my rank. My 
 "Wound is as fair as possible, it being with a Musket Ball 
 passing through my left arm just above the Elbow, touching 
 the Bone without fracturing it 
 
 The enemy's Party consisted of fifteen men, two of which 
 were badly wounded, besides the one left at Mr. Fales, who 
 
 VIII 
 
if living I desire may have good care taken of him, as also 
 
 old Hickey, who lay wounded in the kitchen 
 
 I pray you would send me by the bearer four shirts, 2 pair 
 Breeches a Westcot, Coat, Stockings, Buckles, Stock, and 
 Hanger and Waist Belt, with an account of your situation - - 
 My best wishes attend my sweet Family. 
 
 Adieu 
 
 P Wadsworth. 
 Mrs. "Wadsworth. 
 
 Long departed is the hero of this story, and 
 the beautiful young lady his wife. Long silent 
 are the ** little good boys ** for whom the story 
 was written, and the lovely young girls, who 
 were their sisters, yet they seem to breathe and 
 speak again, to go in and out of the rooms of the 
 old house, and to watch from its windows for 
 the coming of the post with the eagerly expected 
 letters, as with ever increasing delight we read 
 the pages of these fifteen briefest of volumes, 
 sent from Philadelphia to Portland, some hun- 
 dred years ago. 
 
 HARRIET LEWIS BRADLEY. 
 
 96 Fifth Avenue, New York. 
 April, J903. 
 
CHARACTERS IN THE STORY. 
 
 PARENTS OF "LITTLE BOY P/^ Deacon Peleg and 
 
 Lusanna Sampson Wadsworth. 
 " LITTLE BOY P/* Peleg Wadsworth, writer of the story, 
 
 born in Duxbury, Mass., 1748. Died in Hiram, 
 
 Maine, 1829. 
 " THE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY *\ Elizabeth Bart- 
 
 lett, born in Plymouth, Mass., J 753. Married 
 
 to Peleg Wadsworth in J 772. Died in Hiram, 
 
 Maine, J 825. 
 U. URIAH, brother of ** Little Boy P.^' 
 
 g* I UNKNOWN PLAYMATES. 
 
 DOCTOR DEANE, 1 
 
 ESQUIRE FROTHINGHAM, \ ^ . , ^.,. 
 
 ^ Prominent Citizens 
 
 ESQUIRE FREEMAN ^^ ^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 MR. MERCHANT STORER, | 
 
 MR. PRINTER WAIT, J 
 
 GENL L. General Solomon Lovell. 
 
 OLD HICKEY. Soldier and afterward life long dependant 
 
 of General Wadsworth. 
 
CHILDREN OF GENERAL PELEG WADSWORTH 
 AND ELIZABETH HIS WIFE. 
 
 A. ALEXANDER, 1774-1775, the little boy who died in 
 
 camp at Dorchester. 
 CHARLES. Charles Lee Wadsworth, 1776-1848. 
 SISTER ZILPAH. The oldest daughter, 1778-1851, 
 
 mother of the poet Longfellow. 
 SISTER B. The second daughter, Elizabeth or Betsy, 
 
 sometimes called ** little girl E ", 1779-1802. 
 JACK. John Wadsworth, 1781-1880, an accomplished 
 
 scholar and linguist. 
 LUCIA. The third daughter, 1783-1864. 
 HARRY. Lieut. Henry Wadsworth, U. S. A., 1785-1804, 
 
 killed before Tripoli. 
 GEORGE. 1788-1816. 
 ALEXANDER Scammel. 1790-1854. Commodore in the 
 
 U. S. Navy. 
 SAMUEL. 1791-1874. 
 PELEG. 1793-1875. A General in the Militia of Maine. 
 
 XI 
 
STORY ABOUT A LITTLE 
 GOOD BOY HOW HE BE- 
 CAME A GREAT MAN AND 
 
 HAD LITTLE GOOD BOYS OF 
 
 HIS OWN 
 
 VOL. I 
 
 ONCE there was a little Boyt his name was 
 P*-^' & he had a little Brother whose name was 
 U^t hut U was not so big as P. Those two little 
 Boys, P & U lived in the country* Now P was 
 a pretty good little Boy sometimes, & he was a 
 very good Boy to go to school & the Master 
 always callM him a very good scholar, tho some 
 folks callM him a Rogue, because he lookd like 
 a Rogue — but that was not true — for if he did 
 look like a rogue that did not make him one, for 
 he always said his prayers night & morning & 
 did not swear nor speak wicked words as the 
 Boys did L & S* with whom P* & U used to 
 play* Now L & S were two cleaver Boys ( if 
 they had not used such bad words ) they lived 
 
 *PeIeg* tUfiah, 
 
a little off of P & U and P & U used to be 
 naughty sometimes & they would run away to 
 Play with L & S* to get Birds Eggs, without 
 asking their Mama's Leave, who was often much 
 frighted about them lest they should be lost or 
 fall down off of a high Tree when they were 
 getting the Eggs out of the poor little Birds nest, 
 & kill themselves — how crewel it is for little 
 Boys to get away the poor little Birds Eggs when 
 they have taken so much pains to build their 
 Nests & taken so much pleasure in laying their 
 Eggs in them to hatch their little young Birds ! 
 Did you never see how sorry the poor little 
 Birds are when they flutter round a Boy when 
 they think He is going to get their Eggs or their 
 young ones? They seem to cry & take on as 
 much as your Mama would do if the Indians 
 were going to catch her little Boys & carry them 
 away. But as I was going to say P was a pretty 
 good Boy & was always sorry & frighted when 
 he heard L & S swear so, & thot that He would 
 never swear himself because it was wicked & 
 would make God angry with him, but yet P & 
 U loved L & S very well & were very fond of 
 running away to Play with them* One Evening 
 when it was warm weather all four Boys P & 
 U & L & S had been playing out in the Corn 
 field & runing & hiding amongst the high Corn 
 till it was almost dark & then they thot they 
 would go into the Stack yard where there was a 
 great many stacks of hay & play there* So they 
 all went & run round the hay Stacks a spell & 
 
that did not do much hurt, but at last they 
 boosted one another up upon the Stacks of hay 
 which was naughty because it wasted the Hay 
 & spoiled the Stacks — did you ever see a Stack 
 of hay, my little Boys ? This Stack yard was 
 close to P & U's Papa's house, and by & by 
 when all the Boys were on the top of the Hay 
 Stacks ( I don't know how the last got up ) & 
 it was pretty dark, & they were hollowing 
 
 The End of the first Vol : to be continued 
 Philadelphia J7 Jany J795 
 
VOL. II 
 
 JUST at the time that those little Boys P & 
 U. & L & S* were all on the Top of the Hay 
 Stack hollowing (as I said) P & U*s Papa * came 
 out of the House to see what was the Noise & 
 when he found all the little Boys on the top of 
 his Hay Stacks, he felt very angty at them be- 
 cause they were so naughty as to spoil his 
 Stacks* & He came softly along towards the 
 Stackyard — & as he was getting over the fence 
 the little Boys spying him, jumpt & run ; but P 
 & U's Papa catchd three of them and gave them 
 a good whipping* P saw his papa a little sooner 
 than the rest, but was not able to make it known 
 to them ; so he slipt off in the dark rather sooner 
 than they so as to escape a whipping, & ran & 
 got into the house where there was a great deal 
 of Company, before his Papa — by & by his 
 papa came to the door & calld P. R but P was 
 by this time got into bed in the Bed Room with- 
 out any one noticing him, altho He past thro 
 the midst of them, all frighted as he was lest he 
 should get a good whiping too, for he knew 
 what was to pay with the three boys that were 
 catch^d, for he heard them cry before he reached 
 the House* So P laid still & did not answer* 
 
 *Deacon Peleg Wadsworth of Duxbufy, Mass*, J7J5-J774. 
 
This I think was naughty, fof if He had been 
 naughty & his Papa called him, I think He 
 should have answered when he heard his papa 
 call, altho he had got a whipping by it, but as I 
 was saying, P* laid still & his papa came in & 
 sat down with the Company & went to talking 
 as if nothing had happened, & glad was P. by 
 & by when U had done crying he came creeping 
 into the hcd Room to go to bed too, & there he 
 found P« & he did not know but P. had had a 
 whipping as well as himself — & he says P* 
 have you had any supper ? P said no he did 
 not want any & told U that he had better come 
 to bed without his, as there was Company & if 
 he was hungry in the Morng when he waked, 
 he could get up & get a good Crust* So U went 
 to bed & both went to sleep. Their Mama*, 
 before she went to bed, after the Company was 
 gone, asked where the little Boys were that they 
 did not come to their supper* Somebody looked 
 into the bed room & said they were both abed & 
 fast asleep She wondered when they went to 
 bed & why they went without their supper* 
 The next morning P's papa was not angry, & 
 said if He had catch'd Him last Night he should 
 have whiped him because he was very naughty 
 to tear his Hay Stacks to pieces* P told his 
 Papa he was very sorry & would not do so 
 again, & so his Papa forgave him & they (P & 
 U) were both very good Boys for a long time 
 
 *Losanna (Sampson) Wadsworth* 
 
after^ They did not get up on the Hay Stacks 
 again, nor run among the Corn to break it 
 down, nor run away to rob the poor birds & 
 frighten their Mama — but, as I said, they were 
 both very good; P because he had escaped a 
 whipping & U because he had had one* 
 
 The end of VoU H. to be continued. 
 
VOL. m 
 
 P* was a very good Boy generally & a very 
 good Scholar as I told yott, and as he grew 
 bigger he began to go to the Schools that were 
 farther off^ for in the Country they do not have 
 a School all the time in one School House as 
 they do in Portland but when they have kept 
 School long enough in one Place, then the Mas- 
 ter goes to another place & keeps there to teach 
 other folks* little Boys. But then He will let 
 those little Boys that are very good come to his 
 other School if they are big enough to walk so 
 far. So P as he grew bigger & bigger went 
 farther & farther till at last he was big enough 
 to go to all the Schools in the Town* And there 
 was four Schools. The nearest was one mile of f, 
 one was two miles, one was three Miles & one 
 was four miles off — I suppose you think that it 
 would take a great deal of time for a little Boy 
 to go so far to School every day — But the little 
 Boy was now grown bigger P. was grown as 
 big as Jack * & tho it did take him two hours to 
 go to the farthest School yet he did not loose the 
 time, & P had to go alone too — for his little 
 Brother U was less than he was, & was not hig 
 enough to go so f ar & L & S did not love their 
 
 * John "Wadsworth. 
 
School well enough to take so much pains to go 
 to school but had rather stay at home to play 
 with their little Boats & Vessels in the little 
 ponds they made in the Brooks by damming 
 them up & going a birds egging in the summer 
 & playing Ball almost all the time — tho their 
 papa would have been glad they should have 
 gone to school all the time* when P found that 
 He had to go so far alone, he did not much care 
 for that, for he knew how to improve the long 
 Walk so as not to loose the time — He would 
 get up early in the morning & while his Mama 
 or his Sisters were getting him some Bread & 
 milk for his Breakfast, P was combing his Hair 
 & washing his Face & hands (for P was a very 
 neat Boy) & by the time he had eat his Break- 
 fast (for he did not wait for the Family) his 
 Mama would give, him some Bread & Cheese or 
 something else that was good to put into his 
 pocket for his Dinner, and so P always set out 
 very early to go so far to school — As soon as 
 he was going on alone — P would always say 
 his Prayers as he went along — and pray God 
 not to let anything hurt him as he was going 
 along or the whole day, that God would help 
 him to learn his Lesson well — that he might 
 become a great & a good Man — As I said P al- 
 ways began his walk by saying his Prayers — 
 tho he had said them once already before he got 
 out of bed in the morng* After P* had pray'd 
 God to keep him safely all day, he always took 
 out his Book & began to learn his Lesson by 
 
 8 
 
heart & by studying as he went along he iogtot 
 to be tired a walkings & by the time P had got 
 to the School House he had got a good long 
 Lesson, and the Master would wonder how P 
 could come so far & yet get so good a Lesson* 
 He did not know that P studied his Lesson 
 walking, till he told him of it* 
 
 End of the III Vol : to be continued 
 
VOL. IV 
 
 P was a pretty Scholar as I told yott, & tho' 
 he knew how to improve his time very well in 
 School time & the Master was very fond of him 
 yet He, P, was as fond of play as any of the 
 Boys at noon time — All the Boys stay at the 
 School house in the Gauntry at noon time be- 
 cause their homes are too far off to go home at 
 noon & so they all carry Something to eat in 
 their Pocketts & when they have eat it up, then 
 they have nothing to do but play till the Master 
 comes in the Afternoon* After School was done 
 at night P had a great way to walk home, but 
 as some of the Boys lived his way he was not 
 alone, & as far as the Boys came with him they 
 were merry enough ; & by the time P got home 
 it was almost dark, & he was quite hungry & a 
 little tired too* P was very well beloved by 
 every Body because he was a good Boy & He 
 was now grown quite a large Boy & so Folks 
 called him Master P* As Master P was so fond 
 of his School his papa did not make him do a 
 great deal of work, but let him go to School al- 
 most all the time, & bought him books & let 
 him learn all he could* In a year or two Master 
 P had grown up almost as big as Charles * & 
 
 * Charles Lee Wadswofth, the General's eldest son. 
 
 \0 
 
had learnM to write & cypher, & english Gram- 
 mar & Greek & Latin & was so good a Scholar 
 that his Papa let him go to College — The Col- 
 lege is a great School for young Gentlemen ; & 
 Master P was now a young Gent, himself* So 
 now we will call him Mister P — now what do 
 you think is become of U & L & S, why V\\ tell 
 you, U was not big enough to go so far to 
 School along with P, till P had got so far before 
 him that he could not overtake him & he had 
 rather stay at home & work than go to School 
 & L & S did not love their School at all when 
 they were little Boys, & now ahho they are all 
 grown up as big as Mr P, yet they dont look 
 half so well, nor know half so much — & so I 
 believe I will not say anything more about 
 them, 
 
 Mr P was living at College all this time & He 
 liv'd there four years. A young Gentleman 
 ought to learn a great deal to live at College 
 four years. And then he went home again to 
 his Papa's House to live in the Country — Soon 
 after, some Gentlemen wanted Mr P to go to 
 Town * to keep School & teach thetr little Boys. 
 So now Mr P has become a Schoolmaster him- 
 self & he had twenty pretty little Boys in his 
 School, He loved them all very well & the lit- 
 tle Boys loved their Master, Mr P, as well as he 
 did them, & FIl tell you how & what he taught 
 them, that made their School such good fun to 
 
 * Plymouth, Mass, 
 
 u 
 
the little Boys & so agreeable to their Master* 
 For, as I have just told you, they were very fond 
 of one another — The little Boys were all Gentle- 
 men's sons & they were all well dressM with good 
 Cloths & were well bred, for they behaved very 
 well indeed* the biggest of them was about as 
 big as Harry f & the least of them about as big 
 as George t* In the next Volume I will tell you 
 how the School was kept that made it such good 
 fun for the little Boys to go there* 
 
 t Henry Wadswor th and George "Wadsworth, two of the 
 little boys for whom the story was written. 
 
 End of the IV Vol : to be continued 
 
 12 
 
VOL. V 
 
 MR« ?♦ kept his School of twenty little Boys in 
 the Court House in the Town of Plymouth a 
 great way off of Portland. There was a nice 
 large room made in one End of the Courthouse 
 Floor for the School to keep in & when the little 
 Boys went out of the School Room, there was a 
 fine great Floor for them to run about upon. 
 But I am going to tell you all about the School 
 — "When the School Bell rung in the morning all 
 the little Boys come running to the School nearly 
 together, & then they attended prayers. For 
 Mr. P always went to prayer with the little Boys 
 when the School began in the Morng & when it 
 was done at night. I wonder if the Schoolmas- 
 ters in Portland, go to prayer in their School. 
 You can ask Harry. "Well, after prayers were 
 over, the little Boys took their singing Books & 
 sung a Hymn or an Anthem & Mr P sung with 
 them ; for Mr P had learned all his little Boys 
 to sing most beautifully & your Papa thinks 
 that he will learn his little Boys & all his folks 
 to sing Hymns, & Anthems too, when He comes 
 home. Should you like to learn ? Well Mr P's 
 little Boys used to sing beautifully as I told you — 
 & when it was a pleasant morng all the Folks 
 would stop as they went along by the Court- 
 house to hear them sing, & they all said they 
 
 J3 
 
were beautiful little Boys, or else Mu P could not 
 have taught them so welL So when they had 
 done singing & had laid away their singing 
 Books, they all took their Lesson books & all of 
 them began to read at once about as loud as you 
 have read to your Papa or mama* This to be 
 sure made a mighty buzzing* Do you remem- 
 ber what a noise the Bees used to make when 
 they were swarming & flying all about in our 
 Garden, well the little Boys made just such a 
 Buzzing as the Bees did when they were all read- 
 ing together* But no matter for that, every one 
 was trying to get his Lesson first* As soon as 
 they had read over their Lessons so as to say 
 them — They were all hush in a Minute* And 
 so they began One by one & said their Lessons 
 nicely to Mr P. & then some went to writing & 
 some to cyphering & some of the little tiny Ones 
 began to get another Lesson or else sat quite still 
 in their Places, & they did not read loud any 
 more that time & they did not whisper at all, 
 for Mr P did not like it if they whispered* And 
 sometimes when the little Boys were very good 
 Mr P would let them all go out into the Court- 
 house Floor to play a little while* But what 
 pleased the little Boys the most of all was Mr P 
 got them all every one of them a little Gun with 
 a Belt & tin Bayonet. You have seen the sol- 
 diers in Portland & you know how their Guns 
 & bayonets look ; well they lookM just so, & 
 every little Boy had a Gun & Bayonet & they 
 had two little Drums a little bigger than 
 
 H 
 
Georg^e's, & so when the school was done at 
 eleven oCIock, Mr P would exercise the little 
 Boys in the Courthouse Floor* And he made 
 them behave very well & they looked just like a 
 Company of little pretty soldiers^ for all they 
 were only little Boys, they could march & handle 
 their little Guns most beautifully — & two of 
 them could drum too, & so they would go 
 marching & druming all about the Courthouse 
 Floor when Mr P told them to, & gave them the 
 word of Command* All the Gents* in the town 
 & sometimes the Ladies too would come to the 
 Courthouse when the School was done to see 
 those pretty little Boys exercise, & they were all 
 very well pleased, & the little Boys too & so was 
 Mr P* I will tell you more about the School in 
 the next Volume, how Mr P had Knots to pin 
 on the little Boys if they were good & if they 
 were naughty too* 
 
 End of Vol V 
 to be continued 
 
 t5 
 
VOL. VI 
 
 YOUR Papa promised you a story about the 
 Knots* Mr P had three Knots pind upon each 
 little Boys Name one was red, one was blue & 
 one was black, thus 
 
 ® 9 9 
 
 9 
 
 ® o o 
 
 O 9 O 
 
 d « 
 
 O O O 
 
 d « ® 
 
 o o ® 
 
 ® O ® 
 
 9 o o 
 
 O O O 
 
 ® ® o 
 
 ® 9 « 
 
 O « « 
 
 O o 
 
 ® O 
 
 o o o 
 
 <S> O O 
 
 ® o e 
 
 ® ® o 
 
 If Mr P's little Boys had been very good all 
 day, & had learnM their Books & behaved very 
 well, then He pind the red Knot on to the Collar 
 of their Coat when they went out of School after 
 Prayers at night, that their Papas & Mamas & 
 all the Folks along street might know what fine 
 Boys they had been, & if they had not been 
 'very good & did not try to learn their Books 
 very much & did not behave very well, then 
 Mr* P put on a blue Knot, & then everybody 
 knew they had not been very good ; but if they 
 had been naughty, then came the black Knot — 
 
 \6 
 
O how awfully it did look ! Every Body knew 
 they had been naughty Boys, & their Papas & 
 Mamas would not let them come into the Parlor 
 when they went home especially if there was 
 Company there, but would tell them to go away 
 into the Kitchen, for they did not like to have 
 any Boys in the Parlour but those that had red 
 Knots on. The little Boys if they happened 
 sometimes to get the blue Knot, felt a little 
 ashamed because they did not have the red one, 
 & they were not taken much Notice of ; but 
 when they had the black one — O dear! how 
 sorry & ashamed they were* They used to go 
 home another way, for they were ashamed to 
 be seen in the street, and nobody would speak 
 to them without it was to say — there goes a 
 naughty little Boy with a black Knot — He 
 looks as if he had been crying. But if a little 
 Boy with a red Knot went along street. He was 
 not ashamed for everybody knew he had been 
 very good because he had a red Knot, & the 
 Gent. & Ladies would often call them & give 
 them something — sometimes they would give 
 them a Book & sometimes money to buy them 
 something that their Mamas were willing they 
 should buy for themselves, a Penknife, or a Ball or 
 a Top, or a Batt, or some pretty Books or any- 
 thing that was clever ; for their Parents as well 
 as every Body always loved the little Boys with 
 red Knots and did everything they could to 
 make them glad & let them play as much as 
 they pleased at proper times, for People all lov^ 
 
 J7 
 
to see them playing because they were so very 
 good. These little Boys never swore nor called 
 wicked Words when they were at play, nor 
 qttarreird, for if they did then they would have 
 a black Knot next time ; but as I said they were 
 always very good* They were very good na- 
 tured to one another, & they did not like to 
 have any naughty boys to play with them. 
 And if any naughty Boys did come, & sware & 
 call wicked Names if they could not make them 
 go away they would go away themselves & 
 leave them — & they could always do that you 
 know — For little good Boys could at any time 
 run home & leave the bad boys to play by 
 themselves & that is much better than to stay & 
 play with them & hear them sware & quarrel, 
 for if any Gent, or Lady was to see a little Boy 
 with a red Knot amongst bad boys that were 
 swearing & quarrelling they would think that 
 they were bad too, & say, may be they will have 
 a black one next time. 
 
 Seems to me, your Mama might have Knots 
 for her little Boys. Thus 
 
 George 
 
 9 O 
 
 Alexr 
 
 Samuel 
 
 9 9 
 
 Peleg 
 
 Q 9 
 
 Bobs ! there is one too many But Pa — there 
 is but two Knots on our Names I Where is the 
 red One ? Why look you little Rogues is it not 
 on each of you — O so they are, Pa! 
 
 End of VI Vol. 
 J Feby J795. 
 
 18 
 
VOL* VII 
 
 Phila. 5 Feby 1795. 
 
 WHEN Mr P had kept School long enough He 
 did not want to keep any longer & so the little 
 Boys Papas got another Man to keep school in 
 the room of Mr P* but they did not love him so 
 well as they did Mr P* because he did not love 
 the little Boys so well himself as Mr P did, & he 
 did not exercise them with their little Guns as 
 Mr P did, nor he did not sing with them & he 
 had no Knots* But if any of them were naughty 
 he would whip them & if they were good he 
 said nothing to them & so the Gent* & Ladies 
 as they went along street, nor their Pa^s & Ma's 
 when they got home, did not know whether 
 their little Boys had been good or not ; for they 
 had no Knots on. The little Boys were very 
 sorry when Mr P. went away & they all cry'd 
 when He told them he had done keeping their 
 School, & Mr P was sorry too & he could not 
 help crying a little himself neither, because he 
 loved them so well. 
 
 Mr P was now grown up quite a great Man 
 as big as your Papa & He thot it was time to do 
 something else besides keeping School so as to 
 get some Money to build himself a House, for 
 He could not get much money by keeping 
 
 t9 
 
School, if He could he would rather have kept 
 school with his pretty little Boys than to have 
 left off — But as I told you He could not get 
 money enough to build a house by keeping 
 school & so he was forced to leave off keeping — 
 For Mr P* was acquainted with a very beautiful 
 young Lady * where he kept school & he wanted 
 her to go & live him & he ought to have a 
 House you know to live in for they could not 
 live out of doors* And so Mr P* went a little 
 way into the country & kept a shop & had a 
 great many things to sell & got a good deal of 
 money & then Mr P went back to Plymouth 
 where he had been keeping school to see his 
 beautiful young Lady, & told her if she would 
 be married to him & would go & live with him 
 in the Country & help him keep his shop, he 
 guessed they should soon get money enough to 
 build a house of their own to live in instead of 
 hiring one* As I told you she was a very beau- 
 tiful young Lady & she was very good too* 
 And so she said she would go* And so Mr* P 
 & the beautiful young Lady were married to- 
 gether & went to live in the Country to keep his 
 shop — And they got a good deal of money & 
 had a beautiful little Boy, his Name was A* f 
 He was about as big as your little brother Peleg* 
 He could walk & run about, but he could not 
 talk, only say Pa & Ma* 
 
 * Miss Elizabeth Bartlett of Plymouth. 
 t Alexander Scammell "Wadsworth. 
 
 20 
 
So Mr P & his beautiful Wife were living in 
 the Country with their sweet little Boy & getting 
 a good deal of money ; & were riding about in 
 the Country when they were a mind to, & were 
 very happy & lived sweetly together — when a 
 great many wicked Men came in Vessels acrost 
 the Sea to fight & kill all the Folks, & so Mr 
 P was obliged to leave his beautiful wife & sweet 
 little Boy to go along with a great many other 
 Folks to fight the wicked Men that were come 
 over the Sea in Vessels to kill all the good folks 
 — Mr P was a Captain, & had a Company of 
 Soldiers like Capt* Weeks or Capt. Davis or Capt 
 McLellan & they had guns & Bayonets that 
 would shoot — they were not little wooden 
 Guns & tin bayonets, such as his little Boys had 
 in schooL Mr P was very sorry to go away & 
 leave his beautiful wife & his sweet little Boy 
 but he was forced to go & fight the wicked men 
 or else they would come & kill him & his wife 
 & his little boy too — And so Capt P (for Mr P 
 is now got to be Captain P) marched off with his 
 Company of Soldiers to fight the wicked Men 
 that had come to kill all the good Folks — And 
 there was a great many Capts besides Capt P 
 with their Companies — more than a hundred — 
 so many that I guess they will beat the wicked 
 Men & kill some & make the rest go back 
 again* 
 
 2t 
 
VOL. VIII 
 
 WHEN Capt. P had been gone to fight the 
 wicked Men a great while & had gone a great 
 way off — He wanted to see his beautif ttl Wife 
 & his sweet little Boy very much indeed. So 
 Capt P. wrote a letter to her & asked her to 
 come & see him & bring her sweet little boy 
 along with her^ & so she did* And she came 
 pretty near to where all the Men were fight- 
 ing ; * & when she heard the Guns a firing, she 
 was afraid to go any further & so she stopd at a 
 nice house where there was some very good 
 Folks lived ; & she asked them if they would let 
 her stay there a little while with her little Boy» 
 And they said they would — for as I told you 
 they were very good Folks* Capt P soon found 
 out they were there & He came riding to see 
 them as fast as he could & he was very glad in- 
 deed to see his beautiful Wife & his sweet little 
 Boy. Capt P had been gone so long that his 
 little Boy did not know his Pa at first. And so 
 he kept looking at Capt P. & winking his pretty 
 Eyes a good while. At last he remember'd his 
 Papa — & then he did hug him & kiss him & 
 was very glad he had found his Papa again for 
 he was a beautiful little Fellow. He did not cry 
 
 * Dorchester Heights, near Boston. 
 
 22 
 
at all unless somethingf hurt him & he would 
 mind what his Pa & Ma told him as well as my 
 little Boys do their Pa & Ma* And that is very 
 well, for you know that you are my little Boys 
 & you always mind what your Pa & Ma tell 
 you, I suppose, dont you ? Well he was just as 
 good as you are, & he would sit still if his Pa or 
 Ma bid him ; & he was as pretty as your little 
 Brother is & you know I told you his Name was 
 A* Capt P's beautiful Wife & little Boy staid 
 with those clever Folks a good while & Capt P 
 used to go to see them almost all the time when 
 the Enemy (the wicked men were the Enemy, 
 as sister L* will tell you) were not fighting* 
 And sometimes Capt P & his wife would take a 
 ride & leave their little pretty Boy A with the 
 good nice Folks till they came back again, & he 
 would not cry if they 6X<i leave him ; & some- 
 times they would carry him with them, & then 
 He was very glad & would point & laugh at 
 everything he saw as he rode along* One day 
 as Capt P & his Lady rode along where they 
 could see the Enemy, they fired a Cannon at 
 them* You know what a Cannon is, it is such 
 a great Gun as you may see up in the Fort at 
 Portland, & the shot was as big as your Head 
 & heavier than you could lift — & the great 
 large shot came close along by the Horse & al- 
 most like to have cut his Legs off, but it did not 
 hurt Capt P & his Wife because it did not hit 
 
 * Lucia Wadswof th. 
 
 23 
 
them. Capt P^s Lady was a little scarM when 
 she knew the Cannon was fired at her & Capt 
 P* & said she guessM they had better ride a little 
 faster & get out of the way of their firing* And 
 Capt P thot so too, for he had no notion of rid- 
 ing with his beautiful Lady where she might 
 get kill'd with such a great Shot, nor himself 
 neither, when there was no need of it* And so 
 Capt P & his Lady rode on a little faster till they 
 got out of the way, & then went back another 
 road to their sweet little Boy, & he came run- 
 ning & was very glad to see them* 
 
 EndofVohVin 
 
 24 
 
VOL. IX 
 
 WHEN Capt. P's Lady & sweet little Boy had 
 lived with those good nice Folks a good while & 
 was making a charming Visit & Capt P was so 
 happy to have them there where he cottid go & 
 see them almost all the time & ride & walk about 
 with them in the Orchards & the fields & the 
 Gardens & the Hills their sweet little Boy was 
 taken sick. He cryM a great deal & they knew 
 he was sick because he never cryM when he was 
 well, & at last he was quite sick indeed, and 
 Capt P. & his Lady were very much concerned 
 for their sweet little Boy & so was all the good 
 Folks in the House* And it was a Doctors House 
 where Lady P. lived, & he was a nice good Man, 
 & he tty*d to make little A. well again but he 
 could not. And Capt P. got other good Doctors 
 & they could not neither. And so that sweet 
 little Boy grew worse & worse & was very sick 
 indeed. Capt P. & his Wife were very sorry & 
 try'd all they could to make their dear little boy 
 well again — They sat up with him all Night 
 & did not leave him for a whole week, but all 
 would not do. The dear little Boy kept growing 
 worse & worse & at last was so sick that he 
 dy*d — O dear how sorry Capt P. & his Lady 
 was I Their sweet little Boy was dead, & they 
 had no little Boy to play with, nor to hugh & 
 
 25 
 
kiss, nof to play about them* The dear little 
 Boy was dead* — 
 
 And so Capt* P*s soldiers come, & after the 
 little Boy was put into a Coffin, they took it & 
 carried it to a Burying place & buried it up in 
 the Ground, just as they do in Portland when 
 little Boys diCf & Capt P* & his Lady went along 
 with the soldiers to the Grave to see them bury 
 the Coffin* 
 
 Capt P's soldiers were all very sorry too, for 
 they had seen little A, along with his Papa & 
 Mama & they all lov^d him dearly for He was 
 very pretty as I told you — & he was not afraid 
 to go with them anywhere if they would carry 
 him — & he was such a sweet little Boy that 
 everybody loved him dearly — for you know that 
 every body always loves Good Boys — O dear, 
 how sorry Capt P & his beautiful wife were to go 
 back to the House where the good nice Folks 
 lived, without any little Boy to come running to 
 them & to play with them — they were so sorry 
 they did not know what to do* But they thot 
 that their little Boy now he was dead was gone 
 to the good Place* You know that all good Folks 
 when they diCf & good little Boys & good little 
 girls too, go to Heaven — Heaven is the good 
 Place — & there they are very happy & they are 
 not sick any more & they dont hurt themselves, 
 & nothing else does not hurt them — & when 
 their Papas & Mamas die, if they are good they 
 will go to heaven too & then they will see one 
 another again & be all happy — And so Capt P. 
 
 26 
 
& his beautiful Lady thot that their sweet little 
 boy was gone to the Good place to wait for them ; 
 & then Lady P. did not cry any more for her 
 little Boy — only a little — sometimes — when 
 she could not help it — Capt P* & his wife were 
 very sober indeed & after Lady P* had stayd a 
 little longer with Capt P* she wanted to go back 
 to her own home again to see her Mama — And 
 so Capt P» could not let his beautiful Wife go 
 back alone without her little Boy & so he went 
 along with her ; and Capt P« paid the nice good 
 Doctor for letting his wife live in his House^ & 
 they did not live with him any longer* And so 
 Capt P* & his Lady went back to Plymouth a 
 great way off — & when Lady P^s mama knew 
 the sweet little Boy A* was dead^ she cryM very 
 much & so did all the Folks that knew him. 
 And I dont wonder if they did — do you ? he 
 was such a sweet little Boy I 
 
 And so Capt P* staid a few days at Plymouth 
 with his beautiful Wife & then he went back 
 again to his Company of nice soldiers* And they 
 were very glad to see Capt P* come back again, 
 & there was the Drums a beating & the fifes a 
 playing & the bright Guns a shining, & the sol- 
 diers a marching — & the Enemy a Firing the 
 Cannon — but they did not kill Capt P* nor many 
 of his nice soldiers — 
 
 End of Vol : IX 
 
 27 
 
VOL, X 
 
 Phila. J5 Feby 1795 
 PRETTY soon after Capt R had got back 
 again to the Army, (do my little Boys know what 
 an Army is ? An Army is a great Many Com- 
 panies of Soldiers all together, as many as would 
 fill up all the street from Mr Motleys quite down 
 back street'^ — a great many indeed — more than 
 ten thousand — sometimes ) well pretty soon after 
 Capt P* had got back to the Army & to his Sol- 
 diers — then He was a Major — a Major is a 
 greater Officer than a Captain, I suppose you 
 know ; if you dont sister Z.f or sister B4 must 
 tell you. So now I shall call Capt P. Major P, 
 because he is got to be Major P* At first he was 
 only little Boy P* then he was Master P, & then 
 He was Mister P, & then He was Capt P* & now 
 He is Major P, just so all little Boys, if they are 
 very good, such as you are, will soon get to be 
 great Men such as Major P* or some other sort 
 of great Men; such as Doctor Deane, Esquire 
 Frothingham, Esquire Freeman, or Mr, Printer 
 
 *Now Congress Street in Portland, Me., where General 
 "Wadsworth's house still stands, rendered doubly noteworthy 
 by the fame of his grandson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 
 
 tZilpah. t Betsey — nickname for Elizabeth, 
 
 28 
 
"Wait, Of Mf» Merchant Storer* or some such 
 clever Folks — and that you know is a great 
 deal better than to be like some dirty, ragged, 
 lazy folks that we see in the streets some times 
 & sometimes too they are groggy & cant walk 
 straight — I suppose such were naughty when 
 they were little, suppose they did not go to school 
 very much but had rather run about & play in 
 the streets all the time, & were dirty & ragged 
 & very bad Boys — And their Papa^s & their 
 Mama^s let them do so — And that was naughty 
 too, for if they were poor folks you know they 
 could send their little Boys & Girls to school for 
 all that — & then they could learn & be as good 
 Children as if they were not poor — They had 
 no need to be naughty because they were poor 
 you know — But as I was saying, all little Boys 
 can be great good Men when they grow up, if 
 they have a mind to — Well now I will tell you 
 more about Major P* for the Enemy did not kill 
 him tho they shot at him a great many times & 
 fired their Cannon at him too, but they could not 
 hit him* So after a great while. Major P went a 
 great way farther off to fight more of the Enemy, 
 to Rhode Island* Then He was a Colonel & 
 had a whole Regiment of Soldiers as many as 
 Col Cobb has sometimes, when you have seen 
 him marching a good many Companies of Sol- 
 diers together — It was almost a street fuIL Well 
 Col P had as many soldiers in his Regiment, but 
 
 * Prominent Citizens of Portland, 
 
 29 
 
there was a great many more soldiers besides Col 
 P^s, as many as ten thousand, I suppose. There 
 was a whole Army — and the Enemy came to 
 fight them and they fit a great while, almost a 
 whole day,* & they fired a great many Guns & 
 Cannon at each other and killd a great many 
 Soldiers on both sides but the Enemy got the 
 most of their Soldiers fcill'd — some of Col P's 
 soldiers got kilVd too, but they did not hurt Col 
 P* At last the Enemy were forced to run away 
 or else they would all have got kiWd* Dont you 
 think it a very wicked thing for soldiers to fight 
 & kill one another so ? O how the poor Soldiers 
 did look laying all about the Ground — some 
 dead & some were not quite dead & could speak, 
 & some were crying out because they had got 
 their Legs shot off & some their Arms, & some 
 had got bullets shot into them as big as your 
 Marbles^ & were almost dying, & some had a 
 Bayonet run into them & made great Holes & 
 the Blood was all runing out, just as when you 
 little Boys bleed sometimes when you cut your- 
 selves very bad, only a great deal more — and 
 almost all the Ground was covered with blood. 
 It would be very wicked to fight with the Enemy 
 & kill them, if they were good Men & would 
 not come to kill us ; but if they will come to kill 
 all the good folks & all their Wives & the little 
 Children too, you know we must kill them or 
 else they will kill us ; that is the reason that it is 
 not wicked to kill them, 
 
 * This was the Battle of Rhode Island. 
 
 30 
 
VOL* XI 
 
 Phik. 15 Feby J795 
 WHEN Col P- had done fighting with the 
 Enemy at Rhode Island & all that were not 
 killed tun away as I told you before* Then He 
 went to Plymouth to see his beautiful Wife. 
 And now He had got another pretty little Boy 
 & two pretty little Girls too, they were all sweet 
 pretty* The little Boys name was C* L* and one 
 little Girl was named Z & the other E** They 
 were beautiful little Children as ever you see* 
 C* L* was about as big as George, & he could 
 read & speak his Pieces very prettily & all the 
 Gent* & Ladies were very much pleased to hear 
 him speak his Pieces & they said he was a very 
 fine little Boy — I dont know but George can 
 speak as well as C* L. could ; & I guess Alexr* 
 & SamI* will speak as well as C* L* could, very 
 soon, when they grow as big as George is now* 
 Col P did not stay long at Plymouth with his 
 Wife & their sweet little Children before He 
 went to the Eastward a great way off to fight 
 the Enemy theret — Now Col P* was a General — 
 so now I shall call him GenI* P* — GenI* P* went 
 
 * Charles Lee* Zilpah* Elizabeth* 
 
 t This was the ill-fated Penobscot Expedition. 
 
 3J 
 
with another General when He went to the east- 
 ward to fight the Enemy there. He went along 
 with GenI L*^ and GenI L* was an old Man & 
 He did not know how to fight very welL And 
 GnL L* & GenI. P. went to the eastward in ships 
 & Vessels. And they had a great many soldiers 
 & a great Ships & Vessels too, more than fifty 
 I believe & they were all foil of Soldiers. And 
 when GenI L & GenI P had sail^i with all their 
 ships & Vessels fwll of Men where the Enemy 
 were^t GenI L. told GenI P. that He must take 
 all the little Boats & put them f «II of Soldiers out 
 of the great Vessels & go to the shore & fight 
 the Enemy. And so he did ; & when GenI. P. 
 went with a great many little Boats full of sol- 
 diers to one Place where the Enemy were, when 
 they see him close there, they did not stop to 
 fight, but all run away & left all their Cannon 
 & they left their Colours too — you know what 
 Soldiers Colours are — such as Col. Cobbs Soldiers 
 have when He marches his Regiment along by 
 our Door. Well GenI. P. took all their Cannon 
 & their Colours too — And then GenI P went 
 back again with all his little Boats full of soldiers 
 to GenI. L. on board the great Vessels & told 
 
 * Gen^I Solomon Lovell. Wm. Hotchinst who was a boy 
 at the time of the Penobscot Expedition, says : ** I saw both 
 Lovell and Wadsworth. I did not like the appearance of 
 Lovell very mwch, but Wadsworth was a beautiful man, if it 
 is proper to call a man beautiful.*' 
 
 t To Bagaduce — now called Castine. 
 32 
 
GenL L, that the Enemy all fun away & left 
 their Fort & he took their Cannon & Colours. 
 And GenL L» told GenL P, it was very well, & 
 said He must go & fight the Enemy again at 
 another place where the Enemy had got a larger 
 Fort & more Men — It was Night now* So 
 when it began to grow light in the morning, 
 (very early before you little Boys wake up) 
 GenL P* took more little Boats than He had before 
 & more soldiers too & filled all the little Boats 
 full & as soon as it was light enough, he went 
 to another place, where the Enemy were — And 
 there was a great high Bank on the shore & all 
 the Bank was covered with the Enemy there was 
 so many* And they fit with GenL P. & his 
 soldiers very hard* And when GenL P* & his 
 soldiers had got on the shore the Enemy fit them 
 a great while & kil^d & wounded a great many 
 of GenI P**s soldiers — before GenL P* & his Men 
 could get up the Bank — By & by they got up 
 & then they made the Enemy run, & GenL P* 
 kilVd some of them & catchM some & all the 
 rest of the Enemy run & got into their Fort * 
 & began to fire their Cannon at GenI P & his 
 soldiers — And then GenL P* told his Men to 
 stop; because He had not soldiers enough & 
 fight the Enemy in their great Fort, so as to 
 take it* And so GenL P* was forced to stop & 
 then GenL L* with all his army came on shore 
 to GenL P* & just as GenL L* & GenL P. were 
 
 * Fort George at Castine* 
 
 33 
 
going to fight the Enemy in their great Fort^ 
 they saw a great many large ships a coming — & 
 when they came a little nearer they saw they were 
 the Enemy's ships all fwll of Men* And so now 
 GenL L* & GenL P» were forced to run away or 
 else they & all their Soldiers would get fcill'dt iot 
 the Enemies ships were larger than their ships & 
 they had more Men too — And as soon as it was 
 dark night again GenL L. & GenL P. put all 
 their soldiers into the little Boats & went on 
 board their own Vessels & ships again, before 
 the enemy knew it.* 
 
 * The most creditable part of the inglorious Penobscot Ex- 
 pedition is said to have been the retreat which was conducted 
 by Genl. Wadsworth. 
 
 34 
 
VOL: Xn 
 
 Phila. 22 Feb J795. 
 AS I told you the Enemys ships were much 
 larger than GenL L. & GenI* P's. & they had a 
 great many more Men too & so GenL L, & P» 
 were forced to run away & put their Soldiers on 
 board their Vessels when it was night — As soon 
 as it was morning the Enemy with their Great 
 Ships full of Men & Great Guns had got close to 
 GenI L. & P's little ships & they were forced to 
 sail away from them as fast as they could — 
 And they sailed up a river * & the Enemy sailed 
 after them very fast* And when GenL L* & 
 GenL P* had got to the End of the River, they 
 let all their soldiers go on shore into the Woods 
 & GenL L* & P. were forced to set fire to all 
 their own ships & Vessels, or else the Enemy 
 would have got them for their own* And that 
 you know would be worse than to burn them, 
 for then they could come in our Vessels to kill 
 the good Folks you know And so all GenI L 
 & P*s fine ships & Vessels were all burnt up — 
 O dear what a bad sight, to see so many good 
 nice Vessels all a Burning up at once, to keep 
 the Enemy from getting them for their own — 
 
 * The Penobscot* 
 
 35 
 
And so GenI L & P & all their soldiers that were 
 not kiird were forced to run into the woods — 
 And a great many of them got lost & cowld not 
 find the way towards their home for a long time 
 GenL L. got lost too — but GenL P* did not get 
 lost for he knew the way & he got a good many 
 of his soldiers along with him too. But they had 
 no victuals to eat* And that was very bad you 
 know for the poor soldiers that were lost not to 
 have anything to eat & be lost too — for they 
 would starve after a while, they would be so 
 hungry — You know how bad it feels to be hun- 
 gry dont you ? But then you can go to your 
 Mama for a Piece of Bread & butter, but the 
 poor soldiers that were lost in the woods had not 
 even a Crust & they were so hungry that they 
 were forced to kill the Dogs & skin them & 
 eat them, they were so very hungry* There 
 was some Boys too about as big as Jack & 
 Harry; poor poor little Fellows, how hungry 
 they must be to be a whole week in the Woods 
 with out anything to eat but a little piece of a 
 Dog* If you had seen them I dare say you would 
 have given them all your own Dinner, & have 
 gone without yourself till supper time, rather 
 than they should be so hungry & starved. But 
 GenI P* as I told you knew the way & he did not 
 get lost & he showM his soldiers that were with 
 him which way to go — & so He & his soldiers 
 got to where there was some good Folks lived 
 the next day, and after GenL P* & his soldiers 
 had staid there a week or two & had found a 
 
 36 
 
good many of the soldiers that were lost & 
 almost starved, GenL P. went home to see his 
 beautiful wife & his sweet little Children, little 
 C« L* & Z, & E* They were very glad to see 
 one another for GenI P's wife had heard that 
 Genl. P» & all his soldiers were kilVd by the 
 Enemy* But they were not. GenL L. was lost 
 for a great while, at last some good Indians found 
 him in the Woods & gave him some of their 
 Victuals & at last brot him to his home — When 
 GenL P* had staid along with his Wife & his 
 little Children a little while, then He went to the 
 Eastward again with more soldiers to keep the 
 Enemy from killing the good Folks that lived 
 there* — & when He had been there a good 
 while He wanted his beautiful wife should come 
 & live with him & so he went & fetched her to 
 stay with him, because there was no enemy very 
 near to fight with them — if there had been you 
 know, it may be, they might kill her too* And 
 he fetched his little Boy C* L* & his little girl E* 
 along with their Mama — He did not fetch little 
 Z, she staid at home with her Grandmama And 
 so now GenL P. had no other General with him, 
 but he had his soldiers, & he had his beautiful 
 wife & his pretty little Boy C* L* & his sweet 
 pretty little girl E* — & she was a sweet pretty 
 little Girl indeed* And they all staid at the 
 
 * He was appointed Adjutant General by the State of 
 Massachusetts and in J 780 put in command of the whole 
 coast of Maine. 
 
 37 
 
Eastward* a great while — till the soldiers all 
 went home & left them, because they had staid 
 as long as they said they would* 
 
 * At Thomaston, Maine. 
 
 38 
 
VOL: Xni 
 
 Phila. 22 Feby 1795 - 
 AND so when GenI P's soldiers were all gone 
 He had no men left only the good Folks that 
 lived neat to the House where He & his Lady 
 & his little Children were* It was Winter now 
 & GenL F* did not think the Enemy would ven- 
 ture to come a great Way to fight him when the 
 snow was so very deep* It was as deep as Harry's 
 head & nobody could go about, only in the Path, 
 because the snow was so very deep. And so 
 some of the Good Men that lived near GenL P. 
 used to come to his House every Night & bring 
 their Guns so as to fight the Enemy if they 
 should come in the Night to kill GenL P. & his 
 Wife & his pretty little Boy & Girl — One 
 nightt* & it was a very cold Night, & the snow 
 was very deep as I told you, the Enemy came 
 sure enough. And they fir'd their Guns into 
 the Windows & Doors, & they cut with their 
 swords & broke out all the Windows & they 
 broke the Doors too, & got into all the House 
 only the Room where GenL P. & his Lady was, 
 & they broke the Windows & Doors of that too 
 & they kept firing their Guns into the room 
 where GenI P & his Lady was — & his Lady 
 
 ♦February J8, J78K 
 
 39 
 
was very scared & did scream, whilst GenL P* 
 was fifing: his Gun & his Pistols at them & by 
 & by Lady P* tan out of the Room to get out 
 of the Way of the Guns & there was another 
 yottng Lady in the other Room & she was 
 screaming too because she thot the Enemy would 
 kill us all** And they kept firing into GenI P's 
 room as fast as they could fire to kill him, till at 
 last they shot his arm thro with a Bullet & then 
 GenL P* could not fight them any more because 
 he could not fight with only one hand, when 
 t'other was shot* And then GenL P*— told them 
 that he would not fight them any more then, & 
 so he opened the Door & let them come into the 
 room* And as soon as they had got in they were 
 going to kill GenL P, because he had fit them so 
 much & had shot three of their wicked Men — 
 but they did not kill him* Only He was almost 
 dead already; for they had shot a great Hole 
 thro his arm & the Blood run out as much as it 
 does when any Body sticks a great knife into a 
 Hogs Neck in our yard when they go to kill it* 
 Well just so the Blood run out of GenL P*s arm* 
 And the Enemy said they would not kill GenL 
 P then, but they would carry him away with 
 them — & so they helped him on with some 
 clothes & took a Blanket off the bed to put over 
 him because they could not put on his Coat 
 because of his arm that was shot, & away they 
 carried him — & General P*s Wife, & the young 
 
 * This is the first and only lapse from the third person* 
 
 40 
 
Lady & the Maid, with the sweet little Gifl E* 
 in her arms came into the Room Just as they 
 were carrying GenL P* away — but GenL P did 
 not see his little Boy C* L, & he thot he had 
 been kill'd by the firing of so many Guns* And 
 GenL P* could not speak to his Wife nor any of 
 his folks, only to say good Bye, for they took 
 him & carried him right away — & left the 
 house all broke to pieces, & poor old Hickey,* 
 he was shot & lay upon the Floor, & the house 
 was all over blood & there was GenI P's beauti- 
 ful "Wife & his family all left in this bad situa- 
 tion when the "Weather was so cold, & she thot 
 Her husband was kill'd too ( GenI P was her 
 Husband you know ) — for she thot he would 
 blead all his Blood out & be dead — But the good 
 folks come to her pretty soon & helped her to 
 mend up the "Windows & doors & made up a 
 good fire & made the House warm again* But, 
 O dear, her Husband was carried off by the 
 Enemy & she thot He would die of his wound 
 & she should never see him again and his little 
 Children would never see their Papa again 
 neither. And the Enemy carried GenI P* to 
 their Fort t a great way off & there they kept 
 him shut up for a great while, & they let a good 
 doctor come to see him & dress his sore Arm, & 
 
 *One of GenI. "Wadsworth's soldiers who served him 
 faithfully all his days. 
 
 t This was Fort George, at Castine, Maine, then known 
 as Bagadtfce. 
 
 4J 
 
at last it got well again — And aftet a great 
 while when it come warm weather the Enemy- 
 sent little Boat to GenI P's Lady & told her they 
 would let her come & see GenL ?♦ if she had a 
 mind to, & they would not hurt her — & so she 
 did & GenL P. was very glad indeed to see his 
 beautiful Wife — & so was she glad to see him 
 too, and she told him that his pretty little Boy 
 C L was not killed by the firing as GenL P» thot 
 he had been — and He was very glad indeed* 
 When Lady P* had stayM a few days* with 
 GenL P* the Enemy let her go back again, but 
 they kept GenL P in prison* 
 
 * Mrs. Wadswofth and Mrs. Fcnno stayed ten days at Fort 
 George. 
 
 42 
 
VOL: XIV 
 
 PhiIa.23Fefa: 1795 
 WHEN Lady P went back again to her 
 broken House where GenL P. was shot, it was 
 good warm weather, & she took her little Boy 
 C L* & her little Girl £♦ & the young Lady & 
 the Maid & went to her own home at Plymouth 
 to see her tother little Girl Z* that was left with 
 her Grandmama — and before she had got quite 
 there ( for it took her a great while to go so far ) 
 Genl^ P* got out of prison & run away from the 
 Enemy & overtook his beautiful Wife with his 
 sweet little Girl E* — just before they had got to 
 Plymouth — O how glad they all were ! 
 
 I can tell my little Boys a great long story 
 about how GenI* P. got away from the Enemy, 
 when I have time enough — It is a very good 
 story too, & it is a certain story — it is true — 
 but I cant tell it to you now — but if you are 
 ood Boys enough — may be I will write it in a 
 ook sometime or other — * 
 
 * Unfortunately he never did this, but when Dr. Timothy 
 Dwight visited Portland in 1796, Genl. Wadsworth gave him 
 by word of mouth a full account of his capture at Thomas- 
 ton and his perilous escape from the enemy's Fort at Castine, 
 which account can be found in the second volume of 
 '*Dwight's Travels" published in New Haven, t821. 
 
 43 
 
So GenI P was very glad to find his Wife & 
 Family again & they all went to Plymouth to- 
 gether & the Folks were all very glad to see 
 them too, & there they met their other pretty lit- 
 tle Girl Z» with her Grandmama, & she was 
 very pretty too & they all livd there a good 
 while & were very happy — And GenL P» did 
 not go to fight the Enemy any more for they all 
 went away to their Homes & did not want to 
 fight any more — & so the War was done — if 
 you dont know what the War is Zilpah must 
 tell you* When GenI P had lived at Plymouth 
 a good while He took his beautiful Wife & all 
 his little Boys & Girls & all his things & put 
 them on board a Vessel & sail^ away to Port- 
 land with them all — And there GenI P* built a 
 House * & lived in it with all his little Boys & 
 Girls & his Wife too* And he had a shop & 
 sold a great many things & got a good lot of 
 Money too ; but he had so many little Boys & 
 Girls to buy Victuals & Clothes for, that it took 
 it almost all away again — but he had enough 
 for them tho — 
 
 When GenL P. & his Lady had lived at Port- 
 land a good while, they had four more pretty lit- 
 tle Boys — their Names were G* & A* S* & S* B. 
 & little p* & they were all very good little Boys 
 as all the Gents* & Ladies always said when 
 
 * This house Tvas donated by Mrs, Anne Longfellow^ 
 Pierce in 1 90 J to the Maine Historical Society and is pre- 
 served as a memorial of the Wadsworth and Longfellow fam- 
 ilies. 
 
 44 
 
they came to see GenL P* & his Lady — And 
 then GenL F* went to Congress — just as your 
 Papa did* And then He went home again to 
 Portland to see his Lady & all his little Boys & 
 Girls & He was very glad to see them & so were 
 they glad to see their Papa just as you are to see 
 your Papa when he comes home from Congress 
 — Are not you very glad to see him ? & will 
 you not be very good boys when he comes ? but 
 I think that my little Boys are very good all the 
 time — if I am gone, or if I am at home — I 
 know they mind their Mama & try to behave 
 as well as they can — for I have heard that my 
 little Boys have been very good indeed — some- 
 times — since I have been gone — 
 
 45 
 
VOL: XV 
 
 Phila 22 Feby J795 
 AFTER a while GenI P. went to Congress 
 again — GenI P & his Lady have got a great 
 many Boys & Girls by this time I guess* let us 
 try to reckon them up — the first pretty little 
 Boy A* died* The next was C* L» & then there 
 was two little Girls Z & E* & then there was 
 another little Boy & he was namM J* & then 
 there was another little Girl & she was nam'd L* 
 & then there was H* & G, & A S* & S B* & 
 little p* and that makes seven Boys & three 
 Girls — I guess some of them are grown up 
 almost by this time* GenI P & his wife could 
 not have so many little Boys & Girls all at Once ; 
 because some of the oldest would be grown bigger 
 — I guess C L is as big as Charles & Z is as big 
 as Zilpah & E is for Eliza* or Betsey & J is for 
 Jack, L for Lucia & H for Harry — & G is for 
 George & A S* is for Alexr S* & S B is for SamI 
 B* & little p is for little Peleg* And now my 
 pretty little Boys do any of you know who GenI 
 P is* He lives in Portland as I told you* 
 Do you know SamI who GenI P* is ? 
 SamL I dont know who tis — 
 Do you know Alexr who GenI P is ? 
 I don't know — Pa* 
 
 46 
 
** O ( says George ) it is our Pa, & we are his 
 little boys ! & there is Jack & Harry & Lucia & 
 all the rest of us ! & here is pretty little p too, 
 a'nt yout Dear, & Ma is Gen. P's beautiful wife, 
 a'nt you Ma ? '' 
 
 Well my dear, I suppose I am, do you love me 
 the better for it?'' 
 
 cAtexander Was Little Boy P our Pa ? " 
 
 George ** Yes, When Little Boy P. Had grown 
 a little bigger then he was Master P* & then he 
 was Mr* P* & then he was Capt* P* & then a 
 Major then a CoL & then a General and no<w he 
 is our Papa* 
 
 47 
 
NOTES. 
 
 The cut on the title page is taken from a little 
 book, now rare, entitled '* Military Heroes of 
 America/' kindly lent by Mr* Usher W. Cutts, 
 of Orange, N. J* 
 
 The following letter may be of interest to the 
 historians : 
 
 Hiram 1 7th July, J827. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Observing your advertisement in the Columbian Centinet 
 of nth last, requesting surviving Officers of the Revolution- 
 ary army, of the State of Massachusetts & of Maine to for- 
 ward to you their rank in J 780 &c. In compliance I have 
 sketched the following — tho' I do not know whether I come 
 within your request, as I was not of the Line of the Continen- 
 tal army after the two first years of the "War — I was a 
 Captain in Cottons & Baileys Regt's the two first years & 
 was Aid De Camp to Gen^ Ward as long as he continued in 
 the service, which I believe was till the year J 777, with the 
 rank of Major. Afterwards, I was in the continental service 
 ( as it was called ) under the appointment of the Legislature 
 of Massachusetts — was second in command with Gen^ Lov- 
 ell on the inglorious Penobscot Expedition, J 778, with the 
 rank of Brigadier Gen^ j the next year, vis, 1779 had the 
 command of the whole coast of the District of Maine, by the 
 same authority, at the Close of which or rather the beginning 
 of J 780, 1 was taken Prisoner { as you may see by looking at 
 2 JO page of Rev«i Charles A. Goodriches History of U. S) 
 After that I was not in Military service. I was 32 years Old 
 when appointed a Brig"" Gen^ by the Gov & Council and 
 lived in Boston at that time, mov*d to Portland in 1784 & to 
 Hiram in 1807, where I now reside & am in my 80th year. 
 
 48 
 
I know of no widows of the Description you mention, nor do 
 I know for what purpose you have requested the above — 
 but as the motive is no doubt benevolent, I cheerfully sub- 
 scribe myself your friend and serv* — 
 
 Peleg Wadsworth, 
 Alden Bradford, Esq. 
 
 A Copy — 
 
 49 
 
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