E 
 
 33 
 
 UC-NRLF 
 
 B 14 SIT 517 
 
 FIVE STRAWS 
 
 Gathered from REVOLU 
 TIONARY FIELDS 
 By HIRAM BINGHAM, 
 
 o 
 
 !i 
 
 >- 
 
J. 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 OK 
 
 Accession 
 
 Class 
 
 Q 
 

 /v 
 /** 
 
 77/w <:0/>j ?5 <?^ <?/ twenty-five given by the Editor 
 HIRAM BINGHAM, Jr. 
 
 TO 
 
 f^arbarti Callegc ILfbrarg 
 
 distribution to other libraries. 
 
 ^ . ^^ 
 
 January /, igo2. *-f- > V, 
 
 ~7^ZiS 2.<^rt~ 
 
FIVE S TRAWS 
 GATHERED FROM REV- 
 OLUTIONARY FIELDS 
 
Of this Small Sheaf of Straws One Hundred and One 
 Copies have been printed and Ninety-Nine have 
 been bound. 
 
 This one may be confidered to be 
 
FIVE STRAWS 
 
 ^Gathered from RE VOL U- 
 
 gjTIONARY FIELDS 
 
 51 By HIRAM BINGHAM, I un 
 
 a/j j , * j 
 
 K5 
 
 SI 
 
 
 CAMBRIDGE (Maflachufetts), / the Tear] 
 
 M D C C C C I 
 
- 9 32- 
 V- 
 
 
 
 Copyright, 1901 
 BY HIRAM BINGHAM, J 
 

 70 Her 
 
 who has always made 
 
 CHRISTMAS DAT 
 
 the happieji Day of all the Tear 
 
 MY MOTHER 
 
 91204 
 
w 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 GOOD Friend, Beware! Here thou 
 haft no Learned Treatife. Here is 
 no Poem, divinely infpired. In thy 
 Hands thou doft not hold aught but a few 
 Straws, a mere Sheaflet. Here are no great 
 Thoughts, no Flights of the Imagination, no 
 proud Records. If, from the Title, fome fhould 
 fuppofe that here they might find fomewhat of 
 Ufe in the Harvejling of their Grain, let them 
 be undeceived, for of all fuch not one will fail 
 to be grievoujly difappointed. 
 Left thou, moft gentle Reader, fuffer with them, 
 hear the Fable of the Straws & from it learn 
 the Ufe to which thou mayeft put this little 
 Sheaf.- 
 
 In a far Country there lived a Mariner whofe 
 Name was unknown to all his Fellows, but whofe 
 Fame extendeth even to this Day. He was wont 
 to go out on the Deep in Ships of great Burthen, 
 & in Barques, & of all Men he was moft juftly 
 famed for going & returning quickly. 
 Now it was feen that when the Wind blew with 
 great Strength this Man was no more fuccefsful 
 than his Fellows, but when the Wind was foft 
 fo that no one knew whether it blew this Way or 
 
 Of the 
 
 Nature 
 of this 
 Booke 
 
 Of Counfel 
 to the 
 Reader 
 
 Of the 
 Fable of 
 the Straws 
 
 Of the Suc- 
 cefs of the 
 Mariner 
 
w 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 Of his 
 Death 
 
 Of his 
 Secret 
 
 Of the 
 
 Ways of 
 
 Seamen 
 
 that, this Man was alway the Firft to arrive in 
 Port. And no one knew the caufe thereof (for 
 their eyes were feeble}. 
 
 Now when the Days of the Life of this Man had 
 reached fourfcore Tears 6? eighteen^ he died. In 
 his Chejl were found his greateft Treafures & 
 with them a fmall Sheaf of Straws bound together 
 with a Wify. For many Tears no Man knew the 
 meaning of thefe Straws nor did anyone underftand 
 the Secret of the Succefsful Seaman. But at length 
 there came a Day whereon the Maft of the Ship in 
 which he had died was taken down. And /<?, to 
 the Top of the Majl was found affixed a Straw 
 like thoje in the Cheft. Then was brought to Mind 
 the Cuftom of that Man, how in a foft Wind / / 
 was his wont to gaze fteadfaftly at the Top of the 
 Maft. By the Straw which he had fixed there 
 was he able to gauge the Direction of the Wind, 
 even though it blew f oft ly this Way & that. Thus 
 
 was he more fucc efsful than his Fellows. 
 
 Now when this became known among them, they 
 went 2? did likewife, even unto this Day. 
 If thou hafl not been among Seamen, believe 
 me this is true. But if thou art already con- 
 verfant with the Ways of Seamen & yet haft 
 never feen the Straw at the Top of each Maft, 
 thine Eyes must also be feeble. Remember the 
 
- 
 
 o- 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 g 
 
 Seamen who faw not the Wind Gauge of their 
 
 Fellow. 
 
 Now as there are Winds and Winds, Currents of 
 Air & Currents of Thought, fo there are Straws 
 & Straws, fome for the Sailor & fome for the 
 
 Searcher after Truth. 
 
 Thofe Straws that are moft eafilyfeen are often 
 too large to fhew the Direction of the Jofteft 
 Winds. But the more delicate Straws arejeen 
 only with Difficulty. Of thefe laft, perchance, 
 thou mayeft find here a fundry Few.- 
 They have been gathered from Revolutionary 
 Fields, being the Letters written from the Camp 
 to his Home by a Soldier of the Continental 
 Army. If thou doft defire to underftand the 
 Myfteries of the Hearts of Men and their 
 Affions one toward another, thou mayeft per 
 chance find a Straw in this Sheaf that will fhow 
 thee fome new Current of Feeling. And if 
 thou art feeking to comprehend the Thoughts 
 of thy Fathers when they fought to caft off the 
 Yoke which their Fathers had laid upon them, 
 then thou mayeft well confider all thefe Straws. 
 For they are of thofe Days. 
 
 [9] 
 
 Of Divers 
 Kinds of 
 Straws 
 
 Of the 
 Nature of 
 thefe Five 
 Straws 
 
The W i f 
 
 ~\7 G Winde doeth blowe 
 
 And Thou wouldft knowe 
 Whaer it doeth goe 
 A Straw male fliewe. 
 
 [10] 
 
F 
 
 r f t 
 
 a w 
 
 Still Water Auguft 6 th 
 
 About 24. Miles from Albany 
 
 BROTHER: Having fo convenient an 
 Opportunity, though Time be ever 
 fo precious, I will take a Minute to 
 give you fome Idea of my prefent Situation & 
 of this Part of the Globe. I fuppofe you have 
 had fome Information of our Retreating from 
 Place to Place by the Letter I wrote to my 
 Father when at Mofes Creek Since then we left 
 that Place & march d to Saratoga & from thence 
 to Still Water having a few cut off by the 
 Indians during the March by what I can 
 learn the Generals are now determined to 
 make a Stand I (hall not be very particular 
 in giving you an Account of our whole Retreat 
 from Ticonderoga to this Place as you have had 
 it by my Father s Letter & will have a good 
 Opportunity of getting Information by way of 
 Coll Longs Reg\- 
 
 The Army are fomewhat unhealthy, their 
 Difeafe being chiefly the Fever Ague & Dyfen- 
 tery, fcarcely any but what have had fome 
 Complaint Coll Wire s Son, a Captain in 
 Our Reg*, died laft Thurfday at Albany of the 
 Wound he receiv d at Fort Ann, & was very 
 decently inter d, & is greatly lamented, much 
 
 Of his 
 prefent 
 Situation 
 
 Of the 
 Retreat of 
 Gen Gates 
 Army 
 
 Of Col . 
 Wire s 
 Son 
 
F 
 
 f 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 Of the 
 
 Method of 
 Living 
 
 Of his 
 Health 
 
 may be faid to his Prai/e, he was couragious, 
 fought like a Hero, was friendly, & much be- 
 lov d, in the Camp. Macclintock has had a 
 long Spell of Sicknefs of the Fever Ague^ is 
 growing better. Col". ScammeW s is very poorly 
 of the fame Diforder but getting better. 
 It is not at all to be wondered at if we have a 
 few feck) when living upon frefh Provision & 
 lodging upon the bare Ground cover d with 
 Dew without Blanketts having a few Boards 
 for Cover But now they begin to be more 
 healthy as they get hardned to this Method 
 of living I find there is a great deal in U/e, 
 when at Ticonderoga I thought I had very poor 
 lodging, when laying on my Mattress, what can 
 I fay now this I can, that I fleep as well 
 upon the Ground as ever I did on a Bed, but 
 how long fhall this be my Mind, God only 
 knows Since I left Ti : I have purchaf d a 
 Blankett which I find very ufeful at Night 
 I wrap myfelf in it & lay down upon the bare 
 Ground & fometimes upon Boards, in the Morn 
 ing my Blankett is wet, cover d with Dew : But 
 after all thefe troublefome Scenes I am ftill the 
 fame, in good Health^ hoping long to continue 
 fo, & live to give our Enemies a fevere Flogging 
 yet, & be in Pofsefsion of my Baggage they 
 
F 
 
 f 
 
 S t r a 
 
 w 
 
 took at Skeenfborough I have this to comfort 
 myfelf with, that I fav d myfelf with what I 
 had on, which happen d not to be my belt 
 Cloaths are amazing dear here as well as every 
 thing elfe. R. Shirts are fold for 20 & 25 
 Dollars a piece if my Wages were not higher 
 than I expedted when at Home, I would by no 
 means tarry, but as they are raif d, & for the 
 Love I have for the Country , I can by no Mean s 
 think of leaving the Army I hope to get 
 fome Cloathing here to rub along for the pref- 
 ent, & if I fhould not come Home in the Fall, 
 I fhould be glad to have fome Cloathing fent 
 me If there is a good Opportunity I fhould 
 be glad of a cotten & linnen Shirt & one 
 Ruffle d with Couple neck Stocks & a Pair or 
 two of worfted Stockings, I fhall not mention 
 any more as it will be troublefome getting 
 them here at fo great a Diftance I faved none 
 of my Cloaths except my wilt on Coat, i white 
 Jackett, i p r thick cloth Breeches i Shirt, i 
 p r Stockings, i p r Shoes, Hatt, & Great Coat 
 Almoft all the Officers & Soldiers fhar d 
 the fame Fate which makes Cloathing fo excef- 
 
 sive dear. 
 
 A Soldier s Life is fuch that no one can have a 
 true Idea of without the Trial. 
 
 Of his 
 Cloaths 
 
 Of leaguing 
 the Army 
 
 Of his 
 
 Needs 
 
 Of what 
 he faved 
 
 Of a Sol 
 dier s Life 
 
F 
 
 f 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 Of his 
 friends 
 
 Of 
 Forage 
 
 Of 
 
 Tories 
 
 It is fuch that I am convinc d will fait no Man 
 except he have a Conftitution like Iron If 
 any one has a mind to experience let him come 
 now & he will find what it is to live the Life 
 of a Soldier in every Senfe of the Word Let 
 him come, now or never, as faid old Par/on Tajk 
 
 when he preach d to Sinners. 
 
 There is feveral of my old Acquaintance from 
 Mafsachufetts State, my Frefhman Sumner at 
 College, who is a Captain of a Company from 
 Milton DT Haftings, Surgeon of a Reg*. 
 Hay wood & Maynard my Clafs Mates There 
 is a Number of very refpe6lable Gentlemen in 
 the Army. 
 
 There is a very good Crop in thefe Parts, but 
 foon comes a Defolation, wherever we march we 
 keep our Horfes in the Fields among Corn & 
 Oats, So that the Enemy if they gain the Ground 
 may have poor fare for them & their Horfes. 
 Tories are very troublefome here many of 
 them take up Arms againft us & lurk in the 
 Woods with the Indians waiting for a Sculp. It 
 is believ d the Tories have fculp d many of 
 their Countrymen as there is a Premium from 
 Burgoyne for Sculps. They are daily taken & 
 brought in by our Scouts & I believe fome of 
 them will fwing very Jo on. 
 
F 
 
 r f t 
 
 S t 
 
 a w 
 
 The Indians treat both Sexes with the fame 
 Barbarity, have kill d & fculp d whole Family s 
 together Men Women & Children, at one Place 
 as our Men were pafsing they faw a Man his 
 Wife & Children fculp d (by thofe Savages] 
 gaping & expiring & the Hogs rooting their 
 
 Body s. 
 
 A few Day s ago I rode a little Di/lance from 
 Camp where we had a few Men ftationed to 
 guard the Sick. I had juft pafl the Place 
 where a Party of Indians happened to lay & 
 ftop d at the firft Houfe talking with an Officer ; 
 as I fet upon my Horfe, out rufh d thofe In 
 dians & fir d at fome Men fwimming in the 
 Water & chafd Some as they were pafsing, I 
 feeing this fcream d to the Guard to purfue 
 them, and rode towards them, they difcharg d 
 their Pieces towards us & fir d one Ball into 
 the Houfe not far from the Door where I was; 
 immediately upon our purfuing them they ran 
 into the Woods & got off, we were in fuch 
 Hafte they had not Time to get a Sculp, they 
 kill d two, One fhot in the Water who got out 
 & ran a confiderable Diftance before he fell 
 Since then they have cut off more of our Men 
 One Hundred Indians in the Woods do us 
 more harm than 1000 Eritifh troops. They 
 
 Of 
 
 Indians 
 
 Of an 
 
 exciting 
 Adventure 
 
 Of Indians 
 as Troops 
 
F 
 
 r f t 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 Of his 
 Friends 
 
 Of Money 
 Matters 
 
 have been the Death of many brave Fellows 
 
 I hope they will meet with their Reward for 
 
 their curfed Barbarity. 
 
 Apologize to my Relations 57* Acquaintance for 
 
 my not writing them this Opportunity for I had 
 
 not the leaft Thought of Coll Longs Reg , being 
 
 permitted to fet out now, when the Enemy are 
 
 every Day expedled. 
 
 Give my befl Refpe6ts to them particularly 
 
 to my Father fcf Mother & at Cap\ Teat on" s. 
 
 I remain with due Refpeft Your L. Brother 
 
 W m Weeks 
 
 NB. A Letter from You is expecfted veryfoon. 
 Thofe who write lhall have an Anfwer. 
 (I fhall not fend Home any Money now, as I 
 have not receiv d but two Months Wages yet. 
 If that Debt of Cap . Yeaton s is not paid, fettle 
 it for me and you fhall be made whole to your 
 
 Satisfaction. 
 
 (My Wages are forty Dollars p r Month] 
 
 Mr. Clem . Weeks 
 att 
 Greenland 
 
 [16] 
 
s 
 
 c o n d 
 
 S t 
 
 Turkey Farm near Albany Oflober gtb 
 
 I HAVE the Pleafure to inform You that 
 Eurgoine is retreating in the great eft Con- 
 fufton, that we have drove them out of 
 their Lines with the Lofs of fever al Hundred 
 of their Men kill d, wounded & taken Prifon- 
 ers, the Day before Yefterday, likewife a con- 
 fiderable Number of Tents 6? Cannon. The 
 Particulars have not yet [reached me] as I am 
 a little Diftance from the Army making out 
 my Pay Rolls. The Hefsians are very trouble- 
 fome to Eurgoine^ keep a continual Quarrelling 
 with the Britifh Troops, and defert very faft. 
 There is more or lefs [Defertion] every Day ; 
 fometimes they come in almoft half Company*. 
 We have been very fuccefsful of late. Since 
 the Battle about a Fortnight ago, have had In 
 telligence almoft every Day from their Army 
 
 by Deferters or Prifoners. 
 
 The laft Battle before this, we unhappily loft 
 fome brave Officers : our L\ Col". Colburn, Col . 
 Adams^ & a Lieu 1 , in our Reg . and a few others 
 wounded. Cap 1 . Be!! of Newcaftle is very badly 
 
 wounded, (hot thro the Side. 
 
 Never Men behav d better than ours did [in] the 
 late Battle ; as was the Exprefsion of Gen 1 . Gates 
 
 [17] 
 
 raw 
 
 Of the 
 Retreat of 
 Burgoine 
 
 Of the 
 Hefsians 
 
 Of their 
 Lqfses 
 
 Of the 
 Battle of 
 Oflober Jth 
 
s 
 
 o n d 
 
 Straw 
 
 f going 
 Home 
 
 Of his 
 Cloaths 
 
 Of his 
 Coat 
 
 Of a 
 Hatt 
 
 Of the 
 
 News 
 
 about two Brigades, chiefly Newhamp/kire Troops 
 [who] fac d almoft their whole Army & obliged 
 
 them to retreat feveral Times. 
 
 I hope we fhall foon break up Burgoines Army 
 fo that I may have a convenient Opportunity 
 of coming Home I expeffi to come Home 
 
 in about two months. 
 
 I receiv d your Letter dated Aug? 2$ l \ Sept ^ 
 with the Shirt & two p r Stockings, which came 
 at a very fuitable Time as I was much in want 
 of them now I hope I fhall be able to rub 
 
 along till I can come Home. 
 
 The Coat which you have mention d of Cap\ 
 Teatons, I can well do without, & if it is agree 
 able to him to take it again with fome Con- 
 fideration for Damages, twould fuit me much 
 better, than to give that Price As I expedt 
 to take one out of the Store. But if you think 
 he would not be very willing to take it, with 
 out the leafl hard Thought, by all means keep 
 it, & I will fee him fatisfied. 
 If you will buy me a good Hatt againft I come 
 Home I fhould be exceeding glad. 
 For the Particulars of the late Tranfaftions & 
 of the Enemy s Retreat 6? the Lofs they fuftain d 
 You can have by way of M r Storer at Cot. Lang- 
 dons. Col". Langdon or Cap . Hill [will give you] 
 
 [I8J 
 
Second 
 
 S t r 
 
 a w 
 
 a much better Account than I am able to give 
 You, as I am a little Diftance from Camp & 
 
 in great Hajle. 
 
 Having nothing further to write at prefent I 
 mult bid you adieu. 
 
 Wm Weeks 
 
 P.S. Remember me to all my Friends & old 
 Acquaintance let them know that I am in 
 Health & expect to fee them foon. 
 
 [To 
 
 Maj. William Weeks 
 aft 
 Greenland ] 
 
 [NOTE : Nothing fhows more graphically the confufion and 
 excitement, in the midfl of which this letter was written, 
 than the number of omifsions evinced by the fquare 
 brackets. It will be noticed that more words had to be 
 fupplied in this letter than in all the others combined. 
 
 H. B.] 
 
T h 
 
 r d 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 To Ait 
 Father 
 
 Of the 
 
 Movements 
 
 of the 
 
 Troop} 
 
 Of the 
 
 Northern 
 Troops 
 
 Ofthe 
 Itch 
 
 Fijb Kill Nov r jf 7777 
 
 THO we are in the greatefl Confujion s? 
 Hurry, being on a March from Albany 
 to Philadelphia (as we have now re- 
 ceiv d Orders), I, having an Opportunity to 
 fend Home, by way of Serf Chafe of Stratham, 
 will write a few Lines to let you know that I 
 am well, & that fince the Surrender of Bur- 
 goine s Army at Saratoga, there has been little 
 or nothing to do there, & that the chief of 
 the Troops are now marching toward New Tork. 
 Gen 1 . Poors Brigade expe6l to proceed on to 
 Philadelphia to join Gen 1 . Washington Lafl 
 Night we got to this Place & immediately we 
 fhall march on to Peeks Kill &c This March 
 toward Philadelphia was not only very unex 
 pected but very little wifh d for, as the Northern 
 "Troops have been this Campaign much neg- 
 le<5ted by Gen 1 . Congrejs, not only as to Money 
 but Cloaths. Our Officers &? Men in general 
 are deflitute of Money & have the Itch very 
 badly. Soon I expe6l the Money will come 
 & their Wants be relieved & I hope cured of the 
 Itch- 
 
 [*>] 
 
T h 
 
 d 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 A few Days ago I expected to fee Homefoon 
 
 but now I expert the Time will be long 
 
 firft as we are going from Home 
 
 I am forry that I am under a Necefsity to write 
 fomething that s very dif agreeable as the Death 
 of a dear Relation My Uncle Storer, who died 
 very fuddenly the Night before we left Albany 
 
 While we were at Saratoga he complain d of 
 a bad Cold; the Night before we left there I 
 flept with him ; & advif d him to leave the Reg\ 
 & tarry at fome Houfe till he got better He 
 Jaid if he did not feel better he would. The 
 next Morning we all fet out for Albany with 
 Eurgoine & his Troops About Nine Miles 
 from Albany we had to crofs 3 Sprouts i. e. fmall 
 Rivers, juft before we came to them my Uncle 
 had his Horfe ftolen He got on a Waggon 
 to ride over them. The Waggon overfet & 
 wet him from Head to Foot This, with the 
 Cold he juft before had, was the Means of 
 carrying him from Time to Eternity, in fo fhort 
 
 a Space of Time 
 
 My Coufen Jojeph Storer was well a few Days 
 ago, when I left him at Albany. He expedled 
 to march the next Day with New Hampshire 
 Militia for Peeks Kill 
 
 Sir: Being in the greatefl Hafte muft beg 
 
 Of the 
 Death of 
 his Uncle 
 
 Of his 
 Coufen 
 
T h 
 
 d 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 Leave to fubfcribe myfelf Your very obedient 
 & dutiful Son W? Weeks 
 
 [To Major William Weeks 
 att Greenland 
 
 New Hampjhire~\ 
 
F o u 
 
 t h 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 Camp Valley Forge, Fefr . i6 th . 1778 
 
 IT being a Cuftom with me to write every 
 Opportunity, it would be odd if I fhould 
 negledl this, to write, by my old Friend 
 Cap\ Kimball of Atkijson - - The firft thing I 
 muft enter upon is the Scarcity of Provifion 
 here. Death feem d to flare the poor Soldiers 
 in the Face ; for this five Days the Soldiers 
 have not drawn [the] Tenth Part of their 
 Allowance ; which I believe is chiefly owing 
 to the Com 1 . Gen h . Neglett^ and for which G d 
 grant he may Juffer. This Day Gen 1 . Wajhing- 
 ton was acquainted of the Treatment the Army 
 had met with, and immediately made a ftri<5t 
 Enquiry into the Matter, and foon found out 
 fome Method to the better Sup-port of his 
 Army I believe for the future we fhall have 
 much better Fare, as fo good a Man as his Ex 
 cellency has been thoroughly acquainted with 
 the Treatment we have receiv d, and as he 
 mufl know that if an Army is not well fup- 
 ported that not fo great Dependance can be 
 put upon them 
 
 This Moment arriv d a Quantity of Beef which 
 feem d to give Joy to every diftrefsing Soul 
 As foon as the Brigade Commifsary receiv d 
 
 [23] 
 
 Of the 
 Scarcity of 
 Pro<vifiotts 
 
 Of Gen! 
 Wajhington 
 
 Of Joy 
 
F o 
 
 r t h 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 Of the 
 Bearer of 
 the Letter 
 
 Of 
 
 Honours 
 conferred 
 
 it, he cries out to the Soldiers come unto me 
 ye that are a hungred f? / will give you to eat 
 & behold they flock d around him as thick 
 as Bees, & when they had all eat, they gave 
 him Thanks : & of the Fragments that remain* d, 
 I am fure [they] would not have fill d one Eaf- 
 kitt Joy feems to be feen in every Counte 
 nance fince the reverfe of Fortune, G d g t 
 it may continue fo 
 
 I fuppofe you will fee the Bearer, Cap*. Kimball, 
 as I have defir d him to call at our Houfe (he 
 talking of going to Portfmouth) And I believe 
 I mould come Home with him [if] he did not 
 go to Albany to do fome Bufmefs with Cap . 
 Fogg which Jobb I have the good Fortune to 
 
 have fettled while at Albany 
 
 I am fomewhat defirous to fee Greenland before 
 another Campaign comes on, as an Oppor 
 tunity then cannot well be had And I am 
 yet undetermin d about coming Home, But 
 feeing fo many going off, I may pofsibly take 
 the Start with Doctor Hovey in about one 
 Month Gen 1 . Sullivan expedls to fet out in 
 a few Days for New Hampjhire This Day I 
 muft be at Gen 1 . Sullivan s to take a Dinner with 
 him. The other Day I had as great an Honour 
 confer d upon me I had the Honour to 
 
F o 
 
 t h 
 
 S t 
 
 raw 
 
 take a Glafs of Wine with Gen 1 . Wajhington & 
 his Lady But at the fame time I fhould count 
 as great an Honour to have the fatisfadtion of 
 feeing converfing &f taking a Glafs of Wine 
 
 with my Friends at Home 
 
 If an Opportunity can be had by fame fafe Hand 
 I fhould be glad of a Shirt or two, with a/>r or 
 two falfe Sleeves a Couple p r . Stockings, few 
 Stocks of courfe, p r . white Breeches made full 
 large, with a white Waiftcoat and if a g-s04- 
 Hatt can be fent me it would be greatly agree 
 able to have the Breeches & Waiftcoat home- 
 Jpun Cloathing of every kind being excefsive 
 dear & fcarce here (& it being uncertain 
 
 whether I fhall come Home or no) 
 
 If any thing of the above can be fent me, let 
 the Price be ever fo large, [it] would be very 
 
 agreeable 
 
 Pleafe to remember me to all Friends at Home 
 
 W m . Weeks 
 
 N.B. I fhould be glad to have the above falfe 
 Sleeves ruffled The above would come fafe 
 
 by any commif* Officer of the Battalion 
 
 N.B. I fhould be glad if you would be careful 
 of fpeaking about the bad Fare of the Army, 
 As it might be a Difcouragement to the Men 
 to enlift 
 
 Of his 
 
 Needs 
 
 Of 
 
 Matters of 
 Importance 
 
F 
 
 f 
 
 k 
 
 S t 
 
 a w 
 
 Of the 
 
 /mall Pox 
 
 &ofln- 
 
 noculation 
 
 Of the 
 
 End of one 
 
 Daniels of 
 
 Durham 
 
 Camp Valley Forge April 30* 1778 
 
 DEAR BROTHER Since my laft I 
 have had the Honour of having the 
 fmall Pox by way of Innoculation, & 
 fo favourable that I fcarcely expe<5t to have a 
 Receipt for it Since that I have been fo un 
 happy as to have the Fever Ague, which has 
 brought me very low, reduc d me far more, 
 than dieting for the fmall Pox Thzjmall Pox 
 was nothing more to me, than dieting I took 
 the Air every Day whilft I had it, & had but 
 one fick Turn worth mentioning, that was when 
 the Pox was coming out All our New Eng 
 land Troops who had not [had] the fmall Pox, 
 have been innoculated & but very few died 
 It put an End to one Daniels of Durham a 
 Corporal in Col". Scammell s Reg , who took it the 
 natural Way, he made not the leaft Prepara 
 tion, fuppofing he had it the laft War He 
 was a very civil Fellow, worthy of Promotion, 
 the beft of the Name The Fever Ague with 
 which I have been troubled, has paid a Vifit 
 to many of our New England Troops, but are 
 all like to do well There is a Profpe6l of our 
 having a Grand Army in the Field foon the 
 Troops come in very faft from the Southward 
 
Fifth 
 
 S t 
 
 I expecft this Campaign will put an End to the 
 War Gen 1 . Sullivan has lately gone to take the 
 
 Command at Rhode IJland 
 
 As the Campaign is coming on, I have but 
 little Expe<5tation of coming Home before Com 
 mencement. Should be glad [if] you would 
 fend the Money for my Degree, and I will 
 fatisfy you when I return Likewife I fhould 
 be glad if I could have fent me fomething 
 for Summer Drefs As there is nothing to be 
 had here without giving more than treble the 
 worth of it. Hats here are fold for jo Dol 
 lars Shoes 8 d". and other things in Proportion 
 
 The following Articles would be -very- agree 
 able as the Summer Approaches faft i or 2 
 fine Shirts i or i P: white Stockings, few 
 Stocks & Pockett Handkerchiefs a P: white 
 Breeches & Waiftcoat I fhould be very glad 
 of the above Articles, if they can be fent con 
 veniently, by any Jafe Hand. I imagine an 
 Opportunity may be had by way of L\ Wedg 
 wood of North Hill who offer d to bring any 
 thing of the kind for me. 
 
 I have been looking out this fome time for 
 a Letter from Home, but behold none appear eth 
 
 I fhould be glad You would write the 
 firfl, & every Opportunity, & give me a good 
 
 a w 
 
 Of the 
 End of 
 the War 
 
 Of his 
 Degree 
 
 Of his 
 
 Summer 
 
 Drefs 
 
 Of an In- 
 
 exprefsible 
 Satisfaction 
 
Fifth 
 
 S t 
 
 a w 
 
 Hiftory of every thing that has happen d fmce 
 my leaving Home as it would give me an in- 
 exfrefsible Satisfaction 
 
 PS. Remember me to all Friends 
 
 W m Weeks 
 
 \To 
 
 Mr. Clem*. Weeks 
 att 
 
 Greenland ] 
 
 [NOTE : The coveted degree, an "A. M.," was duly se 
 cured by the payment of ten dollars. He had already 
 received an "A. B." in 1775 see page 29. H. B.] 
 
 [38] 
 
V a d 
 
 M 
 
 u 
 
 m 
 
 TT7M WEEKS was born at the Time of 
 i/j/ the Beginning of the French & Indian 
 r r War, in 1755, m a ^ tt: ^ e Settlement 
 which lies a few Miles South Weft of Port/ 
 mouth^ New Hampjkire, & which carries the 
 forbidding Name of Greenland. He was one 
 of thirteen Children. 
 
 His Father, Major William Weeks, had feen 
 Service in the New Hampshire Horfe Guards, 
 but at the Time of the Letters he was Juftice 
 of the Peace in Greenland & in the Quorum 
 of Rockingham County. To him the Education 
 of his Children was a Matter of the graveft 
 Concern. His Daughters were educated in the 
 Schools of Bo/ton, and two of his Sons, Clement 
 & lV m Weeks, were fent to Harvard. - 
 W m Weeks came to Cambridge at the Age of 
 Sixteen. His College Courfe was not without 
 Variety. During his Junior Year occurred the 
 Bojion Tea Party, while in the Spring of his 
 Senior Year came the Days of Lexington & 
 
 Concord, of the Marfhalling of Troops 
 the Siege of Bojlon. 
 
 of 
 
 Shortly after returning Home, he enlifted "for 
 four Months" to aid in the Defenfe of Portf- 
 
 Of the 
 Writer 
 of the 
 Letten 
 
 Of his 
 Father 
 
 Of his 
 Life at 
 Harvard 
 1771-1773 
 
 Of his 
 
 Enliftment 
 1775 
 
V a d 
 
 M 
 
 u m 
 
 Of his 
 
 Commifsion 
 
 1776 
 
 Of his 
 Resignation 
 
 1778 
 
 Of his 
 Death 
 
 1843 
 
 mouth Harbour. In November, 1775, he was 
 ftationed on Pierce s IJland & ated as " Sar- 
 jeant" in "Cap . H ebbs Company" 
 A Year later he received his Commifsion as 
 Paymafler in the 3 rd Continental Reg* of New 
 Hampjkire under the Command of Col\ Scammel. 
 It was while ferving in this Capacity that he 
 wrote thefe Letters to his Father & Brother 
 which portray fo vividly the daily Life of a Rev 
 olutionary Soldier. 
 
 He refign d his Pofition as Paymafter, June 
 i ft, 1778 & returned to live in Greenland. 
 Two Years later, in O6tober, 1780, he married. 
 (Of his later Life, of his fecond Marriage , of his 
 thirteen Children^ of his lajl Days in the Town 
 
 of Hopkinton, let Others fpeak.} 
 
 He died, January ijth, 1843, m tne eighty- 
 eighth Year of his Age. Requiefcat in Pace 
 
 [30] 
 
Eddy 
 
 W 
 
 n d 
 
 f J-TEATHER-WAF*, up fcf down, with 
 t/j/ every eddy-wind thus does Nathan- 
 r r iel Ward characterize fome of his 
 
 fellow-countrymen in 1647. But eddy-winds 
 were not confined to the early years of the 
 American Revolution. To be fure, many of 
 them are now forgotten, unknown, or mifun- 
 derftood. Their caufes are even more obfcure 
 than their own exiftence. Their ejfeffs are 
 fometimes noticed but often afsigned to wrong 
 caufes. In truth the Hi/lory of the American 
 Revolution has never been written. There are 
 hundreds of books which deal with the fubjedl 
 but they only fhow the crying necefsity for a 
 comprehenfive work which fliall cover the 
 period in its entirety & deferve to be read & 
 re-read as long as there are Americans who 
 need to ftudy the problems of hiftory & 
 government. 
 
 But to produce fuch a work would require the 
 fervices of a trained body of fcholars for thirty 
 years, while the true fignificance of fuch an 
 undertaking is not fufficiently appreciated to 
 warrant the outlay of time, money & men that 
 would be required. At prefent the reading 
 
 Of the 
 Nature of 
 Eddy-winds 
 
 Of a 
 
 Hiflorie 
 
Eddy 
 
 W i n d s 
 
 Of the <voice 
 
 of the 
 
 Majority 
 
 Of a 
 
 Record of 
 
 Obfer<va- 
 
 tions 
 
 public demands " Hi/lorical Novels" "founded 
 on faffs," with the foundations buried fo far 
 underground that they are loft to view. Thirty 
 years from now it may defire more truth & lefs 
 fl6Hon. But the people of this day & genera 
 tion are not given to undertakings which do 
 not promife immediate returns. They are too 
 bufy. To moft of them, anything like a foreft, 
 which takes a generation in which to mature, 
 is not worth planting. The idea of promot 
 ing a Hiftorical Plant whofe fruit would not 
 ripen for thirty years, appears to them per- 
 fe<5tly abfurd. "Let the trees plant themfehes; 
 they have done well enough alone in the pajl" 
 "Let works of Hi/lory come as they pleafe. 
 Let thofe who choofe publi/Ji (if they can find a 
 publisher)." Thus am I filenced. The Ma 
 jority rules. Nevertheless we have a " United 
 
 States Forefter " & fome day. ( ? ) 
 
 But what has all this to do with the Eddy- 
 winds which are fhown by thefe Revolutionary 
 Straws ? Certainly / ought to be grateful that 
 there is not yet in exiftence any body of ex 
 perts who are devoting their entire time to the 
 consideration of the problems of the American 
 Revolution. If there were, my little book 
 would have no raifon d etre. As it is I have 
 
Eddy 
 
 W i n d s 
 
 affixed the Straws where they may be feen and 
 ftudied. I have watched their turning a little 
 myfelf & have jotted down the record. If it 
 reads like a collection of Weather Reports^ I 
 fhall be fatisfied. But before I give it you, I 
 am going to make a prophecy. (A prophet is 
 only a fool fo let me prophefy.) There will 
 be a time when the value of Truth will be fo 
 appreciated that nothing needed in its Search 
 will be found wanting. Yea, there will be 
 found men, money & time to work together 
 uninterruptedly for a whole generation, if need 
 be, in fearch of the hiftorical truth that lies in 
 
 the American Revolution. 
 
 Meanwhile here is the Record of Obfervations. 
 The defeat of Eurgoyne was the turning point 
 of the war. The firft three letters cover part 
 of the campaign before & after his defeat. In 
 order that fentences worthy of fpecial attention 
 may not be overlooked I have repeated a few 
 of them with brief comment. 
 " The Army are fomewhat unhealthy, their Dif- 
 eafe being chiefly the Fever Ague & Difentery, 
 Jcarcely any but what have had Jome Complaint" 
 Over a hundred years ago our armies fuffered 
 from the fame diforders which afflidl them 
 now. Thus do we take advantage of the ex- 
 
 [33] 
 
 A Prophecy 
 
 Vide page 
 II 
 
Eddy 
 
 W i n d s 
 
 Vide page 
 13 
 
 Vide page 
 15 
 
 Vide page 
 7 
 
 perience of our fathers. They were fhort of 
 proper clothing & flept "upon the bare Ground 
 
 cover d with Dew without Blanketts." 
 
 " A Soldier s Life is fuch that no one can have 
 a true Idea of without the Trial." And yet 
 we are accuftomed to think & believe that 
 the Army was made up of backwoodfmen, 
 frontierfmen, who were accuftomed to all forts 
 
 of hardfhips. 
 
 " One Hundred Indians in the woods do us more 
 harm than 1000 EritiJJi Troops" This muft be 
 an overftatement. However, one who had re 
 cently had a very narrow efcape at the hands 
 of thefe very natives might be forgiven. No 
 Britifh Soldier had ever done more to him than 
 to run off with his wardrobe. It is abfurd to 
 fuppofe that one Indian was as good as ten of 
 Burgoyne s Fineft ! 
 
 " The Hefsians are very troublejome to Burgoyne" 
 If Succefs lies in prefenting a united front to 
 the enemy and in " team-play," it is fmall 
 wonder that Burgoyne was defeated. With 
 his Hefsians keeping up a " continual Quar 
 relling with the Eritijh Troops " & deferting to 
 the American fide " in almoft half Companys" 
 it is not hard to fee why Gates was fuccefsful. 
 The only wonder is that Burgoyne held out 
 
 [34] 
 
Eddy 
 
 n d s 
 
 as long as he did. Pofsibly it was becaufe 
 the American officers were thinking fo much 
 of " Coats " & " Hatts " & of "finding^ a con 
 venient Opportunity of coming Home " [in time 
 for Thankfgiving]. - 
 " Tories are very TROUBLESOME here" From 
 what follows this was certainly a mild epithet 
 to apply to Americans who were believed to 
 have " fculp d many of their Countrymen" It is 
 difficult for us to believe that a Britifh General 
 had offered a premium for "Sculps" Never- 
 thelefs the whole narrative of the "Jculping " 
 goes a long way to explain the intenfe hatred 
 of the Tories & their allies. Under fuch cir- 
 cumftances you could hardly blame any Soldier 
 of the Continental Army for caufing a Tory 
 to "fwing " as foon as he got the chance. 
 
 " There is a Number of very refpeftable Gentle 
 men in the Army" Of what fort were the reft, 
 we are left to furmife as we pleafe, but we can 
 reft afsured that there were at leaft " a num 
 ber " of men whofe training & breeding made 
 them agreeable companions for our young 
 Harvard Graduate. - 
 " My Frefhman Sumner . . . is a Captain of 
 a Company from Milton." It was the cuftom 
 at Harvard for the Frefhman to be afsigned 
 
 [35] 
 
 Vide pages 
 14 & /J 
 
 Vide page 
 14 
 
 Vide page 
 14 
 
Eddy Wind 
 
 Vide page 
 13 
 
 Vide page 
 16 
 
 Vide page 
 20 
 
 as fags to the Seniors. Although long fince 
 forgotten, it has borne fruit & refemblances 
 are not hard to find even to-day. Still it is a 
 pity that the opportunity for careful education 
 
 in College Traditions has become lefs. 
 
 " If my wages were not higher than I expefted 
 when at Home, I would by no means tarry, but as 
 they are raifed, & for the Love I have for the Coun 
 try, I can by no Means think of leaving the Army" 
 It mufl be confefsed that this gives fomewhat 
 of a fhock to our notions of the ideal Revolu 
 tionary Soldier. In thefe days of grofs materi- 
 ali/m no one would be furprifed if an Officer 
 whofe pay was infufficient fhould leave the 
 army, but that a Revolutionary hero fhould 
 put an increafe in his wages before the love 
 he had for his country is quite impofsible. 
 " My Wages are forty Dollars p Month. W* 
 Weeks was a Paymafter. His falary, after it 
 had been raifed, was barely fufficient to enable 
 him to keep in clean linen. Ruffled fhirts 
 were fo expenfive that a month s pay would 
 only enable him to buy two cheap ones (p. 13). 
 In addition to this he had received no pay for 
 
 over a year. 
 
 " Our Officers & Men in general are dejlitute 
 of Money & have the Itch very badly" It 
 
 [36] 
 
Eddy 
 
 W 
 
 n d s 
 
 is difficult to fee the connection here unlefs 
 one reads the next fentence : " Soon I expett 
 the Money will come & their Wants be relieved 
 & I hope cured of the Itch " which was evi 
 dently the well known difeafe which affli6ts the 
 palm of the hand, inftead of being, as fome 
 have fuppofed, " an inflammation caufed by 
 the prefence of a Sarcoptes Jcabiei" The latter 
 has nothing whatever to do with Money but 
 rather with Cleanlinefs. " Gen 1 Congrejs " was 
 undoubtedly refponfible for the prefence of 
 
 this deplorable ftate of affairs. 
 
 The fcene fhifts from the valley of the Hudfon 
 
 to the Camp at Valley Forge. 
 
 The Winter at Valley Forge was the crucial teft 
 of the American people. There were they 
 weighed in the balances & found fufficient. 
 The laft two letters give us a glimpfe of the 
 
 intenfe feverity of the procefs. 
 
 " This Moment arrivd a Quantity of Beef which 
 feem d to give Joy to every dijtrefsing Soul." The 
 ftarving foldiers living on lefs than one-tenth 
 rations ; the faith in "fo good a man as His 
 Excellency ; " the exuberant joy ; what a pic 
 ture ! It needs no comment but it needs 
 to be read & re-read. 
 "/ bad the Honour to take a Glafs of Wine 
 
 [37] 
 
 Vide page 
 23 
 
Eddy 
 
 W i n d s 
 
 Vide page 
 24 
 
 Vide page 
 25 
 
 with Gen 1 Washington s? his Lady" Imagine 
 the feelings of a young Harvard man of 
 twenty-three drinking the health of the Caufe 
 with fuch companions ! The perfonal influ 
 ence of Washington kept the Army alive dur 
 ing the winter of 17778. To fully appreciate 
 it, read again of the fufferings, & then read the 
 laft fentence in the letter : " / Jhould be glad 
 if you would be careful of fpeaking about the bad 
 Fare of the Army, as it might be a Difcourage- 
 ment to the men to enlift" (That fentence de- 
 ferves to live. It might not be out of place, 
 framed, in fome of our Newfpaper Offices.) 
 We need no further evidence that W m Weeks 
 
 had talked with " His Excellency" 
 
 Here the Record flops. Take the Straws & 
 ufe them. Perchance they may fhew you 
 divers other Eddy-winds. 
 
 [38] 
 
P o f t f 
 
 P 
 
 TO William Coolidge Lane, Efq", Li 
 brarian of Harvard Univerjity, whofe 
 Friendfhip is one of my moft valued 
 Pofsefsions, I defire to exprefs my cordial 
 Thanks, not only for his Kindnefs in allow 
 ing me to print thefe Letters which are in 
 the Library, but alfo for adding the finifhing 
 Touch to thefe Pages by reading the Proofs 
 And now, moft gentle Reader, if perchance thou 
 hail derived Aught of Pleajure or of Profit in 
 the Perufal of this little Sheaf of Straws, know 
 then that they have not been gathered in 
 Vain 
 Pax Vobifcum 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 [39] 
 
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