The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-02-01
JOHN MOFFATT'S PREDICTION.
The following interesting sketch is taken
from the Portsmouth y. II. journal of
December 81 1873:
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. j, 1873.

from the Portsmouth y. IL. journal of
December 81. 1873:
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. !, 1878.
send to you portion of letter writ.
ten by John Moffatt, dated Portsmouth New
England, July II, l17i 1t came to me
among other letters, brought from Ports
mouth a few weeks since by my son.
This Mr.. Aoifatt, As you know through
the " Rainbles,' was one of the chief mer.
chants of his time. His house, in which /
was born, is still in good order, thongh lit
tie less than hundred and twenty years
old, and occupied by Mr.. Ladd. There is
one Circumstance in his life that is strlk-
ing, perhaps, remarkable. He was born in
Bristol, England. in l6ss-the year of the
revolution that threw out the Stuarts aud
brought in William of Orange. The year
he came to this country do not know,
probably. not before his twentieth year.
But after leaving his own country, distract
I'd by factions, he lives long enough to meet
another revolution, still more serious, in
the land of his adoption. He writes the let
ter in "A, lives through the war and dies
IN 1874, aged ninety six. Ii is the best evi
dence have ever seen OF the reso!rrd mind
of that period, and of the fermentation
that was going on in the spirit of the PEG
pie every where, as well as in the town in
which this aged person had his home. You
will find among the documents OF that day
a letter from the Governor of the Colony
to the Secretary in England, which states
that the three chief mischief makers in
Portsmouth, at that time, were Supply
Clapp, John Langdon, and. think, George
Gaines. This was written in liza Nr.
Moifatt states there is fleet Of men. Of W ar
in Boston harbor; and it is probable, judg-
ing from what happened in December of
that year, that this display OF naval force
brought on the attack aud capture of the
fort in Portsmouth harbor. The men Of
war were considered a menance, and re-
member perfectly we'll hearing from some
Of the old people living when was a boy
that report was current in Portsmouth
that a man of war was to be sent to place
tho town under her guns and prevent all
commercial communication, also that the
day after the taking Of the fort a vessel Of
war did come, but too late. If she had
come aud taken possession Of the town,
fort, harbor, &c, what the result might
have been to the American cause, it is not
difficult to say. 1t certainly would have
prevented the powder of the fort from be-
ing used and useful at Bunker Hill, and if
this event had not taken place OF the battle
had been fought with less spirit, as it would
have been if ammunition had been want
ing, Independence and separation from
Eng land might have been deferred to an
other period. But | leave you TO make
your own comment aud draw your own
conclusions. In letter from Mr. c. +.
Adams, he says he cannot imagine where
Mr.. Moffatt got his confidence, it is GER
tainly extraordinary in SO old a man, en-
gagea largely in commerce, which a war
would certainly ruin. think it will make
Portsmouth people every were proud, that
such an old man was ready for the fight.
A. l.. ELwYS.
EXTRACT
81 am now arrived to such an age AS
likely to see poor Boston and all New Eag-
land in good deal of trouble, and like
to be made a sacrifice to a vile, wicked par
lament and ministry. You hear the har
Dor of Boston is shut up; they have seven
mon-of.war in the harbor and five rsgi.
ments Of soldiers in the towu-and more
coming-but all the colonies are uniting
and are determine to assist Boston at all
hazards and on all accounts, and will not
suffer their poor to want-all the colonies
send them provisions. II they suppress
America, they are a ruined naiion-but
Amtr'ed nW stand how prophetic. 1t
has been miraculously preserved, and
hope Prov idsncs will work out deiiverance
for them. As they have shut up the port