The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-05

/ OOOu Alldl Ills hOIu6
weight, and therefore have made this
record.
December is much going to
and fro among the men from town to
town, especially at night, to talk about
the militia and to form committees of
safety. All are eager for a struggle
which it seems must come; all, mean,
who believe that God favors the right.
January, I775.-The night is fear
fully dark, strong wind blows up from
the sea and storm is gathering; but as
we all sat about the fire, there came
that curious scratch of finger-nails upon
the window-pane the sound of which
always makes my flesh creep. My faith
er went out, and when he returned,
which was very soon, there were with
him two men from Boston who are
members of the safety committee.
Mother quickly mixed the peg tankard
full of hot flip, for the men were cold.
We then had prayers and we young
folks were sent to bed. As looked out
afterward through crack in the door L
observed that my three tall brothers,
John and James and Jacob, were gath
cred in about the fire with father and
the strangers engaged in earnest talk.
= heard the steps of our visitors as
they creaked away in the snow, long
before day-break, and before they went
| smelt the savory of cooking meat and
sausages, so l knew my mother had
prepared a hot meal for them
This morning my father invited me to
drive with him to Boston, ITO see my
cousins and to buy ribbons" he said;
but | knew very well that he takes me
and few fat fowls and some dried APP
pies to make our journey seem an inno-
cent business one merely.-We came
upon a company of red-cOats who were
marching and countermarching just as
we were entering the city. There are
5000 or more here, my father says,
much to the distaSte of the peo-
pie and no wonder, for they
make themselves as obnoxious as pos
sible. Indeed this company tried to an
noy us by forming in line and platoon
across the street directly in our way.
My father stopped his horses and waited
in patience until a stout, handsome
young officer came riding a spirited
horse from toward the town. He
sharply reprimanded the impudent Cap
tain of the annoying company, and
when they had fallen into line and
marched away, the young Colonel came
with his prancing horse and rafting
spurs and talked to my father, but
looked at me. Though his eyes were
bold they were very kind, soft eyes in
deed. There were some sharp tongue
passages between the two men at first
upon political matters, and then the Off
Ger said very politely, still looking very
hard at me:
81 trust the summer will find us all
on better terms"
Il trust the Kingand Parliamentary
take the proper course to make that
possible" replied my father, with equal
politeness.
Then the officer asked my fathers
leave to visit US at Concord, saying,
that when he returned to England he
should wish to be able, from his own OBJ
servations, to describe the colonists'
manner of living.
think nv father half distrusted the
young man, in spite of his evident good
sense and hisseeming friendliness, fear
ing he might have got an mixing of the
fact that there is plan to store guam
THY of arms and ammunition hereabout,
but my father, not wishing to appear
inhospitable, replied that we would give
him welcome should he come when
the meadows were green, in May.
These are indeed troublous times.
John Hancock and Samuel Adams are
staying in the town, sometimes at one
place and sometimes at another. My
father always knows their whereabouts
and goes to them at night with men
who wish to plan about what shall be
done with the munitions of war which
have been brought from Boston, past
the red-coats in loads of manure, in
case they make a raid upon the town.
There are more soldiers now. The col
Ony of Massachusetts is declared by
Parliament to be in rebellion against the
crown, and it may be that battles will
be fought and that blood will have to
be spilled for the sake of freedom.
There is no cellar beneath my room, and
only last night the floor was taken up
and the spaces between the foundation
timbers were filled in with muskets and
a quantity of powder is hidden in
barrel of goose feathers in my closet,
SO no longer take a candle into my
room at night.
Aprl.-The evil day has come and
gone and it seemeth like a dream.
The red-coats have been here. They
started from Boston with foX-like secre-
cy, but good DR.. Warren learned their
plans from a soldier to whom he had
been kind when he was suffering from
a frost-bite during the winter and the
safety committee sent messengers in
every direction. 1t was wonderful how
soon the news of their coming reached
US.
Our Jonas wanted to rally his COM
pany and march to meet them, but my
father shook his head gravely and re-
piled: There will be something be-
side boys play to-day, my child" and
indeed there was. 1t was about seven
in the morning when they got here
and breaking up into squads went about
to different places in search of the hid
den supplies. The squad that came to
our door was, strangely enough, COM
manded by that very officer whom MY
father and met in Boston the day
have mentioned. He knew me at once,
called me by my name, and asked for a
sip of "home brewed," and there was
nothing for me to do but to carry out
the peg tankard which had just filled
for any of our men who might pass this
way. 1t was soon drained by the red
coats, who had many joke over it,
while the young officer looked so hard
at me that must have turned as red as
a peach blossom. Then, handing back
the Peg tankard, he made a sweeping