USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Chelsea > Documentary history of Chelsea : including the Boston precincts of Winnisimmet, Rumney Marsh, and Pullen Point, 1624-1824, vol 2 > Part 47
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[CHAP. XLVI
Dolars
Cpt. Jonathan Green -
1000
Deacon John Sale -
623
Benjn. Henderson - 200.
Aaron Boardman -
500.
Cpt. Samll Sargent -
500.
Lut. Danicl Pratt -
500.
Samll Watts Esq. -
500.
Lut. Samll Pratt -
500.
Ezra Brintnall -
200.
Willm. Low - 500.
James Floyd -
700.
John Shute -
500.
Cpt. Samll Sprague -
500
Caleb Pratt ~ 500
Richard Shute - 500.
Richard Watts -
100
Samll Watts Jur.
100.
Cpt. Joseph Pratt -
400.
The town, by a Committee, borrowed money of the following persons, to hier Continental Soldiers for six m'nths: July 7, Richard Shute, £150; Caleb Pratt, £150; James Floyd, £210; Samuel Watts, Jr., £30; Capt. Samuel Sargeant, £150; Richard Watts, £30; Samuel Watts, Esq., £210; July 24, Lieut. Jonathan Williams, £210; Lieut. Daniel Pratt, $1200, with interest; Joseph Tuttle, £60; Capt. Samuel Sargeant, £150; and Lieut. James Stowers, £150.
The town chose Joseph Pratt, Lieut. Samuel Pratt, Lieut. Jonathan Hawks, Capt. Samuel Clark, Lieut. James Stowers, Jesse Upham, James Floyd, and John Tueksbury a committee, to agree with seven men as cheap as they eould for three months, to go into the service as militia-men. The committee to be indem- nified. Also, Capt. Joseph Pratt, from his fine.
The following persons paid as fines, or loaned to the town, the sums set against their names : 37
July 11th, Hugh Floyd, £30; 13th, Joseph Wait, Jr., £120; Dea. John Sale, £93; 19th, Ebenezer Butman, £60; 20th, Benja- min Henderson, £150; William Low, 100 Dolors; 24th, Samuel Floyd, £80; Same, 90; Capt. Samuel Sprague, £150; 27th, Sam- uel Watts, £60; Joseph Cheever, 240 Dollars, " as part of a fine, for hiring of men." July 24th, To 500 Dollars, pd. Capt. Pratt, for to pay 3 months' Soldiers,-£150; 24th, Same, for same, £150.
37 There is much uncertainty as to this matter. Much of what I give is gathered from the wreck of the town papers, lately rescued from a garret, remote from Chelsea, in which they had lain unknown for more than a hundred years. Many of them had been lost; which accounts for many gaps in my account of affairs.
-
495
CHAP. XLVII IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Same date. The town paid Lieut. Samuel Pratt £116-8, to pay Milage money for the Continental Soldiers. July 17, 1780. The town paid Capt. Joseph Pratt, £227, L. M., to hire soldiers with.
July 11-19, 1780. Between those dates I find several receipts of payments of £150, I.M., by those, " Drafted as three months' men." They were Ebenezer Sargent, Jonathan Belcher, Junr., Richard Boynton, William Oliver, the third. Ebenezer Butman paid £60, L.M., " to hier the three months' men "; Hugh Floyd " 30 £, I .. M., towards," the same; Joseph Waite, Jr., $120, towards the same, and Deacon John Sail | Sale ], £93.
July 24, The Town paid Joseph Pratt £90, " part of the money ye pew was sold for, which money is to pay the inalitia's soldiers." 28
July 27. Capt. Samuel Sprague paid Lieut. Samuel Pratt 200 Dollars, to pay the milage money to the three months' soldiers from Chelsea ; and Joseph paid same 160 Dollars for the same.
1780, July -. Samuel Pratt received of Lieut. Joseph Cheever $249, " as part of a fine, for hiering of men."
July 24. Samuel Pratt, Lieut., and Joseph. Pratt, a committee of the town, agreed to pay Daniel Pratt $1200, with interest, having hired the same to pay soldiers' bounties. James Stowers, Joseph Pratt, Samuel Pratt, and Jona. Hawks, a committee to hire men for the Continental Army for three months, borrowed of Capt. Samuel Sargent, £150.
Same committee borrowed of Lieut. James Stowers the same sum for the same purpose.
James Tuttle lent £60 for the same purpose.
" 26. Capt. Samuel Sprague lent the town £150 " towards the three months' men."
Lieut. Daniel Pratt lent the town, £162 to hire " Three months' men."
" 27. Jonathan Hawks, one of the town's committee, received of Joseph Green $160 " for Millidge money for the Soldiers."
Lieut. Samuel Pratt received of Samuel Watts, £60 " to hire soldiers to go to General Washington's army for the term of three months."
" 27. Samuel Pratt received of Capt. Samuel Sprague $200 to pay the milige money to the three months' men that 'Listed as soldiers for Chelsea.
Sept. 26, 1780. The town clerk paid Lieut. James Stowers £15 " that he advances for the Incouragment of Soldiers to go to the war."
38 Sce ante, p. 302. Though the money was used as above, it does not appear that the pew was sold for that purpose.
496
HISTORY OF CHELSEA
[CHAP. XLVI
July 31, 1780. The town passed the following votes: To take £900 (being one half the fine imposed upon Chelsea by the Gen- eral Court), to pay bounties to the seven soldiers as militia-men for three months; also £522 the pues sold for the same purpose; also to raise £17,890-16 to pay the remaining sum of the bounties agreed for with the three-months' men called for last month by the General Court; that the fines of those that were drafted be put into the next town rate; also the Seleetmen and Assessors be impowered to receive the several elaims of persons, who have ad- vaneed money to pay the soldiers, that have been lately hired to go into the war and to allow to each person as they judge just, and when the town rate is made, for the assessors to deduet so mueh out of that rate as they judge just, and the remainder to be put into the Collector's Rate-book; and in ease any person is not rated to the next rate, as he has advaneed for the abovesaid pur- pose, then the overplus to be paid out of the town treasury by orders from the Seleetmen.
September 26. Paid Lieut. James Stowers £15, advaneed for the encouragement of Soldiers to go into the war.39
October 23. Paid Isaiah Tay £456, to take up part of a note given him by Chelsea Committee, July 26, 1780, for his son's going into the army.
November 29. The Resolve of the General Court preseribed that the enlistment of soldiers should be, "until the end of the present War with Britain, unless sooner regularly diseharged."
December 21. Paid Samuel Low £88-13-6, part of a fine he paid when drafted.
89 William T. Hall, of Revere, in a letter to Mellen Chamberlain, under date of January 19, 1897, contributes the following facts :
" James Stowers lived in a house at the foot of a lane, about 200 feet from the old county road, now Beach street, near junction of Winthrop Ave., and Beach. The house was occupied seventy years ago by Samuel Sprague Stowers, who had a son of the same name. After the death of widow Stowers, the property was set off to the heirs -in the division, George took the house, and cutting off the lean-to, moved the main body of the house a few hundred feet back, to Sprague St., where it now stands. The house was of the style of two hundred and fifty years ago.
David W. Stowers - who died about a year ago, - (and whom you and I knew), was grandson of James, and son of Joseph Stowers, Esq., one of the prominent men of one hundred years ago. The house where they lived - formerly the Heustis Place - is now rented to strangers.
I called at the house, hoping to find the old family bible, but found some member of the family had taken it to Maine."
In another letter of Jan. 22, 1897, Mr. Hall says, in reference to a draw- ing of the house in which James Stowers lived, "The sketch of the house was drawn from memory. About two-thirds of the original house is still standing on Sprague St., but one would never recognize it, as it is to-day."
497
CHAP. XLVI] IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
1781, Feb. 23. Paid Edw. Wait £150, for a fine he paid last summer.
April 2. Paid Samuel Cheever 28 dollars, & four shillings, hard money, " being the balance for the Bounty due him towards the. 125 Dollars agreed with him, for."
4. Paid Capt. Samuel Sprague, "one hard Dollar, or the exchange thereof, to hire soldiers with."
20. Samuel Sprague and Samuel Sargeant certified that they had received of the Chelsea Treasurer for hiring soldiers to the amount of 28,200 00 00.
The town paid Isaac Watts £88 13 6, part of a fine he paid when drafted for one of the six months' men.
Jany. 30, 1780. A Pay Roll for the Town of Chelsea, Six months' mnen for the year 1780, made from the Time they Passed at Springfield till Discharged at West Point, allowing Each Man ten Days to come home; allowing Eight days before they passed at Springfield.
Men's Names
Passed at Spring- field
Time of Dis- charge
Time in Service in Days
per Months
Wages Due
Edward Wait, Sergt., Phillip Owen, Sergt.,
July 16
Jany 16
6-18
3
£19 16-
16
Decr 18
5-20
3
17- 0
Ephrm. Sale,
16
Jany 16
6-18
2
13- 4-0
Ezra Farrington,
16
Decr 18
5-20
2
10-06-8
Caleb Pratt,
16
Jany 16
6-18
2
13-01-0
James Proctor,
16
Do
6-18
2
13-04-0
Isaac Whitney,
16
Do
6-18
2
13-04-0
Ephrm. Taylor,
16
Jany 10
6-12
2
12 16-0
£113-14-8
N.B. The Original
Sworn to, before M' Justice Cheever.
Sam" Sprague. )
Sam1 Sergeant,
Seleetmen
Jona Green,
of Chelsea.
Sam1 Floyd,
VOL. II .- 32
498
HISTORY OF CHELSEA
[CHAP. XLVI
A PAY ROLL for the Six month men that went into the Conti- nental Service for the year 1780, for Chelsca. Examined, and found Duc in Specic £113-14-8.
Ezra Sargeant, Per Order.
Examin, & the above Sum of £113. 14. 8 is found duc in Specie.
A. Fuller, P. Order.
Copy.
In Council, Jany 30, 1780. Read & Advised that a Wr be drawn on the Treasy, for £113-14-8, in full of this Role.40
For lack of the customary notification,- as was claimed, Chelsea failed to raise her quota called for by the General Court late in 1779. At the next session Jonathan Green, her representative in the House, in explanation of this default, made a speech, a part of which has been preserved, and is given in the GENERAL APPENDIX.
The exertions of. Massachusetts to furnish men for the army had nearly exhausted her resources. She had sent into the field more than twice as many men as any other state; and, between 1779 and 1782, it was difficult to meet the demands upon her. The war had gone southward; nor was there any reasonable apprehension of its return: Her trade and com- merce were ruined. Her young farmers were in the army; and now that the army had left Boston, there was no longer a purchaser for the farm products it had consumed. Never- theless, June 16, 1781, the General Court called for five hun- dred men to march to Rliode-Island, on or before the 25th; and on the same day towns which had failed to raise their quotas called for in 1780 were notified to meet the requisition on or before the 30th. On that day the General Court also at the request of General Washington voted to raise 2,700 men to march to West Point. The Chelsea quota was 6 men.
March 1, 1782, 1,500 more men were called for; Chelsea's share of this number was 4; and, July 31, she was to assess £296-6-6, "on the deficient Class, or Classes, - being the average price or Cost of raising Men to Supply the Deficiency of the Massachusetts Line of the Army."
Besides these demands for men there was a constant call for money for army supplies and the ordinary expenses of state and continental government. These demands were made when
40 Military Rolls, iv. 16.
499
CHAP. XLVI] IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
trade and commerce were ruined and affairs were at a low ebb. Nevertheless Chelsea met her obligations as she best could.
Jan. 4, 1781. Then voted, one Thousand Spanish mill dollars, as a bounty for eight soldiers that shall inlist in the Continental army for three years, or during the war. Chose Mr. Richard Shute, Capt. Samuel Clark, and Lieut. Samuel Pratt to lay out said money as cheap as they could. Voted to pay said committee for their time and expence, and that if they give their obligation for one thousand mill dollars, they shall draw the same out of the town's treasury, or such part as they shall need for hiring said soldiers.
The war had dragged on far beyond expectation, especially after Burgoyne's capitulation in 1777; nor were the military disasters which followed, compensated for by the French alliance of February, 1778, and the arrival of D'Estaing's fleet in July. Success did not attend onr arms; and the people were becoming disheartened under the merciless drain on their resources and constant call for troops. So common was this the case at this time, not only in New England but elsewhere, that in Pennsylvania James Wilson, a stanch pa- triot and signer of the Declaration of Independence, in view of a draft, - after all other means had failed, - was willing to consider honorable terms of peace with Great Britain, short of independence.
Jan. 29, Voted, to give to eight soldiers that should enlist as above, to have eight calves a-piece raised and kept, and to be de- livered to each of them at the end of three years.
Voled, that if the Committee should agree more than 125 dol- lars to any other men, then the town voted to give Sam'll Cheever more. The meeting then adjourned to Feb. 2, when it was decided to leave the hiring of soldiers with the committee to get them in the best manner they could with stock or money.
The vote of too many ealves of undiscriminated sex, and of too little money for a bounty, seems to have failed, and this led to its modification.
29 Jannary 1781. According to the Resolves of Corte, the Seac- ond of Desember, 1780, I calld the Company to geather, in order
500
HISTORY OF CHELSEA
[CHAP. XLVI
to Inlist the men for three years or During the War, but got none.
January the 29, 1781. Call'd a town-meating. Chose a com- mitey to hier ye men. To viz., Richard Shute, Capt. Samuell Clarke, and others. Hier'd two men for three-year, or Durin the war, to wit, Samuel Cheever and one Sacks, an old Brittannor. After that, by order of the Court, Class't the men of the town. For to get the other six men, hier'd Thomas Norris hasey [ Hascy] For one, and David Gooding, for the other two, which Belong'd to the fifth Class. Thear was allso hiered in Said Towne, Samuel Shargent, Junr., of anoher [another ] Class; Selevester Pratt, for another Class, and Abither Ritchison, for said Town. Those men wass hier'd for Two hundd & fiftey harde Dollars a-peace, or the Exchange.41
March 1. Voted to give John Sacks one Hundred Hard Dol- lars and four Hefer Calves, to be kept and deilvered to him at three years, for a Bounty, for his 'listing into the Continental service for three years for the town of Chelsea, and to pay him Down 70 Hard Dollars, or the Exchange, and the remainder to be paid him or his when called for by him.
March 8. . The town clerk gave an order on the treasurer to pay Lieut. Jonathan Williams and Lieut. James Stowers, respectively, £66-18, and £5 ?- 6, lawful money, for money advanced by them to hire Soldiers with.
March 12, Voted to allow Caleb Pratt, as much as his son Caleb's poll rates amount to, in Capt. Jos. Pratt's lists, towards his services as soldier for six months.
Same day. Jonathan Green, town treasurer, credited himself with £32,696-5-3, for the preceding year, of which all but £852-10-9 were for soldiers' pay, bounties, shoes, stockings, shirts, and blankets that Chelsea had procured for the army. He was the town's creditor for £62-11-3-1.
One item of his account is, " Paid and discharged Capt. Joseph Pratt, as money that he paid out to the Soldiers that went into the war for six months and three months Last Summer, over and above all the fines he received, £21,125."
March 22. The town, by a committee, promised to proeure for John Sykes [his real name], his heirs or order, 4 Calves, Raise and keep them until they are three years old, & then deliver them, when they are Cowes at 3 years old, to said John Sykes, - Unless [ he] Shall [or Git] a Dismission before the end of 3 years; in that
41 Pratt MSS. May be MSS. of William Watts -found in account book of his.
501
CHAP. XLVI] IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Case, said Cretures are to be delivered to him or his order upon his dismission. The Committee promised to pay him, or his order, 23 Spanish mil'd Dollars within six months, and did pay Isaac Watts £300, ou " John Sayckes " account, for money the town owes sd. Sayckes as a bounty.42
I am not sure that I understand the vote of the town, March 22, 1781, that " Each Class Chuse a Committee to git the men in the Best manner they Can, then the Sum to be paid upon an averadge as other Charges are "; 43 but as possibly throwing some light upon it I bring forward several later votes. July 6, 1781,44 Voted to Chuse a Committee of 3 persons, to Give the Comm'tions officers to hire Soldiers; then Voted to add Capt. P. to sd. Committee. Voted to allow the committee to a Gree with the men as Cheap as they could, and to allow the money they agread for. Voted to reconsider the Vote which related to the Committee Gitting or hireing solders, and then Voted to Class the town into 6 Classes, to Gitt 6 Solders for 3 months. Voted, that the Commition officers Do assist the Selectmen in Classing the town.
March 19. Caleb Pratt loaned one of the Committee " fore Spanish Dollars " to hire men for the Continental Army. Repaid by order of the town, Oct. 29, 1783.
April 2. Paid Samuel Cheever 28 Dollars and 4 s., Hard Money or Exchange, balance of bounty due him towards the 125 dollars agreed with him for.
42 I anticipate the remaining story of John Sykes, " an old Brittannor." May 10, 1781, the town dismissed, to another time, his petition for his bounty. June 30, he got a " silver Dollar." Jan. 1, 1783, the selectmen ordered the treasurer to pay him, "all that is dne on his note." July 29, was an order to pay his note, for £7-4-0, with interest. Jan. 3. 1784, he was paid " twelve shillings, silver money." Jan. 7, he received of the collector, £2-5-1. Jan. 15, he got of the treasurer, 12 Dollars & 6 shillings. At another time, not given, he had 15s. 7d., in full. The old soldier had hard work in collecting, and the town in paying, his dnes. Jan. 15, 1784. Voted, Mr. David Beleher and Capt. James Stowers, to "buy said two cows ; bnt, same day, voted not to give him 30 Dollars, in lieu of two heifers or cows, the town owes him. Reconsidered, and voted the $30. Feb. 3. the town paid him, for his services in the Continental army, £4-10, in part of £9 dne him, and the next day, £3-1-8.2, in full of note. May 8, 1786, the town abated his rates in Capt. Pratt's list.
For Sykes, see Selectmen's Records, i. 110, 111.
Town Ree., ii. 62.
" Ibid., 65.
502
HISTORY OF CHELSEA
[CHAP. XLVI
April 3. Paid Capt. Joseph Pratt £281-0-1, for sundry abate- ments, and for what the town voted to give him towards his charges for Giting the 6 and 3 months' men last Summer.
April 4. Paid Capt. Samuel Sprague " one hard Dollar, or the Exchange thereof," to hire Soldiers with; and the treasurer paid to Soldiers as Bounties as 3 months' men £12,600-0-0; paid to Soldiers as Bounties as 6 months' men, 15,600-0-0 Capt. Sprague and Capt. Sargeant's
Receipt, £28,200-0-0.
April 4, 1781. this may Certify that we have Ree'd of Chel- sea treasurer, Receipts for hireling Soldiers to the amount of 28,200: 0:0.
Comitt.
April 20. Paid Isaae Watts, £88-13-6, for part of a fine he paid when drafted as one of the six months' men.
May 10. Voted, not to abate or give Ezra Brintnal any part of his tax or charge in getting the three years' soldiers for the Continental army.
July 16. Voted to choose a committee of three persons, to join the Commission Officers, to hire soldiers. That, the committee [do so] as cheap as they ean, and to allow the money they may agree. Voted to elass the town into six elasses to get six soldiers.
Though the war was virtually closed with the capitulation of Cornwallis, October 19, 1781, Congress prepared for its possible continuance and made requisitions upon the States, and these upon the towns, for soldiers and supplies.
Agreeably to a Resolve, March 8, 1782, Chelsea was required to assess £296-6-8, on the deficient Class or Classes, being the aver- age price of the cost of raising the men to supply the Deficieney of the Massachusetts Line of the Army.
March 21 1782. Voted to dismiss the artiele in the warrant to sce what method the town would advise to get four men to serve in the Continental army three years, otherwise than the Court has directed. Reconsidered, and the matter left with the Assessors.
Voted, not to forgive Mr. Ebenezer Butman his part of the Tax for hiring a man for three years; [On the 14th, it had voted to forgive Mr. Bootman's two sons in captivity their poll tax in Mr. Shute's list ; ] and not to forgive William Pratt's rates in the north elass, for hiring a man.
Several orders were passed for payment of those in the army, in 1780: April 29, for Edward Wait £19-16, all for six months'
503
CHAP. XLVI] IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
service. May 7, 1782. The Selectmen gave an order on William Boardman, collector, in favor of Ephraim Sale for £13-4, for six months' wages in the Continental Army, in 1780. Also, two orders on the same, in favor of Capt. Joseph Pratt, one for £13-4, for six months' wages due to James Procter ; the other for £12-16, due to Ephraim Taylor, for six months' wages in the Continental army, 1780.45
July 1, 1782. Same gave an order on same, in favor of Caleb Pratt, Junr., for £13-4, in full for six months' wages in the Con- tinental army, in 1780.46
Feb. 26, 1783. Same gave an order, in favor of widow Sarah Farrington, on same, for £5-13-4, being the one half of her son's wages for serving in the Continental army in 1980.47
1782, July 22. Meeting, to see what the town will do, in respect of a Circular Letter the Court sent over from Boston concerning the Army. Voted to desire the Collector to show the rates that were made last to the inhabitants of Chelsea, and let the people know the necessity of having this money immediately for the army.48
June 10, 1783. Paid Samuel Watts 0 : 6 : 0, for time spent in going to Boston on account of carrying Soldiers to pass muster, and getting money to pay sd. Soldiers to go into the war and Expences, in 1778.
June 27. Paid Samuel Cheever £9, part of the money the town voted him for going into the war.
January 15, 17844. Voted, a committee of nine persons, Capt. Samuel Clark, Capt. Samuel Sargeant, Deacon John Sale, Capt. James Stowers, Capt. Joseph Pratt, Lieut. Joseph Cheever, Lieut. Samuel Pratt, Mr. William Watts, and Mr. Edward Wait, to assist the selectmen in collecting vouchers for the hire or Bounties paid the soldiers that have gone into the war since 1775, as or- dered by the General Court.49
Shays' Rebellion made its draft for soldiers, and the town voted, Jan. 15, 1787, to raise eleven men for one month or less, at 20/ per month, exclusive of their wages, or in proportion to 40/ per month. Those to whom bounties were paid for hiring soldiers, " for going after Shays," were William Harris,. Dea. John Sale,
Selectmen's Records, i. 104.
40 Ibid., 105.
4 Ibid., 106.
" Town Rec., ii. 75.
4 Ibid., 87.
504
HISTORY OF CHELSEA
[CHAP. XLVI
David Belcher, Licut. Samuel Pratt, Capt. James Stowers, Belcher Watts, Samuel Low, and Eleazar Daniels.50
October 9, 1794. Voted to give the men that Does inlist to go in the Continental Army three Dollars Bounty, and ten Dollers a month. Vote reconsidered. Voted to give Each man, five Dollers Bounty when they enlist, and five Dollers more when they march, as a Bounty, and to make up Ten Dollers a month while in Service.51
50 Town Rec., ii. 104. Selectmen's Rec., i. 132, 133, 148, et al.
61 Town Rec., ii. 139. [For a similar vote, see Boston Rec. Com. Rep., xxxi. 373.]
1
1
505
IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
CHAP. XLVIL]
.
CHAPTER XLVII
CHELSEA IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Arms, Ammunition, Clothing, and Supplies
B ESIDES raising her successive quotas of armed and equipped men Chelsea, in common with some other towns, was obliged to furnish arms, ammmition, clothing, and supplies. Frothingham says, " the army had suffered unich from the want of fire-wood and hay. The Massachusetts Assembly endeavored to relieve this suffering, by calling on the towns within twenty miles of Boston to furnish specific quantities at stated times, according to the population of each town, and its distance from camp." 1
August 3, 1775. Voted (by direction of the Provincial Con- gress) to accept, as committee for providing clothing for the Soldiers, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Samuel Watts, Joseph Green, Daniel Pratt, Jonathan Williams, and Samuel Clark, and to allow them reasonable pay in procuring the clothing, and for their services.
The following tables show the supplies of the companies at Chelsea in 1775. They are for those of Lientenant-Colonel Baldwin's regiment, and I select from the returns ouly such companies as were stationed at Chelsea.
1 Siege of Boston, 275. Chelsea's quota of coats, July 5, 1775. was 31. Jonr. Prov. Cong., 457. Dec. 16, 1775, quota of hay 10 tons of salt hay. Washington at Cambridge needed the best horses for the Head Quarters. Ilence the following order:
Head-Quarters, Cambridge, 13th July, 1775. Sir:
It is the General's order that the Horse, which you have in possession, & which was taken by your Guard, when you was Officer of it, be immedi- ately sent up to Head-Quarters.
I am, Sir, your very Hum'l Servt.,
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