Familiar Letters of John Adams and His Wife Abigail Adams During the Revolution: with a Memoir of Mrs. AdamsAdams, John
History
Familiar Letters of John Adams and His Wife Abigail Adams During the Revolution: with a Memoir of Mrs. Adams
Adams, John
Adams, Abigail, 1744-1818 -- Correspondence; Adams, John, 1735-1826 -- Correspondence; Presidents -- United States -- Correspondence
We learn from one of these deserters that our ever-valued friend Warren,
dear to us even in death, was not treated with any more respect than a
common soldier; but the savage wretches, called officers, consulted
together, and agreed to sever his head from his body and carry it in
triumph to Gage, who no doubt would have "grinned horribly a ghastly
smile," instead of imitating Cæsar, who, far from being gratified with
so horrid a spectacle as the head even of his enemy, turned away from
Pompey's with disgust, and gave vent to his pity in a flood of tears.
How much does Pagan tenderness put Christian benevolence to shame! What
humanity could not obtain, the rites and ceremonies of a Mason demanded.
An officer, who it seems was one of the brotherhood, requested that as a
Mason he might have the body unmangled, and find a decent interment for
it. He obtained his request, but upon returning to secure it, he found
it already thrown into the earth, only with the ceremony of being first
placed there with many bodies over it.
"Nor writ his name, whose tomb should pierce the skies."
"Glows my resentment into guilt? What guilt
Can equal violations of the dead?
The dead how sacred! Sacred is the dust
Of this heaven-labored form, erect, divine!
This heaven-assumed, majestic robe of earth."
2 August.
Thus far I wrote, and broke off; hearing there was a probability of your
return I thought not to send it; but the reception of yours this
morning, of July 23d, makes me think the day further off than I hoped. I
therefore will add a few lines, though very unfit. I went out yesterday
to attend the funeral of the poor fellow who, the night before, fell in
battle, as they were returning from the Lighthouse. I caught some cold.
Sabbath evening there was a warm fire from Prospect Hill and Bunker's
Hill, begun first by the riflemen taking off their guard. Two men upon
our side were killed; five of their guards were killed, two taken. I
believe my account will be very confused, but I will relate it as well
as I am able.[96] Sabbath evening a number of men, in whaleboats, went
off from Squantum and Dorchester to the Lighthouse, where the General,
Gage, had again fixed up a lamp, and sent twelve carpenters to repair
it. Our people went on amidst a hot fire from thirty marines, who were
placed there as a guard to the Tory carpenters, burnt the
dwelling-house, took the Tories and twenty-eight marines, killed the
lieutenant and one man, brought off all the oil and stores which were
sent, without the loss of a man, until they were upon their return, when
they were so closely pursued that they were obliged to run one whaleboat
ashore, and leave her to them; the rest arrived safe, except the unhappy
youth whose funeral I yesterday attended, who received a ball through
the temple as he was rowing the boat. He belonged to Rhode Island. His
name was Griffin. He, with four wounded marines, was brought by Captain
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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