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way home from a journey to Boston, on the 3d of Sept and in a very polite manner gave me the information in presence of the Rev. Mr. William [Allen]1 of Pittsfield and Sam'. M. Burnside, Esq. of Worcester.

25. Frazer went went to Ward with Lawrence. Moses Thomas dined with us. Bathsheba Wheelock came to live with us as Chamber maid. Mowed the orchard behind the Garden a second time. Washington City taken by the British with little or no resistance.-Public Stores to a great amount destroyed-the Capitol, President's house, and other public buildings, with 4 ships of war

27. Wm. Andrews went to Boston in the Stage. Col. Humphreys, of Humphreysville, Connecticut, called on me. I happened not to be at home.

1 William Allen, the son of Rev. Thomas Allen, of Pittsfield, Mass., was graduated from Harvard in 1802, and after being licensed, in 1804, preached for some months in various places in western New York. After his father s death, in 1810, he was ordained over the church in Pittsfield; succeeded Dr. Wheelock as president of Dartmouth in 1817; and was president of Bowdoin from 1820 to 1839. While assistant librarian of Harvard, from 1804 to 1807, he prepared an "American Biographical and Historical Dictionary," the first work of the kind published in the United States, which appeared in 1809 and had two later editions, in 1832 and 1857; and was also the author of several smaller biographical and historical works. He received the degree of D.D. from Dartmouth, in 1820:

Dr. Allen married, in 1812, Maria Malleville, daughter of President John Wheelock. [Born, Pittsfield, 2 January, 1784. Died, Northampton, 16 July, 1868.]

2 David Humphreys, the son of Rev. Daniel and Sarah Bowers Humphreys, of Derby, Conn., was graduated from Yale in 1771; entered the Continental army as captain at the beginning of the Revolution; served on the staff of General Putnam; and was aide and secretary to Washington, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. At the surrender of Cornwallis he was allowed the honor of receiving the British colors, and was afterwards presented by Congress with a sword for his gallantry at the siege of Yorktown. From 1784 to 1786 he was secretary of legation to Franklin, Jefferson and Adams in Paris and London. He served in the Connecticut Legislature from 1786 to 1788, after which he lived at Mount Vernon until his appointment as the first United States minister to Portugal, in 1790. While in Portugal he was commissioner plenipotentiary to Algiers with general oversight over the Barbary States, from 1795 to 1797, when he was transferred to the Court of Madrid as minister plenipotentiary and retained this post until 1802.

During the war of 1812 he served as brigadier-general of Connecticut volunteers, and as a member of the Legislature was active in promoting measures of defence,

29. Entered a complaint against five boys for robbing my field of Corn on the Sabbath-my object to restrain them from such vile practices-The youth in this place are very immoral.

30. Rode with Judge Paine to Milbury and Grafton. Got in two loads of Hay.

31. Mrs. Seaver and Mrs. Putnam dined with us. Attended the funeral of Mrs. Ward, wife of Asa Ward.

September, 1814.

1. Attended the funeral of a daughter of Benj". Heywood, Esq. aged 16-She died with the typhus fever. The men I hire have been engaged for some time in making wall in front of the field back of the hill.

3. Rev. Dr. Wheelock, Pres. of Dartmouth University

At the close of the war he retired to private life and was engaged in the manufacture of woollen goods. Colonel Humphreys received the honorary degree of A.M. from Yale in 1774, from the College of New Jersey, in 1783, and from Harvard, in 1787; and that of LL.D. from Brown in 1802, and from Dartmouth in 1804. He married, in 1797, Ann Frances, daughter of John Bulkeley, an English banker in Lisbon. [Born, Derby, Conn., 10 July, 1752. Died, New Haven, 21 February, 1818.]

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and Rev. Mr. Allen of Pittsfield called on me and spent an hour. President Wheelock informed me that that Corporation, at their public Commencement, on the 24th ult. had conferred on me the honorary degree of Master of Arts. This honor, however gratifying, was never sought for by me.

This morning saw a 4 wheeled Waggon without axle trees for the Wheels, made by a person in Woodstock, Con. I rode in it some way-it was easy and light, and I think the plan an improvement, &c.

4. Went to Chh. twice.

5. Mr. Soper returned from New York.

6. Mrs. Parker came on a Visit. Mr. W. N. Boylston dined with me. Attended at the Bank.

Court of Sessions.

7. Bills of various Banks stopped circulation.2

1

1 Ward Nicholas Boylston [Ward Hallowell], the son of Benjamin and Mary Boylston Hallowell, of Boston, received his education in the public schools of Boston. In March, 1770, at the request of his uncle, Nicholas Boylston, by a royal license he dropped the name of Hallowell, and added to his Christian name that of his uncle. In 1773, on account of ill health, he commenced a journey through Europe and Asia, and from 1775 to 1800, was in business in London. After his return, in the latter year, he spent the greater part of his time in Princeton, spending the winter months at his seat in Jamaica Plain. Soon after his arrival in Boston, he confirmed to Harvard the bequest of Nicholas Boylston, amounting to over twentythree thousand dollars, as a foundation for the professorship of rhetoric and oratory, on the condition that John Quincy Adams should be appointed to that chair. Two years later he secured to the same institution an annuity of one hundred dollars, to be distributed as prizes for the discussion of medical questions; and later a further annuity of sixty dollars, for prizes in elocution, for undergraduates. He also gave five hundred dollars as a fund for additions to the library.

[Born, Boston, 22 November, 1749.

Died, Roxbury, 7 January, 1828.]

2 After the refusal of Congress to recharter the United States Bank, in 1811, the individual states quickly seized the opportunity thus presented, of establishing state banks, and between 1811 and 1816, their number had increased from eightyeight to two hundred and forty-six. A large number of "Wildcat Banks' came into existence, especially in the South and West, which inflated their issues to such an extent, that by the summer of 1814, the currency was in an almost hopelessly deranged condition. The burning of Washington and the attack on Baltimore were followed by a financial panic, in which specie payments were suspended by

8. Training. Mrs. Parker, my niece returned home. Gov'. Strong has ordered out 15,000 of militia.' Sent by

every bank in the country outside of New England, which had been more conservative in its methods, and was thus enabled to withstand the strain.

In the spring of 1814, the British began to extend their policy of coast descents to New England, accompanied by burning and pillage, and the frequent reports of large ships of war off the coast of Massachusetts, kept Boston in a continual state of ferment. The town was in an utterly defenceless condition, for owing to bitter quarrels with the federal authorities in regard to the war, no help had been given, the federal troops had been withdrawn from the coast,.and her forts were almost useless; so that when the news reached Boston, 19 April, that a British squadron of eight vessels had been sighted off Gloucester, defensive measures were immediately begun, and a code of signals was adopted in case of an attack: by day, two guns fired in quick succession, and a red flag hoisted at the Navy Yard; by night three guns, and two lanterns hoisted perpendicularly in the Navy Yard; and at both times the bells of the churches were to be tolled for half an hour. By 27 June, there was a general feeling of alarm; but it was not until two months later that any energetic measures were taken. 24 August, a petition from a number of citizens to the selectmen, suggesting that a town meeting be called to consider the advisability of providing means of defence, was refused on the grounds that that body had full confidence in the executive, and that it would be unwise to excite alarm, by calling such a meeting; whereupon, on 30 August, a committee, consisting of Harrison Gray Otis, Thomas Handasyd Perkins, James Lloyd and others, was appointed to present a petition to the governor; and at a public meeting in Faneuil Hall, 3 September, it was voted that the citizens would cheerfully and cordially co-operate with his Excellency in any measures of defence which might be devised, in which their services might be useful; and that when necessary they would make prompt arrangements for the employment of all classes of their fellowcitizens, in the construction of fortifications, or other means of defence, and in obtaining contributions. Governor Strong acted promptly, and on 6 September ordered the entire militia of the state to hold itself in readiness for service, and called certain companies immediately to Boston. On the following day he issued a proclamation, convening the General Court on 5 October; and a few days later, appointed a "Board of Commissioners for Sea Coast Defence,' consisting of David Cobb, chairman, John Brooks, Timothy Pickering, Israel Thorndike and Thomas Handasyd Perkins. A new fort--"Fort Strong”- -on Noddle's Island (now East Boston); two at Dorchester Heights; a water battery at Dorchester Point; a battery at Commercial Point; and field works at Savin Hill were at once projected. Loammi Baldwin was chief of construction, and 10 September he issued a call for tools, and for volunteers to aid in the work. The answer to this appeal was overwhelming. The Suffolk Bar; the Boston Medical Association; the Charitable Mechanics Association; the schoolmasters; the students of Harvard College; the several companies of the militia; the Long Wharf and India Wharf merchants; the mechanics and manufacturers; the dealers in dry goods and hardware; the printers, booksellers and bind

Way of Mr. Wilson 100 dollars Eastern Bills to be exchanged. -107 more to my son for like purpose & 278 by Mr. Trumbull.

9. Most of the day at the Bank. Training. Nine large Waggons heavy loaded with Specie, brought to our Bank from the Salem Bank to deposit,-more than 600,000 dols. Have about 300,000 also from the State Bank in our Vaults.1

10. Mr. Bancroft went to Vermont.

11. Mr. Thompson2 of Barre preached. Went to Chh. twice. This day the Artillery and Light Infantry companies of Worcester, completely equipped, marched for the defence

ers; the housewrights; the brick and stone layers; the sailors from the Navy Yard,— every profession, trade and class of citizens organized in bands, chose captains, and offered their services. The Columbian Centinel of 17 September contains the notice that "The Members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company (not on duty,) will meet at Faneuil Hall on Tuesday Morning next, at 6 o'clock-each Man will bring with him a good Shovel, Spade or Mattock to perform one day's work on Fort Strong." On one day the venerable Dr. Lathrop was seen, with the deacons and elders of his church, shovelling and carrying sods in wheelbarrows; on another Bishop Cheverus and two hundred and fifty of his congregation labored on Dorchester Heights. Nor did the citizens of Boston alone come forward, but companies from all the surrounding towns marched to Boston and performed their allotted work; while in every part of the state those exempt from military duty enrolled and armed themselves. So quickly and steadily did the work go on, that on 26 October, Fort Strong was formally named by Lieutenant-Governor Phillips. By the time that the remaining works were completed, however, in the early part of November, the British commander had sailed to the southward, the alarm died away, and the troops were soon after dismissed.

In the alarm caused by the apprehensions of coast descents by the British at this time, many of the seaport towns in New England hurried their goods and property into places of safety in the interior. The banks at Portland buried their specie; the people of Wiscasset hid their property in the woods; and Salem sent away five hundred wagon loads of household goods in one day, the citizens being determined that the enemy should find nothing but empty houses.

2 Rev. James Thompson, minister of the Congregational (Unitarian) Church in Barre, from 1804 to 1854.

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