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Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams
Braintree May 2nd, 1786
Not one word of politics have I written nor shall I have time to do it now. If I had I would tell you what wonderful things the House are doing with the lawyers of the Court of Common Pleas &c but the newspapers will do it for me. I am thankful there is a Senate as well as a House. What has Congress done? Anything to detain you in Europe. I love my country too well to wish you to return yet, much as I wish to see you. I did design to write to my dear Niece by this vessel but fear I shall not have time. My sincere Love and good wishes attend her and hers. Tis very late good night my ever dear Sister and believe me, yours Affectionately
M Cranch
Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams
Braintree July 10th, 1786
My dear Sister
11th
I began to write you last night but my eyes were so poor that I could not continue it. I am now risen with the sun to thank you for the charming budget you have sent me. Such frequent communications shortens the idea of distance by many miles. I believe there have been letters constantly upon the water for each other ever since you left us. The idea of your returning soon to your dear friends here would be a much more joyful one if this country would suffer you first to do all the good your inclinations lead you too, and what they really wish you to do though they put it out of your power to do it. I hope they will come to their senses before winter. The court is adjourned to next January. The House have been disputing half this session whether we should have paper money, any lawyers or any Court of Common Pleas. They voted finally, against paper money, sent up to the Senate a curious bill with regards to lawyers and the Inferior Court. A committee of five from the Senate have it to consider until next term. Mr. Cranch is one of them. Thus do they spend their time in curtailing tea tables while they are suffering thousand to be wrested from them for want of giving ampler powers to Congress. It is dreadful to those who see the necessity of different measures to stand by and see such pursued as they fear will ruin their country. Ask no excuse my dear sister for writing politics. It would be such a want of public spirit not to feel interested in the welfare of our country as the wives of ministers and Senators ought to be ashamed off. Let no one say that the ladies are of no importance in the affairs of the nation. Persuade them to renounce all their luxuries and it would be found that they are, and believe me there is not a more effectual way to do it, than to make them acquainted with the causes of the distresses of their country. We do not want spirit. We only want to have it properly directed. . . .
Love to Mr. Adams.
Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams
Braintree November 26th, 1786
My dear sister
Sent you a short letter by Captain Barnard; I had not time to do more. I find he has sailed. I wrote you that I had been making a visit to Sister Smith, a wedding visit at Medford, and spent a night or two at Cambridge. . . . There is likely to be a great disturbance in Cambridge at the setting of the court of Common Pleas this week. There is an express come to the Governor to inform him that one Shays, one of the heads of the incendiaries (it is a many-headed beast), is determined to come with eighteen hundred men to stop the court. There will be force sent to oppose them I suppose, and I wish there may not be bloodshed. Are we not hastening fast to monarchy? To anarchy I am sure we are, unless the people discover a better spirit soon. . . . The college company is wishing to be allowed to march out in defense of government, but they will not be permitted.
Tuesday 28th
And a colder day I never knew in January. I hope it will cool the courage of the insurgents. I am anxious to hear Mr. Cranch went to Cambridge yesterday; he is too apprehensive to be happy.
Wednesday 29th
Tis extremely cold yet, and no news from Cambridge. I have just heard that our Braintree captains have been round to order all the militia to be ready to march at a minute’s warning. How hostile the appearance! I hoped to have seen peace in my day for the future, but from the present cloud which hangs over our affairs nothing can be expected but storms and tempests.
Six o’clock. About a quarter after four this afternoon we had a very sensible shock of an earthquake. I was in my chamber standing at a trunk, when my chest of drawers began to shake and the brasses to rattle violently. It lasted but a few seconds and was not attended with any noise that I can learn. I was not a little alarmed; being almost alone made me feel more so.
Thursday 30th
I have just received a letter from Mr. Cranch informing me that the insurgents came no further than Concord; from thence, they sent a man to Bristol County to collect all the discontented there and to engage them to meet those at Concord. Shays was to come with his gang from another quarter, but the man from Concord, meeting with no success in Bristol County and upon his return not finding Shays arrived, advised the party to return. “That the Governor had called a council of war,” at which Mr. Cranch was invited. There were present Generals Lincoln and Prescott, Colonel Hitchbourn, four counselors and several other Gentlemen. That measures were propounded and discussed with great prudence and wisdom, but that he was not at liberty to mention the result. The insurgents at Concord were about sixty. They expected Shays would have brought three thousand.
Saturday December 2d
The secret is out, at least part of it. A party of Light Horse, all volunteers, went from Boston on Wednesday morning in pursuit of the insurgents. They had warrants to take up a number of their leaders, and a sad company they were. The Light Horse consisted of lawyers, physicians, and merchants, and were joined by a number of gentlemen from the country as they passed through it. They were commanded by Col. Hitchbourn and were in number about three hundred. They went as far as Groton and returned Friday morning with three of the leaders of the mob: Shaddock, Parker and Page. Shaddock defended himself with his sword till he had like to have killed a Mr. Reed, who seized him first, and who was himself tarred and feathered in former times but is now for submitting to the powers that be. As Shaddock’s arm was lifted to give a wound that might have been fatal to Reed, Doctor Rand struck him upon the knee with his broadsword and brought him to the ground. The others were taken without shedding blood. Cousin William Smith was of the party who went out. Another party went out after another set of them but returned without doing anything. They did not think themselves strong enough to oppose such numbers as were collecting.
December 3d
I was very sorry I could not get a letter aboard Davis, but I could not get one into town soon enough. Mr. Cranch and the Doctor will write, I hope. They can give you a better account of public matters than I. . . .
Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams
Braintree February 9th, 1787
Dear Sister
If you have received our letters by Captain Callahan, you will be in some measure prepared for the accounts which Captain Folger will bring you of the rebellion which exists in this state. It had arisen to such a height that it was necessary to oppose it by force of arms. . . . The militia were called for, but there was not a copper in the Treasury to pay them or to support them upon their march. Town meetings were called in many places, and promises were made to them that if they would enlist they would pay them and wait till the money could be collected from the public, for their pay. And for their present support people contributed as they were able, and in this manner in less than a week was collected an army of five thousand men who marched under the command of General Lincoln to Worcester to protect the Court. The result you will see in the papers. The season has been stormy and severe; our army has suffered greatly in some of their marches, especially last Saturday night. Many of them were badly frozen; they marched thirty miles without stopping to refresh themselves in order to take Shays and his army by surprise. They took about 150 of them. Shays and a number with him scampered off and made it to New Hampshire.
Shays and his party are a poor, deluded people. They have given much trouble and put us and themselves to much expense and have greatly added to the difficulties they complain of. I think you must have been very uneasy about us. Shays has not a small party in Braintree but not many in this parish. They want paper money to cheat with. They called a town meeting about a week since to forbid Colonel Thayer from attending the general court, but they could not get a vote. . . .
