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SIR,

REPLY TO GROTON.1

Boston, July 5th, 1774.

Your obliging letter directed to the Overseers of the Poor of this Town, together with a generous present from a number of the inhabitants of the Town of Groton, for the relief of such inhabitants of this Town as may be sufferers by the Port Bill, is come to hand. In behalf of the Committee of this Town, appointed for the reception of such kind donations, I am now to return to you and the rest of our benefactors the most sincere thanks. The gentlemen may be assured their donations will be applied to the purpose they intend. We are much obliged to you for the wise cautions given in your letter, and we shall use our best endeavors that the inhabitants of this Town may endure their sufferings with dignity, that the glorious cause for which they suffer may not be reproached. We trust

Before the Port Bill went into effect, letters containing assurances of sympathy and support from other Colonies were printed in the Boston journals. The Boston Gazette of May 23, 1774, contains letters from New-York, Westerly, and esp Portsmouth, and the proceedings of a legal town meeting held in Newport, all expressing the determination to consider “the attack upon the town of Boston," "not as an attempt made on that town singly, but upon the whole continent." Clerk The Gazette of this date has the following article: "We cannot but gratefully acknowledge the generous and brotherly interposition of our brethren of the other Colonies on the present desperate attack of the British Parliament on the Town of Boston. Among our warmest friends we are happy to enumerate the respectable inhabitants of the towns of New-York, Hartford, Newport, Portsmouth and Westerly, who have thus early assured us of their readiness to unite in every measure of self-denial and hazard to extricate themselves as well as us from impending slavery."

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The Gazette announced the commencement of the operation of the Port Bill, on the 6th of June, in the following terms: "Tell it in Gath, publish it in Askelon, that the Boston Port Bill, in all its parts, is now carrying into execution, and that Boston is thereby got into greater distress, and is more insulted by an English armament than she ever was by a French or Spanish fleet in the hottest war, when left without one British ship for her protection. The town is become a spectacle to angels and men. God grant that it may not be intimidated by the present horrors to make a surrender of the rights of America; or in any respect to dishonor herself at this day of trial or perplexity."

The Gazette, on the 7th of July, thus describes public sentiment after the Port Bill had been one month in force. "There is not a town of any conseout the quence, on the continent of North America, but is justly alarmed with the proceedings of the British Parliament, and are taking necessary steps to strengthen the Union of the Colonies, and thereby defeat the cruel designs of arbitrary power."-ED.

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that the non-consumption agreement, which we hear is making progress in the country, will put it out of the power of any of the merchants to take unreasonable advantage of raising the prices of their goods. You will, however, remember, that many heavy articles, such as nails, &c., will be attended with considerable charge in transporting them from Salem. As the bearer is in haste, I must conclude, with great regard for your Committee of Correspondence and the inhabitants of the Town of Groton.

Sir, your friend and fellow-countryman,

Signed by order of the Overseers of the Poor,
SAM. PARTRIDGE.

To the Committee of the Town of Groton,

in Connecticut. [Mass.]

GENTLEMEN,

LETTER FROM WRENTHAM.

Wrentham, July 4th, 1774.

Filled with the sense of the sad alternative of being reduced to the precarious tenor of the will of others, rouses our attention and awakens every faculty-shocked with those master strokes of politics which mark with infamy the present era, the pillars of the Constitution struck asunder, and the whole body politic all in convulsion, which call for the aid and assistance of every individual—this Province in particular, and the devoted Town of Boston in special, is the first mark of ministerial vengeance.

Permit [us] then, Gentlemen, to assure you we feel the heavy hand of power, and claim a share in your sufferings. We then, a small number of the inhabitants of this Town, being sensible of the difficulties so sudden a stop of all trade must reduce a number of families in your Town, beg leave thus early to offer you our mite towards relieving our more immediate suffering brethren amongst you. We therefore send you, by the bearer, Mr. Ezra Ware, one load of grain, to be disposed of, for the purpose aforesaid, as

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you in your wisdom and prudence shall judge meet, which please to accept as a mark of our sincere regard and entire approbation of the peaceable measures begun and going on in this and the other Colonies, for our relief. We assure you we look on your burthens, ours, and shall at all times be ready, both in public and private, (according to our ability,) to give you every assistance to preserve our civil and religious privileges.

We are, Gentlemen, with truth and regard, your assured friends and fellow-sufferers in one common cause.

LEMUEL KOLLOCK, half of the Donors.

To the Overseers of the Poor of the Town

of Boston and the additional Committee.

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SIR,

REPLY TO WRENTHAM.

Boston, July 5th, 1774.

We have to acknowledge your favor of the 4th instant. TO We are obliged to you for your kind expressions of symedpathy and concern for us under our present difficulty. infa We are truly in distress, and suffering under the heavy ck as hand of power; and as patience, fortitude and perseverance, while we are enduring this oppression for the preservation al-t of the rights of America, seem to be expected from us Boston by our brethren in the country, you must be sensible great

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numbers of our people must, for want of employ during feel this conflict, be reduced to the utmost distress, unless they fferin are relieved from the country. We are glad to find you is Tor are of this opinion, and kindly thank you for the load of Op of grain you have sent by Mr. Ezra Ware, for the relief of own, those who are more immediately suffering by the oppression of the Boston Port Bill.

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Signed by order of the Overseers of the Poor.

To Mr. Sam. [Lem. ?] Kollock, at Wrentham.

SAM. PARTRIDGE.

GENTLEMEN,

LETTER FROM PEPPERELL.

Pepperell, July 4th, 1774.

We received the proceedings of Boston the 17th of June, with your inclosed covenant, which very near the whole of our District have signed, and we are of opinion that we have not a man but will sign. We herewith send you the proceedings of Pepperell, at their late meeting. We have collected forty bushels of grain, which you may depend will soon be conveyed to the Overseers of your poor, [and] desire you would stand firm in the common cause. Depend on it, we will further assist you with provision and men, if needful.

We are, Gentlemen, your sympathizing, humble servants. By order of the Committee of Correspondence.

To the Committee of Correspondence in Boston.

WM. PRESCOTT.

SIRS,

LETTER FROM CHARLEMONT.

Charlemont, July 9th, 1774.

The inhabitants of Charlemont have considered the deplorable situation of the poor people of your Town, and like the poor widow, cast in their mite. They committed to me two barrels flour, to be sent to you for the relief [of] the poor, which I have sent by the bearer, desiring you would receive it for that purpose, and please to signify that you have received it, and you will oblige your friend and servant,

AARON RICE.

To the Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Boston.

SIR,

REPLY TO CHARLEMONT.1

Boston, 20th July, 1774.

I received your favor of the 19th instant, advising that you had sent two barrels of flour for the relief of such poor people as do suffer by the shutting up of this Port, which flour I have received, and it shall be applied accordingly. The distresses of this Town begin to come on, and I do expect them to be great, but we are not intimidated, nor shall we give up any of our liberties, although we are surrounded by fleets and armies. Our committee to employ the poor are not together, of which I am one, as well as one of the Overseers of the Poor, so do, in the name of both, return you thanks for your kind donation, and am, Gentlemen, your very humble servant,

To Mr. Aaron Rice, Charlemont.

SAM. PARTRIDGE.

DEAR SIR,

LETTER FROM FARMINGTON.

Farmington, July 25th, 1774.

This serves to inform you, that for present relief of the poor in Boston, we have shipped, per Captain Israel

1 The Boston Gazette, of July 18, 1774, has the following paragraphs: This is now the forty-eighth day since the siege of Boston began; and notwithstanding our accumulating distresses, the inhabitants continue to exhibit that calm firmness and unanimity, which astonishes our enemies.

The inhabitants of this town are greatly supported under the weight of ministerial vengeance, by the kind sympathy, and generous donations of our brethren and friends, through the Province and Continent. It indeed seems as if their prophecy would soon be verified in Boston's becoming the granary of North America. May the behavior of its inhabitants continue to deserve their praise and bounty. A whole Continent is now awake and active; one spirit actuates the whole; and all unite in prayers to the Supreme Disposer of events, that the liberties of America may yet be preserved. Last Thursday was a solemn day in this Town; the shops and streets empty, and the churches full. May the day be followed with true repentance and amendment of life, and all the ills we suffer now, like scattered clouds, shall pass away.-ED.

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