The New York Packet

A copy of a letter from a gentleman who was an eye-witness of a considerable part of the transactions related in it, and who had opportunity to learn the rest, from those who were eye-witnesses.

Great-Barrington, 3d February, 1787.

SIR,

Two weeks ago to day, between four and five hundred men marched from this county, to join the insurgents in the counties of Hampshire and Worcester, under the command of Shays, Wheeler, and Day. On the fore part of the last week, orders were issued from Gen. Patterson for the friends to government to hold themselves in readiness to march; soon after they were ordered to march, and rendezvous at Stockbridge. Although the number of insurgents abovementioned had marched out of the county, enough were left to outnumber the government party. These, confiding in their superior numbers, it appears, had determined that none of the government party should march, on penalty of being disarmed. They first appeared in motion at Sheffield, under the command of one Moses Hubbard, and made two of the other party prisoners; and expressed their determination, that the company in favor of government in that town, should not march. This took place on Thursday, Jan. 25. They attempted to make prisoners of several other persons, especially of the Hon. Mr. Sedgwick, as he was returning from Sandisfield to Sheffield; but he escaped them by taking a different road; and afterwards passed a guard, who did not venture to attack him. The next day a company marched from this town, to support the government party at Sheffield; but met them in the meadows between the towns; when both companies marched to Sheffield, and brought off a brass field piece which was left there, and returned to this town that evening. Saturday morning the two companies, with a few who joined them from Alford, amounting in all to more than one hundred men, were ordered to march with the field piece; and it was said that they were going to Springfield; but they went to Stockbridge; where they found a number of the malecontents, to the amount of perhaps one hundred, actually met to disarm those who were in favour of government in that place. These did not many of them appear to have arms. Therefore the unexpected sight of so many men multiplied by being all in sleighs, with a field piece which was immediately fired, to give notice that it was there, put an end to the design of these malecontents for the present. They were however chagrined to see the only valuable piece of artillery in the county, in the hands of their enemies. They accordingly established a rendezvous at Mann's, near Col. Williams's Iron works, in West Stockbridge; and began to collect a considerable force, from that and the adjacent towns. Gen. Patterson was still with the militia from the county of Lenox. On Sunday night about midnight a large number of sleighs full of armed men went through this town, and taking West-Stockbridge road, intelligence was sent to Gen. Patterson in the night, who immediately detached a part of the men with him to Stockbridge, and followed them with the remainder the next morning. The whole body of troops now at Stockbridge amounted to between 400 and 500 men; among whom were great part of the men of note in the county. In the mean time the other party grew very insolent, and threatened to come and disarm the militia at all hazards: And they would probably have made the attempt, had they not been prevented by a movement of the troops under Gen. Patterson, which they did not expect.

On Monday afternoon the General ordered the troops under his command, except a guard which he left, to be paraded with their sleighs, as if he was about to march to the eastward. But when all things were in readiness, they took three different roads, and before any intelligence could be conveyed, met at West-Stockbridge, and made prisoners of the party there collected, except a few who escaped in the woods. They also took their horses, sleighs, provisions &c. Their party laid down their arms without much firing, and were, to the number of 84, with a number of arms, sleighs, horses, &c. brought that evening into Stockbridge. Some of the party, after they were surrounded, attempted to make their escape; on which they were fired upon; and a boy by the name of Phillips badly wounded in the thigh; one or two more were slightly wounded.

By this bold movement, the insurgents in the south part of the county, were very much disconcerted in their plans; and although great pains have been taken to raise a party, and retake the prisoners; yet no considerable number of the insurgents have since dared to continue long together. The party captivated were principally from Sheffield, Egremont, Alford, and West-Stockbridge; and were commanded by one John Hubbard of Sheffield; who with about six others are kept prisoners; the rest, on taking the oath of allegiance, were dismissed.

I am, &c.

Extract of a letter dated Saturday, the 3d. instant at Springfield.

Gen. Shepard has been through the upper and eastern towns of Hampshire county, upwards of 300 insurgents have come in and swore allegiance. The Cadet company with another, in the whole amounting to two hundred men are left here to guard the arsenal, and make excursions in the towns of our neighbourhood. We have apprehended about 100 rebels, among whom were as many as 12 or 15 officers. To avoid imprisonment they are willing to take the oath, but their after-conduct shews how little they regard it. It is forced upon them they say, and not binding. The spirit of rebellion is not to be broken unless military law can be established, and the most speedy justice administered.

"The recruiting service is attended with great success; but Gen. Lincoln's situation is not very safe at present. Many, too many, of the rebels have fled to Vermont, where their security is much too evident; not less than a hundred or a hundred and fifty, principally of Shay's army, have ever since their dispersion at Peterham, been in the towns of Guilford, Hinsdale and Marlborough which joins on our line. Among these are the two Days and others as infamously important. Almost every town in the States of New-York and Vermont, which lie on or near the line of Berkshire and Hampshire, give asylum and protection to a greater or less number of our insurgents."

Gen. Lincoln not long since, dispatched Col. Tyler to the Governor and court of Vermont on this subject. He was at first received with coolness, but on being admitted to state the objects of his embassy before their House, and having fully related the proceedings of our Legislature respecting the insurgents, and pointed out the substance of all their acts, calculated to appease and relieve them, of which they professed to have been utterly ignorant, a great majority were in favour of a proclamation, forbidding any of the citizens of Vermont to harbour or conceal any Massachusetts rebels. His Excellency Governor Chittenden and some of his Council, who feel the same affection, for Shays and his advocates, as beasts do for each other, was opposed to this proclamation.

On Monday last a party of rebels collected on the borders of New-York, about 80 in number, under the command of Perez Hamlin, and marched to Stockbridge, about 18 miles from Gen. Lincoln's camp—plundered the houses of all such valuable articles as they could conveniently convey away—made prisoners of 18 of the principal inhabitants, who had exerted themselves in favor of government, and moved with them the same evening to Barrington, about 7 miles south, attempting as they left Stockbridge to fire several houses, but without success. At Barrington they were reinforced by about 40 more, and marched to Sheffield. About 60 of the Berkshire militia, under command of Col. Ashley, immediately pursued them, came up with them before break of day on Tuesday morning; the rebels fired first, but without doing any injury; they then placed their prisoners so as to receive the fire of government party; one of the prisoners was killed; two of the rebels and their leader Hamlin, mortally wounded; many more much injured. This encounter lasted 6 minutes, in which time the troops of government fired six times each; one man only on this side was lost. 60 of the rebels were taken prisoners, and of this number, no less than eighteen have lately taken the oath of allegiance to the government.

I have this account from a gentleman of unquestioned veracity, who belongs to Gen. Lincoln's family, and left him on Wednesday morning last.

March 3. Gen. Shepard, whose head-quarters
Letters are at Northampton, received an express from Gen. Lincoln, yesterday morning, ordering him to send on to Pittsfield immediately, all the force he can spare, as the rebels are again assembling at Barrington and now amount to 200. We shall be in painful anxiety until we hear the event of this movement. Gen. Lincoln is not at present so secure as we wish him to be."

By a letter from a gentleman of character, dated at Kinderhook, the first instant, we are informed, that on the 27th of February there was an action at Barrington, between a detachment of Gen. Lincoln's army and a party of the insurgents, in which four men on each side were killed, and 40 in the whole wounded. That a Col. Hyde of the State troops, and a Mr. Hamelin of the insurgents, were among the former. Further particulars of the action were not known when the letter was written; but it was reported at Kinderhook, that the State troops kept the field, and the insurgents marched off with some cattle and other plunder, which was in their possession before the action.

We are informed from good authority, that there was another skirmish between the government troops and a party of the insurgents on Thursday last, when there were 5 killed in all, and near 50 insurgents taken prisoners.

By a gentleman who came passenger in the northern stage from Montreal, we learn, that on the 27th ult. Shays, Day, Wheeler, and Parsons, with eight other rebel officers, names unknown, arrived at Isle aux Noix; and that on the 28th they still remained there, and conversed with him. This gentleman farther says, from his own personal knowledge, that the real distress of the party, in point of finance, obliged Shays to pawn a sleigh, &c. to defray their expenses to this last retreat from the vengeance of offended justice. It was said that they intended to continue their route to Quebec.

At Fort Edward, our informant adds, he fell in with six others of Shays's party, one of which was a Captain, who enquired of him, with earnest solicitation, respecting Shays; these men were likewise in a distressed situation. This Captain appeared zealously determined to pursue his infernal purpose of rebellion, and said, that they (meaning the body of insurgents) intended again to return when the leaves put out.