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The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle Domestic News November 8, 1771
Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
The last words and dying speech of Benjamin Merrill, executed at Hillsborough with five others for opposing the government, in which he warns others, expresses regret, and pleads for mercy to his wife and ten children.
Quality green show the numbers
Measured from the scan
— how cleanly the OCR engine read the characters
- Mean ink quality
- 99.0% The length-weighted average confidence across the OCR lines — the mean of exactly the per-line scores whose tails the two figures below report. Typical is 99%.
- Illegible ink
- 0.7% Text sitting in OCR-detected lines that scored below 80% confidence — very shaky reads. Weighted by line length, so one long bad line counts for more than a short one.
- Uncertain ink
- 0.0% Text in lines that scored 80–90% — somewhat shaky reads.
- Matches source
- 95.25% How closely the served text matches the raw OCR of the same boxes, letter by letter, after collapsing spacing and case. This measures agreement, not correctness: the OCR is often wrong and the extractor corrects it, so 100% does not mean perfect, and a low figure usually means poor scan text was rewritten rather than that text was lost (length vs source shows loss).
- Length vs source
- 96.43% Below 100% means text was dropped from the OCR; above means text was added to make it read.
Assembled by the extraction model
— whether the stitched-together text holds up; catches layout and segmentation errors, which the scores above cannot see
- Transcription confidence
- 92.0% (typical 96%) How cleanly the extractor could assemble what it was given. Low here with clean ink scores points at layout analysis — the characters were read correctly but grouped or ordered wrongly.
- Comprehension
- 88.0% Whether the piece reads coherently start to finish. Can stay high while transcription confidence drops, when only part of the component is affected.
Clipping
Full Text
NEWBERN, (North-Carolina) Aug 30.
THE following are the last words and dying speech of BENJAMIN MERRILL, executed at Hillsborough (with five others) as formerly mentioned in the Paper.
"STAND here exposed; God is my comfort and supporter; I am condemned to die for opposing government; all you that are present take warning by my miserable end, when I shall be hung up as a spectacle before you. My first seducers were Hunter and Galaspie; they had often solicited me, told me settlement was only contended for; with regard to publick officers, who they said, had oppressed the people and that unless those measures were taken there could be no remedy of redress hereafter.
"Thus they pressed me on, by assuring me the disputes (as they called them) then existing, might be settled without shedding of blood. I considered this unhappy affair, and thought possibly the contentions in the country might be brought to some determination without injury to any; and in this mind I joined the regulation. After I had listed under the banner of the Regulators, I was ever after pressed to be made a leading man among them, and was one of the number who opposed Col. Waddell with his troops; informations prevailing, the Governor was on his march to lay waste this country and destroy its inhabitants; informations which I now find to be false, and propagated to screen old offenders from justice.
"As to my private life, I do not know of any particular charge against me. I received, by the grace of God, a change fifteen years ago but have, since that time been a backslider; yet Providence, in whom is my chief security, has been pleased to give me comfort under those evils in the last hour; although the halter is now round my neck, believe me, I would not change stations with any man on the ground. All you who think you stand, take heed lest ye fall.
"I would be glad to say a few words more before I die, the purport of which is,—in a few moments I shall leave behind me a wife and ten children to a wicked and censorious world, and intreat it as favour, no reflections may be cast on them on my account; and if it is possible, shall esteem it as a bounty, if you, Gentlemen, will petition the Governor, Council, &c. that some part of my estate may be spared to them, it will be an act of mere charity, tho' I have forfeited the whole by the laws of God and man."—here he paused
I have, ever since the day of battle, been thoroughly convinced I was wrong in opposing the laws and government of my country; I was blindly led into the atrocious act by wicked and designing men, without provocation and resentment; but O! it is now too late to call back the bloody intention; the blow is given, and I must die for the crime."—here he paused again—
"All you that are here present, beware of drunkenness, lying, cursing and swearing. I could point out some instances of this kind, but it will avail nothing at present—they are registered in Heaven.
THE following are the last words and dying speech of BENJAMIN MERRILL, executed at Hillsborough (with five others) as formerly mentioned in the Paper.
"STAND here exposed; God is my comfort and supporter; I am condemned to die for opposing government; all you that are present take warning by my miserable end, when I shall be hung up as a spectacle before you. My first seducers were Hunter and Galaspie; they had often solicited me, told me settlement was only contended for; with regard to publick officers, who they said, had oppressed the people and that unless those measures were taken there could be no remedy of redress hereafter.
"Thus they pressed me on, by assuring me the disputes (as they called them) then existing, might be settled without shedding of blood. I considered this unhappy affair, and thought possibly the contentions in the country might be brought to some determination without injury to any; and in this mind I joined the regulation. After I had listed under the banner of the Regulators, I was ever after pressed to be made a leading man among them, and was one of the number who opposed Col. Waddell with his troops; informations prevailing, the Governor was on his march to lay waste this country and destroy its inhabitants; informations which I now find to be false, and propagated to screen old offenders from justice.
"As to my private life, I do not know of any particular charge against me. I received, by the grace of God, a change fifteen years ago but have, since that time been a backslider; yet Providence, in whom is my chief security, has been pleased to give me comfort under those evils in the last hour; although the halter is now round my neck, believe me, I would not change stations with any man on the ground. All you who think you stand, take heed lest ye fall.
"I would be glad to say a few words more before I die, the purport of which is,—in a few moments I shall leave behind me a wife and ten children to a wicked and censorious world, and intreat it as favour, no reflections may be cast on them on my account; and if it is possible, shall esteem it as a bounty, if you, Gentlemen, will petition the Governor, Council, &c. that some part of my estate may be spared to them, it will be an act of mere charity, tho' I have forfeited the whole by the laws of God and man."—here he paused
I have, ever since the day of battle, been thoroughly convinced I was wrong in opposing the laws and government of my country; I was blindly led into the atrocious act by wicked and designing men, without provocation and resentment; but O! it is now too late to call back the bloody intention; the blow is given, and I must die for the crime."—here he paused again—
"All you that are here present, beware of drunkenness, lying, cursing and swearing. I could point out some instances of this kind, but it will avail nothing at present—they are registered in Heaven.
What sub-type of article is it?
Execution
Rebellion Or Revolt
Legal Or Court
What keywords are associated?
Benjamin Merrill
Dying Speech
Execution
Regulators
Hillsborough
What entities or persons were involved?
Benjamin Merrill
Col. Waddell
Hunter
Galaspie
Where did it happen?
Hillsborough (North Carolina)
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Hillsborough (North Carolina)
Event Date
Aug 30 (Reported); Execution Previously
Key Persons
Benjamin Merrill
Col. Waddell
Hunter
Galaspie
Outcome
benjamin merrill executed with five others at hillsborough; he left a wife and ten children.