This day, about a thousand soldiers from the 14th, 59th and 64th Regiments landed and marched through Boston to the Commons. That spineless jellyfish of a Governor had finally requested troops and now they have arrived. The insitgators have been becoming openly brazen. Lately they have been physically attacking law abiding citizens whose only fault was to disagree with them.
The rumor is that when the warships were spotted off the coast a few days ago,
the delegates to the patriot's convention suddenly realized that were needed elsewhere
and all decided to take extended journeys out of town. Some left in such a hurry,
that they forgot their articles in their lodging rooms. One man, who was in the privy
when he heard the news, bolted out with his pants in hand and legged it out
of town. Cowardly bastards. 
Sunday, October 2
Humorous news today. Some of the Regulars were housed in the town meeting hall
(Faneuil Hall) last night for lack of any other place. When the Regulars
entered, they found the 400 or so arms that Jonathon Taylor had removed
from the town armory last week to distribute among the citizens in
the event that Boston was occupied. Apparently the rebels
had forgotten the arms were left there. Needless to say, the Regulars seized
them. Now the Boston instigators will have to find weapons elsewhere. Not only
are these rebels cowards, they are bumbling idiots as well.
Sunday, October 16
Some of the Regulars have not liked being the target of the more hostile citizens who
torment them constantly. Seventy or so have already deserted. One poor Private
was caught and executed on the Commons by firing squad. The daily flogging of soldiers
is viewed by the citizens in different ways. Some enjoy watching
the soldiers be punished because they hate all the soldiers. Some are angry,
because they punish soldiers who don't want to be in a fight against their
follow countrymen. I pity them all for the wretched position that
this pursuit of independence has placed each and every one.
Thursday, October 27
The soldiers are striking back. Several have stirred up
rebellion among the darkies by convincing them that regardless of what
happens, they will remain slaves. They are right, no doubt. Two darkies cut the throat of their master while
he slept and raped his wife. She later killed herself. The darkies were
hung. And although everyone is certain that the soldiers should share the
blame, there was no proof. And they got off scot free.
Now there is a 10 a'clock curfew for darkies and all the slave owners
sleep lightly with a weapon close at hand. Several women have said they will
die fighting off an attacker before being defiled.
FOOTNOTES
The three regiments were the the 14th, 29th and 59th. The 64th did not
arrive until mid-November. [John Taylor] It is documented that as
the warships neared, the fevor of the
patriots began to die. James Otis one of the leading Boston rebels who was
supposed to be the convention's speaker did not even show up at the
convention for the first three days. However, fear might not have been
the reason for his absence. It is well known that James Otis was beginning to
behave strangely and might have been suffering from some sort of mental
problem during those three days. Also, when the ships were seen off the coast,
the convention delegates voted to adjourn, but no other records
indicate that they fled in terror. [Dale Madison]
return
Jonathon Taylor was my ancestor and namesake. He was involved in the
opening moves of the Revolutionary War, but was murdered in 1774 by an unknown attacker.
His property was seized to pay his debts and his family was sent to the poor house. [JT]
return
There is considerable evidence that the
rebels used "dirty tricks" against the soldiers and even against there
fellow citizens to manipulate the situation. However, there is no other
records to confirm Flashman's claim that the soldiers
used the same tactics against the rebels. In late
October a drunken Captain suggested to a group of slaves that they
should go home and cut the throat of their masters, but there is no
other records supporting an organized attempt
to incite the slaves to rebel or any records that
indicate that a slave owner was murdered and his wife raped.
However, it would explain the slave curfew that suddenly went into effect
October 29th. [DM] return