HTS CHILDHOOD AND EARLY HOME. 9 



sins, had not prevented my life, or entailed upon it physical, 

 mental, or moral infirmities. Hope and comfort returned 

 to my mother with the assurance of my father's safety, and 

 with the restoration of correspondence, although restricted 

 to open letters and to the surveillance and jealousy of 



war. 



At the expiration of a year, General Silliman was 

 restored to his home. 



The family were all presented in the porch or portico 

 before he crossed the threshold. My brother, then two and 

 a half years old, was brought to his paternal arms, and 

 to this day remembers his first sight of the unknown gen- 

 tleman in his military garb ; while the little Benjamin 

 nearly nine months old was retained in the house until 

 the first interviews were over ; and until William, the only 

 son of a departed mother, and the three Noyes, sons of a 

 departed father, had paid their devoirs; when the little 

 stranger was brought in* the arms of his cousin, Amelia 

 Burr, who said, " Here, uncle, is your little boy." That 

 " little boy," now the veteran of more than fourscore, can 

 only thank God for the signal mercies of which he was 

 then unconscious. 



While looking through my mother's letters, and those of 

 my father at this crisis and in other years, I made some 

 brief memoranda outline sketches which may interest 

 my children. Some of them I will annex, just as they were 

 jotted down upon a loose sheet 



1779 ; May lltlt. To her Son, Joseph Noyes, at Stoning- 

 ton. " As we have strong fears on account of the Tories, 

 we have every night a guard of armed men as we believe, 

 faithful and true ; and as it would be a very desirable thing 

 to the enemy our foes to recapture my husband, he 

 does not always lodge at home. I fear very much, if you 

 were here, the enemy would be for carrying you off too." 



