50 



^l)e iavmcr's iUoutl)lij Visitor. 



mareh.* If matters should come to extreniiiies, 

 altlioiigl) ouf men \ve slial! iiiarcli against them 

 have too many gi'ievances iuooiiimoii with thoni, 

 1 make no doull-t but tlicy will dieertiilly compel 

 the insiiigcnts lo suljoi-iiinaiion liy Ibice ofarins. 

 1 Jiave the honor to he, iiiost leepeetriilly, 



Your obei'ieiit and very humble servant, 

 ALEX. SCAMJMELL. 

 Hon. Meshecu W'eare. 



,\'eiv-}i'intlsor, March ilk, 1781. 



Dcitr Sir: — Yours ofthe.Sih nil. by Mr. Jewilt, 

 lays me under an additional obli£:itioii, I am ex- 

 ceeding sorry tliat j ou wire unable to procure 

 proper clothing for the officers ofour line. Tliey 

 are prodigiously detieient in uniform cloth, and 

 unless some mode can he adopted to provide for 

 them, Iheir circumstances will he truly sliabby,:uid 

 Bitnaiion very mortifying. They will need boots 

 and hats likewise. I hope the Stale will take meas- 

 ures to provide decent clolliing for their soldiery, 

 without phn^ing the least dependence on any 

 from the continental agents, who lam persuaded 

 Lave iji many instances betrayed their trust, and 

 richly ileserve death, for their mulcondnct, as it 

 is owing to thejii that wz have not long since 

 been supplied with clothing from France. Our 

 State can at least supply' their men with hats, or 

 leather caps. If the cap could he inoeured, they 

 would be much cheaper than hats, as the first 

 cost but very little if aiiy thing more than the 

 hats, and will last three times longer. They 

 make very elegant ones at Middletown in Con- 

 necticut, where I could contract for them, if au- 

 thorized by the State, or Board of War, and have 

 them before we take the field, made iti the best 

 manner. 



You request me to give you the jiarticulars of 

 the Jfennsylvania ti:"ii3 revolting, or in other 

 words, reverting back to their brother citizens, 

 v/ho had not completed or fulfilled their promi- 

 ses, or even complied in a single instance. Their 

 mutiny was uirjitsiifiable, unujiiilary, and shook 

 us to the foundation as it terminated. Had it 

 been quelled by force of arn>s, as it onn;htto have 

 been, the example would have been less danger- 

 ous, and a circumslance not uncommon to other 

 armies. But lliat abuut two thousand men, in 

 the centre of New Jersey, and vicinity of Penn- 

 sylvania, should openly revolt, kill and wound 

 their officers, and set all authority at dellance, 

 and finally be permiUed to leave the service with 

 impunity, is the most fatal blow that was ever 

 btrnck at our discipline and subordination. 



Had our troops in the Highlands been better 

 clad, a detachment of them would have been sent 

 to suppress them immediately, although the mi- 

 litia of the two Stales aforesaid ought to have 

 been assigned lor the purpose. But Congress 

 and the Executive committee of Petinsylvania 

 took U|) the matter; a committee tiom the fiirni- 

 er, and the Governor and a commitlw. li-oni the 

 latter, waited on the rebels, treatefl them with an 

 much respect as if they had been ever so legal 

 and respeclablean asr^emblagp,aiKl by that means 

 superseded military force. Tney pernii'led them 

 to t:ike their oaths, in preference to the enliet- 

 ment they bad signed, and their officers' assever- 

 ations, whereby six-eigiiths ol' them swore 

 through thick and thin, and damned themselves 

 out of the service ! I am informed that at least 

 6ix hundred of them have absolutely perjured 

 themselves. The remainder of ihetn lu.d some 

 Email pretext for what ihey had done, Imt by no 

 means adequate. Their first complaints were 

 grounded on the equivocal enlistment (or three 

 years, or during the war. Though tiiese were 

 pretty generally stifled by a graluiiy ^riven them 

 of one hundred dollars eiKdi, in consideration for 

 their being engaged for the war. And they had 

 universally signed receipts |)mporti;ig the same, 

 (perhaps too great a compulsion was made use of 

 to bring it about.) And had those troops been 

 well clothed, fed and paid, 1 believe they would 



"Col. ifcammcUl. ere Muilcs tn llip council of general 

 ofncers summoned liy order of Washington at tlie quar. 

 tere of Gen. Heath, where it was determined thai there 

 was no reason to doubtfilcfli^clity ofthc remaining troops, 

 end it was agreed that a detscbnient ofi thousand wen 

 ehould be dr.iwn out. and held in readiness to march ai 

 the shortest noiiee. This detnchu.erit consisted offae 

 battalions, two from tlie Massachusetts line, one from liie 

 New Hampshire line, one Ironi the t.'onnecticut line, and 

 the rest chiefly Cr. m Col. I-l izens reLjiment — the whole 

 to be commanded Ly Maj. Ucn. Howe, as senior officer, 

 lortunately no r.ccessily existed to movE this body of 

 troops. 



have served to the end of the war witlmuta mur- 

 mur. The principal causes of th.eir complaint 

 were common with all the other troo|.s. The vir- 

 tue, perseverance, fortitude and patriotism of all 

 our soldiers, have been put to theexlremest trial, 

 and I'll assure ycu the officers have not escaped 

 the severest trials. Their situation is now, and 

 for a long time past, has been the most unenvia- 

 ble of any one 1 can conceive of .'\lthoiigh our 

 troops have unilergone every hardshi|) uiih un- 

 p.iralleled resolution, yet I conceive they never 

 will again endure the like. It will at least be en- 

 dangering the very existence of the army, and 

 very probably at a critical period, v\hen the exis- 

 tence of the liberties of the United States may 

 be involved in the catastrophe. 



I most devoutly join with you in wishing that 

 this may be the last campaign, and I am persua- 

 ded the whole army are of similar sentiments. 

 The only method to bring about so desirable an 

 event, is to make the most spirited exertions to 

 raise the full quota of recruits, and have then; 

 e.-irly in the field, and to send on full supjilies of 

 every necessary for their subsistence. A well 

 found army, is c.cmu-ionly a well disciplined one. 

 But when hunger compels the soldiery to maraud 

 and plunder — when the insufiiciency of pay and 

 supplies sours their minds — when the plighted 

 faith ofCongress, the States, and that of the offi- 

 cers bottomed on hot'', are -so frequenlly viola- 

 ted — murmuring, discontent, desertion, bad dis- 

 cipline, di.slrust, and finally mutiny, must take 

 place. 



1 wrote to you some lime since an answer to 

 the letter brought by Leavitt, with one eiic!os«l 

 — both enclosed in a letter ;ichhessed to Presi- 

 dent Weare, which I hope have come safe to 

 hand. Pray make my best complimeuls to Mrs. 

 Gilnnn. 1 should have been extremely hajipy in 

 visiting my frisuds in Exeter the winter [last, but 

 my finances would not permit me the satisfac- 

 tion. I am really apprehensive tliat my contin- 

 uance in the army will depri'. e me of what i have 

 ever supposed t'le truest hapjiiness in life, and 

 that my attachment to the service will deprive 

 me of tlie opportunity and means of attaining to 

 the long wished-for felicity. But at ihe samu 

 lime I wish all my friends Ihe most perfect en- 

 joyuient of thi;t bliss of which I atn deprived. 1 

 am mucii obliged to you lor your friendly wish- 

 es, and wish 1 had sufficient ground to hope for 

 a com|)!etion of them. 



You have undoubtedly heanl of Morgan's com- 

 plete victory over Tarlton ; that Lieut. Col. l^ee 

 surprised tiie c!iem\'.< post at Georgetown; that 

 .\rnold is ste.iling tobacco in Virginia, and liiat 

 n French tU has taken the Romulus, a .50 gun 

 ship, and nine transports from ihe British in the 

 Chesapeake. We hope for the confirmation of 

 ■D'Estaing's victory ovr Hood. Lord Corn wallis, 

 having divested himselt of all his heavy !>aggage, 

 h;is pushed iiito Virginia. G.iii. Gi-eene is otdig. 

 ed la retire before him. Had the States titled 

 their regiments agreeably to the requisitions of 

 Congress, the enemy would not have presutncd 

 to leave ilieir strong holds, or pciielrated into 

 the country. I have some small ho|ies that Corn- 

 wallis niay be Burgoyned, aiiil that Arnold may 

 be speculated upon in advaniaire. The fortune 

 of war will determitie shortly, if it lias tiot al- 

 retidy. 



Yours most sincerelv, 



ALEX. SCAIVhU^LL. 



Joseph Gilma.-*, Esq., Excier, N. U. 



From the Prairie l-'ariuer, 

 A Family supported by One Acre. 



To n.;:ny, the Hdlowing llotn the American 

 Farmer, will probably sound liketi lai'ge story. 

 But we are not of the number who believe it ne- 

 cessary to run over a township, to get produce 

 enuugli for the support of an individual. 



" Mr. Drew", the editor of the Maine Farmer, 

 cultivates but a single acre of land, the produce 

 of which suffices in chief for the support of a 

 large family. One third of the acre he devotes 

 to corn, which he selects of the most profitable 

 specie.', and raises after the n>,>st approved mod- 

 ern plan. He man-ures the land well, and plants 

 by measurenrent. This third of an iicie has 

 yielded for several years 30 bushels of corn lor 

 grinding, besides a small qunntity for fiiltetiing 

 swii! '. The same piece of ground \ields two 

 or ihree loads of pmnjikins for the table, and for 

 a cow and the swine, besides a Bufllcient supply 



ofdry while beans for family use. So much fo _ 

 one third of the acre. On a small portion of 

 land about a dozen roils sijiiare, he rai.^es on the 

 average GO bushels of onion.«, which bring in the 

 market a sufficient .«um for the purchase of « heat 

 and rye flour. Thus the corn and onion iJatch 

 supply Mr. Drew's family with all their bread. 

 "Two other beds are devoted to mtmgle-wnrt- 

 7.el and c;irrots, ofwhiidi about 50 bushels are 

 raised for the cow's winter provender, which is 

 more than returned in milk .-ind butter. A pola- 

 to-palch yiehls all ihiit ;ire needed for the table 

 and a surplus for the live stock. So for the pork 

 and jioidiry, the bread, milk, butter, and chief 

 vegetables, are supplied, leaving suflicient space 

 tor the cultivation of turnips, cabbage, beans, peasj 

 encumbers, melons, &,c., and a few choice apple, 

 pear, and other IVnit trees. All this is the prod- 

 uce of a single acre, worked mostly by a single 

 pair of hands !" 



In Praise of the good old Plough. 

 I. 



Let them sing who may of the battle fray. 



And the deeds that have long since past; 

 Let thcni chant in praise of the tarwhoEC days 



Are spent on the ocean vast; 

 I would render to tiiese ail the worship you please, 



1 would honorthcm even now, 

 But Vd give far more from mv heart's full store 



To the cause ol'the Good Old Plough. 

 II. 

 I.St them laud the notes, that in music floats 



Through their bright and their glitterins halls; 

 Willie the amorous twirl of the bur's bright curl 



Round the shoulder of beauty falls ; 

 Bilt dearer to me is the soi^g from the tree. 



And the rich and blossoming bough ; 

 Oh 1 these are the sweets which the rustic greets 



.\3 he follows the Good Old Plough. 



Then how jocund the pong as it comes along 



From the ploughman's lusty throat; 

 Did the hunter's shoot, ever yet give <)ut 



To ihe brown woods a merrier note 7 

 Though he follows no hound, yet his day is crowned 



With a triumph as good 1 tiow, 

 .\s though antlered liead at his feet lay dead, 



Instead of the Good Old Plough. 



XV. 



Full many there be that wc daily see 



With a selfish and holiow pride. 

 Whom the ploughman's lot in his humble cot 



Willi a scornful look deride. 

 Yet I'd rnther take, ay. a hearty shake 



From his hand than to wealth I'd bow, 

 For the honest grasp of that hand's rough clasp 



Halh stood by the Good Old Plough. 



V, 



All honor be then to these gray old m?n. 



When at last tin-y are bowed with toil ; 

 Tlie.r warf.ire then o'er, why they battle no more, 



For they've conquered the stubborn soil. 

 And the chaplet each wears are his silver hairs, 



.\nd ne'er shall the victor's brow 

 With a laureled rrown to the 'rrnve gn down. 



Like the sons of the Good (jld Plough. 



From the New England Fariaer. 

 Sow Liberally. 



Ma. Editor: — There are lew [irnclice? among 

 otir farmers more injudicious than that of sowing 

 loo small a quantity if grass and grain seed on a 

 g^ven quaniily of laud. Though many enlight- 

 ened cultivators among us are well aware of the 

 greater advantage of liberal seeding, and though 

 this has been repeatedly urgeil by the Committee 

 of ihe State Agiicuhiiral Society in their annual 

 report on the fiu ins offered tor the Society's pre- 

 miums, stiil, it is believed, the practice of scanty 

 seeding is very generally prevalent among the 

 firmers of Masjachusetls. 



I have never been able to decide to my own 

 satisfaction, in w hat motive this practice tias its 

 origin — whether fVon) au idea that it is most eco- 

 nomical — cr that any larger quaiitiiy of seeil 

 would be too much for the groiiiid — or whelher 

 it isifollowed out of ]>me resjiiH;! to olil customs, 

 with a belief in their inrailihility. But whatever 

 motive may pi-ompt it, it is not foundctl in wis- 

 dom, aiheit it may have " the crest of antiquity 

 on its brow" — nor is there any economy aboiilit. 

 A few mote quarts of seed, it is true, involves 

 the espeit>>e of a linv more shillings ; but if these 

 ('t;'iV more qitarfs of seed result in adding a few 

 more bushih to the product, surely it would seem 

 to be a dictate of true economy, to expend the 

 extra s/(;i7;'(igs in the secrfmg-, lo secure the extra 

 dollars in O.n^ product. 



A bushel and a h»lf of « heat, t\\o bushel* of 



