72 Life of Count Rumford. 



We have another letter which was sent to the Rev. 

 Mr. Walker while his daughter was still with her hus- 

 band. 



" WOBURN, May nth, 1775. 



"Rfiv? SIR, Since Mrs. Thompson has been at Woburn 

 she has been very unwell, which has prevented her coming to 

 Concord this week as was proposed. But as soon as she gets 

 well enough she will set out. As to my returning to Concord, 

 it is what I have most earnestly desired ever since I left home, 

 and nothing but a sense of danger has prevented my doing it 

 long ago. And now the advice I receive from different people, 

 who appear equally to be my friends, relative to my going back, 

 is so intirely different that I scarcely know what to do or what 

 course to take. If I can be assured of safety and restored to 

 that friendship and esteem of my fellow Countrymen which I 

 trust no action of mine has ever forfeited, I will, with the great- 

 est pleasure and alacrity, return to Concord ; and the good Peo- 

 ple of that Town in particular, and of the Country in general, 

 may rely on my best endeavours to serve them. And if ever I 

 have done anything which in the event has turned out to the 

 damage of this Country, I am sincerely and heartily sorry there- 

 for. But as to confessing myself guilty of doing anything with 

 a design to injure them, it is what I can never do without doing 

 violence to my Conscience and committing a crime in reality 

 which I do not choose to be guilty of. 



" I have not a single doubt of your sincere friendship and 

 affection for me, and believe you would not on any accoun'. 

 advise me to anything contrary to my safety and interest. Bi:t 

 many Persons from Concord tell me that neither you nor ycur 

 son are so well acquainted with the minds of the People respect- 

 ing myself as many others, and advise me by no means to re- 

 turn at present. Among these are Col. Stickney and Cap*. 

 Chandler. 



" To return to Concord and be kept a Prisoner in the Town, 

 or to be treated with coldness and indifference for crimes which 

 I feel myself intirely innocent of, would be to me even worse 



