Life of Count Rumford. 73 



than my present situation. But if the People of Concord will 

 be so kind as to assure " [The rest is wanting.] 



Soon after writing this letter, Major Thompson was 

 arrested and confined in Woburn. It has been said 

 that he himself courted this proceeding as the only 

 means likely to result in securing him a fair decision of 

 his case. 



There appears among Colonel Baldwin's papers a 

 document which is here copied. 



" WOBURN, May i6th, 1775. 



" GENTLEMEN, Major Benjamin Thompson of Concord, 

 in the Province of New Hampshire, having been taken up and 

 confined in the Town upon suspicion of being inimical to the 

 liberties of this Country, and his Excellency General Ward 

 having ordered, agreeable to advice of Congress, that the Com- 

 mittee of Correspondence for this Town be a Court to inquire 

 into that Matter : 



" This is therefore to desire that all persons under your com- 

 mand, or otherwise belonging to the Province of New Hamp- 

 shire, or elsewhere, that can give evidence in this affair, may 

 appear at the Meeting-house in the first Parish in Woburn, on 

 Thursday, the i8th inst.. May, at Two o'clock, P. M., and 

 they shall be heard. 



" We are, Gentlemen, Your Humble Servants, 

 " To COL. JOHN STARK, SAMUEL WYMAN, 



LT. COL. WYMAN, ROBERT DOUGLAS, 



MAJOR ANDREW McCLARY, DR. SAMUEL BLOGGET, 



CAPT. ABBOT HUTCHINS, LOAMMI BALDWIN, 



CHANDLER BALDWIN, TIMOTHY WINN. 



GERRISH AND CLOUGH, 

 of New Hampshire. 



The above-named " Committee of Correspondence " 

 had been chosen at a town meeting, February i, 1773. 

 At a meeting on January 4, 1775, twenty-one men had 

 been chosen as a "Committee of Inspection," and on 



Com ttee 



of 



Corre- 

 spon." 



