96 Life of Count Rumford. 



to learn his whereabouts after his departure. They 

 could hear only rumors like the following. 



Mrs. Baldwin wrote to her husband at the camp at 

 Cambridge, under date from Woburn, January 15, 

 1776: 



" Mrs. Pierce [mother of Thompson] has heard that you 

 said you knew that Major Thompson was in Boston. She 

 gives her compliments, and begs that if you know anything 

 where he is, be so kind as to let her know ; she is in pain to 

 hear." 



And again, 



" WOBURN, Feb. 7, 1776. I must inform you that Brother 

 Cyrus saw Mr. Parkman, informs him that our famous Major 

 Thompson is in Boston, a clerk for a Major [name illegi- 

 ble). Mrs. Thompson is in Woburn." 



After the army had gone with General Washington 

 to New York, Colonel Baldwin, who was on duty there, 

 wrote to Mrs. Baldwin from the 



" Camp at Mile Square, about five miles north of King's 

 Bridge, and near General Lee's Head-quarters, October 2^d, 

 1776. I have had no opportunity to find out whether Major 

 Thompson is with the enemy or not." 



The first trustworthy information received about 

 Major Thompson by his friends was that communi- 

 cated in letters from London by American refugees 

 there resident. These letters made known his rapid 

 advancement in a career in which we must soon trace 

 him. 



Mr. George R. Baldwin copied, in 1858, the follow- 

 ing papers, which he obtained at that time from Cyrus 

 Thompson, Esq., grandson of Justice Samuel Thomp- 

 son, named in them. They have an historical and per- 

 sonal interest. 



