Dulwich, Massachusetts
May 31^st, 1775

My dear Fruition & Mother —

Enclosed is the letters from the Others, which I have taken down most particular at their Command & some writ on their own; & they would be gratified, could you pass them on to their Houses. Please would you also give my special Regards to Liz? I wonder whether you ever shewn her these Letters, especially the Last, with my Heroism, which you might do, should she inquire for my Safety.

If you wish to Reply, as I hope you’ll do, you should send your Letter to the Encampment at Cambridge, as we will likely March there Tomorrow or the next Day, & get our first Glimpse of the whole Patriot Force.

After our Drill yesterday, the Captain having commended us on our great Success in our late Sally, Shem, Prince, & me conducted ourselves to Chelsea to visit John, where the Rascal is laid up in an House, surrounded by Ladies most solicitous for his Recovery. The News: He lives, if he don’t prosper, & his Leg shall be Sawn off. He was in Horrors at the Thought of this Loss & it was a Doleful Day, with him Weeping & telling us of what he should miss, back in the Village — the Skating & how he should help his Father at Harvest &c. O Shun, it was Pitiable to see. It han’t happened yet, but will on the morrow, says the Doctor. John already desponds for the Limb, but he can’t feel it now. He has no Sense there. It is a Dead Thing already. He was further full of Misery for his violent Fit which conduced to such Confusion, & he asked I should beg Capt. Draper for Forgiveness. I do aver Capt. Draper shall grant it, for Capt. Draper is the kindest of Men, & in that Ditch, we all lay Confounded, and should not judge one another.

With many Fond Words we bid John Farewell & hope that his Recovery is Swift & that the Maker of his Limbs will Support him in the Sadness to come. You & Momma could keep him in thy Prayers.

Being upon the Docks of Chelsea, we halted to admire the Spectacle of the burnt Schooner grounded out near Hog’s Isle, which charred Carcass lays there rolling on the Straits for all to see, its Ribs blackened. There has been further Raids upon those Islands in the last Days, & most of the Livestock is got off them now & furnishes Meals for Patriots.

We set off again towards Dulwich, & I see Prince wishes to say something to me, and I ask him does he wish to disburden hisself, and with utmost Humility, he says in his usual Style, “Private Goring, sir, you are, I trust, sensible of the Gratitude I owe you for your Intervention in my ill-advised Diversion.”

“Your Diversion,” says I.

To which he replies, “There can be little Doubt that without your timely Interference, I should have been dispatched by the Musketry of the Regulars.”

“Prince,” says I, “you cannot divert me. You planned a Martyrdom as plain as a Catholic.”

He diverted his Eyes in Shame.

I did not wish to make him Miserable, so with some Repentance for Words he might have took unkindly, I said, “Sweet, humble Being, don’t Fret. You drew off Fire that might have finished John,” & said that John shouldn’t be lying there Alive, surrounded by the Ladies, had Prince not stood up; and I said that it was Heroism & it don’t matter a Bean what his Reason was.

“Your Kindness is —”

“You are most heartily welcome.”

“Private Goring, I am indebted in so total —,” and I stopped him, wishing no more Gratitude for doing no more than he had; though I han’t done it to try and Die.

We walked farther, & skipped Stones in a Saltmarsh, & the Sun set over the Hills. When we reached the Shore, the Tide was low, & there were Children there disporting themselves with Chum. There was a whole Mess of Entrails spread upon the Sand; & Shem — you know your True Love — dived into the Children’s Game & grabbed Parts & made to rub them in their Hair & his. They laughed & then ran to Prince & studied him, having seen few Negroes, I reckon. When they was gathered by him, he pointed to each Organ of the savaged Fish & he told them of its Use, & he demonstrated which were not from Fish, but Sheep.

They were interested by his Lesson — though wary, i’faith, because of his dusky Skin. They asked him Questions about the Gills, & he answered them & gave us the Names of Things in Latin & Greek.

I cannot imagine the peculiar Circumstances of his Life, & I fear to wonder at it. Know only that we had a pleasant Evening as your delicate Lover Shem & the Children horsed with the Entrails, hurling them at each other by Handfuls, & the biggest of the Boys, being struck, slung them around his Neck like Jewelry & pranced far out onto the Strand, greeting the Sea as it slid forth sighing, as if it welcomed him.

So did we play, while above us all, the last Illumination folded in Judgment Scrolls across the Horizon.

Remaining —

your dutiful Brother & Son —

Ev