|
|
| Apothecary Witnesses Midnight Ride by Tess T. |
| |
April 16th, 1775
To my dearest family,
My apprenticeship to Dr. Prescott has been
going well. We are now in Lexington visiting his betrothed. While we
were here we have set up a small supply shop from what we have brought
with us and also we have been staying in a nice quiet inn. I am
thankful that you sent me to him for I would not like to be in the
service of a Tory and also thank you because I know it is hard for you
to pay the bills without me working. Also I think Prescot is starting
to like me for my light personality. At first some of his patients did
not take to a girl treating them but they have adjusted some. I am now
aloud to help the midwives of the town. Right now Prescot is showing me
some of the simple herb remedies for getting rid of the chills, some
small colds, and how to use vinegar and roses to heal headaches. I
found out that Prescot does not only make a living from the apothecary
shop, he also sells supplies such as candles,salad oils,anchovies,
tooth brushes, tobacco, and much more, which usually cost about a few
pence. It is amazing to watch Prescot perform surgery, taking out
bullets, blood-letting, and amputating limbs with such things as
forceps and lancets.
We have been having to do alot of this because some young boys of
Concord got in to the stack of gun powder and were playing around when
some of it went off. Now we are worried because we think that there was
a Regular soldier there who might have seen something. It is
unfortunate to say that I fell sick after seeing the first cut of the
surgery and have only recently returned to watch.
We have also been visiting one of the towns
men's daughters no older than five who has come down with the
pox. Also we have been visiting some of the doctor’s friends but
he will not tell me who. After he had dropped the subject twice I paid
no mind to it there after, but it was still on the edge of my mind all
the time. I wonder who these people could be? I bet they are important
people hiding away or something like that, but hopefully soon I
will find out who these mystery people are? Do you have any ideas? What
have you heard of the revolt from Mr. S. Adams?
With all my love,
Sarah Brown
April 19, 1775
To my Dearest Family,
Yesterday was one of the hardest days so far of my apprentice
ship. While Prescot was away on business with his betrothed. A woman
burst into the inn very flushed. She took me to her son and I saw that
he had malaria. So I tried to sweat the sickness out of him. I closed
all of the windows and started a large fire and put all of the blankets
on top of him. Even though the parents were quite annoying asking
questions without an end. The boy started to look better after a few
hours of staying with him. After that I started home it was then that
something strange happened.
I headed down one of the alley ways in between two of the houses
in town. While I was passing by an old barn I saw someone ride up
jump off his horse and start walking towards the door. When he got
there two men stepped out and met him, I could barely here them talking
quietly. Unfortunately my curiosity took over my thoughts and I edged
forward to try and hear more. When I was close enough I crouched down
and I started to hear small pieces of the conversation. I looked
closely at the man who had ridden up and gasped when I saw that it was
Paul Revere, the man who had given mamma new fillings about a fortnight
ago. All of a sudden he looked over in my direction and I made it so
that it looked like I had slipped and dropped my basket of supplies and
hurriedly started to pick them up. Now that all my curiosity was gone I
started to walk back on my way. I thought I heard one of
them say “You must get to Concord to warn them of the the Regulars” and
I at once knew who these strange people were. They were Sons of
Liberty, but I would not tell, because you brought me up to believe in
liberty not a King.
Once I got back to the inn before I went upstairs I asked the inn
keepers girl if Prescot had come back yet. She answered no
but I did not worry for I knew that he had gone off to be with his
betrothed on one of the last nights that we were here. So I went
upstairs and started to get ready for bed in my usual ways and
fell off quite quickly to a deep sleep. Please write back to me in as
much detail as you can as to what is happening in Boston now. Are there
still as many lobsterbacks there as there was when I left ?
With all my love,
Sarah Brown
April 20,1775
To my dearest family,
I to write to you with a heart filled with sorrow and joy. I am not
sure if you have heard yet in Boston but yesterday was the first battle
between the Patriots and the Regulars in Lexington. Do not worry I am
not hurt, our inn is far away from the battle site, and as soon as I
heard the first shots I scurried under the bed and stayed there until I
felt safe enough to come out. I think that everyone for miles around
could here the shots ringing in the air. My heart goes out to the
families of the eight patriots who have lost there lives fighting
for liberty. Among the dead was Captain Isaac Davis who was a great man
and it is a tragedy to lose him. No one really knows who fired the
first shot, all that they know is that someone screamed “Fire” and that
is where it began. Both of the groups blame the other. When I heard of
the battle I was mighty scared for the life of Dr. Prescot
because he had not returned back to the inn that night. To my
relief he soon showed up and told me that he had just gotten back from
Concord, and then followed on to tell the full story behind what had
been going on.
This is what he told.
On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere and someone named Dawes rode out of
Boston at nearly midnight. They rode hard to Lexington stopping on the
way and telling the patriots that the “Regulars” were coming. But there
true purpose was to make it to Lexington in order to warn Samuel Adams
and John Hancock that the Regulars were coming and to tell them to
hide. This must have been when I saw them in front of the barn waiting
for Dawes to arrive. After that both Revere and Dawes rode to Concord
to warn them to hide there gun powder supplies, for this is what the
Regulars were truly after. On there way they met Prescot coming back
from his betrothed’s house and he joined in on the ride. On the way
Revere was caught by the Regulars and held for a little while and had
his horse taken away but soon let go for they had more pressing matters
going on. Soon after that at around the time when Prescot bade the
Concord people goodbye was around when the battle of freedom and
liberty started.
Today has been a quiet day, there have been many whispers of what
people thought had happened on the great night of the ride. As
soon as I had woken Prescot told me that we were to pack and that we
are now heading in the direction of Boston. Before we left we went in
town and checked in on the boy who had fallen the day before. Prescot
looked him over and saw that I was correct. It was malaria and that I
had done a fine job. After that we paid the innkeeper and we were on
our way. I am now writing to you from the outskirts of Boston, we will
be near the south gate soon. I hope to get away and see you. If not
please come and try and find me. I think we might be staying near King
street.
With all my love,
Sarah Brown. |
|
Historical References:
“Apothecary”. 4/6/06.<www.worldbook.com>
Day, Nancy. Your Travel Guide to colonial
America. Minneapolis: Runestone Press,
2000.
.
Hakim, Joy. From colonies to country. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Murray, Start. American Revolution. New
York: Dk, 2000.
Revere, Paul. January 1, 1798.
Rodowskas, Christopher A. “Apothecary”
World Book. March 31 2006 <www.
worldBook.com>
Saari, Peggy. Colonial America Almanac.
New York: Gale Group,2000
The colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Apothecary. 31 march 2006. < www.
history.org/almamac/life/traders/
tradeapo.ofm.
|
|
Historical Terms
|
blood-letting
|
tory
|
lobsterback
|
apprenticeship
|
Patriots
|
liberty
|
| |
|
About the Historian
|
|
My name is Tess and I am 12 years old
and I go to King Middle School in Portland, Maine. I am a high honors
student and I love to read all types of fantasy.One of my hobbies is
swimming I am in my 8th year on the swim team.
|
|
