History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1775.] REVOLUTION—PRISONERS OF WAR—TORIES. 361
Officers and soldiers were on foot, and had no wagons^
with them. At Concord they drew provisions, musty
pork, pease and a little rice. Here he saw English prison-
ers, and was impressed with the visible effects of the war.
Eleazar Root was Chaplain, and prayed fervently night
and morning. He was an ardent christian and a zealous
whig, but a plain man of common education. Once during
prayer when Root was disconcerted by the appearance
of some superior officers, he remarked "the fear of man
bringeth a snare." He remained with the company during
the campaign.
From Coucord the Northampton company
The Company at the
Seat of War. went to Cambridge, where they remained
a few days quartered at the house of one
Versaill, a tory, who had joined the British. Cook de-
scribed it as a large and elegant house. Soon after their
arrival at Cambridge, about the first of May, most of the
Northampton company volunteered to serve eight months.
Some of them returned home and others took their places.
In a short time the company was ordered to Roxbury,
where they remained till after the battle of Bunker Hill.
They heard the firing and saw the flames of Charlestown,
but could not see the battle-field. In Roxbury they encamped
at the cross-roads below the meeting-house. The
British had a fortification across the Neck, the sentinels of
the two armies were at some points not more than fifteen
rods apart, and would sometimes speak to one another.
During the battle of Bunker Hill the company was below
George's tavern. A shell fell in the camp, cut off George
1 Capt. Cook states that the company had no wagons with them. The baggage,
however, could not have been far behind, for on the 21" of April, the day on which
they set out, three wagon-loads of baggage were dispatched. Asa Wright, Elijah
Hunt, and Jonathan Hall, were paid for the use of their wagons to carry baggage to
the camp. Jonathan Hall, for the " service of his waggon from Northampton to Concord
& from thence to Cambridge to carry the baggage of Capt. Allen's Minute Company
upon the alarm at the battle of Lexington 100 miles at 2