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

1783.] SERIES OF CONVENTIONS—PEACE— EASTHAMPTON. 471
towns in the county were re[)resente(l. Tliis seems to liave
completed tlie series of conventions for this year.
A Treaty of Peace and Pcace was declared in 1783. In Novem-
Locai Rejoicings. -j^gj. Qf ^}jq previous year, a provisional
treaty of peace was signed at Paris ; in
the following January an armistice declaring a cessation of
hostilities was agreed upon at the same place ; but the definitive
treaty was not signed till the 3'' of September.
News of the provisional treaty and the armistice reached
this country at the same time, arriving at Philadelphia
March 23'', but was five days on the road to Boston. It is
not known when the information reached this town, nor is
it absolutely certain that any notice was taken of the event.
No action on the part of the town was had, and if any
celebration occurred, it was gotten up by the citizens in
their private capacity. Contemporary writers make no
allusion to it, while reference is had to similar rejoicings
both in Springfield and Westfield. ^ The only account of
any celebration at Northampton, appears in the Massachu-
setts Gazette, a newspaper published in Springfield, in the
following language. It is dated "Northampton, April 28,
1783 " : —
" Thursday the
2-1"' inst. was observed here [Northampton] as a day
of rejoycing on account of the present glorious peace, when a sermon
suitable to the occasion was preached by the Rev. Mr. Spring- of Newburyport,
and the proclamation of peace was published from the Court
House by the Sheriff of the county, before the militia in arms, and a
large concourse of gentlemen, and the evening was concluded in decent
mirth and hilarity."
Authenticity of this Had the Writer been satisfied with the
Account Questioned, above statement, it would doubtless have
passed unchallenged, though nothing has
appeared to corroborate the fact. But the next paragraph
is sufiQciently absurd to discredit the whole account. It
represents that the ladies of Northampton, dissatisfied because
they were not invited to join in the celebration, im-
1 In Mr. Judd's diary, under date of March 28'-*', is the following entry : — " Noise
of peace but no particulars. Firing at Springfield last Evening and at Westfield to
Day."
2 Rev. Samuel Spring of Newburyport married a daughter of Rev. Dr. Hopkins of
Hadley.