Year Created: 1787
Historical Theme:
Collection this Document is Affiliated with:
Description: Although the town of Deerfield sent representatives to county conventions and expressed alarm over the economic distresses afflicting its residents, only a few men joined the thousands of Regulators who took up arms against the state. Instead, the town militia turned out to support the government. David Hoyt, Jr., was 30 years old when he and 140 other Deerfield men marched to Springfield, Massachusetts, where they joined approximately 1,200 other local militia in defending the United States Arsenal from 1,400 Regulators. In this rare, first-hand account written to his father immediately after the action at the Arsenal, Hoyt reports with satisfaction that the Arsenal artillery made short work of "the mob."
Categories of Documents:
Springfield Jany 26, 1787
Hond Father
I Received yours of ye 24th yt of last
night in which you mention that ye
families are well, also requesting me to
inform you of our "Numbers and situation"
Our number I cannot exactly ascertain
but Judge them to be about 1400 & continually increasing our situation
is Exceeding good we have a full supply of
Provision and all other necessaries- you ment-
ion in your letter Sir. that the Mob party
in that part of ye County turn out were num-
erous this we have heard before- Their numbers
we do not regard-our Genll has orders to Defend
the public Stores on ye hill at all hazards-
We had inteligence day before yesterday that
Shays with his army was on his march with
a view to take ye Hill. the Army here was
put into ye best Posture of defence & every one
caution taken to prevent a surprize- Altho we
very much expected a visit that night yet we were disappointed
But yesterday morning our Horsemen brot inte
ligence that Shays was advancing with a full de-
termination to Quarter his army into ye Barracks,
about 12.O.Clock we were allarmd and the Army
immediately Parraded on the Hill and were put in Battle
array. two pieces, one Howit, & one Field piece were station
ed in front to Rake the great Road where we expected
the main body would come up. the artillery was converd
on ye Right by the Company of Cadets under Majr
Williams of this Town Capt Dickinson with his com-
pany of Infantry (among whom is Ep.) and a party of
ye Horse were ordered out to meet ye Enemy and wherever
they met them to order them to stop, if they did not stand
to give them Fire. he (Capt. Dickinson) marched out about
one & an half Mile and met them he took up a Bridge
and Formd his men for Battle; but about six minutes
before he was to fire he had orders to make a safe retreat
ing The Enemy approachd Slowly . Sun. about one
hour high their front appeard, Genl Shepherd- first a
horseman to their leader, told him if he did not halt in
3 mins he would Fire. the leader rejected the mess-
age and treated the messenger with contempt. the three
mins being out, our horsemen opend, to ye right and
left, and the pieces opened upon them. they did not appear
to much regard two or three of ye first shotts but the
fourth shot was better directed and the Ball took its
Course directly into their Ranks about breast high
they then broke flow into the greatest disorder the grape Shot
were then thrown into them about eight or ten rounds
very Briskly, the firing then ceasd three men were
immediately taken up (by our men) of their Party, who
were killd dead on ye spot, one Spicer of Leyden was
brot in with a mortal wound, since dead, no personal
arms were fired except two or three before ye Actions from
some of ye Mob upon our horsemen-
One of our artillery men lost both his arms by accident
I have not been able to do Duty for two or three Days past
By reason of Illness but hope soon to be able Joyn
my Company-
Provision sent from ye Town is all turnd into
the Commisaries Store, he Receipts therefore
yours dutifully
Dav H.
Mr. David Hoit
Deerfield-
N.B. Please to inform Majr Barnard and family
that is well and in very high Spirits- send Duty &
love to all his connections I found him in ye Actions,
in a Redoubt.
Citation:
Hoyt , David. “David Hoyt to His Father, Regarding Shays’ Rebellion.” Shays’ Rebellion - Transcription: David Hoyt to His Father, Regarding Shays’ Rebellion - Text Only, Springfield Technical Community College, shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/shaysapp/artifact_trans.do?shortName=letter_dh26jan87&page=. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Hoyt, David. “David Hoyt to His Father, Regarding Shays’ Rebellion.” Shays’ Rebellion - Manuscript: David Hoyt to His Father, Regarding Shays’ Rebellion, Springfield Technical Community College, shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/shaysapp/artifactPage.do?shortName=letter_dh26jan87&page=. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.