The Reverend Samuel Willard Recalls "The Insurrection of 1786"

who shd be held as hostages for the life & safety of those
who were under condemnation. On this ac
count my father & some others secreted themselves
when the insurgents approached their houses. But
when it was found they intended to quarter
there for an unknown time they came forth
from their hiding places & met the danger as well
as they cd. The sudden & unexpected arrival
of Lincoln the next morning & the precipitate re
treat of Shays & his army dispersed all fear
but not all trouble. The army of the government
was quartered upon us from Sunday morning
till Wednesday & left our houses in such a
state as wd inspire a dread of armies in
every bosom.

The insurgents were little prepared to act
with efficiency. To say nothing of their want of person
al qualifications. They were deficient in arms.
I think they had few bayonets. Some of the staff
officers were appropriately armed;
For in his flight one of them left at our
house the only weapon wh I think he had,
a cane wh was nothing else than a stick
stripped of its bark with a pewter head
of wh my boyhood took possession. One or
two anecdotes will show the panic and the want
of military tactics wh were apparent in the
retreat. I was out at the door on the approach
of Lincoln's army, and an officer of the