Excerpts from the Journal of Park Holland

or to make a final retreat and it appears they choose
the latter for they soon resumed their March some
went to their respective homes but Shays with the most part
of them continued their March to the North but in the course
of the Day they generally despersed and went to their
several Homes - the plan of halting as above mentioned
was oposite my House where my Family then was they
who we must suppose was in a disagreeable situation as
it was well known that I was then in Lincolns Army
and of course unfriendly to Shays & his party which in duced[?]
my Family to think it probable they might receive some
abuse from them but it did not turn out to be a fact-
the House however was imediatly filled to overflowing with Men
half starved and half Frozen but after having good Fires
built for them and such provisions proved for them as the
House could afford they seemed perfectly contented and as
good Fortune would have it there was a certain M'r Convers
who was a Quartermaster under Shays and an acquaintance
in our Family who was of the party who used all his
influence to keep the Men Orderly so that there was but
little or no damage don till they left us - as it has ben
before observed when we arrived in the Main Street in Petersham
we fond House provided for us the one assined to me was
nigh at hand and found a good fire in it and began to warm
and thaw our Frozen feet & ears but we were soon informed
that there was a company of Shays Men in the other part of the
House but we had not yet sufficiently warmed ourselves to be
in good fighting order but after we had made ourselves more
comfortable I thought it best to look a little to our Neighbours
in the other part of the House but on inquiry we found they
had all left the House imedially on our Arrivall