Excerpts from the Journal of Sarah Howe, volume 1

there was something Necessary that was not done
but what was everybodyes business was bodies but=
were about But all at once a party
without order or regularity undertook to stop the
sitting of the Court in 1787 one Dan^l; Shays
was called their General my neighbours many
of them took their Guns and went to Worcester
stopped the setting of the Court and then onto
Springfield James Bodoin was then Governour
of Massachusetts he called on General Lincoln
of Hingham then a Gen^l of the Militia and
other Officers and men to go and Disperse the
Mobb they fired on Shays at Springfield killed
some men Shays then retreated
to Pelham the Horror that I felt
can't describe when I heard that blood was shed
although I had lived through the other war yet
to think that my oldest Brother was gone out
on the side of Government and his youthful
playmates on the other side was shocking
beyond description - on Saturda^y evening we
heard that General Shays and Army had came
to Petersham had made prisoners of a number
of Government men in the Centre of the Town
and were gone for one of our Neighbours that
was then at our House that my Father
was to be a prisoner also - he and the neighbour
concluded they would stay together and be taken
in company then Dan^l Miles by name stayed
all Night no body come for them sometime
the next forenoon he went home soon after
a couple of youngsters without Guns or packs