Excerpts from the Journal of Sarah Howe, volume 2

Hampshire principally undertook to stop the
setting of the courts in 1787 One Daniel Shays
of Pelham was called their General Capt. Holman
of Templeton, was, some said, second in command
our neighbours many of them took their Guns and
went with the party to Worcester stopped the setting
of the December Court and then on the Springfield
James Bodoin Esqr. was then Governour of this
State he called on Generals Lincoln of Hingham
and Shepherd of Northampton and other Officers
and Men to go and disperse the Insurgents

General Sheppard fired on Shays at Springfield
killed two or three men Shays then retreated
to Pelham. I felt as unhappy as I thought I
could on the account, My oldest Brother was
gone on the side of Government and his young
neighbours and playmates on the other side
although I had lived through the other war it was
not Like this it seemed shocking beyond Description
On Saturday just at dark we heard that Shays
Army had come to Petersham made prisoners
of a Number of Government men as they was
called and were coming for my Father and a
Neighbour who was at our house I expected
that war had come into Town and perhaps
into the House that I was probable that a
Battle might be fought I saw a sleepless night
expecting the enemy. Morning came and no body
appeared we could see the roads full of
people and some going across Lotts we lived
almost a mile from public road and did go no
where to enquire for news But just at night
a young man one of our Neighbours