folio, West Springfield, May 12, 1775, writing to militia officer Samuel Flower in the field during the opening stages of the siege of Boston. He writes in part: "...your Wife Has got A fine Large Likely Son for Which I give you Joy you may inlist Him Into one of the Province Regiments and Put Him under Half Pay and I Will Warrant that he Will be a good Soldier that he won't run away as Some of Your men Have I am Very Sorry that any of our men Did Dissert It is Hurting the Cause Very much...I Want to Have you Come Home as Soon as You Can With honor Don't Dissert your colors Behave your Self Well to your men Their Is a Complaint against Some of your Sergeants the first of a Particular manner I want to Hear from you and Know What your about I can't find out you are Doing any thing to fit your Selves for A battle We talk very Hot of Raising a Company and Coming Down - to know why you Don't do some thing and Not Lie there Eating up the Country for No thing...Put Andrew Goss In A Corporal for He Has Bin an Old Soldier..." On the verso Samuel Flower's wife adds several lines: "....I am as Well as I could Expect For This Time Last Tuesday I was Safe Delivered of a son for Which We Have great Reasons to thank God I am very Weak and Low at Present the Babe Is as Weak as Commonly Children are...I Would Send you a Horse if I knew When for you to Ride Home...". A few partial fold spits, light soiling, otherwise good to very good condition. Spelling corrected throughout this transcription.