Lucy Knox to Henry Knox about Military Events in Massachusetts and Their Daughter Lucy's Illness, 8 May 1777

Book excerpt: Written at Sewal's Point, evidently Sewall's Point, in Brookline, Massachusetts. Their daughter, Lucy, has smallpox, and the poor little soul- is covered from head to foot with it- she has upwards of eighty [sic] on her sweet face... Relates that Billy (Knox's brother William) has returned from Providence, Rhode Island. General [Henry] Jackson will begin recruiting troops soon, and General [William] Heath informed Lucy that an order has been issued for Jackson's troops to remain in Boston. Remarks, the people in Boston are all mad moving out as fast as possible, for fear of genl Burgoyne- for my part I shall not stop short when I go- which will not be till there is real danger- they say he is now at Nashua, with ten thousand men...