History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

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1786.] SHAYS REBELLION. 499
information from some of the insurgents and others, some kind of injury
to the inhabitants of this town was evidently preconcerted.
" From the present inflammable temper of many minds, the necessity
of avoiding even the smallest appearance of rudeness and insult, will
be realized by every worthy member of society. In such circumstances,
even common jocularity may be misconstrued and eventually attended
fill every
with consequences that must make humanity shudder ! and
man of feeling and sensibility with horror !
" On the evening of the 11'^' inst. William Hartley, one of the insur-
gents, returning through this town to Williamsburg, his place of resi-
dence, was unfortunately, (being much fatigued) overcome with the
intense severity of the weather. His body was found the next morning
near the road to Mill-stone Mountain Plain, by some of the same
party, who applied to the coronor to summon his Inquest, whose ver-
dict after regular process, was that he came to his death by the mischance
of severe cold."
An Important Con- Oil Tuesday, November 7'*', in obedience to
vention.
^j^g siimmons of Col. Bonney, a convention
consisting of thirty-two delegates from
twenty-seven or twenty-eight towns assembled at Hadley,
which continued in session three days. Its first business
was to appoint a committee "to consider and draft an
answer to the late publications in the Hampshire Herald
and Gazette, under the signature of Old Republican."
This (to judge by the time the convention spent upon it)
seems to have been considered as much the greatest griev-
ance. They also resolved that the office of Registry of
Deeds and the Courts of Probate as constituted by law, were
grievances. A committee was also appointed to correspond
with the standing committees of other counties, and a vote
was passed to send letters to such towns in the county as
were not represented. The convention then adjourned to
meet at the house of Samuel Dickinson in Hatfield, on the
j5-Qf January, 1787. The committee appointed to reply to
Old Republican, declined to serve. The convention met
agreeably to adjournment, and issued an address, advising
the insurgents to lay aside their arms and petition the Legislature
" for a redress of our grievances," and once more
\adjourned to meet at Mr. Goodman's, innholder in Hadley,
oil the third Tuesday in March. But before that time the
backbone of the rebellion had been broken, and nothing
more concerning its jDroceedings has been recorded. Con-