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REPORT 
 
 Legislature of Massachusetts 
 
 MADE BY THE 
 
 COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED UNDER 
 RESOLVE, CHAP. 60, 1884, 
 
 ITPON THE 
 
 C( EDITION 
 
 Records, Files, Papers and Documents 
 
 SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT. 
 
 January, 1885. 
 
 BOSTON : 
 
 WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 
 
 18 Post Office Square. 
 
 1885. 
 
 © 
 
/^CORNELL\ 
 
 ■ university! 
 
 x LIBRARY. 
 
 
Cflmmnnfoealtjj of Ifossarjjnsfits. 
 
 [Chap. 60. J 
 
 Resolve relating to the Records, Files, Papers and Docu- 
 ments in the State Department. 
 
 Resolved, That the governor, with the advice and consent 
 of the council, appoint five suitable persons, one of whom 
 shall be the Secretary of the Commonwealth, who shall be 
 commissioners without pay to investigate the condition of 
 the records, files, papers and documents in the state depart- 
 ment. Said commissioners shall make a report in print to 
 the next general court setting forth what steps, if any, 
 should be taken to render the contents of said records, files, 
 papers and documents more accessible for examination and 
 inspection, how reference to the same may be best facili- 
 tated, and what is the proper mode of indexing them. 
 [Approved May 27, 18S4. 
 
Cnmmonhjedljj of Stassadrustits. 
 
 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representative* : 
 
 The Commissioners appointed under Chapter 60 of the 
 Eesolves of 1884, " to investigate the condition of the 
 records, files, papers and documents in the state de- 
 partment," and to report " what steps, if any, should be 
 taken to render the contents of said records, files, papers 
 and documents more accessible for examination and inspec- 
 tion, how reference to the same may be best facilitated, and 
 what is the proper mode of indexing them," — beg leave to 
 
 REPORT : 
 
 Although the Secretary of the Commonwealth is a mem- 
 ber of this Commission, and their elected chairman, the 
 other members of the Commission desire to say that they 
 have found the documents of every kind under his charge in 
 as good condition as he has been permitted, with the clerical 
 force at his command, to put them; while at the same time 
 the Commission as a whole, may report that condition to be 
 far from what is desirable. 
 
 There have been movements at times, in the history of 
 the Colony, Province and State, undertaken to the end of 
 better ordering the archives of its government ; but a clearly 
 defined rule of what constitutes such archives has not been 
 always adhered to, and in earlier days a proper distinction 
 was not always made with public officers between their 
 own and the public papers. For instance, — the province 
 had a succession of accredited agents in London prior 
 to the Revolution. Papers which accumulated in their 
 hands relating to the business of the Province were in 
 some measure at least, but apparently not always, handed 
 over to their successors ; but when the outbreak of the war 
 
8 
 
 $10,732.20. The result was 241 volumes of what are 
 known as the Massachusetts Archives, costing as it will be 
 seen an average for arranging and binding of $45 per vol- 
 ume. 
 
 Having been subjected in parts to considerable wear, in 
 the forty years which had intervened, about oue-half of 
 these, as well as many other bound records of the office, 
 were in 1882-3 repaired in binding at a cost of about 
 $1,700; and they now rest in excellent order in the new 
 cases in the Archive room. 
 
 The following enumeration shows the divisions into which 
 Mr. Felt threw the mass of papers, which he selected to be 
 thus preserved : — 
 
 Massachusetts Archives. 
 
 As Arranged by Joseph B. Felt, 1836-1846. 
 
 So. of 
 the Volume. 
 
 TITLE. 
 
 Teriod. 
 
 >& 
 
 -•2 
 
 1, 
 
 Agriculture, etc., 
 
 . 1644 to 1774, 
 
 1 
 
 2 to 6, 
 
 Colonial, 
 
 . 1629 to 1775, 
 
 5 
 
 7, 
 
 Commercial, 
 
 1686 to 1714, 
 
 | 1 
 
 s, 
 
 Depositions, 
 
 . 1662 to 1766, 
 
 ! l 
 
 9, . . 
 
 Domestic Relations, 
 
 1643 to 1774, 
 
 l 
 
 10 to 14, 
 
 Ecclesiastical, 
 
 . 1637 to 1774, 
 
 5 
 
 l.-.A, 
 
 Emigrants, . 
 
 . 1651 to 1774, 
 
 1 
 
 15B to 19, 
 
 Estates, etc , 
 
 . 1636 to 1774, 
 
 5 
 
 20 to 22, 
 
 Foreign Relations, 
 
 1658 to 1775, 
 
 3 
 
 23-24, . 
 
 French Neutrals, 
 
 1755 to 1769, 
 
 
 
 2."i to 27, 
 
 Hutchinson's Correspondence, . 
 
 1741 to 1774, 
 
 3 
 
 2,S, . 
 
 Hutchinson's MS. History, vol. 2, etc., 
 
 1691 to 1750, etc 
 
 ., 1 
 
 29, 
 
 Indian Conferences, etc., 
 
 1713 to 1776, 
 
 1 
 
 30 to 33, 
 
 Indian, 
 
 . ] 1639 to 1775, 
 
 i 
 
 34, . 
 
 Indian Treaties, 
 
 Jt$>5 to 1 725-71 i 
 
 1 
 
 35 to 37, 
 
 Inter-Charter, . . . 
 
 1 1689 to 1692, 
 
 . 3 
 
 38A, 
 
 Journals, 
 
 1695 to 1767, 
 
 1 
 
 38B to 44, 
 
 Judicial, 
 
 . i 1640 to 1774, 
 i 
 
 7 
 
Massachusetts Archives — Continued. 
 
 No. of the 
 the Volume. 
 
 I"eriod. 
 
 45-46, . 
 47, . . 
 48 to 50, 
 51 to 56, 
 
 57, . . 
 
 58, . 
 
 59, . 
 
 60 to 66, 
 67 to 80, 
 81 to 86, 
 87-88, . 
 
 • 
 
 89-90, . 
 
 91 to 99, 
 
 100 to 104, 
 
 105, . 
 
 106, . 
 
 107, . 
 
 108 to 110, 
 
 111, . . 
 
 112, . . 
 113 to 118, 
 119-120, . 
 121, . . 
 122 to 125, 
 126 to 129, 
 130 to 134, 
 
 135, . 
 
 136, . 
 
 137, . 
 
 138 to 142, 
 
 143, . 
 
 144, . 
 
 Lands, 
 
 Laws 
 
 Legislature, 
 
 Letters, 
 
 Letter Books, etc 
 
 Literary, 
 
 Manufactures, etc 
 
 Maritime, 
 
 Military, 
 
 Minutes of Council, etc 
 
 Miscellaneous 
 
 Military Accounts, etc., . 
 
 Muster Rolls, 
 
 Pecuniary, 
 
 Petitions, 
 
 Political, 
 
 Revolution, 
 
 Speeches, Messages, etc 
 
 Taverns, etc., 
 
 Towns, 
 
 Towns, etc., 
 
 Trade, etc., 
 
 Travelling, etc 
 
 Treasury, 
 
 Usurpation, 
 
 Valuation of Towns, .... 
 
 Witchcraft, 
 
 Miscellaneous, Pecuniary, Military, etc., 
 Revolution Reports, .... 
 Revolution Miscellaneous, . 
 Revolution, etc., Miscellaneous, 
 Revolution, Conventions, Indians, etc , 
 
 1622 to 1774, 
 1645 to 1774, 
 1643 to 1775, 
 
 1692 to 1774, 
 1658 to 1779, 
 1645 to 1774, 
 1639 to 1773, 
 1641 to 1775, 
 1643 to 1774, 
 1689 to i775, 
 1630 to 1776, 
 1741 to 1760, 
 1710 to 1774, 
 1629 to 1775, 
 1643 to 1775, 
 1638 to 1700, 
 1689, . 
 
 1702 to 1774, 
 
 1643 to 1774, 
 1632 to 1693, 
 
 1693 to 1774, 
 1645 to 1774, 
 
 1644 to 1774, 
 1692 to 1770, 
 1686 to 1689, 
 1760 to 1771, 
 1656 to 1750, 
 1715 to 1761, 
 1774 to 1783, 
 
 1774 to 1791, 
 1772 to 1788, 
 
 1775 to 1783, 
 
10 
 
 Mass vcuusetts Archives — Concluded. 
 
 V», of the 
 Volume. 
 
 TITLE. 
 
 rcrlods. 
 
 !~3 
 
 Ml 
 
 145, . 
 
 Revolution, Penobscot Expedition, . 
 
 1779, etc., . 
 
 1 
 
 146, . 
 
 Revolution, Military 
 
 1775 to 1783, . 
 
 1 
 
 147, . . 
 
 Indian Truck House Accounts, etc., . 
 
 1776 to 1779, . 
 
 1 
 
 148 to 151, 
 
 Revolution, Board of War Minutes, . 
 
 1776 to 1781, . 
 
 4 
 
 152-183, . 
 
 Revolution, Board of War Letters, . 
 
 1776 to 1780, , 
 
 2 
 
 154-155, . 
 
 Revolution, Royalists, 
 
 1775 to 1784, . 
 
 2 
 
 156, . 
 
 Revolution, P. Congress, etc., .... 
 
 1774 to 1778, . 
 
 1 
 
 157, . 
 
 Revolution, Maritime, Miscellaneous, 
 
 1775 to 17S3, . 
 
 1 
 
 158, . 
 
 Revolution, Messages, etc 
 
 1775 to 1783, . 
 
 1 
 
 159, . 
 
 Revolution, Prize Cases and Accounts, 
 
 1776 to 1780, . 
 
 1 
 
 160, . 
 
 Revolution, Constitution, etc., .... 
 
 1778 to 1779, . 
 
 1 
 
 161 to 163, 
 
 Valuation, etc., 
 
 1777 to 1786* . 
 
 3 
 
 164 to 172, 
 
 Revolution, Council Papers, .... 
 
 1775 to 1783, . 
 
 9 
 
 173 to 179, 
 
 Revolution, Council Papers, Second Series, 
 
 1775 to 1783, . 
 
 7 
 
 180 to 188, 
 
 Revolution, Petitions, etc., .... 
 
 1775 to 1783, . 
 
 9 
 
 189 to 192, 
 
 Shays's Rebellion, 
 
 1786 to 1787, . 
 
 4 
 
 193 to 204, 
 
 Revolution, Letters, 
 
 1774 to 1783, . 
 
 12 
 
 205, . 
 
 Revolution, Letters, Second Scries, . 
 
 1775 to 1783, . 
 
 1 
 
 206 to 219, 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, 
 
 1775 to 1778, . 
 
 14 
 
 220 to 227, 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, etc., .... 
 
 1778 to 1780, . 
 
 8 
 
 228, . 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, 
 
 1780, . . . 
 
 1 
 
 229, . 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, etc ' 
 
 1780, . . 
 
 1 
 
 230, . 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, 
 
 1780 to 1781, . 
 
 1 
 
 231, . 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, etc., 
 
 1781,. 
 
 1 
 
 232 to 234, 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, 
 
 1781,. . . 
 
 3 
 
 235 to 239, 
 
 Revolution, Resolves, etc., 
 
 1782 to 1783, . 
 
 5 
 
 240 to 242, 
 
 Hutchinson's Papers 
 
 1625 to 1771, . 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 Note.— The duplication of the serial number under "Estates" and "Judicial" 
 increases the number of volumes as bound to 244. The " Hutchinson Papers " wen) 
 acquired nt a later date, and though added to the series, they are of a siz, ; smaller 
 than the volumes arranged by Mr. Felt. 
 
11 
 
 Each volume, as left by Mr. Felt, has a chronological 
 index, or table of contents, which in some volumes gives 
 every paper, but in other volumes designates only groups of 
 papers. Mr. Samuel M. Barton, of the Secretary's office, 
 has discovered that the following papers (with the few ex- 
 ceptions therein named) have been abstracted from these 
 volumes bince Mr. Felt arranged them. 
 
 Vol. 4, Page 163. Signature C "'. Sam'. Danforthj of Report on >". T. & Mass. 
 Boundary line. Jan. 28, 1757. 
 6, p. 644. Signature of Gov. Steph. Hopkins, in Letter to Hon. Spencer 
 Phips, relative to trial of Joseph Hughs, accused of murder. June 
 12, 1756. 
 14. p. 70 1. Signature of T. Cushing, Speaker of H. of R. wanting in Order 
 on Petition of Wra Hewe3 et al., evidently gone when entered in book. 
 June 11, 1773. 
 15B, p. 48. Signature of Robert Vose in Bond to Mrs. Ann Glover. July 
 11, 1654. 
 
 20, p. 36. Signatures to Copy of His late Majesty's additional Instructions 
 
 to His Governors in America in 1752. Cat out before entry in book. 
 
 21, pp. 559-560. Letter from Wm Pitt. (Cat oat.) Dec. 7, 1755. 
 
 36, p. 343. Signature of Sir W"? Phips to Receipt from Robert Bronsdon. 
 
 (Cut out.) 1683. 
 36, p. 436. Signatures of Increase Mather et al., to Reply of N. Eng. Agents 
 
 to L'. Weem's petition. (Torn out.) March 18, 1690. 
 39, pp. 752. Signatures in Petition and paper in case of estate of Col. Wp 
 
 Crown forfeited by Mr. Paine. (Cutout.) Oct. 11, 1632. 
 44, p. 537. Order for payment to the Supreme Judges. (Cut out) Feb. 4. 
 
 1765. 
 44, p. 706. Certificate of Supreme Judges as to Ebenezer Richardson. (Tom 
 
 out.) Dec. 16, 1770. 
 48, p. 303. Order for payment to Hon. W? Stoughton. (Cut ont.) July 
 
 11, 1699. 
 55, pp. 382-383. Letter from Lord London in N. T. to Gov. Shirley, com- 
 missioned as commander in chief to the King's forces in North 
 America, desires a copy of the acts of Mass. relative to Crown Point. 
 (Cut out.) July 23, 1756. 
 75, p. 297. Order to forces in Nova Scotia. (Missing.) March, 1756. 
 97, pp. 1 to 4. Billeting Rolls of Soldiers. (Missing.) 1753. 
 97, p. 288. Muster Roll, Sylvanus Bourn's Company, Barnstable Co. (Por- 
 tion missing.) Feb. 28, 1760. 
 112, p. 74. Petition as to lands in Watertown. (Cut out in lower corner.) 
 
 1655. 
 115, p. 493. Name cut out in Petition for New Braintree to be a town, &c 
 
 1749. 
 126, p. 336-337. Answer of Mass. Agents to EdwJ Randolph's account of 
 
 irregular trade. (Torn out before it was paged.) 1687. 
 142, pp. 2.58-259. Account, &c, of Gen'. Artemas Ward, as a member of 
 
 Congress. (Cut out.) 1780-1781. 
 142, p. 270. Receipt for Board, &c, of Sam'. Adams, as a member of Con- 
 gress. (Torn oat.) 1780-1781. 
 142, pp. 345-346. Paper relative to Complaint against Cap' Ashley, of Salem. 
 (Cut out before indexed.) 1781. 
 
12 
 
 VoL 144, p. 105. Paper relative to Convention of X E. & X. Y. Delegates, con- 
 cerning Embargo Act, &c. (Cut oat.) 1779. 
 
 145, p. 217. List of Vessels employed in Penobscot Exhibition. (Torn oat 
 since indexed.) Sept. 1779. 
 
 145, p. 340. Signature of L\ Col. Paul Revere's defence. (Cat oat since 
 indexed.) Oct. 1, 1779. 
 
 145, p. 350. Report of Com* on failure of Penobscot Expedition. (Lower 
 
 portion torn oft.) Oct, 8, 1779. 
 
 146, p.. 299. Letter of Gen'. John Thomas about firearms. (Cat oat.) June 
 
 30, 1775. 
 157, pp. 279-282. Papers relating to Ship Victoria. (Missing or not paged.) 
 
 1779. 
 164, p. 18. Resolve, appointing Col. Lovell to take charge of Colony boats. 
 
 (Torn out.) Aug. 21, 1775. 
 164, pp. 177-173. Paper relative to recommendations of Cap" David Parsoas, 
 
 Tho". Farrington, S. Stevens & Joshua Moody, (Cat out.) 1775. 
 175, p. 154. Seals to Signatures of W« Bridge, John Frink & Jonas How in 
 
 contract to build Continental Barracks in Rutland- (Cutout.) Sep'. 
 
 27, 1777. 
 175, p. 451. Letter of Genl H. Gates. Glorious Victory. (Cut oat.) July 
 
 19, 1779. 
 175, p. 451. Order for a spyboat to be fitted out. (Cut out.) July 20, 1779. 
 177, p. 529. Pass for a Cartel bound to Bermuda. (Cutout) June 20, 1781. 
 180, p. 292. Petition of Col. Wm Prescott & other officers. (Cut out.) Jan. 
 
 27, 1776. 
 187, pp. 14-16. Petition of Inhabitants of Manchester. Tax abatements. 
 
 Jan. 19, 1781. 
 187, pp. 17-18. Petition of Joseph Xye for town of Harwich. Tax abate- 
 ments. (Taken out since indexed. ) Jan. 22, 1781. 
 187, p. 19. Petition of Thomas Paine for town of East ham. Tax abatements. 
 
 (Taken out since indexed.) Jan. 23, 1781. 
 187, p. 20. Petition of Paul Revere for trial by Court Martial. (Taken out 
 
 since indexed.) Jan. 23, 1781. 
 1S7, p. 21. Pet. of Philip Marett, with a Certificate. (Taken out since in- 
 dexed.) Jan. 22, 1781. 
 187. pp. 22-23. Pet. of Selectmen of Windham, with a Resolve. (Taken out 
 
 since indexed.) Jan. 1781. 
 
 193, p. 165. Letter of William Whipple to Provincial Congress. (Cut out) 
 
 May 6, 1775. 
 
 194, p. 105. Letter of John Whiteomb to H. of Representatives. (Torn off.) 
 
 July 23, 1775. 
 
 194, pp. 156-157. Letter of Hon. John Adams to Hon. James Otis. (Cat 
 
 out.) Xov. 23, 1775. 
 
 195, p. 316. Paper accompanying Letter of Rich* Derby, Jan. to Prest. of 
 
 CounciL (Either not paged or missing.) Oct. 22, 1776. 
 
 196, p. 87. Letter of Comt« of Congress to Prest. of Council. (Cutout.) 
 
 Dec 31, 1776. 
 
 196, pp. 254-255. Paper relative to Memorial, 4c, of Prest. of X Carolina 
 
 concerning Brig*. Joseph taken by Privateer Eagle. Torn out.) 1776 
 or 1777. 
 
 197, p. 309. Paper, accompanying Letter from Meshech Weare, s opposed to 
 
 be relative to affairs at Morristown. (Tom out.) 1777. 
 
 198, p. 366, Letter of Geu>. Spencer to Council. (Cat out.) Dec. 19, 1773, 
 200, pp. 100-101. Letter (r) of Count D'Estaing. (Either not paged or 
 
 missing.,) Sept. 19, 1773. 
 200, p. 110. Letter of Commissioners at Paris to CounciL (Cut out.) gep« 
 22. 1778. 
 
13 
 
 Vol. 200, p. 203. Letter of Com 1 :." of Congress to Gov. of Mass. (Cutout.) Nov. 
 
 11, 1778. 
 200, p. 259. Letter of Marine Com'.".' (Phila.) to Council. (Cut out since 
 
 indexed.) Dec. 15, 1778. 
 200, p. 283. Paper relative to Letter of Gen\ Horatio Gates. (Torn out.) 
 
 Dec. 1, 1779. 
 200, p. 315. Letter of John Jay to Council. (Cut out.) Feby. 16, 1779. 
 200, p. 324. Letter of Genl. Putnam. (Cut out.) 
 
 200, p. 329. Letter of Prest. Rodney of Delaware to Council. (Lower por- 
 
 tion torn off.) March 4, 1779. 
 
 201, p. 343. Letter of Nath'. Greene, Q. M. Gen', to Council. (Cut out.) 
 
 Oct. 7, 1779. 
 
 202, p. 295. Letter of Com'" of Congress to Council. (Cut out.) • June 23, 
 
 1780. 
 
 202, p. 366. Letter of Com',"" of Congress to Council. (Torn out.) July 23, 
 
 1780. 
 
 203, pp. 281-282. Letter of Board of Admiralty to Gov. Hancock. (Cut 
 
 out.) April 30, 1781. 
 
 203, p. 355. Letter of President of Congress to Gov. Hancock. (Lower por- 
 tion torn off.) July 12, 1781. 
 
 203, pp. 409-410. Letter of President of Congress to Gov. Hancock. (Torn 
 out.) Sep'. 10, 1781. 
 
 203, p. 418. Letter of President of Congress to Gov. Hancock. (Torn out.) 
 
 Sep'. 29, 1781. 
 
 204, p. 150. Letter of John Hanson to Gov. Hancock. (Cut out.) May 28, 
 
 1781. 
 204, p. 240. Letter of Gen\ Benj. Lincoln to Gov. Hancock. (Cut out.) 
 
 Aug. 13, 1782. 
 204, p. 440. Letter of Elias feoudinot to Gov. of Mass. (Torn out.) Oct. 2, 
 
 1783. 
 
 204, p. 451. Letter of Gov. Benjamin Harrison to Gov. of Mass. (Cut out.) 
 
 Dec. 25, 1783. 
 
 205, p. 32. Letter of John Paterson to Com'.".* of Supplies. (Cutout.) 1775. 
 205, p. 76. Letter of Joseph Reed to Com 1 .". of Supplies. (Taken out.) 
 
 1775.' 
 
 205, p. 238. Letter of Jonathan Glover to Board of War. (Cut out.) 1777. 
 
 206, p. 235. Resolve for a grant to Edward Jackson. (Torn out.) Aug. 17, 
 
 1775. 
 
 206, p. 270. Resolve for delivery of powder for the use of Beverly. (Tom 
 
 out.) Aug. 18, 1775. 
 
 209. p. 403. Paper concerning the collection of woolen stockings for troops. 
 
 (Cut out.) 1776. * 
 
 210, p. 108. Resolve of Congress to supply the militia with rations. July 31, 
 
 1776. 
 
 213, p. 275. Resolve to pay balance of accounts of Hon. Rob 1 . Treat Paine 
 
 as Delegate to Congress. (Cut out.) April 18, 1777. 
 
 214, p. 146J. Papers relative to Petition of Nath'. Stevens & Samuel Lumber 
 
 for payment as seamen on sen. Lion. (Cut out.) 1772. 
 221, p. 10. Choice of Stephen Smith as Naval Officer for Machias. (Torn 
 
 out.) Feb. 9, 1779. 
 221, p. 274. Paper relative to license to Mary Wallingford to sell landin York 
 
 County. (Cut out.) 1779. 
 
 230, pp. 209-210. Letter from Prest. of Congress relative to lands ceded to the 
 
 United States. (Cut out.) 1780. 
 
 231, p. 50. Account of Sam\ Holten for expenses as Delegate in Congress. 
 
 (Cut out ) 1781. 
 231, p. 79. Paper relative to grant to Elbridge Gerry for his services in Con- 
 gress. (Cut out.) 1781. 
 
14 
 
 VoL 2-32, p. 244. Lener of Sam'. Adams reqtH-stlntr permission to return home 
 
 from Potizress. (Taken ouLI Apr'-. 17S1. 
 237, pp. _*;0 -*:<".. Lener of Ro'jt. E. Liviruswn. relatiTe to returns of losses 
 
 sustained from the enemv. (Tom out/ 1752. 
 2o>, p. +34. Paper relative to administration on estate of >"ath' Parker of 
 
 Groton. (Torn oat.) 17^3. 
 
 It is the general opinion of professional investigators that 
 Mr. Felt in the divisionary method which he employed iu 
 distributing these papers, made a mistake, both because his 
 classification was in large measure arbitrary and dependent 
 upon form (depositions, letters, reports, etc.) instead of 
 substance, and because, his work continuing over a long 
 period, his opinions of the proper relations of individual 
 papers changed or were not constant. This resulted in 
 papers of a similar kind being separated, and in the omission 
 of others, now to be found in the loose files passed by at one 
 time by him, when at another time he had included in his 
 classifications their equivalents in value and character. 
 This confusion would have been avoided, and relations of 
 time been better preserved in one chronological arrange- 
 ment, provided with a topical index. It is probable, how- 
 ever, that an exception might have been advisedly made 
 with respect to certain classes of papers from their natural 
 coherency ; and it is impossible now to know how far Mr. 
 Felt's arrangement may have naturally been occasioned by 
 one previously existing. Dr. Palfrey, in the preface to the 
 third volume of his History of JTev: England (p. vii ), 
 has referred to the present condition of these papers as 
 li chaotic disorder," and it was with a view to remedying 
 this defect that in his time, as Secretary of the Common- 
 wealth, a consolidated chronological index to the series 
 was begun, which was not completed till recently, and 
 now forms seven large volumes. 
 
 The resolve for completing this chronological index was 
 passed April 2N, 1577. (Resolves, chap. 57.) Under this 
 Resolve the Secretary appointed a principal clerk and two 
 assistants. This clerk, Mr. Albert H. Hoyt, resigned after 
 three months' service, and Mr. Samuel M. Barton, one of 
 his assistants, succeeded him, and after June, 1^78, Mr. 
 Barton was the only person employed. The work under 
 
15 
 
 this resolve has been more carefully doue, than the earlier 
 parts of this iudex. 
 
 When these volumes were in the immediate charge of 
 Dr. E J ward Strong (who has kindly assisted the Commission 
 in various ways), he found it convenient to form certain topi- 
 cal indexes in lieu of a complete index of that kind, which 
 has never been supplied, and there exists in the office now, 
 for the use of investigators, a number of partial indexes 
 covering the following aud other topics : — 
 
 Eastern Indians. 
 
 Western Indians. 
 
 Slaves. 
 
 Captives. 
 
 Shipping and Piracy. 
 
 Manufactures and Trade. 
 
 Physic and Surgery. 
 
 "Wills and Inventories. 
 
 Names. 
 
 Bonds. 
 
 Proclamations and other printed papers. 
 
 Baptists. Quakers. Witchcraft, etc. 
 
 Indian names of towns and localities (1620-1500.) etc. 
 
 In the opinion of your Commission, a thorough revision 
 of the Archives would involve the breaking up of these vol- 
 umes for re-arranging, in the main, by a strict chronological 
 order, as has been done with the documents in the Ensrlish 
 State Paper Office ; they hesitate to recommend such a 
 process, however, as the printed references of many histo- 
 rians would be vitiated, aud the expense would be consider- 
 able, while much of the merit of the chronological system is 
 secured by the index already described. 
 
 Among the most interesting documents in the Secretary's 
 office are the following original parchments : — 
 
 1. The Charter of 1623. 
 
 2. The Charter of 1692. 
 
 3. The Charter explanatory of the last. 
 
 4. The original latin document, usually termed in English. ■' The 
 exemplification of the judgment for vacating the Charter of 1G2?." 
 (A contemporary English version of this, edited by Mr. Charles 
 
16 
 
 Deane, was printed in the Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, vii., p. 246. 
 This judgment was under a writ of Scire facias, and was entered up 
 in 1GS4, the exemplification being issued in 1685). 
 
 5. The Commission to Lord Bellomont for the Suppression of 
 Piracy. 
 
 Of these, Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are fitly framed, and hung in the 
 Secretary's private office ; while the others are kept in the 
 original document boxes. 
 
 Among documents which Mr. Felt did not include in his 
 series, are those contained in volumes, since bound and 
 marked Ancient Plans, Gkants, etc., five in number, 
 including index, as follows : — 
 
 Vol. I., 1643-1715. 
 
 Vol. II., 1716-1734. 
 
 Vol. III., 1735-1741. 
 
 Vol. IV., 1742-1783. 
 
 Vol. V., Index (chronological and alphabetical). 
 
 There are also in the office (in boxes), the original plans 
 of the several towns of the State made for the first State 
 map in 1795 (under a Resolve of June 26, 1794) ; those 
 made for the second State map in 1830 (in portfolios, under 
 Resolves of March 1, 1830) ; the papers (in two boxes), 
 relating to Borden's Survey in 1834. There is also a series 
 of County maps, to which corrections and additions are 
 made from time to time, by the various County Com- 
 missioners. 
 
 Also, papers relating to the bounds with Connecticut, 
 New York and New Hampshire, 1803-1820 (in a box) ; 
 those relating to the north-eastern boundary (in a paper 
 box), and those to Rhode Island, 1861-1883 (in two tin 
 cases). 
 
 Mr. Ben : Perley Poore was appointed by the Governor in 
 May, 1845, to copy such documents in the French Archives 
 as bore upon the early history of Massachusetts, and his 
 report of Dec. 28, 1847, accompanied by letters from John 
 G. Palfrey and Jared Sparks, constitutes Senate Document 
 No. 9 (1848). For this work, Mr. Poore was paid $2,960. 
 The transcripts fill ten volumes in folio, and cover a period 
 
from the earliest times to 1 780, but unfortunately, some of the 
 papers are entered by title only, and the space left for their 
 transcription has never been filled, though there is au iudex 
 to the whole. Two large volumes of maps (mostly printed) 
 and engravings, the whole not of much value, complete the 
 series, which is known as the French Archives . They 
 have been copied recently for the Archives of the Province 
 of Quebec, and that government is now printing them. 
 
 What is known as the General Court Records consist of 
 sixt v-e'mht volumes, ending with 1833. Of these, volumes I. 
 to V. are printed in ShurtietT's edition of the JfassacJiusetts 
 JReeorJ<. Of the origiual five, volumes I., II. and III. arc 
 somewhat broken in binding and otherwise dilapitated and 
 are kept in a box. In the volumes after 1780, there are 
 entries of extraneous matters, not properly belonging to the 
 series. Those for 1737-1 74ii were probably burned, and 
 Mr. Felt was commissioned in 1845, to go to England and 
 secure copies for those years, of the set which had been trans- 
 mitted at that time to the home government, so that ihe 
 volumes covering those years are not originals. Previous 
 to the procuring of these transcripts, a volume marked 
 " 17 Miscellaneous. 1737-1747," and of fragmentary char- 
 acter, had been made up to supply the deficiency: and not 
 to disturb the serial numbering of the rest of the set. the 
 volumes, procured from Englaud, were numbered 17 1 . 17 2 , 
 17 s , 17 4 , 17\ so that the whole number of bound volumes 
 is now 73. 
 
 There are chronological indexes in the several volumes, 
 but insufficiently made. New indexes of this kind have 
 since been made, in part, covering the period from 16Si) to 
 about 1725 ; but they need revision. 
 
 At the time of the union of Plymouth Colony with Massa- 
 chusetts under the Provincial Charter, the records of the 
 " Old Colony," as the more ancient government began to be 
 called, consisted of twenty volumes, which might naturally 
 have been added to the Archives of Massachusetts.* These 
 volumes consist of the following records : — 
 
 * There are also at Plymouth the original parent granted June 21. 1521. by the 
 Company of North Virginia, to John Pierce, in behalf of the Piig-rin,s. and tie later 
 one of Jan. 13, 16;?, signed by the Earl of Warwick in behalf of the Council of New 
 E ngland, enlarging the original grant and ist:il0ishing the bounds. The first of 
 these patents is the oldest Slate document in New England. 
 
18 
 
 First. The Court Records, covering 1 633-1 G 91. but with 
 a gap duringthe Andros rule, Oct. 1086 — June. 16f>9. Up 
 to 1637. these records were kept in the main, by Governors 
 Bradford, Wiuslow and Prince; but in 163?, Nathaniel 
 Souther became Secretary of the colony, and kept them till 
 1045, when Nathaniel Morton succeeded to that office and 
 held it till 1655, and after that period Nathaniel Clark and 
 Samuel Sprague were successively secretaries. These rec- 
 ords are in six volumes. 
 
 Second. A record of deeds. This series seems to have 
 been begun in 1627, when Gov. Bradford made some retro- 
 spective entries referring to earlier divisions and transfers, 
 and ffoinc back to the original allotments. After this date 
 the entries were made successively by the officers, who kept 
 the corresponding court records, and the whole is embraced 
 in six volumes. 
 
 Third. A record of wills and inventories, kept correspond- 
 ing' bv the same officers, making four volumes. 
 
 Fourth. A single composite volume, containing the Judi- 
 cial acts of the General Court, 1636—1691, written by the 
 successive secretaries : beside the treasurer's accounts, 1058- 
 1086, and a register of births, marriages and deaths from 
 the returns of the several towns. The earliest years are 
 not in the present volume, which for these entries begins in 
 1617. 
 
 Fifth. A single volume, in the handwriting ofWinslow, 
 Souther and Morton, containing the Colony Laws, 1623— 
 1682. 
 
 Sixth. The records of the Commissioners of the United 
 Colonies in two volumes. This union which was effected for 
 common safety in 1643, included Massachusetts and Plym- 
 outh, as well as Connecticut and New Haven, then distinct 
 colonies. Each colony had a copy of these records ; but 
 those of Massachusetts and New Haven have disappeared. 
 The Plymouth copy was first printed by Hazard in 1794, 
 and his edition was used as printers' copy when Dr. Shurt- 
 leff printed them. The Connecticut copy, ampler in SDme 
 respects than the Plym >uth, is printed in the Connecticut 
 Colonial Records, vol. III. 
 
 These twenty volumes remained in the hands of Samuel 
 
19 
 
 Sprugue, the last secretary of Plymouth Colony, at the time 
 of the union with Massachusetts Bay, and were held by him 
 till his death in 1710, when, after a brief interval, during 
 which Nathaniel Thomas had custody of them, they were, on 
 the petition of the justices of peace of the three counties of 
 Plymouth, Barnstable and Bristol, and by vote of the Gen- 
 eral Court, committed to the charge of the clerk of the Supe- 
 rior Court of the county of Plymouth, to remain where they 
 had always been kept in the town of Plymouth. In 1819- 
 20, by order of the General Court, a copy of these records 
 was begun by the late .Mr. Benjamin R. Nichols, which in- 
 cluded, so far as made, what is now contained in eleven 
 bound volumes preserved in the Secretary's office. 
 
 When under a resolve of 1855, the late Dr. Nathaniel B. 
 Shurtleff was employed to supervise the printing of these 
 records, he used for printers' copy these eleven volumes, as 
 transcribed by Mr. Nichols, and the printed edition (Haz- 
 ard'*) of the records of the Commissioners of the United 
 Colonies, as already mentioned. This matter in ShurtlefTs 
 edition makes ten volumes, and they include of the original 
 twenty volumes at Plymouth, the following: six of the 
 Court Records; one of the Deeds; one which contains the 
 Judicial Acts, etc, ; one of Laws, and the two volumes of 
 the Commissioners Records. 
 
 When these were printed, so much money had been spent 
 that the Legislature refused further appropriations. There 
 were still, however, five volumes of deeds and four of wills 
 unprinted. These however, had been copied for the press 
 at a very large outlay — said to have been almost $16,000 — 
 and this printers' copy is now in the Archive room. 
 
 A bill was introduced last year into the legislature to autho- 
 rize the printing of these nine volumes, which it was esti- 
 mated could be got into four volumes of the exterior appear- 
 ance of those issued by Dr. Shurtleff; but printed in a 
 manner which would keep their cost within $8,000. The 
 Committee on the Judiciary, to which the bill was referred, 
 made an extended report, from which much of the present 
 statement is drawn. The Committee on Expenditures 
 subsequently referred the bill to the present General Court. 
 
 These unprinted transcripts being in the Secretary's office, 
 
20 
 
 the Commission find that it comes within the range of their 
 instructions to consider them, him] they arc of the opinion 
 that while, it, is ultimately desirable to print these and other 
 records of the Commonweath, (hey deem that the expense 
 of it should not he incurred till all the documentary manu- 
 scripts in the office are properly arranged and indexed in the 
 manner which they will later specify. They, however, reeoin- 
 mend that these imprinted copies he hound, that they may 
 be made convenient, for reference. 
 
 The Council Ricconos are unfortunately imperfi-ol. Vol. 
 I. contains those from 1050 to 1050. There i-i then a gap. 
 The volume called Vol. II. contains those for 1080 and I 087 
 (then a gapj, with those from 101)2 to lO'.IH. Vols. III. to 
 XI. continue them to 17J7. These volumes, II. to XI., 
 were copied (1845), from the transcripts in the lOnglish State 
 Paper Office. The series continued to 1884, makes '.)! vol- 
 umes in all, each volume being provided with a chronological 
 index, not wholly sufficient in the early volumes for conve- 
 nient, use. 
 
 The Provincial Charter of 1002, made the Governor and 
 Council a Probate Court, and this body created Judg'-s of 
 Probate by delegation of authority. In Gov. Dudley's 
 time, this delegation was seriously questioned, and finally in 
 1700, under Pownal, the Governor and Council formally 
 organized themselves as a Supreme Court of Prob/to, estab- 
 lishing a seal and a separate set of judicial records. They 
 ha/], however, no more authority at this time than they had 
 always enjoyed and exercised. By article o of chapter III, 
 of the Constitution, " all appeals from the Judges of Pro- 
 bate -hall be heard by the Governor and Council until the 
 Legislature shall by law make other provision." Thi* 
 limited the Supreme Court of Probate to the hearing of 
 appeals only; and finally by the Act of March 12, 1784, 
 the Legislature transferred this appellate jurisdiction to tbe 
 Supreme Judicial Court.* Accordingly we find in the 
 Secretary's office a volume of Probate Record* of the Coun- 
 cil between 1701 and 17^4. There is also in the volume of 
 Pelt'-, collection, lettered R'-x'Aai.ion, M ix<xH'j.M'jUH , 1772- 
 1788, a similar probate record extending from Nov. U t 
 * Ajknituu'x lot klaii.y '.f-^a v.uiy.ivl iuxhii .:\ iiry,\iy Mi.Abn<:i ':. <,'/t<Ui\\,fr. 
 
21 
 
 1 7S0 to Feb. 22, 1786, seventy-two pages in all. There 
 may be other portions of such records in just as unlikely 
 places in the same series of volumes. 
 
 Of the CocxcrL Mhsutes, Mr. Felt included in his series, 
 those between July 3, and Oct. 6, 1689. Other minutes 
 then follow in his arrangement, but they are apparently 
 minutes of the General Court, though after May, 1698, they 
 are distinctly called " Council Minutes." 
 
 The original minutes from 1776 to 1781 are preserved in 
 blank books, twenty-two in number, and since 1781 they are 
 also bound and are supposed to be continuous. 
 
 The Council Files previous to 1784 are in Felt's col- 
 lection ; from 1784 to 1884 they are filed in boxes. Pardons 
 and wills, State requisitions, beginning 1784, are also in 
 boxes. 
 
 The Senate Papers from 1780 are in files. They are 
 indexed down to 1856, but not later. 
 
 Of the Journals of the House, in a printed form, the 
 set in the Secretary's office does not begin till 1730, from 
 which time it is complete so far as priuted, except as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 1740, pp. 111-112. 163-166. 
 1774, May session, 47 pp. 
 1776-1777 (Legislative year.) 
 1779-1 760 (Legislative year.) 
 
 The Journals are believed to have been printed continu- 
 ously from 1715 to June 17, 1774; to have been agaiu 
 printed from July 19, 1775 to May, 1780, when they were 
 not again printed till the session of 1784-5. There is then 
 a gap till the Legislative year 1807-8, when they were 
 printed, but for that session only. In 1854—5—6-7, a daily 
 journal was printed in sheets, of which there is a set in the 
 State Library ; but there is no set in the Secretary's office. 
 In 1864, the original form of printing was resumed, and has 
 since been maintained. 
 
 Of the original manuscript Journals before 1780, the only 
 ones existing are those for 1757-58, and a few between 1775 
 and 1780. Since the last year, the Journals make about 100 
 
22 
 
 volumes ; each with an index ; and there is also a general 
 index in three volumes covering the year3 1827-1855. 
 
 The original Papers of the House since 1775 are in files. 
 They are indexed up to 1856 in three volumes. 
 
 There are about 140 volumes of the Credentials of Sena- 
 tors and Representatives to the General Court, issued under 
 the Constitution of 1780. 
 
 In a separate apartment is kept the accumulation of 
 Bills, Resolves and Acts. 
 
 The Bills and connected papers since 1775 are kept in 
 files. 
 
 The Resolves before 1836 were engrossed on paper and 
 are in files ; since 1836, they are on parchment and bound in 
 volumes. 
 
 The Acts, previous to 1826, were engrossed on parch- 
 ment sheets of different sizes. These are folded and placed 
 in boxes. Since 1826 they have been engrossed on sheets 
 of parchment of uniform size (the size has been once 
 reduced), and these are bound in volumes. 
 
 A series of Chaetees, Commissions and Peoclamatio.vs 
 begins 1628, and it is wholly made up of copies. Vol. I. 
 covers 1628-1663; Vol.11., 1677-1774; Vol. III. , 1734- 
 1757. The later volumes come down to the present date, 
 making 34 volumes in all. Pardons were included after 
 about 1756. There are chronological indexes to the 
 volumes. 
 
 The documents of the various Constitutional and other 
 Conventions, are as follows : — 
 
 177S—50. Journal with papers (in a box) . 
 1788. Journal with papers (in a box). 
 
 1814. Journal of the Hartford Convention (in a volume). 
 
 1820. Journal of the Convention (in a volume), 
 
 1853. Journal and Debates of the Convention (in printed 
 
 volumes) . 
 
 The records of several earlier conventions are scattered 
 through the Felt Collection, — thus several are in one of the 
 volumes marked " Miscellaneous." 
 
 Of Letters sent and received, there is a collection 
 extending from 1701 to 1833, bound in 15 volumes, with an 
 
23 
 
 additional volume of later date. These are all copies, and 
 the originals, or other copies, are probably in some, perhaps 
 many cases, in the Felt Collection ; but it is desirable to 
 have the collection indexed. 
 
 There are also packages of letters from the Province 
 agents in London, of which some are marked duplicate and 
 triplicate, and of these it is uncertain how many originals 
 or other copies are preserved in the volumes marked 
 "Letters" in the Felt Collection. Some files are marked 
 " Correspondence with the United States and other States, 
 1783-1828;" "Correspondence with Congress, 1786;" 
 "Secretary's Letters, 1778-1831;" "Resignations, 1786- 
 1803," and other letters accompanying the transmission of 
 public documents (1789, 1810-44, perhaps unimportant), 
 beside the more recent and current files. 
 
 There is a considerable accumulation of papers relating to 
 Maine, to land grants there, and to the separation of 
 the district from the State. One section of the casing in 
 the Archive room is filled with papers, bound and in files, 
 relating to eastern lands. The earliest volume is one relat- 
 ing to claims, beginning in 1674; and another of Audros 
 land-warrants, 1687. There are six volumes containing 
 allotments made in quieting settlers on the lands of the Plym- 
 outh Company, and the Waldo Patent, which contain 
 many plans. These date about 1802-1810. 
 
 A lot of loose plans connected with the deeds of these 
 Maine lands was by act of Legislature transferred, (it seems 
 to your Commissioners unadvisedly,) about ten or twelve 
 years ago to the Maine Land Office. Copies of such plans 
 ought in preference to have been sent. A lot of such plans 
 and maps has been discovered in the cellar since the trans- 
 fer was made, and these have been mounted and rolled. 
 
 The chief papers relating to the separation of Maine, are 
 kept in a box, though there are others in packages ; and 
 there are also files of papers relating to delinquent taxes 
 and other matters in Maine. 
 
 Many of these Maine papers came from the Land Agent's 
 Office now extinct. 
 
 Relating to the French and Indian Wars of the last cen- 
 
24 
 
 tury, we found, apart from those included under different 
 heads by Mr. Felt in his Collection, papers of the following 
 descriptions, tied up in packages : — 
 
 Accounts, 1740-60. 
 
 Bayonet Bolls, 1758-59. 
 
 Billeting Rolls, . . . 1747-58, 1751—57, 1758-59. 
 
 Bills, 1748-57. 
 
 Crown Point Expedition, 1754-56, 1756, 1755-56 (army shoes.) 
 
 Express Biding, 1748-57, 1755-59. 
 
 Fort Massachusetts, ....•• 
 
 Forts and Indians at the "Westward, . . • 1748-59. 
 
 French Wars, . . 1748-59, 1748-56, 1752-5S, 1755-57. 
 
 Military Expenses, 1748-56. 
 
 Sick Soldiers, . . 1748-54, 1758-59, 1746-58 (doctors' bills.) 
 Thomas (Isaac) , Commissary's Accounts, . . 1756. 
 
 The muster rolls of this period are included in vols. 91-99 
 of the Felt Collection, as noted on an early page. It may 
 be convenient to recapitulate the contents of these volumes 
 in this place. 
 
 Vol. 91. Rolls of Sir Charles Hobby's and 3 other 
 Regiments, 1710; of 20 Companies at 
 Annapolis Royal, 1710, 1711 ; of Frontier 
 Garrisons, town companies and vessels, 
 1721-1742; of Expedition to Spanish 
 West Indies, 1740 
 
 Vol. 92. Rolls of Garrisons, town companies, scout- 
 ing parties, and Vessels, .... 1740-1749 
 
 Vol. 93. Rolls of Eastern Expedition, men and Ves- 
 sels ; of Crown Point Expedition ; of gar- 
 risons, scouts, and town companies, . 1748-1755 
 
 Vol. 94. Rolls of Crown Point Expedition ; of casu- 
 alties and effectives at Fort William Henry ; 
 of garrisons and town companies, . . 1755, 1756 
 
 Vol. 95. Rolls of Crown Point Expedition and of gar- 
 risons ; Alarm Lists of Towns, . . 1756, 1757 
 
 Vol. 96. Rolls of French War and of garrisons, . 1757, 1758 
 
 Vol. 97. Rolls of second Louisbourg Expedition ; of 
 Canada Expedition ; of H. M. Ships up 
 St. Lawrence, and of frontier garrisons. 
 
25 
 
 Vol. 98. Rolls of Louisbourg and Crown Point Expe- 
 ditions ; of H. M. Ships up the St. Law- 
 rence, and of garrisons, . . 1760, 1761 
 
 Vol.99. Rolls of Louisbourg Expedition, . . 1761,1762 
 
 Company Officers of all Massachusetts 
 Regiments, . . . 1761-1767 and 1771-1774 
 
 There are no original muster-rolls of the first Louisbourg 
 Expedition (1745) in the office, but there is a volume made 
 up of copies of the rolls in the Pepperrell and Belknap 
 Papers, preserved in the library of the Massachusetts 
 Historical Society. 
 
 Belonging to the Provincial Period is also a large 
 accumulation of papers in packages, to which no extended 
 examination was given, but they appear to consist of the 
 following kinds : — 
 
 Court papers of all sorts, —accounts, letters, writs and other legal 
 
 documents, some of them earlier than 1700. 
 Accounts of all kinds, some of which are in books. 
 Miscellaneous papers, such as lists of residents of Boston and Rum- 
 
 ney Marsh, 1711-30; private mercantile books, 1731-32, 
 
 etc., etc. 
 
 Respecting the Revolutionary War, there is, in the first 
 place, a great mass of papers, arranged in 60 volumes. 
 In the following enumeration the words in capitals show 
 how each volume is lettered on the back, and the Roman 
 numerals indicate the serial numbers of the volumes. 
 
 Vols. I., II., III. RHODE ISLAND SERVICE. (Muster rolls, 
 1776-1780.) ' • 
 
 IV. SIX MONTHS, TOWN ROLLS. 1780-1782. 
 
 V., VI., VII. ARMED VESSELS. BONDS. (Bonds 
 for privateers in alphabetical order of names of vessels, 
 1775-1780.) 
 
 VIII. VARIOUS CHARTER PARTIES. DOC. REL. 
 TO PRISONERS. (Bond and charter parties for ves- 
 sels. Lists of prisoners, American and British. Cartels 
 and exchange of prisoners. Paroles. 1776-1780.) 
 
 Note. — The foregoing nine volumes are catalogued in a volume labelled " French 
 War Rolls ; " and there is a table of contents in each volume. The names contained 
 therein have never been indexed. 
 
26 
 
 IX. DOC. EEL, TO PRISONERS. BERKSHIRE CO. 
 3 YEARS. INVALIDS AND HALF PAY. CER. 
 OF REVOLU. SERVICE. DESERTERS' LISTS. 
 PAY ROLLS. (Paroles and exchanges of prisoners, 
 American and British, 1776-1780. Bounty receipts of 
 3 years' men from Berkshire, 1781. Invalid pension- 
 ers, 1779-1783. Certificates of service in Shays's Re- 
 bellion, 1787. Deserters from Mass. Continental regi- 
 ments, 1777-1780. Rolls of Hampshire County men, 
 1782.) 
 
 X. SOLDIERS' ORDERS. (Rolls, warrants, certificates 
 and descriptive lists of Continental regiments, 1777- 
 1781. Rolls and papers concerning a few militia regi- 
 ments, 1775.) 
 
 XI. SOLDIERS' ORDERS. DISCHARGES, SOLDIERS' 
 RECEIPTS. LEXINGTON ALARM. (Rolls of Con- 
 tinental regiments, 1776-1782. Discharges and receipts 
 of soldiers, 1779-1781. Lexington Alarm Rolls, in 
 alphabetical order of Captains' names, 1775.) 
 
 XII., XIII. LEXINGTON ALARM. (Rolls continued 
 
 as in vol. XI. 1775.) 
 XIV. to XVI. EIGHT MONTHS' SERVICE. (Rolls of 
 
 army at the Siege of Boston, August, 1775. See, also, 
 
 vol. LVI.) 
 XVII., XVIII. VARIOUS SERVICE. (Rolls of Com- 
 panies, in alphabetical order of the Captain's names, 
 
 1776-1781.) 
 XIX. to XXIV. VARIOUS SERVICE. MUSTER 
 
 ROLLS. (Same in character as vols. XVII. and 
 
 XVIII.) 
 
 XXV. CASTLE AND HARBOR ROLLS. 6 MOS. MEN, 
 ETC. (Rolls of men at Castle, 1776-1785 ; at Hull, 1776- 
 1783; at Rutland, etc., guards, 1777-1781. Descriptive 
 lists of three years' and six months' men, 1780. Re- 
 turns of three years' men from Berkshire County, 1777- 
 1778. Returns of M.Jackson's and Marshall's Continental 
 regiments, 1777-1780.) 
 
 XXVI. FIELD AND STAFF ROLLS. MUSTER 
 ROLLS. (Field and staff officers of militia regiments, 
 1775-1782. Company officers of Continental and militia 
 regiments, 1776-1780. Nomination or choice of Con- 
 tinental or Militia officers, 1776-1778. Letters and 
 certificates of service, 1775-1781. Sundry regimental 
 
27 
 
 returns, 1775-1781. Personal accounts for military ser- 
 vice, 1775-1781. Rolls of Col. H.Jackson's Continental 
 regiment, 1780; of Col. Dike's militia regiment, 1776- 
 1777. List of officers and men, " transferred" and " not 
 included," 1780.) 
 
 XXVII. BOOKS. ENLISTED MEN AND OFFICERS. 
 (Six months' Continental men from each town in Massa- 
 chusetts and York Count}-, Maine, 1780. Same for three 
 years for Cumberland County, 1778 ; and for Suffolk, 
 Plymouth, York, Essex, Middlesex, and Cumberland 
 Counties, 1777. Men from towns in Plymouth Count}', 
 1 777. Pay-rolls of nine months' men in several Conti- 
 nental regiments, 1779-1780. Men receiving £6 bounty 
 in Craft's Continental Artillery Regiment, 1777. Militia 
 men from towns in Plymouth County, 1 778 ( ?) ; Field 
 and company officers of Massachusetts militia regiments. 
 Field officers of militia regiments, namely, 66 colonels, 
 61 lieutenant-colonels, 132 majors, with dates of com- 
 missions, 1776-1777. A recent hand has added some 
 memoranda of Massachusetts war vessels.) 
 
 XXVIII. BOOKS. MILITIA OFFICERS. NINE 
 MONTHS' MEN AND CONTINENTAL BAL- 
 ANCES. (Field officers of Mass. regiments before the 
 Revolution, 1767-1774. Field and company officers of 
 each militia regiment, 1775-1780. Officers of reinforce- 
 ments for Canada and Ticonderoga, 1776. Officers 
 of sea-coast companies, 1776. Continental three years 
 men from Suffolk and Essex County towns, 1780. 
 Descriptive lists of Continental nine months' men from 
 all the towns, at Fishkill, 1778. Officers of Conti- 
 nental regiments, 1777. Officers promoted in Conti- 
 nental army, 1779-1780. Rank of officers of 15 
 Continental regiments as established at West Point, 
 1779. Deceased Continental officers and men, 1782, 
 1786. Officers of Massachusetts navy, incomplete, 
 1776-1777. Continental balances due officers and men, 
 1782. Partial list of general and stajf officers of Con- 
 tinental men.) 
 
 XXIX. BOOKS. ENLISTED MEN. WARRANT 
 PAY ROLLS. (Three years' Continental men from 
 each town, 1770-1781. Return of II. Jackson's Con- 
 tinental regiment, 1777. Descriptive lists of men from 
 each town, 1779. Four Suffolk regiments of militia, 
 
28 
 
 1776. Men entitled to $20 bounty or 200 acres of land. 
 Militia pay-rolls, 1781-1783. Sixty Continental and 
 militia company rolls, 1779-1 780.) 
 
 XXX. BOOKS. WARRANTS TO PAY ROLLS. 
 (Continental or militia pay rolls, 1781-1783. Proofs 
 of militia pay rolls. Continental or militia pay rolls, 
 1779-1785.) 
 
 XXXI. ROOKS. ABSTRACTS OF ROLLS. DEPRE- 
 CIATION ROLLS. (Abstracts of Continental [1780- 
 1783] militia [1775-1783] and naval [178;;] rolls. 
 Due to towns for supplies to soldiers' families, 1781- 
 1785. Depreciation rolls of 1G Continental regiments, 
 etc., 1777-1779.) 
 
 XXXII. BOUNTY RECEIPTS, SUFFOLK, ESSEX, 
 AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES. (Bounty receipts 
 and muster-masters' receipts, Essex, Middlesex, and 
 Suffolk, 1779-1781. Field and company office rs, and 
 drafts and detachments from Essex regiments, 1770- 
 1778. Men from Essex County, 1779; from Middlesex 
 County, 1782.) 
 
 XXXIII. BOUNTY RECEIPTS, MIDDLESEX, ESSEX, 
 AND WORCESTER COUNTIES. (Bounty receipts, 
 1781-1782. Descriptive lists of men from Worcester 
 County towns, 1781. Orders for pay, Worcester towns, 
 1781-1782. Muster-masters' returns, 1781. Superin- 
 tendent's returns of three years' men, 1781. Descriptive 
 lists from Hampshire towns, 1781. Rolls of saddlers, 
 carpenters, and mechanics, at Fishkill, 1781.) 
 
 XXXIV. BOUNTY RECEIPTS, HAMPSHIRE, PLY- 
 MOUTH AND BRISTOL COUNTIES. COUNTIES 
 IN MAINE. (Bounty receipts and accounts, Hamp- 
 shire [1780-1782], Plymouth [1780-1782], York and 
 Lincoln [1780-1781] towns. Descriptive lists, Bristol 
 County towns, 1780-1781.) 
 
 XXXV. ARMY RECEIPTS, 1775. DESCRIPTIVE 
 LISTS, 1780. VARIOUS PAY ROLLS. (Receipts of 
 soldiers at Cambridge, June, July, 1775. Descriptive 
 list of six months' men in each town, 1780. Sea coast 
 companies, 1775-1781.) 
 
 XXXVI. SEA COAST DEFENCE MUSTER ROLLS. 
 (Rolls and papers, 1775-1780.) 
 
 XXXVII. SEA COAST DEFENCE. PENOI'.SCOT 
 EXPEDITION. (Coast defence rolls, papers and offi- 
 cers, 1775-1779. Machias and Cumberland pay-rolls, 
 
•29 
 
 1777-1783. Penobscot Expedition rolls, 1779-1780, 
 with orders of council and board of war, lists of vessels 
 chartered, and miscellaneous papers, 1770.) 
 
 XXXVIII. PENOBSCOT EXPEDITION AND CRAFTS 
 REGIMENT. (Penobscot expedition [27 pp. only], 
 177,'. Pay rolls and abstracts Crafts' [Revere' s] artil- 
 lery, 177i!-17S0.) 
 
 XXXIX. NAVAL SERVICE. (Pay-rolls and papers 
 relating to eight war vessels, 1775-17*2.) 
 
 XL. NAVAL SERVICE. PRIVATEERS. LISTS OF 
 RECRUITS. (Rolls of board of war vessels on com- 
 mercial voyages. Descriptive lists of crews of privateers. 
 17*0-1781. List of vessels of Penobscot Expedition, 
 1770. Bounty receipts, returns, etc., Suffolk County, 
 1778. Descriptive lists of Suffolk County men. 177*. 
 Suffolk County men and officers. 1776-177* Continental 
 men receiving 8300 and t'.'O bounties, 1777-1 780.) 
 
 XLI. BOUNTIES. ENLISTMENT RETURNS. OFFI- 
 CERS. (Rolls and descriptive lists of men from Essex, 
 Middlesex and Worcester counties, 1777-1778. Bounty 
 receipts and town bounty accounts. Suffolk, etc., 1777- 
 1781. Officers in Middlesex Countr. etc.. etc.. 177(5- 
 1777.) 
 
 XLII. ENLISTMENT ROLLS. BOUNTIES. OFFICERS. 
 ETC. (Rolls and descriptive lists for Worcester. Berkshire, 
 Hampshire, 177(5-1779. Officers, etc.. for Hampshire, 
 Berkshire, Bristol, Plymouth. 1776-1779. Men from 
 Plymouth towns. 1777-1770. Miscellaneous papers, 
 1775-178':'. 1 
 
 XLIIL ENLISTMENT ROLLS. BOUNTIES. LISTS 
 OF OFFICERS. (Barnstable County men, officers, 
 miscellaneous, papers. 177''-177*. Company officers of 
 all the regiments. 177(5. General, field and star! officers, 
 177tf. Miscellaneous papers. 177"-1781. Descriptive 
 lis: of men from towus j_1777— 177*] of Maine, 'with lists 
 of men and officers [1777-17*0" and other papers [1775- 
 
 i7*r.) 
 
 XLIV NAVAL PUBLIC VESSELS. (Board of war ves- 
 sels [commercial] 1777-177*. Cartels, prizes, miscel- 
 laneous. 1777-17*0. Peaobscot Exhibition, sundry 
 papers. 17790 
 
 XLV. PUBLIC VESSELS. MILITARY. MISCEL- 
 LANY, i Board of War vessels [commercial] 1777- 
 17*'. State vessels. 1776-17*'" Receipts of bounties 
 
30 
 
 and town bounty accounts. 1778-1782. Cartels, prize- 
 cargoes, 1776-1782. Descriptive lists of men from 
 various towns, 1779. Certificates of service, discharge 
 or disability, 1776-1783. Military officers and choice of 
 officers, 1776-1780. Lists of Mass. regiments, 1776 (?). 
 Miscellaneous papers.) 
 
 %* The index for these 45 volumes is in two volumes for Vols. XI., XII. and 
 XIII., called Lexington Alarm Rolls, and all the rest are indexed together in eight 
 volumes, lettered Index to Muster Rolls, etc. The names of officers in volumes 
 XXVTI. and XXTIII. are indexed separately in one volume. 
 
 XLYI. MUSTER AND PAY ROLLS. BUNDLE 25. 
 TICONDEROGA, No. 1. (Rolls of Col. Phinney's 
 regiment, Fort George, 1776; of Col. Reed's regiment, 
 Cambridge, 1776; of Crane's artillerj', 1777-1778; of 
 artificers, 1777-1779 ; of Col. Wood's, Worcester County, 
 regiment, 1778-1779 ; of Col. Thomas Poor's, Essex 
 County, regiment, 1778 ; and miscellaneous rolls, 1775- 
 1779.) 
 
 XLVn. MUSTER AND PAT ROLLS. 1777-1780. 
 TICONDEROGA, No. 2. (Rolls of Col. Simonds, 
 Berkshire, regiment, 1777 ; of Col. Robinson's, Hamp- 
 shire, 1777; of Col. Whitcomb's [1777] regiments; of 
 Nicolas' regiment of invalids, 1770 ; and miscellaneous 
 rolls, 1776-1780. Rolls of Rhode Island soldiers, — Col. 
 Angell's regiment, 1779-1780 ; Col. Green's battalion, 
 1778-1779; and other Rhode Island rolls, 1777-1781.) 
 
 XL VIII. MUSTER AND PAT ROLLS. 1778. 1780. 
 (Rolls of Col. H. Jackson's regiment, West Point, Rhode 
 Island and Pennsylvania, 1778-1780; of Tupper's regi- 
 ment, 1779 ; of Vose's regiment. Valley Forge, 1777; of 
 Marshall's regiment, West Point, 1779 ; of Nixon's regi- 
 ment, North River. 1779; of Bigelovr's regiment. 1777; 
 of Poor's regiment, West Point. 1778 : of Colonels 
 Park's, Bradford's and Greaton's regiment. 1777- 
 1780.) 
 
 •»* The index to Vols. XLYI., XLYII. and XL VIII. is in a separate volume 
 marked Ticonderoga Service, etc. 
 
 XLIX. MASS. MISCELLANEOUS ROLLS. (Various 
 companies and papers. 1775-1781. Rolls and receipts of 
 Capt. Lock's Cambridge Company, 1775. Men enlisted 
 in Knox's artillery, 1775. Rolls of four Continental 
 companies, 1780, 1783.) 
 » • This volume contains an index. 
 
31 
 
 L. WORCESTER ROLLS, 1781, 1783. No. 1. (Rolls 
 of fourteen Continental regiments, 1776-1783; of Col. 
 Goose Van Schaick's New York regiment, 1781.) 
 
 LI. WORCESTER ROLLS, 1781, 1783. No. 2. (Rolls 
 of eight Continental regiments, 1776-1782. Receipts for 
 pa}- and other papers, 6th regiment, 1780. Receipts and 
 gun rolls, Whitcomb's militia regiment, 1775.) 
 *»* Vols. L. and LI. are indexed in one volume. 
 
 LII. MISCELLANEOUS LOOSE ROLLS, No. 1. (Rolls 
 of State armed vessels, 1776-1783. Roll of a Company 
 of Connecticut artificers, 1777-1778. Printed list of 
 Deserters, 1776. Miscellaneous rolls and papers, 1775— 
 1783.) 
 
 LIII. MISCELLANEOUS LOOSE ROLLS, No. 2. (Rolls 
 of State armed vessels, 1776-1782. Crew of "Reprisal" 
 captured by British, 1778. Descriptive list of nine 
 months' men, 1779. Roll of Col. Greaton's Regiment, 
 1776-1783. Men entitled to gratuity of $20 or land, 
 1801-1803. Miscellaneous Company rolls, receipts, etc., 
 1776-1783.) 
 *,* Vols. LII and LIII are indexed in a separate volume. 
 
 LIV. WORCESTER ROLLS. PARCELS 2nd AND 
 MIXED ROLLS. No. 1. (Book of Final Certificates 
 of 6th Continental Regiment, 1785. Orders for pa} - , etc., 
 same regiment, 1782-1788. Thirty-three rolls of Capt. 
 Varnum's Dracut Company, 1776-1783. Miscellaneous 
 muster and pay rolls.) 
 
 LV. WORCESTER ROLLS. PARCELS 2nd AND 
 MIXED ROLLS, No. 2. (Rolls of Capt. Ford's, Wilming- 
 ton, 1775-1779 ; Capt. Walton's, Cambridge, 1777-1778 ; 
 Capt. Jno. Ford's, Chelmsford, 1775-1777, and of Capt. 
 Joshua Reed's, 1777, Companies ; and rolls with papers, 
 of Col. N. Wade's regiment, 1778-177'J ; of Col. Sheldon's 
 dragoons, 1777-1779, and of Col. Alden's 6th Battalion, 
 1777-1778 ; besides numerous miscellaneous rolls, etc) 
 
 %* Vols. LIV. and LV. are indexed in a separate volume, and there is a supple- 
 mentary index to vols. LII., LIII. and in another volume to vol. LV. 
 
 LVI. COAT ROLLS. 8 MONTHS' SERVICE, 1775, 
 
 No. 1, Rolls. (Twenty-eight regiments of the army at 
 
 Cambridge. See vols. XIV. to XVI.) 
 
 *** This volume has a separate index, in two volumes. 
 
 LVII. COAT ROLLS. 8 MONTHS' SERVICE, 1775, 
 No. 2, Ordees. (Soldiers' orders for coats. Duplicates 
 of names in Vol. LVI.) 
 
32 
 
 LVIII. BALDWIN'S REGIMENT, 1775, 1777. FILES, 
 No. 1. (Very full rolls and abstracts of Baldwin's, late 
 Gerrish's regiment, 1775-1777 ; with returns of men who 
 went in the Trenton expedition from said regiment, etc. ; 
 and returns of the guard at Cambridge and at New York.) 
 
 *,* There is a partial index to LVIII. 
 
 LIX. BALDWIN'S REGIMENT. 1775, 1777. FILES, 
 No. 2. (Articles lost by soldiers on retreat from New 
 York, 1776. Arrangement of army at Cambridge, 1775. 
 Portions of several orderly books [very incomplete] 1775- 
 1776. Rolls and returns of companies and officers of 
 Baldwin's regiment, 1775-1777. Numerous papers about 
 this regiment, 1775-1777.) 
 
 LX. MARSHALL'S 10th AND BROOKS' 7th REGI- 
 MENTS. (Pay rolls, Marshall, 1778-1780; Brooks, 
 1781-1762.) 
 
 *»* There is an index to this volume bound with an index to the rolls and mil- 
 itary papers in Felt's Collection, various volumes, viz., vols. 146, 164-179, 180-188, 
 206-239. 
 
 A series called Continental Army Books, consists of printed 
 forms, filled in and bound in 21 volumes, as follows : — 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 Vose's regiment, . 
 
 
 
 1777-1779, 1780. 
 
 2. 
 
 Bailey's " 
 
 
 
 U i. tt 
 
 3. 
 
 Greaton's • ' 
 
 
 
 t. t* U 
 
 4. 
 
 Shepard's '• 
 
 
 
 *i It it 
 
 5. 
 6. 
 
 Putnam's 
 Nixon's " 
 
 
 
 tt u U 
 
 t* tl it 
 
 . . 
 
 Brooks's " 
 
 
 
 (t it, k i 
 
 8. 
 
 M. Jackson's " 
 
 
 
 tt U it 
 
 9. 
 
 Wesson's " 
 
 
 
 •i li (£ 
 
 10. 
 
 Marshall's ' ' 
 
 
 
 U t. u 
 
 11. 
 
 Tupper's " 
 
 
 
 ti a tt 
 
 12. 
 
 Sprouts's 
 
 
 
 tt dv c; 
 
 13. 
 
 Smith's 
 
 
 
 <•> it (c 
 
 14. 
 
 Bradford's 
 
 
 
 tt it it 
 
 15. 
 
 Bigelow's " 
 
 
 
 <* (t (t 
 
 16. 
 
 H. Jackson's ■' 
 
 
 
 . >. tc it 
 
 17. 
 
 Crane's artillery, . 
 
 
 
 *> tt (( 
 
 18. 
 
 Commissioned and staff officers, 
 
 1777, 1779. 
 
 19. 
 
 .. U tt i. 
 
 1780. 
 
 20. 
 
 Mixed regiments. 
 
 1779. 
 
 21. 
 
 , . u 
 
 
 
 1780. 
 
33 
 
 These 21 volumes are indexed collectively in two volumes. 
 Each volume, excepting the last four, also contains at the 
 beginning, an index of the three years' service (1777-1779), 
 and in the middle another for the service of 1780. 
 
 Certificates of military service in the Eevolution, as drawn 
 from the foregoing volumes, have been issued for tans- 
 mission to Washington, or for other use. since May. 1S43, 
 together with statements about the rolls, and these are 
 copied in three volumes, each of which is indexed. 
 
 Other volumes, not numbered, are : — 
 
 Book of Calvin Smith's (6th) Regiment, 1781-1782. 
 
 Book of Vase's (1st) Regiment, 1781-1783. 
 
 Copies of Rolls of Fhinnev's Militia Regiment at Ticon- 
 deroga, 1776 : of rolls of field and company officers of 
 16 Militia Regiments, Jan. 1. 1776: wagoners, 1777- 
 1781; officers of nine continental regiments, 17S3. 
 
 Rolls containing names from Mass. and from other States, 
 1775. 
 
 Killed, wounded and prisoners at Quebec, Dec 31. 1775, 
 with list of soldiers under Gen. Arnold. 
 
 Journal of the Committee of Safety, November, 1774, to 
 July, 1775. 1 voL 
 
 Also in files : — 
 
 CoL Smith's 6th regiment accounts, 1773-1783. 
 
 CoL Bradford's regiment, return of men, 1779. 
 
 Col. Glover's regiment, pay rolls, 1775-76. 
 
 Col. Sylvaaus Smith's 5th regiment, rolls, 1777-1783. 
 
 Town Returns of three-years' men. 
 
 Worcester rolls, receipts and orders. 
 
 Rolls of the Castle, Boston Harbor, 1779. 
 
 Papers of the same, 1779-81. 
 
 CoL Nixon's regiment, accounts, 1777. 
 
 Of Orderly Books and Company Books there are : — 
 
 Baldwin's Orderly Book, Jan. 5 to Mar. 23. 1776. 1 vol. 
 
 Col. Wheelock's Orderly Book, Tyconderoga, Aug. to Nov. 1776, 
 
 1 vol. 
 Capt. Sabin Mann's Company Book (Medfield) 1776-81, (in a 
 
 parcel). 
 East Compton Company Journal (files).. 
 
34 
 
 Capt. Samuel Sawyer's (Lancaster) Orderly Book, Long Island 
 and New York, Aug. 22 to 27th Nov., 1776 ; 1 vol. (contains 
 also other matters) . 
 
 Orders at Newburg, 1782. 
 
 Various Company Books (in parcels) . 
 
 Of Accounts and Final Settlements: — 
 
 Regimental Account Books, 19 volumes, beside others in flies. 
 Final Settlements of Nixon's Regiment, 1778-82, 1 vol. 
 Final Settlement of Brooks's Regt., 1778-82, 1 vol. 
 
 Of the Board of War: — 
 
 Accounts, 1776-79, 1 vol. 
 
 Orders on Commissary Devens, 1776-79, 1 vol. 
 
 Files and Accounts in various packages. 
 
 Of Maritime Affairs: — 
 
 Frigate " Deane," S.Nicholson, Commander, muster-rolls, 1781- 
 82 ; 1 vol. 
 
 Naval Rolls, 1 vol. 
 
 List of Privateers (index) , 1 vol. 
 
 Log-book, 1775, 1 vol. 
 
 Log-book, schooner " Industry," July 29, to Sept., 1775 ; 1 vol. 
 
 Log-book, sloop " Winthrop," 1783 ; 1 vol. 
 
 Log-book, H. M. Ship "Rainbow," Thos. Collingwood, Com- 
 mander, Oct. 28, 1773, to Sept. 28, 1774 ; 1 vol. 
 
 There are also many packages and files, relating to prizes, 
 merchant ships, armed vessels, cartels, shipbuilding, naval 
 orders, with papers of mercantile voyages and commercial 
 letters. 
 
 Of the Commissary Department there are these in 
 volumes : — 
 
 Receipts for provisions, Apr. to Aug., 1775. 
 
 Supplies to Officers, 1778. 
 
 Commissary-General's Receipts, 1777. 
 
 Provisions received and delivered, 1775. 
 
 Account of Provisions at Roxbury, Apr. 20 to June 10, 1775. 
 
 Commissary's letter-book, 1779-80. 
 
 Beef-book (by towns), 1781. 
 
 Wood returns, brought to camp, 1776. 
 
 Truck-house accounts, 1776-1782, 2 vols. 
 
35 
 
 Bakers' accounts, 1775. 
 
 Commissary Blaney's book, Apr. and May, 1775. 
 
 In packages and files there is a large mass of such papers 
 as these : — 
 
 Shoes from stores at Roxbury, 1775. 
 
 Permits to export flour from New York, 1778. 
 
 Flour sent to Rhode Island, 1780-86. 
 
 Invoices of flour and rice, 1778-79. 
 
 Town reports and vouchers for beef. 
 
 Wood for the army at Cambridge, 1776. 
 
 Supplies of milk. 
 
 Palmer's plan for salt works. 
 
 Accounts of provisions, 1775-83. 
 
 Money-orders and letters of Commissary of Supplies, 1775, 1778. 
 
 Receipts for Supplies, 1775-90. 
 
 Soldiers' Supplies, Plymouth, Middlesex, Hampden, etc. 
 
 Ration rolls. 
 
 In regard to Military Clothing, there are two volumes of 
 Coat rolls, a clothing account (1780), and Capt. Watson's 
 Clothing book (1783), in volumes, besides various returns 
 of similar character in files. 
 
 There are accounts and certificates of the Quarter master's 
 department in books, including those of Poolittle's Regt., in, 
 1775. 
 
 The Medical service is shown by a volume of Dr. N. W- 
 Appleton's medical charges, and files of Doctor's bills, 
 1771-76. 
 
 The Express service is shown in a volume, containing 
 expenses, beginning May 26, 1775. 
 
 Regarding supplies of munitions, etc., there arc in 
 volumes : — 
 
 Military Stores supplied to various regiments, 1775. 
 Journal of war supplies, 1776, and in files such endorsements on. 
 packages as these are found : 
 
 Orders for ammunition, 1775. 
 
 Orders for Are arms, 1778 (by towns). 
 
 Furnaces for shot and shell. 
 
 Town receipts for fire-arms, powder, etc., 1775-79. 
 
 Intrenching tools, supplied by towns, 1776. 
 
 Manufacture of saltpetre and of gunpowder, 1776. 
 
36 
 
 The Treasury records include in volumes such as these : — 
 
 Warrants on the Treasury, 1775-76. 
 
 "General disbursements, 1776-80. 
 
 Disbursements for the poor of Boston, Charlestown and the sea 
 
 coast, 1774-77. 
 Disbursements in opposing Great Britain, to Nov. 14, 1775 (2 
 
 books) . 
 
 "Sundry payments and supplies, 1776-85. 
 
 i 
 
 And in files there are packages, marked, of this kind : — 
 
 Warrants on the Treasury, 1776-82. 
 
 Old Treasury notes, 1776-79. 
 
 Town taxes. 
 
 Treasurers' warrants, 1774-84. 
 
 Receipts of members of the General Court, 1776-1780, etc., etc. 
 
 Among the papers stored in the so-called "Dungeon" is 
 a mass of warrants on the Treasury, pay-rolls of the Legisla- 
 ture (17fi0-74), and Treasury notes and receipts. 
 
 In the nature of Bonds, Bounties, Grants, etc., are papers 
 of the following endorsements : — 
 
 Bonds, Obligations (lists), War Office, 1777-80. 1 vol. 
 
 Record of bounty notes, to whom issued, 1777. 1 vol. 
 
 Lists of men receiving bounties ($20, 850, 200 acres, etc.). 1 vol. 
 
 Final settlements. 3 vols. 
 
 Bounties and supplies to soldiers' families. 
 
 Also in files : — 
 
 Orders for pay, 1775-80. 
 
 Certificates of gratuities granted by the General Court, 1779. 
 Gratuities. 
 
 Abstracts of pay, 1777-80, and a mass of Revolutionary grants in 
 a box. 
 
 Of the nature of Pension records there arein volumes : — 
 
 Applicants in 1832. 
 Certificates, 1786. 
 Accounts, 1786-1836. 
 Old soldiers' certificates. 
 
 There are files relating to Printing and Stationery, 1770- 
 1780 ; a package of printed papers (proclamations, orders, 
 etc.) ; accounts of a public dinner in 1780; papers regard- 
 
37 
 
 ing the Boston poor, 1776-78 ; town returns, 1775-1785, 
 and numerous packages of less definite endorsements, all 
 pertaining to the Revolutionary period. 
 
 Respecting the Royalists, beside the two volumes in the 
 Felt Collection, there are in volumes : — 
 Accounts of absentees' estates. 1 vol. 
 Schedules of absentees' estates, 1776-1778. 1 vol. 
 Final settlements of absentees* estates. 1 vol. 
 Various account books of the sales of sequestered goods. 
 
 And in files : — 
 
 Lists of suspected tones, 1776-85. 
 
 Vouchers of sales of absentees' estates, etc., etc. 
 
 Among the mass of files of a period subsequent to the 
 Revolutionary War, endorsements of the following kinds, 
 were noted : — 
 
 Shays's Rebellion, 1787. various packages. 
 
 Quartermaster General's accounts, 179S-1812. 
 
 Militia (beginning 1800). 
 
 Military organizations, 1 781-1 826. 
 
 Military appointments, 17S4— 1S29. 
 
 Military, 1790-91. 
 
 Banks, 1800- 
 
 Schools. 1800- 
 
 Public Institutions, 1800- 
 
 French matters, 1793-98. 
 
 Lighthouses, 1785-92. 
 
 Fugitive slaves. 
 
 Agents' accounts for building the State House, 1797-98. 
 
 Passport vouchers. 
 
 Returns of State Institutions. 
 
 Petitions for office, 1800- 
 
 Indian papers. 
 
 Claims of Massachusetts against the United States, 1821- 
 
 The muster rolls of the War of 1812 are not in the ofiice, 
 hut are in Washington, whither they were sent, it wonld 
 appear, under the Resolve of Feb. 1, 1816, which directed 
 the Secretary and Treasurer to deliver to the 'agent ap- 
 pointed to prosecute the claim of Massachusetts against the 
 General Government, all rolls, vouchers, accounts and papers. 
 
38 
 
 necessary to substantiate that claim for expenses incurred 
 during the war. The Legislature of the State, at various 
 times, has passed resolves looking to the recovery of these 
 rolls, but they have never been obtained. The Adjutant 
 General has succeeded in obtaining copies of a part of them, 
 and these copies are in his office, as we are informed. 
 
 An indication, sufficient for the purpose of this report, 
 has thus been^iven of the great variety of papers, as writ- 
 ten originally in blank books, and now preserved in that 
 form, or at present laid in files or accumulated in packages, 
 and arranged by a rough classification in the closets in the 
 Archive room, adjoining the Secretary's private office. They 
 contain, probably, much the greater part of the loose and 
 unarranged papers of the office, as they have from time to 
 time been gleaned from the greater mass, which in former 
 times was stowed away with even less arrangement. Up 
 to about 1856, an apartment in the upper part of the build- 
 ing, which from its remoteness was called " Oregon," but 
 which in the change of interior construction has now dis- 
 appeared, was the depository of many other papers, which 
 were little cared for, and were open to depredations neither 
 small nor unfrequent. The papers in " Oregon " were seem- 
 ingly held to be of little account, and were supposed to con- 
 sist mainly of bills and accounts. To what place or places 
 they were assigned when removed about 1856, it is not easy 
 to learn or to identify them in the present arrangement. 
 
 Another large collection of papers, mostly of the present 
 century (though we have referred already to some among 
 them of the Revolutionary period), is at present, for want 
 of better accommodation, packed away in a dark room in 
 the basement ordinarily called "The Dungeon." These in- 
 clude returns of valuations, polls, taxes, banks and saving 
 banks, paupers (with accounts), jails, houses of correction, 
 indigent children, industrial statistics, most of which have 
 been tabulated and printed ; the manuscript copy of public 
 documents, — also printed, — the oaths of the state officers, 
 legislative accounts, treasury notes, receipts, and the like. 
 
 The returns of votes for many years are tied up in bundles 
 and packed in boxes iu the cellar, where are also seven 
 chests and two boxes containing bundles of old papers, of 
 
39 
 
 whose value little is known, and a large quantity of can- 
 celled treasury notes. 
 
 The returns of vital statistics are kept in a room with the 
 current printed documents in the lower story. There are 
 returns made by the city and town clerks every year, on 
 blanks of uniform size, of the births, marriages and deaths. 
 They begin in 1841, and for a few succeeding years the re- 
 turns are meagre ; but the series is unbroken, and as bound, 
 it makes now 338 large volumes. Till within a year or two, 
 each volume was provided with an index, arranging the 
 names alphabetically by the first letter of the surname ; 
 the method now in vogue is to carry the alphabetizing 
 throughout; but each year still has its distinct index. In 
 the public press and by appeal before the Commission, it has 
 been claimed that the interests of real estate owners de- 
 mand that one alphabetical index should be provided to 
 the three or four million names contained in these returns, 
 which shall be classified according to towns and by christian 
 and surnames. Calculations made by the Commission, with 
 the aid of experts, have convinced them that the sum of $20,- 
 000 at least might be spent in providing such an index, be- 
 side a considerable anuual outlay for keeping it up. They 
 have sought the opinions of some leading conveyancers, and 
 are confirmed by them in the belief that the value of the in- 
 dex would, at the present time, be out of proportion to its 
 cost. 
 
 Thus far in the report, .the Commissioners have inciden- 
 tally made a few minor recommendations, to which they 
 would now add those of wider bearing. 
 
 They may be allowed in the first place to say, that it is 
 extremely hazardous to discriminate in the value of public 
 records, so far as that discrimination shall lead to the de- 
 struction of any or to the neglect of precautions in preserving 
 all. Lapse of time adds increased value to trivial details, and 
 matters of little moment to our practical living become, with 
 the passage of years, of great importance to the historian, 
 and that phrase means pf great interest to the historians' 
 readers. For these reasons, which are not the outcome of 
 theory, but are confirmed by the practical experiences of all 
 archivists, we desire to be understood as following the rule 
 
40 
 
 observed by the wisest keepers of records, when we recom- 
 mend that scrupulous care of the Archives of the State shall 
 continue to be the duty of those officers charged with their 
 custody, and that in any arrangement of loose papers, no 
 hasty decisions be reached regarding the value of any. 
 
 When certain classes of documents have already been 
 made to constitute a series, it seems desirable that from 
 among the papers, loose in themselves or loosely bound, 
 these same series should be continued in bound volumes. 
 
 All other papers, loose or loosely bound, comporting in 
 character with the papers, which Mr. Felt included in the 
 so-called Massachusetts Archives, should by a supple- 
 mental arrangement be bound in volumes and constitute a 
 continuation of that series. A rough computation, includ- 
 ing all previous to 1800, indicates that this recommendation 
 would add not far from 100 volumes to the series. For the 
 papers later thau 1800, it may be well to leave to some 
 future custodians the task of adding them to this permanent 
 series ; but, meanwhile, it would be desirable that so much 
 work should be done upon them as would group them by 
 their affinities in files or boxes, properly labelled and dated. 
 
 It has been our purpose in describing the collections of 
 papers, with which we have had to deal, to indicate as fully 
 as we have been informed, what are the means of access to 
 them at present by way of indexes. It will have been 
 observed that the tendency in the past has been to provide 
 chronological indexes, or detailed tables of conteuts ; and 
 there is little question, that if a single index is to be fur- 
 nished, this, in the vast majority of cases, serves best the 
 intelligent investigator ; and it should not be forgotten that 
 practice in consultation makes intelligence in such matters, 
 and that the visitor to the Archives has at all times the help 
 at hand of the trained assistants of the Secretary. 
 
 A complete topical index to these papers, whether made 
 in as many alphabets as the main divisions of the papers 
 would require, or consolidated in one alphabet for the 
 entire body of them, we deem to be impracticable from its 
 enormous aggregate, if it is to be perfect in every name of 
 person and place, as the best indexes of historical books are 
 made. But a topical index of some kind seems to be desir- 
 
41 
 
 able, while separate name-indexes of such documents clearly 
 needing them as muster rolls, etc., may be still made. 
 
 Great labor has already been bestowed upon these chrono- 
 logical indexes, which we fear may not be altogether saved. 
 There seems to have been much inequality in this work, 
 and considerable parts of it — particularly the earlier work — 
 may well be done over again to advantage. We are accord- 
 ingly of the opinion that the most satisfactory results can be 
 reached by a chronological index of the whole mass of bound 
 papers, excepting such as by the nature of the case need to 
 have a name-index to insure their use conveniently. 
 
 This new chronological index should be made, in one con- 
 secutive series, of Felt's collection of papers and of all simi- 
 lar papers, files and documents bound in volumes ; which 
 index should be constructed from a careful inspection of each 
 paper, and should contain every point which would be of use 
 in a topical index, and also every name, both of persons and 
 places, occurring in each paper, excepting only such cases in 
 which the number of names, not topical, exceeds a certain 
 limit to be determined upon, and in such cases the omission 
 of names exceeding the limit should be indicated. 
 
 A similar index should "also be made to each series of 
 records in the Secretary's office. 
 
 Such chronological indexes should be prepared in such a 
 manner as to form the basis for future analytical or name 
 indexes. 
 
 An index of this character would have an economic value, 
 in saving the bound records from great wear in the futile 
 searches to which they are now subjected, and must continue 
 to be subjected, while such an index is wanting. 
 
 If there is a separate index desirable to be added to those 
 of names, as already indicated, it might be one of all maps 
 and plans included in the great mass of the Archives. 
 Many maps are now lost to sight, it would seem, because 
 hidden among the legislative files, incident to the papers 
 pertaining to bills or resolves, which required in their prepa- 
 ration the production of such maps and plans. 
 
 It is not an easy task for the Commission to undertake to 
 calculate the cost of what they recommend, and rather than 
 offer figures in which it would be difficult for them to have 
 
42 
 
 confidence, they would recommend that the General Court 
 make an annual appropriation of not less than $5,000 
 until the work is done, and the Commonwealth has credit- 
 ably cared for its Archives, the most precious, we have 
 reason to believe, of any on this Continent. It is further 
 felt by the Commission to be desirable that when definite 
 instructions are prepared for the prosecution of the work, 
 the plan shall be broken by stages of progress, so that if at 
 any time the labor is discontinued, what has been accom- 
 plished shall be left in a condition to be serviceable so far as 
 
 it goes. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 HENRY B. PEIRCE, 
 SAMUEL A. GREEN, 
 JUSTIN WINSOR, 
 WILLIAM P. UPHAM, 
 AUGUSTUS E. SCOTT. 
 
 Commissioners. 
 Boston, January 31, 1885. 
 
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