...May we all remember the maxim of our illustrious Washington: "United we stand; divided we fall." -- When we reflect back to our Revolutionary war, and see how much blood and treasure were spent to gain our independence, shall we, after so long an experience of the advantages arising from so good a government, be any more deceived by internal or foreign enemies? Shall we contrast the mildness of our government, and the civil and religious liberty that we enjoy under it, with the bigotry and tyranny which prevails under the monarchies of Europe, and say we are willing to exchange the former for the latter? I dare say not. Then let me conjure my posterity to stand by this government of our choice, and never be deceived by political or ecclesiastical demagogues. Let the people keep the right and power of election; always in their own hands, and at their annual freemen's meetings be sure to choose men into office, who are true friends of a Republican Government. Let them encourage all the arts and sciences that are necessary in a Republic, and none others, -- and in this way they may perpetuate their liberties. -- But if they are ambitious to ape the follies, extravagance, and luxury of European countries, their freedom can have but a short duration. But, above all, let us as a nation dedicate ourselves to God, and pray that he would have us in his holy keeping, and so direct the councils of our nation, as may tend to preserve its free institutions, to the latest period of time; which is the ardent prayer of
DAVID PERRY
Chelsea, Vt. 1819
An edition of Recollections of an old soldier
(1822)
Recollections of an old soldier.
The life of Captain David Perry, a soldier of the French and revolutionary wars, containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived no-where else recorded. Written by himself. Windsor, Vt., Printed at the Republican & Yeoman Printing Office, 1822.
by Capt. David Perry (b. 1741)
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The National Union Catalog [NCU] description of Perry's Recollections follows, with corrective revisions in brackets by Denise G. Jones: "The writer's life was spent in Rehoboth and Dighton, Mass., Killingby [Killingly], Conn., Plainfield, N.H., and Chelsea, Vt. [Note: He lived his final years in Ira, Vermont, where he died in 1826, and was buried.] He served in four campaigns of the French and Indian War from Massachusetts, 1758-1762 and in two campaigns of the Revolution from Connecticut, 1775-1776 [1775, and 1776-1777]."
William Abbatt's edition contains a couple of footnotes. It also contains the Advertisement/Preface by the original printer Simeon Ide that began the 1822 first edition. Abbatt thus preserved with his 1928 publiction that Advertisement beyond the very rare first editions, and was the only edition to do so for some years. It was not included in the Alden republication at around the same time. However Abbatt's Magazine of History publications were rare, too, and printed for a certain clientele: university libraries, historical societies, and a certain esoteric pool of subscribers.
Hence, Ide's Advertisement remained almost unknown until the first edition was made more wide-spread through microfilm and microfiche, and finally through the internet, beginning with The Captain David Perry Web Site, c1999-. (See this site for the Advertisement and more information regarding its significance.)
Here follows William Abbatt's Preface to his Magazine of History reprinting, quoted in its entirety:
"THE MEMOIR OF David Perry is extremely scarce: in fact we can trace but two copies of it, one sold at auction in 1927, and the second, from which our copy was made, owned by the Vermont Historical Society [VHS].
"It is an interesting record of the experiences of a Massachusetts lad, from the time he was sixteen until 1776 [1777]-- during which period he was a soldier first with Abercrombie at Ticonderoga, then with Wolfe at Quebec, then in 1762 with the British in Newfoundland and finally with Washington at the Siege of Boston.
"His descriptions, both of Ticonderoga and the Quebec expedition, are extremely graphic -- more so than others with the writer has read; and the story of the Newfoundland service is of particular interest, as of an almost unknown episode.
"In several respects his story of Ticonderoga will remind the reader of the account given by Thomas Brown, in our Number 4."
[Note: William Abbatt does not mention the winter during the Revolution in Providence, R.I., 1776-77 under Gen. Joseph Spencer, nor the War of 1812, especially regarding the Battle of Plattsburgh, NY, on land and the Battle of Lake Champlain on sea, with Commodore Thomas MacDonough's victory, that Perry remarks upon as a civilian. Source: The Captain David Perry Web Site, c1999-; see this site for more information. The full reference for William Abbatt's edition is: The Magazine of History with Notes and Queries: Extra Number - No. 137. Vol. 35, No. 1. ]
NOTE: For more information on Captain David Perry's book, click on “Recollections of an old soldier” AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE to go to the main Recollections page. Included are a description of Perry's life and times, excerpts, links, etc.
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Biography, History, Autobiography, Personal narratives, Soldiers, Massachusetts provincial soldiers, British colonial history, Siege of Lousibourg, Siege of Ticonderoga, Siege of Quebec, General Montcalm, General James Wolfe, British North America, Canadian colonial history, Rangers, United States French and Indian War, 1755-1763, United States Revolutionay War, 1775-1783, Siege of Boston, United States War of 1812, 1812-1814, Thomas Macdonough, Battle of Plattsburgh, Battle of Lake ChamplainPeople
Capt. David Perry (1741-1826), Sir William Pepperell, General Montcalm, General Wolfe, Moses Hazen, Israel Putnam, George Washington, Thomas MacdonoughShowing 7 featured editions. View all 7 editions?
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Work Description
As they were in those days, the full title of Capt David Perry's book is its own description:
Recollections of an old soldier. The life of Captain David Perry, a soldier of the French and revolutionary wars, containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived, no-where else recorded. Written by himself.
Perry's Recollections was first printed through the generosity of a young printer and newspaper publisher, Simeon Ide (who does not mention his name), at his Republican & Yeoman Printing Office in Windsor, Vermont, 1822. Later editions include one in the early 1900s, one in 1928, and one in 1971.
Capt. David Perry (1741-1826) was born in Rehoboth, Massachusetts; raised a family in Killingly, Connecticut, and then in Plainfield, New Hampshire, where he accepted a captain's commission after the war; wrote his Recollections in Chelsea, Vermont; and lived out his old age in Ira, Vermont, where he died and is buried.
(See "The Captain David Perry Web Site" for more detailed information. Be aware that the entire site including photos is under copyright protection. Notification is posted at the top or bottom of each web page, and also under "How to Cite this Site.")
During the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), Captain David Perry served in the Massachusetts provincial forces under the British against the French and their Indian allies. He fought or served at Ticonderoga, 1758; the Siege of Quebec, 1759; Nova Scotia, 1760 and 1762; and the recapture of St. John's, Newfoundland, later in 1762.
During the American Revolution, he served as a second lieutenant at the Siege of Boston, 1775; and at as a first lieutenant at Providence, Rhode Island, during the winter of 1776-77.
The last war through which Perry lived, but in which he could not serve due to age, was the War of 1812. He devoted the end of his Recollections to that war, and to the situation in the New England States then and shortly after. His entire book was written to his posterity and future generations, but none more so than his final words.
Capt David Perry's conclusion to his book, is stirringly patriotic, written by one to whom America's new-found liberties meant so much, and who'd lived through the wars that made them so.
(Source: The Captain David Perry Web Site: Summary, http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dagjones/captdavidperry/summary.html Copyright c 1999-2013, Denise G. Jones, accessed 11 Feb 2013.)
Excerpts
Page 54-55,
added by Denise Jones.
This is Capt David Perry's conclusion to his book, and is stirringly patriotic, written by one to whom America's new-found liberties meant so much, and who'd lived through the wars that made them so.
...At one time about thirty of the Indians, with their Sachem, came to see us. I talked with the Sachem some time; and, among other things, about going a hunting with him. I asked him if he would use me well: he said, if I did as he bid me, he would; if not, that he would kill me. On such terms, I thought it best not to try a new master.
Page 28-29,
added by Denise Jones.
This incident occurred in 1760 when then-private David Perry was 18 years old and still apprenticed to a master to learn tanning and shoe-making, when not on military campaign. He was at the time of this incident serving in a detachment of provincial soldiers in the Minas Basin area of Nova Scotia as a guard against Indians, who would have probably killed them the year before when hostilities were high and the French had not yet been defeated. These Indians, likely a hunting party, all males, were members of the Micmac or Mi'qmak tribe with their chief. David reveals several things about himself: 1) his interest in hunting; 2) his willingness to engage others unlike himself in an open exchange, even their leader, and 3) his sense of humor. This is a window into David Perry's personality.
Links outside Open Library
- The Captain David Perry Web Site (c1999-)
- Recollections of an old soldier. The life of Captain David Perry, a soldier of the French and revolutionary wars (1822) on Archive.org
- Recollections of an Old Soldier: The Life of Captain David Perry, A soldier of the French and Revolutionary Wars, containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived, no-where else recorded. Written by Himself. (1819). (Compiled and edited by Denise G. Jones, c1998-2013. This is a derivative edition, see copyright information. Chapter breaks added by editor and are also under copyright.)
- Recollections of an old soldier (1st edition, scanned and online)
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| December 31, 2022 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
| September 14, 2020 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
| October 8, 2017 | Edited by MARC Bot | merge duplicate works of 'Recollections of an old soldier' |
| February 15, 2013 | Edited by Denise Jones | Spelling correction. |
| April 1, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | Imported from Scriblio MARC record |