2:30Eric BibbyTo my Children’s Children, September 18, 1800I am writing this to you on the anniversary of my father’s passing, out of a deep concern for your future. My desire is that, by reading this, you may avoid some of the pain that my generation has experienced. Many things have come and gone in my lifetime, for God has granted me a long 60 years. I wish to tell you all that I have experienced, before I too pass on, that you may learn from the mistakes of the past, and that our losses may not be in vain. I suppose the best spot to start is in the beginning. I was born on August 15, 1740 in a small farming community outside of Boston, Massachusetts. My mother died shortly after I was born; do to complications with my birth, so I was never given an opportunity to know her. As soon as I was able, I helped out on the farm, for we had no slaves and my father needed all the help he could get. Mostly, we raised corn and hogs on our 100-acre farm, along with a small amount of cotton and tobacco. The later two were to be sold for money and supplies, since my father had no access to credit. My father often dreamt of one day becoming a large planter himself, however, despite his dreams he taught me to be grateful, for the small farmers, further south, had no market to speak of, and lacked many of the conveniences we were blessed with.In the summer before my fifteenth birthday my father left for war. He had joined the militia to raise some extra money to help support the farm, and was called to go and fight the French and Indians, for they had taken up arms against us, and mother Britain. The next news I received concerning my father devastated me, on October 22, 1759 I received a letter from the general, who led the Boston militia into battle. It read as follows:To the family of Paul Shoemaker:On September 18, 1759 during the battle for Quebec Mr. Shoemaker wa...
