07/04/2024
Nicole here from BEM Auto (Daughter of the American Revolution). Just a reminder on this day that our actions matter and can make a difference.
Robert and I hope everyone is having a great day of family and fun!
A little of my family history:
Lieut. Edward Brooks (My mother’s paternal line are descended of his youngest son, Asa.)
16 Mar 1727 - 6 Jan 1776
Originally from Warren, MA (then named Western) in south central Massachusetts, Lieut. Edward Brooks met his fate in the hotbed of Boston, MA after the turning of 1776. It was apparent from his letter of 24 Dec 1775 that he and others from his town were well in Roxbury Camp; while it is thought he succumbed to illness in camp, it is not clear.
He succumbed prior to the declaration of July 4th that same year, but well after open hostilities and the Revolution’s first shots fired at Lexington and Concord on 19 Apr 1775. He clearly had seen action on the way to the Roxbury Camp.
As an adult, he saw the passage of the Stamp Act of 1765 and British Occupation of 1768. He experienced the effects of the Coercive Act of 1774 requiring the closure of the Port of Boston and the residents to house British Troops in private property.
Lieut. Brooks (spelled Broocks) is listed in the company at Roxbury Camp (now Boston proper) under General Ebenezer Learned (then colonel). He is interred in the Pine Grove Cemetery of Warren, MA.
Letter transcribed in 1876 by grandson of Edward, son of Asa, James Brooks:
Roxbery December the [24th] 177[5]
Loven wife[:] after my Love & tender regards to you and the rest of my family[,] Hopen these Lines will find you as well as through the great goodness of —- they leave me at this time. Sylvenus [___] was here last night. He informs me that you are well. I thank —- for the comfortable tidings that I hear from you, and pray that —- would continue his blessing upon us that wee may be the care of his kind providence, and pray that wee may meet again in this Life and enjoy in this world if it be his will, and enable us to say thy will be dun[.] So I leave you and recommend your case to —- by prayer, that —- will protect you in all your ways and that we may meet in a better world than this is[.] I Have now news to Right to you - the cannon play on our army every day but they haven’t plaid on Roxbery any sence we came down here, but they drove out the man of war out of the harbor this day week, and they wounded too of our men and that is all they have don By firen Last week[.] Western men are all well at presant and I hop that they will Remain so there is nothing Strang to camps that has happened to us [.] I Should be glad that you would take as good care of the cattle as you can [.] I mi[gh]t have charged you first to take care of your selves[,] and as you have mony b[u]y bread when you can git it and Dont Miss any oppertunity for that artakel [article] Bread for as wee havent but won Life to live So Let us Live to day as tho wee [k]new that wee wase to die to moro[.]
my Dear Children I would have you Remember your Cr[e]ator in the Days of your youth[.] En dever as much as in you Lies to o bay all —- commandments[,] in so Doing you will o bay your parence[,] this is to won and all of you that are com to yeres of understanding[,] as I [k]now that som of you would never [k]now that they Ever had a father by any Remembrance that they saw me[.] So I pray —- to Direct you in all your ways and protect you threw your youth full days and keep you in his Richies [righteous] ways [.] So I Subscrib my Self your Loven husben and to my Children your tender and affatunat [affectionate] father Edward Brooks
