The Life Of George Holcomb – War Comes To Stephentown

September 1, 1812: Tuesday in the afternoon I rode with Lyman Spring to Abner Bull’s to a meeting that this town had, to know the minds of the people, whether they are for war or not – we called to Nilses.
September 2: Saturday I sewed winter rye. Today I was warned by one of Capt. Miller’s men to appear to Bowers Inn in Burlington for the United States Service, as the law directs, with a knapsack, blanket, and one day’s provision – tonight I went to Hosey Moffitt’s and he told me the law would not oblige me to go in the service if I paid the fine providing I was not cleared – tonight I stayed to Eber Moffitt’s.
Sunday: I started to go to Lanesborough on the account of being warned in to the State Service for to get rid of it.
Monday: I crossed the mountain to Lanesborough. I called to Uncle David Wheeler’s and took some refreshment. Tonight came back to Stoddard Williams’ and he invited me to stay with him as long as I stayed in town and welcome, and I accepted his offer. Tuesday I went down to Uncle Wheeler’s and took dinner. I see the United States listed from Pittsfield about 300. There was one soldier did not quite obey orders and the officers kicked and whopped him so bad that before he got to Williamstown he died. I came back to Stoddard Williamses and stayed. I have got a boil on my foot, which makes me some lame and is painful.
Holcomb returned home from Lanesborough on Friday evening, but apparently had by then resolved to leave Stephentown in order to avoid being called into military service. Being hard of hearing, Holcomb might have been imagining what might happen if he did not hear the orders.
September 12, 1812: Saturday I made preparations for to go home with Uncle Levi Pease of Massachusetts State, County of Worcester and Town of Shrewsbury for to keep out of the way of being called in to the United States Service and tonight at sunset I made my escape from home and went to Isaac Newton’s of the town and stayed. He is my half brother in law. I likewise borrowed five dollars and give a note to said Newton on interest. Sunday at half past four in the morning I started for the place before mentioned and like wise my eldest brother William came as far as top of Hancock Mountain with me and then returned home. I came on to Doc Kitteridge’s in Pittsfield at the place where I agreed to meet my uncle Pease. He took my trunk of clothes in to his carriage on Saturday, at Father’s house, and fetched it on to Lebanon Springs and today on to said Doc Kitteridge’s. I dined with the doctor and he made me welcome.
From here I started with my uncle to come on for home.
They traveled to Shrewsbury, outside of Boston, which took 4 days, and there George Holcomb began a new life away from home for the first time, working as a farm hand on his uncle Levi Pease’s farm. The entries are mostly pretty similar to what they were back in Stephentown – he “dug potatoes,” “gathered apples,” “threshed rye,” etc.