Hello, Since "Patriot's Day" in MA and ME is approaching, it's a good time to read this little story which is in this morning's MassMoments' e-mail: http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=110 ...in 1775, John Howe arrived in Concord to spy for British General Gage. He quickly gained the trust of the town's leading patriots. They took him to a storehouse, showed him the weapons stockpiled there, and dined with him. Howe recorded every detail in his private journal. The journal was published in the 1820s, and for the next century and a half, historians considered it a true account. There is just one problem: John Howe's journal was a hoax. In 1993 a skeptical scholar proved that if John Howe existed at all, he was not a spy for the British Army and that his journal was fabricated a half-century after the events it purports to describe. .. In February and March 1775, two British "spies" were out and about gathering information for their commander, General Thomas Gage. Ensign Henry De Berniere and a Captain Brown were studying the topography of Concord, the layout of the homes, streets, and bridges, as well as what supplies local Patriots were storing. The men had traveled first to Worcester, and met with Loyalists there, before going on to Marlborough. They were forced to leave when a hostile crowd threatened to attack the home where they were staying. Clearly disguise was not their strong suit. Their next stop was Concord. Upon their arrival, the two asked for directions to the home of Daniel Bliss, a "friend of the government." (Subtlety was another skill they lacked.) .. For Daniel Bliss, at whose home De Berniere and Brown stopped on March 20, 1775, the consequences of loyalty to the Crown were profound. When the townspeople saw that he was entertaining British spies, he was warned that he would not be allowed to "go out of town alive that morning." The British officers invited Bliss to leave with them. That night, he bid farewell to his family and left Concord never to return. ... I'm not positive, but I think the BLISS name is still present in the Lowell area. Betty (near Lowell, MA) P.S. How many are going to get up very early on -- April 19th ?? :o)

Hi Betty - I just had to take the time to thank you for your interesting stories - I so enjoy them. I have some connection with Woburn in that I am descended from the Knights - Joseph being the oldest I have connected to in Woburn. He died there in 1687. I live in Florida and it is questionable that I shall ever make it to Mass at this time in my life - but you bring a bit of local color to me and I thank you for it. Carol Essary jcessary@comcast.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net> To: <genmassachusetts@rootsweb.com>; <MAMiddle@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 6:56 AM Subject: [MAMiddle] 1770's BLISS, DeBERNIERE, ROBY, GAGE, HOWE > Hello, > > Since "Patriot's Day" in MA and ME is approaching, it's a good time to > read > this little story which is in this morning's MassMoments' e-mail: > > http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=110 > > ...in 1775, John Howe arrived in Concord to spy for British General Gage. > He quickly gained the trust of the town's leading patriots. They took him > to > a storehouse, showed him the weapons stockpiled there, and dined with him. > Howe recorded every detail in his private journal. The journal was > published > in the 1820s, and for the next century and a half, historians considered > it > a true account. There is just one problem: John Howe's journal was a hoax. > In 1993 a skeptical scholar proved that if John Howe existed at all, he > was > not a spy for the British Army and that his journal was fabricated a > half-century after the events it purports to describe. > > .. > In February and March 1775, two British "spies" were out and about > gathering > information for their commander, General Thomas Gage. Ensign Henry De > Berniere and a Captain Brown were studying the topography of Concord, the > layout of the homes, streets, and bridges, as well as what supplies local > Patriots were storing. The men had traveled first to Worcester, and met > with > Loyalists there, before going on to Marlborough. They were forced to leave > when a hostile crowd threatened to attack the home where they were > staying. > Clearly disguise was not their strong suit. > > Their next stop was Concord. Upon their arrival, the two asked for > directions to the home of Daniel Bliss, a "friend of the government." > (Subtlety was another skill they lacked.) > > .. > > For Daniel Bliss, at whose home De Berniere and Brown stopped on March 20, > 1775, the consequences of loyalty to the Crown were profound. When the > townspeople saw that he was entertaining British spies, he was warned that > he would not be allowed to "go out of town alive that morning." The > British > officers invited Bliss to leave with them. That night, he bid farewell to > his family and left Concord never to return. > > ... > > I'm not positive, but I think the BLISS name is still present in the > Lowell > area. > > Betty (near Lowell, MA) > > > > P.S. How many are going to get up very early on -- April 19th ?? > > :o) > > > > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > and the body of the email with no additional text. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAMIDDLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >