Archive 2008 - 2019

Letters Home to the Bullard Farm (part 1)

by Martha DeWolf
7/21/2011

 

In 1872 Bethia and Henry  Bullard were 57 yrs old.  Lewis was 31, Alice was 28, Albert was 26, Lizzie was 23, married and living in Dorchester, Fannie was 19, Hovey was 16, and Hattie was 14.

Hovey Bullard, the youngest son and sixth child in the Bullard family, was attending Phillips Andover Academy.  He wrote a letter home to his oldest brother, Lewis:

Andover
May 26th, ‘72
Dear Lewis,

I wrote to Fannie last week but as she is too deeply engaged in spanking and teaching her infant brood, she probably has no time to answer so now I think I will write a little to you and soon obtain an answer. 

It’s a great thing to be in a senior class this term.  We are regarded by all the other boys with envy and admiration.  We do just as we please and the teachers can’t help themselves.  Cut church all the time if you want to. 

Anyhow, I am going to cut today for it’s so very fine.  Andover is about the sweetest place you could scare up nowadays.  All the apple trees are in blossom and all the gardens of the townies.  There is a slight breeze all the time and the perfume is very delicious.  I don’t wonder so many city boarders come here every summer. 

Last week Wednesday, I and another fellow [took] a walk over to Long Pond.  It’s four miles over there and about 6 around the pond.  The pond is the largest I ever saw. 

We arrived there in good spirits and determined to walk around the thing.  We were nearly half way round when we began to grow tired.  It was getting late too, so we resolved to turn back, but we had about seven miles to walk in our tired state.  We succeeded in getting back too late for our supper and so tired that I could hardly go a step farther. 

Went right to bed and on the next day as it was cloudy and rained a little, I determined to cut.  But about half past nine, another fellow who was cutting came down to my room and stumped me to go fishing.  I readily assented and we determined to go over to Long Pond. 

On our way over we [met] an old fellow peddling cider.  We asked him point blank to treat us and he gave us each a glass.  It was tip-top.  On arriving there we hired an old leaky boat and started out. But the boat leaked so fast that one of us was obliged to bail all the time.   That wasn’t any fun so we went ashore and fished off the bank.  Caught 2 perch. 

We loafed around several hours and then brought the boat back.  We asked the fellow of whom we hired it if he expected us to pay for the privilege of bailing out his boat.  He smiled a kind of a sad, sickly smile and said he supposed he didn’t.  So we said we didn’t intend to and came away. 

On our way home we stopped in a shoemakers shop until a shower passed over.  I came out first and locked the other fellow in.  He had to get out of the window.  He said it made the old shoemaker terribly mad who threatened to send a constable after me if I should do it again.  Out of respect for the old fellows feelings I think I won’t do it again. 

They are now fixing the Old South Church and have put up a staging on the steeple.  The other night I and some other fellows went up there.  We cut our names on the steeple in several places.  On the top there is a splendid view.  We rang the old bell once or twice and greatly astonished the townies. 

When we came down there was an old fellow waiting for us.  He intended to collar us all but prudently refrained.  He commenced to scold us telling us he would have us arrested, would report us to Mr. Tilton, seize us for house breakers & c.  We gave him as good as he send and blandly informed him that he had better close his mouth if he didn’t want a head put on him, a tooth or two to tickle his throat, a rib or more punched in & c. …He took our advice, corked up his lips, and we came away.   

Last Tuesday night, the FemSems (Female Seminarians - young women attending the female academy in Andover) had a select reading.  All the teachers went and left us to take care of ourselves.  We most effectually did it.  Some of us succeeded in getting into the academy through a window.  We roamed through the deserted rooms for some time. 

We tried to get into the laboratory, which has a lot of ether, phosphorus and other chemicals.  We intended to confiscate these if we could only get at them.  But the door and windows were locked and we were compelled to retire. 

Then we attacked some of the outhouses of the Academy.  We filled them half full of shavings and set them afire.  But they were made wholly of brick and plaster, so beyond a powerful smell which penetrated far and near, no harm was done. 

We next sauntered downtown, where we found near a hundred boys collected together.  We formed in line and commenced... (part 2 to follow)