Sargent Joel with his company arrives at Washington.
His account of Gen. Blair's fraca with Duff Green.

[figure description] Page 106.[end figure description]

Washington City, Jan. 4, 1833.
To my dear Cousin Ephraim Downing, what watches the
Legislater, at Augusta, away down east, in the State of
Maine, while I stay here and look arter Congress and the
President.

Dear Cousin,—Sargent Joel got here day before
yesterday, with my hearty old company of Downingville
boys, that went down to Madawaska with me last
winter. They cut rather a curious figure marching
through Pennsylvany Avenu. One half of 'em had
worn their shoes out so that their toes stuck out like the
heads of so many young turkles, and t'other half had
holes through their knees or elbows, and Sargent Joel
marched ahead of 'em swinging his piece of an old
scythe for a sword, and inquiring of every one he met
for Major Jack Downing. They all told him to keep
along till he got to the President's house, which was
the biggest house in the city except the Congress house,
and there he would find me. I and the President were
setting by the window in the great east room, looking
out, and talking about Mr. Calhoun and so on, when
the President began to stare as though he saw a catamount.

He started upon his feet, and says he, Major Downing,
if my eyes dont deceive me there's Nullification
now coming up Pennsylvany Avenu. He begun to call
for his pistols, and to tell his men to fasten up the doors
when I looked out, and I knew Joel's strut in a minit.
Says I, dear Gineral that's no nullification, but it's
what'll put a stopper on nullification pretty quick if it
once gets to South Carolina. It's my Downingville

[figure description] Page 107.[end figure description]

Company commanded by Sargent Joel. At that the
President looked more pleased than I've seen him before
since he got the news of the vote of Pennsylvany.
He ordered 'em into the east room, and gave 'em as
much as they could eat and drink of the best the house
affords. He has found quarters for 'em in the neighbourhood,
and says we must be ready to march for South
Carolina whenever he says the word.

But I'll tell you what 'tis, cousin Ephraim, I begin
to grow a little kind of wamble cropt about going to
South Carolina, arter all. If they've got many such
fellers there as one Gineral Blair there is here, from
that State, I'd sooner take my chance in the woods
forty miles above Downingville, fighting bears and
wolves and catamounts, than come within gun-shot of
one of these Carolina giants. He's a whaler of a feller,
as big as any two men in Downingville. They say he
weighs over three hundred pounds. About a week
ago he met Gineral Duff Green in the street and he
fell afoul of him with a great club and knocked him
down, and broke his arm and beat him almost to death
jest because he got mad at something Mr. Green said
in his paper. And what makes me feel more skittish
about getting into the hands of such chaps, is, because
he says he could n't help it. He says all his friends
persuaded him not to meddle with Gineral Green, and
he tried as hard as he could to let him alone, but he
`found himself unequal to the effort.' So Green like to
got killed.

The folks here sot out to carry him to court bout it,
but he said he would n't go, and so he armed himself
with four pistols and two dirks and a great knife, and
said he 'd shoot the first man that touched him. Last
night he went to the Theatre with all his arms and coutrements
about him. And after he sot there a spell,
and all the folks were looking to see the play go on, he
draws out one of his pistols and fires it at the players.
Then there was a dreadful uproar. They told him he
must clear out about the quickest. But he said if

[figure description] Page 108.[end figure description]

they'd let him alone he 'd behave like a gentleman. So
they went on with the play again.

By and by he draws out another pistol and points it
towards the players. At that there was a whole parcel
of 'em seized him and dragged him out into another
room, big as he was. But pretty soon he got upon his
feet, and begun to rave like a mad ox. He pulled off
his coat and threw it down, and declared he 'd fight the
whole boodle of 'em. The constables were all so frightened
they cut and run, and nobody dared to go a near
him, till he got cooled down a little, when some of his
friends coaxed him away to a tavern. Now as for
going to South Carolina to fight such chaps as these,
I'd sooner let nullification go to grass and eat mullen.

Sargent Joel told me when he left Downingville you
had jest got loaded up with apples and one thing another
to go down to Augusta to peddle 'em out; and that
you was a going to stay there while the Legislater folks
were there. So I thought it would be a good plan for
you and I to write to one another about once a week or
so, how matters get along.

Give my love to the folks up in Downingville whenever
you see 'em.