There are different interpretations of who David How is and what motivates him.
Disciplined / Heavily motivated by money
Ways he is disciplined:
Writes an entry everyday.
- - January 9, 1776; is the only day he wrote “Nothing Happened this Day New.”
- - Febuary 2, 1776; writes something every day, even if it’s as small as “We made Cartereges this day.”
Keeps track of the spending and gaining money. He notes the specific date and the people who pay him.
- -February 27, 1776; “capt. Farnum Paid Eight poud Seventeen Shiling & Seven Pence Lawfull money that was due to me for My service."
- July 6, 1776; "This day I have ben to Charlestown to see Jacob Os good & he paid me 9/ that was due for A calf sin."
Rigid and Adheres to Rules / Has Dark Humor
Write about whippings perhaps because he feels that the camps requires some form of discipline.
- - (first whipping he noted) March 27, 1776; “There was four of Capt Willey men Whept the first fifteen Stripes for deniing his Deuty the 2nd 39 Stripes For Stealing and Deserting 3d 10 Lashes for geting Drunk & Dening Duty 4d 20 lashes Deniing his Duty & geting Drunk.”
In earlier diary entries, he is buying cider meaning there were less regulations. Now he is in an environment that is more disciplined and more orderly.
- - April 2, 1776; “This morning one of Capt. Pharinton’s men was Whept 30 Lashes for Stealing A cheese.”
The whippings could be deemed as public humiliation or his nature of documenting everything to gain his pension.
- May 26, 1776; “I went to for teag this Day. This Night Mical Bary of Cap Phar. Compny Was Whipt 39 Stripes for being absent at rool Call”
- May 10, 1776; “Samuel Perish Serg and Simeon Dorget got Dismised from the army and Are gone home this Day.”
He mentions the whippings apathetically indicating rigid nature and documenting such events even if they are controversial. Maybe he feels that now he is in a place where there is discipline that justifies the crime.
He talks about death indifferently
- He could be using the diary as a way to process his emotions. Throughout the journal, many people who he mentions by name who died have a black line to their name.
- He could be documenting the death for the sake of documentation and due to the lack of writing, he isinsensitive to the events around him
Rigid/Careless
Documented person sales that could be used against him after the war.
- February 23, 1776; “I Sold a pare of Shoes for 6/8.”
- In some entries, he states "lawful money," February 26, 1776 “I Sold my Cateridge box For 4/6 Lawfull money." He never states what the unlawful money is.
Overall, David How has demonstrated that he has a certain degree of mortals. He could be trying to look like a good soldier in the documentation for his pension
Morals and Work Ethic
Attends sermons and briefly mentions the verses.
- Feb. 4, 1776; “Doc Langdon preached this fore part of the Day in Mica the forth Chapter & Fifth Verce. In the after part of the Day in Isaiah 26 Chapter 11 Verce” (For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.)
- September 21, 1776; “..Heard a sermon from Ecclesiastes 11 C.S.V” ( But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.)
- He might be trying to re-establish his faith and beliefs with God in hopes that he has better days. Or he could be trying to convey that he has morals for the sake of the pension.
Trying to seem busy and hard-working
- Feb 6, 1776; “I Let David Chandler Have my Breaches that I drawd out of the Stors. I Have ben a Running Ball all Day.”
- April 4 1776; "We have ben packing Cateridge this Day."
Conclusion
Based on the diary, David How does not convey much emotion towards what is going on around him nor about the war. This could be because he wants to desensitize himself from the war or he is just trying to gain his pension by documenting where he is at all time. Other factors about war could come into play like marching for days or busy doing military duties.
Citations
- Diorama of Battle of Bunker Hill, Bunker Hill Museum
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/royluck/43422176154
- Don Troiani's gallary
- http://dontroiani.com/storage/galleries/March2019/vrlMyivp1Y1cLsEzvXfU.jpg
- Howard Pyle "Evacuation day-100 yrs. ago - the Continental army marching down the Old Bowery, N.Y. Nov. 25, 1783"
- http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006683521/
- John Trumbull “Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775”
- https://www.art-antiques-design.com/2015-archive/374-images-of-the-american-revolution
- John Collet "George Whitefield preaching 1725-1780"
- https://www.bridgemanimages.com/fr/asset/5370/collet-john-c-1725-80/george-whitefield-preaching