up Lieutenant This and Ensign That; and more dignified citizens,
disdaining personal conflict, brought their complaints to the general,
thus adding to his troubles. John Andrews tells the story of the school
boys who, in the phrase of the day, "improv'd" the coast on School
Street. "General Haldiman, improving the house that belongs to Old Cook,
his servant took it upon him to cut up their coast and fling ashes upon
it. The lads made a muster, and chose a committee to wait upon the
General, who admitted them, and heard their complaint, which was couch'd
in very genteel terms, complaining that their fathers before 'em had
improv'd it as a coast from time immemorial, &ca. He ordered his servant
to repair the damage, and acquainted the Governor with the affair, who
observ'd that it was impossible to beat the notion of Liberty out of the
people, as it was rooted in 'em _from their Childhood_."

Gage did his best to be fair to the inhabitants, and they acknowledged
his endeavor. But the officers, less experienced than he and with fewer
responsibilities, and also less acquainted with the spirit of the
colonists, were angry with him for what they called his subservience.
They dubbed him Tommy, and confided their indignation to their diaries.
"Yesterday," wrote Lieutenant Barker of the King's Own,[50] "in
compliance with the request of the Select Men, Genl Gage order'd that
no Soldier in future shou'd appear in the Streets with his side Arms.
Query, Is this not encouraging the Inhabitants in their licentious and
riotous disposition? Also orders are issued for the Guards to seize all
military Men found engaged in any disturbance, whether Agressors or not;
and to secure them, 'till the matter is enquired into. By Whom? By
Villains that wou'd not censure one of their own Vagrants, even if He
attempted the life of a Soldier; whereas if a Soldier errs in the least,
who is more ready to accuse than Tommy? His negligence on the other hand
has been too conspicuous in the affair of Cn. Maginis to require a
further comment."

Doubtless there is much to be said for the soldiers, both officers and
privates, since the Bostonians had not abandoned their irritating ways,
even in the midst of an army. But the army was also very hard to live
with. On the first of January our discontented officer records, "Nothing
remarkable but the drunkenness among the Soldiers, which is now got to
a very great pitch; owing to the cheapness of the liquor, a Ma