Mercy Leroux

John Adams’ real-life clerk, rabble-rouser, and in Stubborn Things, a friend of Abijah’s.

Despite being Adams’ clerk and thereby helping with the defense of Captain Preston and the eight soldiers, Austin was actually the first witness called by the prosecution in the soldiers’ trial, and he also had to testify against Preston. Conflicts of interest were very much Not A Thing back in those days, and his testimony was not especially damning for anyone.

Now, Adams’ office was very close to the massacre site, so Austin would have overheard the crowd if he was working late. While that could explain why he was there, Austin also appears to have a bit of a history with, shall we say, disorderly gatherings. Apparently during his time as a student at Harvard, he was actually expelled for leading students in a protest against professors who were too strict. (For everyone acting like college students are somehow different now than ever before, think again.)

Interestingly, disorderly gatherings seem to have been a family affair. Jonathan’s father, Selectman Samuel Austin, was among those joining rabble-raiser William Molineux as he led a mob to Lt. Governor Thomas Hutchinson’s mansion in 1770. It’s a whole story on its own, but in short, because Hutchinson was technically His Majesty’s representative, this mob bordered on actual treason against King George… a position most Sons of Liberty were not even considering at this point.

For his part, Jonathan Williams Austin was eventually readmitted to Harvard and graduated in 1769. Then he became Adams’ clerk (kind of like an internship). At some point, he stole legal papers from a hearing Adams was present for in 1761 and handed them over to be printed in a propaganda newspaper, the Massachusetts Spy. Adams later described this incident in a letter he wrote to Austin’s fellow clerk, William Tudor, in 1817 (yes, Adams and Tudor stayed in touch, as he clerked alongside Austin):

John was the youngest he should be painted looking like a short thick fat Archbishop of Canterbury seated at the table, with a pen in his hand, lost in admiration, now & then minuting those despicable notes which you know that Jonathan Williams Austin, your fellow student in my Office, stole from my desk and printed in the Massachusetts Spy, with two or three bombastic expressions interpolated by himself; and which your Pupil, Judge Minot has printed in his history.

(Yes that’s Adams mocking himself in third person.)

When war broke out, Jonathan Williams Austin promptly enlisted. He saw action at Bunker Hill, which he described in a letter to John Adams, wherein he also thanked Adams for recommending him to George Washington.

You have I suppose ere this heard of the action at Bunker’s Hill. Posterity will with Difficulty believe that about 8 or 10,00 Provincials could make such Slaughter, of well disciplind, regular Troops. They fight like Men who are conflicting… for all that is dear to them… when I go into Battle, I go with a Band of Brothers, who seem to be animated with one Soul…

But what would cloud any Satisfaction we might otherwise take is the Loss of that Great and good Man Major General Warren. Regardless of himself his whole Soul seemd to be fill’d with the Greatness of the cause he was engaged in, and while his Friends were dropping away all around him, gave his orders with a surprising Calmness, till having seen the Enemy in the breast work he unwillingly left the front and then fell amid heaps of Slaughter’d Enemies. He is now gone, and closes an illustrious Life, with all the Glory those can acquire who bleed and die for the preservation of the Rights of their Country and Mankind. Col. Gardner is also dead.

You can read the full letter here.

In terms of Adams’ recommendation of Austin, he did include a caveat to Washington: that Austin had “certain follies” that he was prone to. Namely, drinking. And also perhaps pilfering legal documents.

Unfortunately, the former folly took hold. In White Plains, New York, Austin apparently burned a bunch of houses and a courthouse while drunk. He was brought to a court-martial and as General Charles Lee thought the initial findings were too light, then tried again. This time Austin was dishonorably discharged from the army.

Austin returned to Boston, where he gave an oration commemorating the 8th anniversary of the Boston Massacre in 1778. At one point he attempted to reenlist, but was unable to do so.

Tragically, Austin died around 1779, very young and before the war ended. It’s not known whether his death was related to his drinking or something else entirely.

Next week, we’ll look at the life of William Tudor, who in our novel serves as the practical balance to Austin’s incendiary fun in Abijah’s life. But first, we’ll have Matthew Kilroy’s profile.