CHAPTER XII. American colonies determined to refift- -Skirmish at Lexington -Congress provide for warTiconderago and Crown-Point taken- -General Gage declares the Americans to be in rebellion- -Battle of Bunker's-HillCanadians and Indians refufe to affift Britain-General Washington chofen generaliffimo. -Articles of confederation of the colonies- Expedition against CanadaFort St. John's taken-General Montgomery attacksQuebec, is defeated and killed-Governor Dunmore leaves Virginia-His hoftilities- Norfolk deftroyed -Governors of both Carolinas driven out-Diftrefs at Bofton-It is evacuated by the British. HILE the rulers of Britain were thus pluming CHAP. W themselves on their own wifdom and prudence in XII. ricans become more conducting the affairs of the empire, the Americans were preparing for a final feparation. Whatever had been 1775. wanting to fill up the measure of hatred and oppofition to The Ame Great-Britain, arifing from the proceedings of the parliament of 1773, was fully fupplied by thofe of 1774. As and more foon as the refolutions of Congrefs had been made pub- determined lic, the fentiments of that affembly had been adopted from one end of the continent to the other. Great hopes were, indeed, for fome time, entertained of the good effects that would, in all probability, refult from the petition to the king, and the addreffes to the inhabitants of Great-Britain and Canada; but as thefe were uncertain, to refift. 1775. as CHAP. the leading men took care that they should be little ins XII. dulged as poffible. The fouthern colonies began to take up arms as well as the northern; and as foon as news were received of a proclamation having been iffued in Britain to prevent the exportation of arms and ammunition to the colonies, every method was taken to fupply that defect. Powder-mills were erected at Philadelphia and Virginia, and encouragement given for the fabrication of arms thoughout the whole continent. The people of Rhode-Ifland, however, bolder than the reft, or not having equal refources, feized upon the ordnance belonging to the crown, amounting to above forty pieces of cannon of different fizes; while the affembly paffed refolutions for the procuring of arms and military ftores by every means, and from every quarter in which they could be obtained, as well as for training and difciplining the inhabitants. Their example was followed by the people of New-Hampshire, who, with the fame view, furprised a fmall fort called William and Mary, from whence they were fupplied with as much powder and ammunition as enabled them to put themfelves in a pofture of defence. Dec. 14. The determination of the colonies was confirmed by the news of the king's fpeech, and the addrefs in answer to it. The affembly of Pennfylvania unanimoufly approved and ratified the acts of congrefs; the affembly of Maryland appointed a fum of money for the purchase of arms and ammunition. A provincial convention held at Philadelphia in the end of January, recommended the encouragement of moft neceffàry manufactures; particularly falt, gun-powder, faltpetre, and fteel; at the fame time declaring their refolution to refift, in cafe the petition of congrefs to the king fhould prove ineffeQual. The only New-York exception to this general determination was the aflembly alone dif- of New-York, in which, January 10, 1775, it was car the reft of ried by a fmall majority not to accede to the refolutions of congrefs; and at this meeting they drew up, with the confent of their lieutenant-governor, the paper afterwards, prefented by Mr. Burke, and which, as we have already feen, the parliament refufed to hear read." fents from the colo ies, Jau. 10, 1775. The recefs of the provincial congrefs of MafiachufettsBay, in the beginning of November 1774, had afforded an opportunity to the friends of government, or loyalifts, as they now began to be called, to try their ftrength in, various places. Affociations for mutual defence were accordingly formed, and refolutions taken to oppofe the provincial congrefs; but the affociators were every where over whelemed with prodigious majorities, and their attempts had no other effect than to miflead the governor, and CHAP. through him the people of Great-Britain, with regard to XII. the general difpofition of the people. Hoftile re Feb. I. On the 1st day of February 1775, the provincial con- 1.775. grefs met, according to appointment, at the time of the folves of diffolution of the former. They now expreffed their fears, the 'rovinthat the reasonable and just applications of the colonies cial congrefs, would not meet with a favourable reception in GreatBritain; but that, on the contrary, from the large auga mentation of the forces expected, as well as from the gene ral appearances of things and the tenor of intelligence received from Great-Britain, there was reafon to fuppofe, that the deftruction of this particular colony was intended. Every method of providing for the worst extremities was therefore recommended. The militia were requested to fpare neither time, pains, nor expenfe, to perfect themfelves in difcipline; a number were felected under the name of Minute-men, whose business it was to hold themfelves in readiness, at a monent's warning, to engage in whatever enterprise fhould be neceffary. Other refolutions were paffed for the providing and making of fire-arms and bayonets; and they renewed, with greater ftrictness, the prohibition formerly iffued against supplying the troops at Boston with neceffaries, particularly of the military kind; though the markets of Bofton were ftill open for provifions. of hoftilities prevente i Thus both parties were prepared for hoftilities, which Comindeed had already been begun on the part of the Ameri- mencement cans, by the feizure of the cannon and fort above-mentioned. These injuries, however, General Gage had not by a clerthought proper to refent, as they did not come under his gy man. immediate infpection; but, on the 26th of February, an Feb. 26. accident happened which had almost begun the conflagration for which materials had been fo largely provided. On that day, General Gage fent a detachment of troops under the command of a field officer, on board a tranfport, in order to feize and bring to Boston some brass cannon which had been depofited in the town of Salem. Being difappointed in finding the ordnance at Salem, and having fome reafon to imagine they had been only removed that morning, they marched further into the country, in hopes of finding them. In this enterprife, they arrived at a draw-bridge over a fmall river, where a number of country people had affembled, and taken up the bridge to prevent their paffage. This produced a difpute, in which the commanding officer infifted on having the bridge let down. This demand was as peremptorily refused VOL. V. E 2 CHAP. by the people, who faid that it was a private road, and he XII. had no right to pafs. The officer then attempted to make ufe of a boat, in order to ferry over his men; but a num1775. ber of the people having jumped into it, cut holes in the bottom, which rendered it impoffible for him to accomplifh his defign. This could not be done without some fcuffle, which would certainly have ended in bloodshed, had not a neighbouring clergyman remonftrated with the commanding officer on the fatal confequences of using force, and at the fame time prevailed with the people to let down the bridge, as the day was evidently too far spent for the troops to accomplish their purpose. Matters being thus accommodated, the colonel took poffeffion of the bridge, and having marched a little way farther into the country, returned without the cannon. Skirmish at Though this affair happily ended without bloodshed, it Lexington however appears that both parties were greatly irritated by it. A civil war was fuppofed to be inevitable. The people looked upon the foldiers as thofe who were foon to become their butchers; and they, on the other hand, are faid to have betrayed their wishes of entering upon this dreadful part of their office, by fome general and wanton infults, as well as particular outrages. In fuch a fituation, it was impoffible that matters could long continue in quiet. The 19th April 1775, was the fatal day Arpil 19. remarkable for the difmemberment of the British empire, and the final feparation of the American colonies. General Gage, the preceding night, had given orders to Colonel Smith and major Pitcairn of the marines, with a detachment of the grenadiers and light-infantry, to destroy fome ftores which the Americans had collected in confiderable quantities at Concord; befides which, it was alfo thought, that he defigned to feize the perfon of Meff. Hancock and Adams, who had become fo peculiarly obnoxious to government. The datachment, confifting of about nine hundred men, embarked at midnight, and having landed at a place called Phipps's farm, proceeded with great filence and caution, hoping to reach Concord by day-break. As they marched along, feveral officers on horseback scoured the roads, and fecured those whom they met, in order to avoid a difcovery. They had not, however, proceeded far, before they found, by the ringing of bells, and firing of guns, that their precaution was vain, and the people had begun to affemble in the neighbouring towns and villages before day-light. They did not arrive at Lexington, five miles from Concord, before five in the morning; at which early hour they found the company of militia be XII. 1775. longing to that town affembled on a green near the road. CHA P. On this, an officer in the van, having called out to them by the appellation of rebels, to difperfe, and throw down their arms, and the foldiers running up at the fame time with loud huzzas, fome fcattering fhots were fired, and thefe immediately fucceeded by a general difcharge, which killed eight of the militia, and wounded feveral others. The troops then proceeded to Concord; fix companies being previoufly difpatched to poffefs themselves of two bridges which lay at fome diftance beyond the town. A body of militia, which occupied an hill in the way, retired at their approach; and the troops meeting with no interruption, proceeded to execute their commiffion, by rendering unferviceable three pieces of iron cannon, and throwing feveral barrels of flour, gun-powder, and mufkets-balls into the river. Mean time, the fight of feveral fires, which were fuppofed to be houfes in flames, brought back the militia, who had retired on the approach of the troops, to the bridge which the infantry had already pasfed, and which lay in the way to Concord. All this time, the militia feemed ftudiously to have avoided every hostile appearance, and affumed only the femblance of common travellers; but the king's troops inftantly fired upon them, and killed two men. The provincials now returned the fire, drove back the foldiers, with the loss of several killed and wounded, and a lieutenant and fome others taken. The country people now affembled from all quarters; the troops were exceedingly annoyed in their march from Concord back to Lexington, and would in all probability have been deftroyed, had not general Gage luckily detached lord Piercy, early in the morning, with fixteen companies of foot, a body of marines, and two pieces of cannon, to fupport colonel Smith's detachment. As thefe had arrived at Lexington from Boston, by the time that the others had returned thither from Concord, they effectually checked the ardour of the Americans, and by the fieldpieces, obliged them to keep at a distance. No fooner, however, did the troops refume their march, than the Americans renewed their attacks, which, by the increafing numbers of the affailants, became continually more dans gerous, until the troops arrived at Charlestown, from whence they crofled over to Bofton, under the protection, as the Americans gave out, of the Somerfet man of war. In this first action, the lofs was inconfiderable on both fides; that of the king's troops, who were the greatest fufferers, confifted of fixty-five killed, two lieutenants and |