Province of Massachusetts-Bay, } Middlesex county, April 25, 1775. "Lieu. Thoroton Gould, aforenamed, personally made oath to the truth of the foregoing declaration by him subscribed, before us, "THAD. MASSON, Justices of the peace, for the county aforesaid, quorum unus.” Province of Massachusetts-Bay, Charlestown, ss. "I, Nathaniel Gorham, notary and tabellion public, by lawful authority duly admitted and sworn, hereby certify, to all whom it doth or may concern, That Thadeus Masson, Josiah Johnson, and Simon Tufts, esqrs. are three of his majesty's justices of the peace (quorum unus) for the county of Middlesex; and that full faith and credit is, and ought to be given to their transactions, as such, both in court and out. In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my name and seal, this twenty-sixth day of April, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. "NATHANIEL GORHAM, Notary Public." (L. S.) (All the above depositions are sworn to before justices of the peace and duly attested by notaries public, in manner of the last one.) IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, WATERTOWN, April 26, 1775. To the inhabitants of Great-Britain. "FRIENDS AND FELLOW-SUBJECTS, "Hostilities are at length commenced in this colony by the troops under the command of general Gage, and it being of the greatest importance, that an early, true, and authentic account of this inhuman proceeding should be known to you, the Congress of this colony have transmitted the same, and from want of a session of the hon. Continental Congress, think it proper to address you on the alarming occasion. "By the clearest depositions, relative to this transaction, it will appear that, on the night preceding the nineteenth of April instant, a body of the king's troops, under the command of colonel Smith, were secretly landed at Cambridge, with an apparent design to take or destroy the military and other stores, provided for the defence of this colony, and deposited at Concord—that some inhabitants of the colony, on the night aforesaid, whilst travelling peaceably on the road between Boston and Concord, were seized and greatly abused by armed men, who appeared to be officers of general Gage's army:-that the town of Lexington by these means was alarmed, and a company of the inhabitants mustered on the occasion-that the regular troops, on their way to Concord, marched into the said town of Lexington, and the said company on their approach began to disperse that notwithstanding this, the regulars rushed on with great violence, and first began hostilities, by firing on said Lexington company, whereby they killed eight and wounded several others-that the regulars continued their fire until those of said company, who were neither killed nor wounded, had made their escape-that colonel Smith, with the detachment, then marched to Concord, where a number of provincials were again fired on by the troops, two of them killed and several wounded, before the provincials fired on them, and that these hostile measures of the troops produced an engagement that lasted through the day, in which many of the provincials, and more of the regular troops were killed and wounded. "To give a particular account of the ravages of the troops, as they retreated from Concord to Charlestown, would be very difficult, if not impracticable; let it suffice to say, that a great number of the houses on the road were plundered, and rendered unfit for use; several were burnt; women in child-bed were driven, by the soldiery, naked into the streets; old men peaceably in their houses were shot dead; and such scenes exhibited as would disgrace the annals of the most uncivilized nations. "These, brethren, are marks of ministerial vengeance against this colony, for refusing, with her sister colonies, a submission to slavery; but they have not yet detached us from our royal sovereign. We profess to be his loyal and dutiful subjects, and so hardly dealt with as we have been, are still ready, with our lives and fortunes, to defend his person, family, crown, and dignity. Nevertheless, to the persecution and tyranny of his cruel ministry we will not tamely submit-appealing to heaven for the justice of our cause, we determine to die or be free. "We cannot think that the honor, wisdom, and valour of Britons will suffer them to be long inactive spectators of measures, in which they themselves are so deeply interested :-Measures pursued in opposition to the solemn protests of many noble lords, and expressed sense of conspicuous commoners, whose knowledge and virtue have long characterized them as some of the greatest men in the nation:-Measures executing contrary to the interest, petitions and resolves of many large, respectable and opulent counties, cities, and boroughs in Great-Britain :-Measures highly incompatible with justice, but still pursued with a specious pretence of easing the nation of its burthens:Measures which, if successful, must end in the ruin and slavery of Britain, as well as the persecuted American colonies. "We sincerely hope, that the great Sovereign of the Universe, who hath so often appeared for the English nation, will support you in every rational and manly exertion with these colonies, for saving it from ruin; and that in a constitutional connexion with the mother country, we shall soon be altogether a free and happy people. "Per order, JOSEPH WARREN, President, P.T." Ordered, That the secretary have the above depositions and the address to the inhabitants of Great-Britain published. Resolved, N. C. D. That the Congress will, on Monday next, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the state of America. Ordered, That the letter from the provincial Congress of Massachusetts-Bay be referred to that committee. Adjourned till to-morrow at ten o'clock, and from thence to Saturday. SATURDAY, May 13, 1775. The Congress met according to adjournment. The Congress being informed that doctor Lyman Hall attended at the door, as a delegate from the parish of St. John's, in the colony of Georgia, and desired to know whether, as such, he may be admitted to this Congress; Agreed unanimously, That he be admitted as a delegate from the parish of St. John's, in the colony of Georgia, subject to such regulations as the Congress shall determine, relative to his voting. Mr. Lyman Hall being accordingly admitted, produced his credentials, which were read and approved, and are as follows: "To the honorable gentlemen of the Congress, designed to be held at Philadelphia, on May A. D. 1775. "The address of the inhabitants of the parish of St. John's, in the province «Gentlemen, of Georgia. "To give a particular detail of our many struggles in the cause of liberty, the many meetings thereby occasioned and held in this parish, the endeavours we have used to induce the rest of this province to concur with us, the attendance of our committee on the provincial conventions, held at Savannah, in this province, and particularly that of the 18th of January last, with their ceedings, and the reasons of our dissent from them, we think would be tedious to you, and therefore send a suminary abstract, which, with the account, that, pro may be given by Lyman Hall, esq. appointed a delegate to represent and act for this parish in the general Continental Congress, to be held in May next, and the testimonies of the honorable delegates from South-Carolina, we hope will be satisfactory. "Immediately upon our being honored with an answer to the representation of our case transmitted to the honorable Congress, which sat at Philadelphia last with a copy year, of the association there entered into, we had a meeting, and our proceedings then and since that time, will, in brief, appear from the following abstracts of an address from this parish to the committee of correspondence in Charleston, South-Carolina, which is as follows: "GENTLEMEN, "Herewith will be communicated to you, the several steps taken by this parish in their endeavours to conform, as near as possible, to the resolutions entered into by the other colonies: and the particular measures now adopted, for carrying into execution the continental association, which we embraced the earliest opportunity of acceding to, by subscribing it; on condition that trade and commerce with the other colonies be continued to us the subscribers; and thereupon should have immediately sent to you for your approbation and indulgence, but were delayed by a summons to attend a províncial Congress in Savannah, on the 18th of January last, for the purpose, as we understood, of a general association with the other colonies, and chusing delegates: at which time and place we attended, and acquainted the other parishes, assembled on that occasion, that we had already acceded to the general association, on condition as abovementioned, and earnestly requested them to do the same. Had they acceded fully to the general association, we should have had no occasion to trouble you with this address; but, as they did not, we now apply to you, to admit us, the subscribers, to an alliance with you, requesting that you will allow trade and commerce to be continued to us, the same to be conducted under such regulations and restrictions, as shall be consistent with the continental association, and which, on our part, we engage, with all possible care, to keep inviolate. As we of this parish are a body detached from the rest (i. e. of this province) by our resolutions, and sufficiently distinct by local situation, large enough for particular notice, adjoining a particular port, and in that respect, capable of conforming to the general association, if connected with you, with the same fidelity as a distant parish of your own province; we must be considered, as comprehended within the spirit and equitable meaning of the continental association, and hope you will not condemn the innocent with the guilty, especially when a due separation is made between them. "Give us leave to add only, that we wait your answer, shall be glad of your advice, and are with esteem, St. John's, 9th February, 1775. "Gentlemen, yours, &c." To which we received the following answer: "GENTLEMEN, "Your letter, accompanying sundry papers, having been laid before a very full committee of this colony, and undergone the most mature deliberation, I am, by their desire, to acquaint you, that they have the highest sense of your arduous struggles in favour of the common cause of America; and most sincerely lament your present unhappy situation; but would recommend a continuance of your laudable exertions, and the laying a state of your case before the ensuing Continental Congress, as the only means of obtaining relief, and to put you in the situation you wish, which this committee apprehend to be entirely out of their power to do; as it is their opinion, that the parish of St. John, being a part of the colony of Georgia (which, by not acceding to, has violated the continental association) falls under the 14th article of the said association, no part of which any committee can presume to do away, &c." "Upon the receipt of this answer, it was seriously considered in what manner to conduct in the present situation; and proposed, whether we should immediately break off all connexion and commerce with Savannah, and all other inhabitants of this province, who have not fully acceded to the continental association. "It was considered, that as we were denied commerce with any other colony, and but one merchant among us considerable for dry goods, had signed our association, and he insufficient for a present supply, and we utterly unable at present to procure materials or manufactures for clothing among ourselves, we must, by such a resolution, become extremely miserable; it was therefore concluded, that till we could obtain trade and commerce with some other colony, it is absolutely necessary to continue it in some respects with our own, and determined that it be carried on under the following regulations: "1. That none of us shall directly or indirectly purchase any slave imported at Savannah, (large numbers of which we understand are there expected,) till the sense of the Congress shall be made known to us. 2. That we will not trade at all with any merchant at Savannah, or elsewhere, that will not join in our associating agreement, otherwise than under the inspection of a committee, for that purpose appointed, and for such things only as they shall judge necessary, and when they shall think there are necessary reasons for so doing. "A committee was then nominated, and appointed to sit weekly on Thursdays, for the purposes aforesaid. "It was then resolved, that a delegate be sent from this parish to the Congress, to be held at Philadelphia, in May next, and that Tuesday, the 21st of March, be appointed for chusing one. "On the said 21st of March, at a full meeting, Lyman Hall esq. was unanimously chosen, to represent and act for the inhabitants of this parish, as a delegate at the general Congress, to be held in Philadelphia, in May next, who are determined faithfully to adhere to, and abide by the determination of him, and the other honorable members of the same. 66 "Midway, St. John's Parish, Signed by order of the inhabitants, By DANIEL ROBERTS, and twenty others, members of the committee." in the province of Georgia, April 13, A. D. 1775." A petition from the county of Frederick, in Virginia, addressed to the Congress, was presented and read. Agreed, That it be referred to the committee on Monday. MONDAY, May 15, 1775. The Congress met according to adjournment. Besides those who met at the opening of the Congress, the following members attended; from New York, Mr. Jay, Mr. Wisner, Mr. Schuyler, Mr. Clinton, Mr. Morris, and Mr. R. R. Livingston; from Pennsylvania, Mr. Wilson; from Maryland, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Goldsborough. Upon motion, Agreed, That the secretary be allowed to employ Timothy Matlack, as a clerk, he having first taken an oath, or affirmation, to keep secret the transactions of the Congress, that may be entrusted to him, or may come to his knowledge. The city and county of New-York, having, through the delegates of that province, applied to Congress for advice how to conduct themselves with regard to the troops expected there, the Congress took the matter into consider ation. During their deliberations, it became necessary to take the opinion of the Congress by colonies, upon which a question arose, whether the delegate from the parish of St. John's, in the colony of Georgia, could be admitted to vote. After some debate on this question, the delegate from that parish arose, and after observing, that the present distressful situation of American affairs had induced a necessity of this Congress, which was composed of delegates representing whole colonies; that as he did not represent a colony, but only a part, he did not insist on giving a vote as a colony, but was contented to hear and assist in the debates, and to give his vote in all cases, except when the sentiments of the Congress were taken by colonies. The Congress then resumed the consideration of the matter referred to them; during the debate, Samuel Ward, esq. one of the delegates from Rhode-Island, appeared and produced his credentials, which being read, were approved, and are as follows. By the honorable the general assembly of the English colony of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, in New-England, in America. (L. S.) To the honorable Stephen Hopkins, esq. and the honorable Samuel Ward, esq. Greeting: Whereas the general assembly of the colony aforesaid, have nominated and appointed you, the said Stephen Hopkins and Samuel Ward, to represent the people of this colony, in a general Congress of representatives, from this and the other colonies, to be holden in the city of Philadelphia, and there, in behalf of this colony, to meet, and join with the commissioners, or delegates from the other colonies, in consulting upon proper measures to obtain a repeal of the several acts of the British parliament, for levying taxes upon his majesty's subjects in America, without their consent; and upon proper measures to establish the rights and liberties of the colonies, upon a just and solid foundation, agreeable to the instructions given you by the general assembly. By virtue of an act of the general assembly, I, Henry Ward, esq, secretary of the said colony, have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said colony, this seventh day of May, A. Ď. 1775, and in the fifteenth year of the reign of his most sacred majesty George the third, by the grace of God, king of Great-Britain, &c. Signed, HENRY WARD. The matter under consideration being resumed, the Congress Resolved, That it be recommended, for the present, to the inhabitants of New-York, that if the troops, which are expected, should arrive, the said colony act on the defensive, so long as may be consistent with their safety and security; that the troops be permitted to remain in the barracks, so long as they behave peaceably and quietly, but that they be not suffered to erect fortifications, or take any steps for cutting off the communication between the town and country, and that if they commit hostilities or invade private property, the inhabitants should defend themselves and their property, and repel force by force; that the warlike stores be removed from the town; that places of retreat, in case of necessity, be provided for the women and children of New-York; and that a sufficient number of men be embodied, and kept in constant readiness for protecting the inhabitants from insult and injury. Two memorials, one from Samuel Shoemaker, the other from James and Drinker, merchants of this city, respecting some cargoes purchased by them, and intended for Newfoundland, but which are stopped by the committee of this city, were laid before the Congress, and read, and ordered to lie on the table. Upon motion, Resolved, That Mr. Washington, Mr. Lynch, Mr. S. Adams, and the delegates from New-York, be a committee, to consider what posts are necessary to be occupied in the colony of New-York, and that they be desired to report as speedily as possible. |