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effectually commanded the Charlestown Neck, and thus cut them off from all supplies in that quarter; and similar precautions were taken to invest them on the Roxbury side, so that their whole dependence for supplies rested upon their shipping, and the few marauding parties that were daring enough to risk a meeting with the Americans. The great number of wounded, and the daily deaths owing to the want of fresh provisions and good nursing, contributed greatly to the embarrassment of General Gage.

He

endeavoured to annoy the Americans as much as possible by continually discharging shells and balls upon every part of their exposed lines, but this served no other purpose than to waste his stock of ammunition, and accustom the Americans to the sound of artillery.

It was at this most unfavourable moment, that those inhabitants of Boston, who had remained in town after delivering up their arms, applied to General Gage for the fulfilment of his previous agreement. He refused to let them go, under the plea that they had not delivered up their arms. This was probably true as to some individuals, but it was not true as to the community, and was therefore a plea which General Gage ought not to have made. A dispute arose also with regard to the meaning of the term "effects," in which many of them were anxious to include their whole stock of merchandize, certainly contrary to the most liberal construction of the word, as well as to the intention of General Gage. Upon an impartial view of the whole conduct of General Gage, with regard to this affair, we cannot believe that it deserves the odium which has been thrown upon it. He was at that moment closely invested, destitute of provisions,

and liable to be driven away by the conflagration of the town. He knew the strong ties of friendship and kindred that bound the people of New-England together; and he knew that Boston would be safe, so long as it contained so many inhabitants, male and female, who were friendly to the interests of the Americans. General Gage was guilty of prevarication in professing to be actuated by the plea set forth in his proclamation, and so far his conduct was censurable; but he was certainly not bound, under all circumstances, to comply with an agreement on the 19th of June, which had been made for immediate fulfilment, under very different circumstances, a month before. A few of the inhabitants were afterwards permitted to leave the town, but not to carry their effects.

The Continental Congress, about this time, ordered twelve Rifle companies to be raised in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia; and issued orders for the emission of paper bills to the amount of two millions of dollars, for the redemption of which, they pledged the twelve confederated Colonies.

With regard to an alliance with the Indian Tribes, the Congress came to a resolution that if any agent of the Ministry should excite them to hostilities against the Americans, or form any alliance with them, that in that case the Colonies ought to avail themselves of the assistance of all such Tribes as might be willing to enter into alliance with them. This was a fair and justifiable retaliation dictated by self defence.

The general satisfaction at the appointment of General Washington was evinced by the attentions every where shown to him on his way from Philadelphia to the Head Quarters at Cambridge. Escorts of gentlemen attended him the whole route, and a committee

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of the Massachusetts Congress met him for the same purpose. In his replies to all the addresses that were made to him, he expressed his earnest desire that the differences with the Mother Country might be accommodated, and that our bonds of connexion might not be severed. On his arrival at Cambridge he found that the whole force which had been raised, did not amount to fifteen thousand men, and that these were employed in guarding an extent of at least twelve miles. His first duty was to deliver the commissions which had been entrusted to him by Congress, to the the eight Brigadiers, Thomas, Montgomery, Wooster, Heath, Spencer, Sullivan, Green and Pomeroy, to whom he represented in strong and eloquent terms the necessity of union and activity in raising and disciplining their respective Brigades, and in preparing for defence at all points.

As a first step towards a new arrangement the army was divided into three commands: the right wing under General Ward, at Roxbury, the left under General Lee at Prospect Hill, and the centre at Cambridge under the Commander in Chief. The whole line was well fortified by strong redoubts and entrenchments, but the supply of powder was so extremely small that they would have been able to hold out but a short time against an attack. This was soon after remedied by a supply from New-Jersey. The Rifle companies from the Southern Colonies were raised with uncommon expedition, and joined the army early in August; so that the whole force now amounted to sixteen thousand men.

Repeated skirmishes took place during the summer, in which the Americans were generally successful, in bringing off cattle, hay and other articles, of

which the British began to stand greatly in need.The Regiment of Cavalry which had arrived from Ireland, seemed to be rather a burden than otherwise to General Gage. He could make no use of them, and the addition of so many mouths to be fed from his precarious means, was seriously felt. Every thing concurred to distress and embarrass the troops who were thus cooped up in Boston. They had learned by dear experience, that the Americans were not such poltroons as they had been represented to be, and that nothing was to be obtained from them but by hard fighting. The most hazardous adventures were every day performed before their eyes, under the blaze of their artillery, by men who, it had been said, would fly at the sight of a Grenadier's cap. They thus found themselves obliged to risk their lives for means of sustenance, and they were seldom able by the most desperate enterprises to secure even a scanty pittance.

The Americans on the contrary, emboldened by the means that dispirited their enemy, grew daily more and more daring. They had, in defiance of a ship of war which lay within one mile, succeeded in destroying the Light House at the entrance of the harbour; and when the British at a subsequent time undertook to rebuild it, under the protection of a party of Marines, the Americans attacked and took the whole party prisoners.

CHAPTER XI.

Events of 1775 continued-Proceedings of Congress-declaration showing the causes of taking up arms-petition to the King the answer of Lord Dartmouth-Proceedings of the Congress-Dr. Franklin made Post Master General-Colonial convention-Lord Dunmore's conduct Design of Connolly frustrated-Lord Dunmore on board the Foway requires the atten- | dance of the Virginia Burgesses-they refuse to attend-They appoint Patrick Henry Commander in Chief of the Colonial force-Dunmore declares freedom to the Slaves-Battle of the Great Bridge-Rivington's Press destroyed in New YorkDestruction of several towns in New England-Expedition to Canada-Siege of Quebec-Colonel Allen made prisoner-Death of Montgomery-parallel drawn between Montgomery and Wolfe-Arnold wounded-his gallant conduct and laborious march-Licentious conduct of the British in Boston.

THE Colony of Georgia, notwithstanding their having been excepted from the operations of the restraining acts of Parliament, agreed to the Confederation of the Colonies and appointed Deputies to the Congress, early in July. On the 6th, The United Colonies" agreed to the following Declaration setting forth the causes and necessity of their taking up arms; by which it will be seen that they were still anxious to restore the original compact between the Colonies and Great Britain.

"If it were possible for men, who exercise their reason, to believe that the Divine author of our existence intended a part of the human race to hold an absolute property in, and an unbounded power over others, marked out by his infinite goodness and wisdom, as the objects of a legal domination, never right

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