town of Boston to the continent. This, though un doubtedly a prudent measure in his situation, was exclaimed against by the Americans, in the most vehement manner; but the general, instead of giving ear to their remonstrances, deprived them of all power of acting against himself, by seizing the provincial powder, ammunition, and other military stores, at Cambridge and Charlestown. This excited such indignation, that it was with the utmost difficulty the people could be restrained from marching to Boston, and attacking the troops. Even in the town itself, the company of cadets, that used to attend the governor, disbanded themselves, and returned the standard he had presented them with, on his accession to the government. This was occasioned by his having deprived the celebrated John Hancock (afterwards President of Congress) of his commission of colonel of the cadets. A similar instance happened of a provincial colonel having accepted a seat in the new council, upon which twenty-four officers resigned their commissions in one day.

In the meantime, a meeting was held of the principal inhabitants of the towns adjacent to Boston; the purport of which was, publicly to renounce all obedience to the late acts of parliament, and to enter into an engagement to indemnify such as should be prosecuted on that account: the members of the new council were declared violators of the rights of their country: all ranks and degrees were exhorted to learn the use of arms; and the receivers of the public revenue were ordered not to deliver it into the treasury, but to retain it in their own hands until the constitution should be restored, or a provincial congress dispose of it otherwise.

A remonstrance against the fortifications of Boston Neck was next prepared, in which, however, they still declared their unwillingness, to proceed to hostilities; asserting, as usual, their determination not to submit to the acts of parliament they had already so much complained of. The governor, to restore tranquility if possible, called a general assembly; but so many of the council had resigned their places, that he was induced to countermand its sitting by proclamation.

This measure, however, was deemed illegal; the assembly met at Salem; and after waiting a day for the governor, voted themselves into a provincial congress, of which John Hancock was chosen president. A committee was instantly appointed, who waited on the governor concerning the fortifications on Boston Neck; but nothing of consequence took place, both parties criaminating each other.

The winter was now coming on, and the governor, to avoid quartering the soldiers on the inhabitants, proposed to erect barracks for them; but the select-men of Boston compelled them to Alesist. Carpenters were sent for to New York, but they were re

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fused: and it was with great difficulty that he could procure winter lodgings for his troops. Nor was it with less difficulty that he procured clothes; as the merchants of New York told him, "that they would never supply any article for the benefit of men sent as enemies to their country." This disposition prevailing universally throughout the continent, was highly gratifying to

congress.

It was now generally expected that the ensuing spring would be the season of commencing hostilities, and the most indefatigable diligence was used by the colonies to be fully prepared against such a formidable enemy. Lists of all the fencible men were made out in each colony, and especially of those who had served in the former war; of whom they had the satisfaction to find twothirds were still alive, and able to bear arms. Magazines of arms were collected, and money was provided for the payment of troops.

In vain the governors of the different provinces endeavoured to put a stop to these proceedings by their proclamations; the Rubicon was passed, the fatal period was now arrived; and the more the servants of government attempted to repress the spirit of the Americans, the more violent were their exertions.

At this time the inhabitants of Boston were reduced to great distress. The British troops, (now commonly called the enemy,) were in absolute possession of it; the inhabitants were kept as prisoners, and might be made accountable for the conduct of the whole colonies; various were the means contrived to relieve the latter from their disagreeable situation. It was proposed to remove the inhabitants altogether; but this was impracticable without the governor's consent: others recommended burning the town, after valuing the houses, and indemnifying the proprietors; but this was found equally impracticable; it was at last resolved to wait for some favourable opportunity, as the garrison was not very numerous, and not being supplied with necessaries by the inhabitants, might soon be obliged to leave the place.

The friends of the British government attempted to do something in opposition to the voice of the people; but after a few ineffectual meetings and resolutions, they were utterly silenced and obliged to yield to superior numbers. Matters had now proceeded so far, that the Americans, without further ceremony, seized on the military stores belonging to government. This first commenced at Newport, in Rhode-Island, where the inhabitants carried off forty pieces of cannon, appointed for the protection of the place; and on being asked the reason of this proceeding, replied, "that the people had seized them, lest they should be made use of against themselves;" after this the assembly met and resolved→ that ammunition and warlike stores should be purchased with the public money.

New-Hampshire followed the example of Rhode-Island, and seized a small fort for the sake of the powder and military stores it contained. In Pennsylvania, however, a convention was held which expressed an earnest desire of reconciliation with the mother country; though at the same time, in the strongest manner, declaring, that they were resolved to take up arms in defence of their just rights, and defend to the last, their opposition to the late acts of parliament; and the people were exhorted to apply themselves with the greatest diligence to the prosecution of such manufactures, as were necessary for their defence and subsistence; such as salt, saltpetre, gunpowder, steel, &e. This was the universal voice of the colonies, New York only excepted. The assembly of that province, as yet ignorant of the fate of their last remonstrance, refused to concur with the other colonies in their determination, to throw off the British yoke: their attachment was nevertheless very faint, and by the event, it appeared, that a perseverance of the measures which the ministry had adopted, was sufficient to unite them to the rest.

In the beginning of February the provincial congress met at Cambridge, and as no friends to Britain could now find admittance into that assembly, the only consideration was how to make proper preparations for war. Expertness in military discipline was earnestly recommended, and several military institutions established: among which that of the minute-men was most remarkable. These were chosen from the most active and expert among the militia; and their business was to keep themselves in constant readiness, at the call of their officers; from which perpetual diligence they derived their appellation.

It was now thought that a very slight occasion would bring on hostilities, for both parties were so much exasperated by a long course of reproaches, and literary warfare, that they were filled with the utmost inveteracy against each other.

On the twenty-sixth of February, 1775, general Gage, having been informed that a number of field pieces had been brought up to Salem, despatched a party to seize them. The road was ob structed by a river, over which was a draw-bridge. This the people had pulled up, and refused to let down: upon which the soldiers seized a boat to ferry them over, but the people cut out her bottom. Hostilities would immediately have commenced had it not been for the interposition of a glergyman, who represented to the military, on the one hand, the folly of opposing such numbers; and to the people on the other, that as the day was far spent the military could not execute their design, so that they might, without any fear, leave them in the quiet possession of the drawbridge. This was complied with; and the soldiers, after having remained some time at the bridge, returned without executing their orders.

The next attempt was attended with more serious consequences. General Gage, understanding that a large quantity of ammunition and military stores had been collected at Concord, about twenty miles from Boston, and where the provincial congress was sitting, sent a detachment, under the command of colonel Smith and major Pitcairn, to destroy the stores; and, as was reported, to seize Hancock and Adams, two leading men of the congress.

They set out before day break, on the nineteenth of April, marching with the utmost silence, and securing every one they met with upon the road, that they might not be discovered; but, notwithstanding all their care, the continual ringing of the bells and firing of guns as they went along, soon gave them notice, that the country was alarmed: about five in the morning, they had reached Lexington, fifteen miles from Boston, where the militia of the place were exercising. A British officer called out to them to disperse; but as they still continued in a body, he advanced and discharged his pistol, and ordered his men to fire; who instantly obeyed, and killed and wounded several of the militia; the detachment then proceeded to Concord, where, having destroyed the stores, they were encountered by the Americans; and a scuffle ensued, in which several fell on both sides.

The purpose of their expedition being accomplished, it was necessary for the king's troops to retreat, which they did through a continual fire kept upon them from Concord to Lexington. Here their ammunition was totally expended; and they would have been unavoidably cut off, had not a considerable reinforcement, commanded by lord Percy, met them. The Americans, however, continued the attack with great fury, and galled the British from behind stone fences, as they retreated: and had it not been for two field-pieces, which lord Perey brought with him, the whole detachment would still have been in the utmost danger.

The impetuosity of the Americans being thus checked, the British made good their retreat to Boston, with the loss of two hundred and fifty killed and wounded; that of the Americans about sixty.

The spirits of the Americans were raised by this engagement, and the power of Britain became less formidable in their view; they now meditated nothing less than the total expulsion of the troops from Boston. An army of twenty thousand men was assembled; a line of encampment was formed from Roxbury to Mystic, through a space of about thirty miles; and here they were soon after joined by a large body of Connecticut troops, under the command of general Putnam, an old officer of great bravery and experience. By this formidable force was the town of Boston shut up. General Gage, however, had so strongly fortified it, that the enemy, powerful as they were, feared to make the attack.

But towards the end of May, a considerable reinforcement hav ing arrived, with the generals, Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, he

was soon enabled to attempt something of consequence: and this the boast of the provincials seemed to render necessary. Some skirmishing, in the meantime, happened in the islands lying off Boston harbour; in which the Americans had the advantage, and burnt an armed schooner. Nothing decisive, however, took place, till the seventeenth of June. In the neighbourhood of Charlestown, a place on the northern shore, opposite the peninsula on which Boston stands, is a high ground, called Bunker's-hill, which overlooks and commands the whole town of Boston. On the sixteenth, the provincials took possession of this place; and worked with such indefatigable industry, that, to the astonishment of their enemies, they had, before day-light, almost completed a redoubt, with a strong entrenchment, reaching half a mile eastward, as far as the river Mystic.

After this, they were obliged to sustain a heavy and incessant fire from the ships and floating batteries, with which Charlestown neck was surrounded, as well as the cannon that could reach the place from Boston. In spite of all opposition, they continued their work, and finished it before mid-day. A considerable body of foot was then landed at the foot of Bunker's-hill, under the command of generals Howe and Pigot; the former being appointed to attack the lines, and the latter the redoubt. The Americans having the advantage of the ground, as well as of entrenchments, poured down upon the British such inccessant vollies, as threatened the whole body with destruction; and general Howe was for some time left almost alone; all his officers being either killed or wounded. The provincials, in the meantime, had taken possession of Charles own, so that general Pigot was obliged to contend with them in that place, as well as those in the redoubt. The consequence was, that he was overmatched; his troops were thrown into disorder, and he would, in all probability, have been defeated, had not general Clinton advanced to his relief: upon which the attack was renewed with fresh fury, so that the provincials were driven beyond the neck that leads to Charlestown.

In the heat of the engagement, the British troops, in order to deprive the enemy of a cover, set fire to Charlestown, which was totally consumed; and, eventually, the Americans were obliged to retreat over Charlestown neck, which was incessantly raked by the fire of the Glasgow man of war, and several floating batteries. The loss on the side of the British was computed at one thousand; among whom were nineteen officers killed and seventy wounded. The loss of the Americans did not exceed five hundred.

This was a dear-bought victory to the British. The Americans boasted that the advantage lay on their side, as they had so weakened the enemy, that they durst not afterwards move out of their entrenchments. This being the first time the provincials were in actual service, it must be owned they behaved with great spirit;