tinually augmenting, until they arrived about fun-fet at Charlestown; from whence they paffed over directly to Bofton, under the protection (as the provincials fay) of the guns of the Somerset man of war; the troops being entirely spent and worn down, by the exceffive fatigues they had undergone. They had marched that day near 35 miles.

The lofs was not fo great on either fide, as the length, irregularity, and variety of the engagement might seem to indicate; which may be attributed to the provincials not being at firft powerful in number, and to their being afterwards kept at some distance by the field pieces. The king's troops, as may be expected, were the greater fufferers, having loft in killed, wounded, and prifoners, 273 men, of which 65 were killed, 2 lieutenants, and above zo private men taken prisoners, and Colonel Smith, with another lieutenant-conel and several officers, wounded. By the provincial account, which gives the names and places of abode of those who fell on their fide, their lofs in killed and wounded (including those who fell by the first fire in the morning at Lexington) amonnted only to about fixty, of which near two thirds were killed.

By the nearest calculation that can be made, there were from 1800 to 2000 of the best troops in the fervice (being about half the force that was then ftationed at Boston) employed upon this expedition. The event fufficiently fhewed how ill informed thofe were who had fo often afferted at home, that a regiment or two could force their way through any part of the continent, and that the very fight of a grena

dier's cap would be fufficient to put an American army to flight.

Upon this occafion, each fide charged the other with the most inhuman cruelties. Civil wars produce many fuch charges; but we have good reafon, and fome authority for believing, that these accounts, if at all true on either fide, were much exaggerated. On one fide it is certain, that an officer and fome of the foldiers who were wounded and prisoners, gave public teftimonials of the humanity with which they were treated; and that the provincial commanders fent an offer to General Gage, to admit his furgeons to come and drefs the wounded.

Although on the other fide, the regulars were charged with killing the old, the infirm, the unarmed, and the wounded, without mercy; with burning feveral houses, and plundering every thing that came in their way; we have had too conftant and uniform an experience of the honour of our officers, and the humanity of our foldiers, not to confider this account as equally exaggerated.

This affair immediately called up the whole province in arms; and though a fufficient number were speedily affembled effectually to inveft the king's troops in Boston, it was with difficulty that the crowds who were haftily marching from different parts, could be prevailed upon to return to their respective homes. The body of militia which furrounded Bofton, amounted, as it was faid, to above 20,000 men, under the command of the Colonels Ward, Pribble, Heath, Prefcot, and Thomas, who for the prefent acted as generals, and having fixed their head quarters at Cambridge,

formed

formed a line of encampment, the right wing of which extended from that town to Roxbury, and the left to Myftick, the distance between the points being about thirty miles. This line they ftrengthened with artillery. They were ipeedily joined by Colonel Putnam, an old and brave provincial officer, who had acquired experience and reputation in the two lait wars. He encamped with a large detachment of Connecticut troops in fuch a pofition, as to be readily able to fupport thofe who were before the town. In the mean time the provincial congress, which was now removed to Watertown, drew up an addrefs to the inhabitants of Great-Britain, in which they stated the moit material particulars, relative to the late engagement, and took pains to fhew, that hoftilities were firft commenced, and blood drawn, both at Lexington and Concord, by the regulars. They complain of the ravages committed by them in their retreat; place much dependence on the honour, wifdom, and valour of Britons, from which they hope their interference in preventing the profecution of measures, which, they reprefent, as equally ruinous to the mother country and the colonies; they make great profeffions of loyalty; but declare, that they will not tamely fubmit to the perfecution and tyranny of a cruel miniAry, and (appealing to Heaven for the juftice of their caufe) that they are determined to die or be free.

The provincial congrefs alfo paffed a vote for the array and fupport of an army; fixed the pay of the officers and foldiers, and publifhed rules and orders for its regulation and government. To provide for the military expence, they VOL. XVIII. 1775

paffed a vote for the iffuing of a confiderable fum in paper currency, which was to be received in all cafes as money, and the faith of the province pledged for its payment. As the term for which they were chofen was to expire on the 30th of May, they gave notice for the election of a new congrefs, to meet on the 31st of that month at the fame place, and to be continued for fix months, and no longer. They alfo paffed a refolu- May 5th. tion, that General Gage had, by the late tranfactions, and many other means, utterly difqualified himself from ferving that colony as a governor, or in any other capacity, and that therefore no obedience was in future due to him; but that on the contrary he ought to be confidered and guarded against, as an unnatural and inveterate enemy to the country.

The affair at Lexington (though fome fuch event must have been long forefeen and expected) excited the greatest indignation in the other colonies, and they prepared for war with as much eagerness and difpatch as if an enemy had already appeared at each of their doors. The bravery fhewn by the militia in this their firft effay, and the fuppofed advantages they had obtained over the regulars, were matters of great exultation; while those who fell in the action were regretted with the deepest concern, and honoured, not only as patriots, but as martyrs, who had died bravely in the caufe of their country. The outrages and cruelties charged upon the king's forces, however unjuftly founded, produced a great effect, and increafed the public fever.

In fome places the magazines were feized, and in New-jerley the [*]]

treasury;

treafury; a confiderable fum of money in which was appropriated to the payment of the troops they were raiting. At the fame time, without waiting for any concert or advice, a top was almost every where put to the exportation of provifions; and in fome places all exportation was ftopt, till the opinion of the general congrefs upon that fubject was known. Lord North's conciliatory plan, or the refolution founded upon it, was to tally rejected by the affemblies of Penfylvania and New-Jerfey; nor was it received any where.

In the mean time, the governor and forces at Bolton, as well as the inhabitants, continued clofely blocked up by land; and being fhut out from all fupplies of fresh provifions and vegetables, which the neighbouring countries could have afforded by fea, they began to experience thofe inconveniences which afterwards amounted to real diftrefs. As the inhabitants had now no other refource for their fubfiftance than the king's flores, the provincials were the more ftrict in preventing all fupplies, hoping that the want of provifions would lay the governor under a neceffity of con

fenting to their departure from the town; or at least that the women and children would be fuffered to depart, which was repeatedly applied for. It is probable that the governor confidered the inhabitants as neceflary hostages for the fecurity of the town, at least, if not of the troops. However it was, he at length entered into a capitulation with the inhabitants, by which, upon condition of delivering up their arms, they were to have fice liberty to depart with all their other effects. The inhabitants ac

cordingly delivered up their arms; but to their utter difmay and aftonifhment, the governor refufed to fulfil the conditions on his fide. This breach of faith, and the confequences that attended it, were much complained of. Many, however, both then, and at different times after, obtained permiffion to quit the town; but they were obliged to leave all their effects behind; fo that those who had hitherto lived in eafe and affluence, were at once reduced to the extremity of indigence and mifery. The general congrefs ranked amongst their bittereft complaints, the fufferings of the inhabitants in this refpect. They fay that paffports were granted or retained in fuch a manner, that families were broken and the deareft connections feparated; part being compelled to quit the town, and part retained againft their will. This, by far the moft difhonourable to government, we are obliged in fairness to ftate according to the provincial narrative, no other having appeared to contradict or qualify it. The poor and the helplefs were all fent

the British fisheries with any kind of provifion; and to render this order the more effectual, topt all exportation to thofe colonies, islands, and places, which still retained their obedience. This measure, which does not feem to have been expected, or even apprehended at home, occafioned no fmall diftrefs to the people at Newfoundland, and to all thole employed in the fisheries; infomuch that to prevent an abfolute famine, feveral fhips were under a neceffity of returning light from that station, to carry out cargoes of provifions from Ireland.

The city and province of NewYork, notwithstanding their former moderation, feemed, upon receiving an account of the late action, to receive alfo a plentiful portion of that fpirit which operated in the other colonies. A moft numerous affociation was accordingly formed, and a provincial congrefs elected. But as fome regiments from Ireland were expected speedily to arrive there, and that capital, befides, lies open to the fea, its fituation became very critical. In these circumftances, a body of Connecticut men arrived in the neighbourhood of that city, avowedly for its protection, and probably alfo to fupport the prefent difpofition of the people. Their ftrength was not, however, fufficient to afford an effectual protection; nor, if it had been greater, would it have availed, again an attack by fea. The city accordingly applied, through its delegates, to the continental congrels for inftructions how to act upon the arrival of the troops. The congrefs advised them for the prefent, to act defenfively with refpect to the troops, fo far as it could be done confiftently with their own fe

curity ;-to fuffer them to occupy their barracks, fo long as they behaved peaceably and quietly; but not to fuffer them to erect any fortification, or in any manner to cut off the communications between the city and country; and if they attempted holilities, that they fhould defend themfelves, and repel force by force. They also recommended to them to provide for the worst that might happen, by fecuring places of retreat for the women and children; by removing the arms and ammunition from the magazines; and by keeping a fufficient number of men embodied for the protection of the inhabitants in general. The departure of fo many helpless objects from the places of their habitation, was a very affecting fpectacle. That once flourishing commercial city was now become almost a defart. It was by its own inhabitants devoted to the flames. It happened, perhaps happily for New-York, that the troops being more wanted at Bofton, were not landed there.

In the mean time, feveral private perfons belonging to the back parts of Connecticut, Maffachufett's, and New-York, undertook at their own rifque, and without any public command or participation, an expedition of the utmost importance, and which not only in its confequences moft materially affected the interest and power of government in the colonies; but had brought the question to the critical nicety of a point, and the decifion to depend merely upon accident, whether Ave fhould have a fingle poffeffion left in North-America. This was the furprize of Ticonderoga, CrownPoint, and other fortreffes, fituated upon the great lakes, and command[*1] 2

ing

ing the paffes between the British colonies and Canada. It feems that fome of thofe who were among the first that formed this defign, and had fet out with the greatest privacy in its profecution, met by the way with others, who, without any previous concert, were embarked in the fame project; fo extenfive was that fpirit of enterprize which thefe unhappy contefts called into action. Thele adventurers, amounting in the whole to about 240 men, under the command of a Colonel Eafton, and a Colonel Ethan Allen, with great perfeverance and addrefs, furprized the fmall garrifons of Ticonderoga and Crown

Point. Thefe fortreffes were taken without the lofs of a man on either fide. They found in the forts a confiderable artillery, amounting, as they faid, to above 200 pieces of cannon, befides fome mortars, howitzs, and quantities of various flores, which were to them highly valuable; they alfo took two veffels, which gave them the command of Lake Champlain, and materials ready prepared at Ticonderoga for the building and equipping of others.

During thefe tranfMay 25th. actions the Generals Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, ar rived at Bolton from England, to gether with a confiderable number of marines, and draughts from other regiments, to fupply the va cancies there. Thefe were foon followed by feveral regiments from heland, fo that the force at Bofton, with respect to number, the goodnefs of the troops, and the character of the commanders, was become very respectable; and it was generally believed, that matters could not continue much longer in their then fituation.

Nothing remarkable had yet happened fince the commencement of the blockade, except two fmall engagements which arofe from the attempts of either party to carry off the stock of fome of thofe fall iflands, with which the Bay of Bofton is interfperfed, and which afforded the mixed fpectacle of fhips, boats, and men, engaged by land and water. In both these fkirmishes (each of which continued for many hours) the king's troops were foiled, with fome lofs; and in the laft, which happened at Hogg and Noddle's-Inlands, an armed fchooner being left by the tide, the people, after ftanding a fe vere fire of fmall arms, and two pieces of artillery from the shore, were at length obliged to abandon her, and he was burnt by the provincials.

Notwithstanding the late reinforcements, and the arrival of generals of the most active character, the troops continued for fome time very quiet at Bofton. On the other fide, it is probable that an attempt would have been made to ftorm that town, while the people were hot in blood after the affair of Lexington, if a concern for the prefervation of the inhabitants had not prevailed over every other confideration. It must however be allowed, that from the number of veffels of war, which nearly furrounded the peninfula, as well as the vast ar tillery by which it was protected, and the excellency of the troops, that fuch an attempt muft have been attended with great difficulty and danger, and that the deftruction of the town muft have been laid down as an inevitable confequence. There were other matters alio of confideration. A repulfe to new troops, or the carnage that would even attend

fuccefs