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1775.] THE SOLDIERS RESISTED AND REPULSED.

135

several barrels of gunpowder, musket-balls, &c., into the river. A party of militia, seeing some fires in the town, were induced to approach it, and as they drew near a bridge they had lately left, the soldiers fired at them, and killed two men. The fire was returned, and a skirmish ensued, when the regulars retreated. Of these several men were killed and wounded, and a lieutenant and some others were taken prisoners. The people of the country came pouring in from all quarters, and an irregular skirmishing continued through the whole day. In the march back to Lexington the regulars were annoyed not only by those who pursued them, but by the fire from the houses and covered places along which they passed. They would probably have all been cut off but for a reinforcement of sixteen companies of infantry, a number of marines, and two pieces of cannon, which General Gage had taken the precaution to detach early in the morning, in support of the force under Colonel Smith.

The field-pieces kept the militia at a distance; but, as soon as the regulars resumed their march, the attack was renewed, and continued until, about sunset, they reached Charlestown, opposite Boston, where they were protected by the guns of a man-of-war. In the contests of the day the regulars lost, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, two hundred and seventy-three men; the provincials, about sixty. It is supposed that the number of regulars in this expedition was from eighteen hundred to two thousand.

The first blood was now spilt in this civil contest, but no one supposed it would be the last. The news of it flew over the land as fast as expresses could carry it; and filled every bosom with patriotic indignation, and a determination to support Massachusetts. The American people were also greatly encouraged by the fact that mere militia

136

OTHER COLONIES AID MASSACHUSETTS. [CHAP. II.

had been able to stand the fire of regulars, and had even compelled them to retreat—a result that occasioned no less surprise to their boastful enemies than congratulation and triumph to themselves. All hopes from forbearance were now at an end, and warlike preparations were every where made with redoubled energy.

The Massachusetts Congress lost no time in sending an address to the people of Great Britain, in which they proved, by a mass of testimony not to be resisted, that hostilities commenced with the regulars, whose conduct they strongly censure. They declare that they will not submit to persecution and tyranny, and that they are determined to die or be free.

Boston

They then organised an army of thirteen thousand six hundred men; issued paper-bills for the money they required; and passed a resolution that General Gage had disqualified himself as Governor of the province, and that no further obedience was due to him. was, at that time, surrounded by twenty thousand men, who had flocked thither from different parts of New England, after the affairs of Lexington and Concord, so as to cut off from the British all supplies of provisions from the country.

The Assembly of Connecticut immediately voted to raise six thousand men; and that of Rhode Island fifteen hundred men. In New Hampshire, as a provincial Congress was to meet in May, the force to be there raised was left to the decision of that Congress.

The people of New England, before the conflict at Lexington, believing a rupture with Great Britain inevitable, decided on offensive measures by taking possession of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain. An expedition against those forts was planned both by Massachusetts and Connecticut; but the latter carried

1775.] CAPTURE OF TICONDEROGA AND CROWN POINT. 137

its purpose into execution by Colonels Ethan Allen1 and Seth Warner, at the head of parties of Vermonters. By these captures upwards of two hundred pieces of artillery, a large quantity of powder, and other military stores, fell into the hands of the Americans.

Members to the Continental Congress were again appointed in all the colonies by their several legislative bodies or conventions.2 The same twelve colonies as before were represented at their meeting in Philadelphia on the tenth of May, 1775, when they again unanimously chose Peyton Randolph their President, and Charles Thomson, Secretary.

During the six or seven months which had elapsed since the adjournment of the preceding Congress, the prospect of accommodation between Great Britain and the colonies had undergone material changes. Every attempt at conciliation in Parliament had been unhesitatingly rejected, and three-fourths of both Houses avowed their purpose of reducing the colonies to unconditional submission. The execution of these threats was indeed actually begun. Blood had already been spilt on both sides, and both were actively preparing for that encounter which now seemed inevitable. In every colony the disputes between its royal governor and the people were little short of open war; and these petty fires, gleaming from New Hampshire to Georgia, plainly betokened a general conflagration.

On the nineteenth of May, Randolph the President of

'The British officer in command, taken by surprise at the summons to surrender, asked by what authority the demand was made, when Allen, in the tone of the old covenanters, replied, "In that of the great Jehovah and of the Continental Congress."

* The convention of New York represented only the city of New York and eight counties, containing nine-tenths of the population of the colony.

138

HANCOCK, PRESIDENT.

CHAP. II.

Congress being obliged to return to Virginia, John Hancock, of Massachusetts, was unanimously chosen to succeed him. Thomas Jefferson took the place of Mr. Randolph, and there soon confirmed and augmented the reputation he brought with him as an able writer, an uncompromising defender of his country's rights, and an ardent votary of civil freedom.

1

For the first fifteen days of its session, Congress was employed partly in considering the various communications made to them, particularly from the provincial Congress of Massachusetts, which stated what they had done; and showed, by numerous depositions, that they had not commenced hostilities at Lexington and Concord, as had been falsely alleged; and partly in deliberating on the state of the country. But on the twenty-sixth of May they came to an unanimous resolution that, as hostilities had already been commenced by General Gage, and reinforcements to his army were soon expected, the colonies should be immediately put in a state of defence; yet with a view to the restoration of harmony between the two countries, they declared that an humble petition should be sent to His Majesty, and a negotiation opened for accommodating the unhappy disputes. At the same time the Convention of New York was urged to prepare vigorously for defence, as it was very uncertain whether the efforts made by Congress at accommodation would be successful.

They then addressed a letter "to the oppressed inhabitants of Canada," and again urged them to unite with the other colonies in defence of their common libertyassuring them that the capture of the forts of Ticonderoga and Crown Point were measures dictated solely by the law of self-preservation, and proceeded from no hostile purposes or feelings towards Canada. In accordance

1775.]

WASHINGTON, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.

139

with this disclaimer, when they decided on applying to the New England colonies for troops to garrison their forts, they ordered an inventory to be taken of the cannon and stores there found, that they might be safely returned on the restoration of the former harmony between Great Britain and her colonies.

It would seem that these declarations were intended to put the British government off their guard, since a short time afterwards an invasion of Canada was planned, rather by way of liberating the inhabitants, than with a view to conquest-it being understood that many of them were discontented with the Quebec act, and were thought ready to unite with the other colonies. The invasion was further recommended by the consideration that the province was then feebly garrisoned; that it contained large deposits of military stores; and that the possession of Ticonderoga and Crown Point would afford great facilities to the invaders.

After adopting various measures of defence, such as collecting sulphur and saltpetre, fitting up powder-mills, and raising rifle companies, they decided on the most critical of all, the appointment of a commander-in-chief for the army that must soon be called into existence.

There was at first some difference of opinion as to the individual on whom this important office should be conferred. While no one stood so high in public estimation as George Washington of Virginia, a few thought that General Ward of Massachusetts, who commanded the troops then investing Boston, had a prior claim;' but by the active exertions of John Adams, those scruples were overcome, and Washington was unanimously appointed.

1

1 Among these was Mr. Pendleton of Virginia, according to Mr. Adams, who also states that Mr. Hancock aspired to the honor of the chief command. — II. Adams's Diary.

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