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gan to fortify his palace at Newbern, and to rally troops to the contest. This alarmed the committee of safety, and they assembled a force; seized the palace guns, and gave such an alarm to the governor, that he fled to Fort Johnston, on Cape Fear river; but being pursued by the sons of liberty under the command of Colonel Ashe, and again alarmed for his safety, the governor fled and took refuge on board the king's sloop of war, the Cruiser.

Colonel Ashe followed up his victory over the governor, and at dead of night entered the fort, set fire to the buildings, demolished its works, and razed it to its foundations, that it might never more become a refuge, or a strong hold for the minions of Britain.

The committee of Newbern still followed up the blow; denounced him as an enemy to the liberties of the country, and resolved" that no person, or persons whatsoever, have any intercourse, or correspondence with him, on pain of being deemed enemies to the liberties of America, and being treated accordingly." This, at that day, was one of the severest punishments that men could be made to

endure.

The same farce was acted over in Virginia; the alarm given to Lord Dunmore, by Capt. Henry and his volunteers, when at Williamsburgh, led his Lordship to fortify This palace, with artillery, and put himself into garrison, -from whence he denounced Capt. Henry by proclamation, and his followers, as rebels, and disturbers of the public peace. The Virginians, in their turn, in county meeting applauded Capt. Henry, and denounced the governor, as the disturber of the public peace; declared the purity, as well as loyalty of their motives; their attachment to the king, and the constitution, &c. and in this state of things, dispatches arrived from England, designed to pro'cure the approbation of the colony, for the conciliatory plan of Lord North, which has been noticed in its. place.

The governor assembled the house of Burgesses to take into consideration the despatches; but the house met the governor by passing an act of censure upon his conduct, in attempting to secure the magazine, and appointed a committee to take that property into their special protection, and safe keeping; which after much difficulty they effected.

The next day an alarm was spread at Williamsburgh, that Captain Collins of the Magdalen, was about to land a body of troops, and take possession of the city. The patriots assembled in arms, and were ready to defend their fires, and their altars; but when they learnt the situation, as well as disposition of his lordship, they retired peaceably on board their ship.

The governor thus saw himself, as he supposed, deserted by both parties; abandoned his palace, and retired with his lady and family on board the Fowey man of war, then lying at York Town; and left a message, for the house of Burgesses, acquainting that honourable body, with the motives of personal safety that had compelled him to retire; pressed them to proceed to business as usual; and assured them that he should continue to attend to the duties of his office, &c. This opened a correspondence between the parties, in which the house attempted to persuade his lordship to return to the palace, and pledged their honors for his personal safety; but his lordship declined the pledge; all further correspondence ceased, and the house adjourned to October.

The people next proceeded to take the government into their own hands, by appointing a convention of delegates, who possessed the unlimited confidence of the people. This body when convened, resolved themselves into a committee of safety; and then proceeded to resolve that an armed force be raised immediately, and

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embodied, sufficient for the defence and protection of

the province.

Delaware still continued firm to the cause of liberty. Maryland met in convention at Annapolis, and resolved as follows:

"We do unite in one band, and solemnly pledge ourselves to each other, and to America, that we will, to the utmost of our power, support the present opposition carrying on, as well by arms, as by the continental association, restraining our commerce.

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Resolved, That there be forty companies of minute men enrolled as soon as may be; and that every able bodied effective freeman within this provionce, between 16 and 50, (clergymen of all denominations, practising physicians, the household of the governor, minute and artillery-men, and persons who from their religious principles cannot bear arms in any case, excepted,) as soon as may be, and at furtherest before the 15th of September next, shall enroll himself in some company of militia."

They next resolved, that committees of observation and correspondence be chosen, and bills of credit be issued to the amount of 266,666 dollars, forthwith, for the use of the colony.

Pennsylvania, true to herself, and her country, ordered troops to be raised, armed, and clothed for the public service, throughout the colony, and even the Quakers united in the general preparation, for a vigorous defence of liberty and the laws.

The citizens of Philadelphia became seriously in earnest in guarding their city against an attack from the enemy, by obstructing the channel of their river by such chevauxde frise as wi effectually resist the passage of large ships; and by the construction of gun-boats, carrying one heavy

cannon in the bows, that may be sufficient to resist smaller vessels, &c. And thus we have seen at one view, how the whole strength of United America was roused to the contest, by the conflict at Lexington, and the spirit that fired the breasts of the patriotic sons of liberty, from Georgia to Maine.

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Massachusetts, agreeable to notice to the several towns, as has been mentioned, met in General Assembly at Watertown, July 19th, and adjourned to the 21st, to keep the fast; when they again met and chose counsellors, and commenced an independent government. On the 8th of August the house voted to raise thirty thousand pound, for the service of the colony, to prosecute the war. On the 11th, they voted to recommend to the inhabitants of the colony, not to fire away one charge of powder, either at game or mark; but to reserve it all for the public

service.

About this time, General Gage sent orders to NewYork to invite all foreign seamen to repair to his standard, as volunteers, and at the same time he received by a fleet of transports from the sound, about 2000 sheep, 110 oxen, together with eggs, butter, cheese, &c. from Gardners-Island, and elsewhere, to replenish his larder.

During the operations of the army before Boston, the Americans put forth all their efforts to collect military stores, and turned their attention to their cruizers on the water. They sent, and purchased powder in all foreign ports, where it was practicable, and even obtained it from Bermuda, and some of the British ports on the coast of Africa, and at the same time commenced the manufacture of powder in many of the colonies.

In October a small naval force under the command of Captain Mowat, was detached for the destruction of Falmouth, in consequence of orders which had been issued in the name of his majesty, to the commanders of his majesty's ships of war, to treat the Americans as rebels.

and lay waste and destroy all such sea ports as had taken part in the rebellion. On the 17th Captain Mowat arrived before the town, about three o'clock in the afternoon, and made known to the inhabitants the orders he had received ; at the same time assured them that if they would bring to him eight small arms, he was authorized to suspend the execution of his orders until the next morning. The demand was complied with, and in the morning a committee from the town waited on the captain to prevail on him to spare the place; to which he consented, so far as to wait for further orders, provided they would deliver up all their arms, and ammunition, together with four of their citizens as hostages.

This demand was resented with becoming spirit and indignation, and the captain commenced a terrible cannonade, and bombardment upon the town, by which it was soon in a blaze, and reduced to a heap of ruins. The flames of Falmouth like the flames of Charlestown, flashed through the country, and fired the, breasts of these patriotic sons of liberty, like a shock of electricity, and roused them afresh to union, and revenge.

They now began more seriously to turn their attention to their armed vessels. Massachusetts in her convention granted letters of marque and reprisal. Congress also fitted out some frigates, and caused two battalions of marines to be raised for the marine service, and framed articles of war for the government of their little navy. The ostensible object of this fleet was, to guard the sea coast, and restrain their own citizens from carrying supplies to the enemy. General Washington also employed in the service several cruizers to intercept the store-ships of the enemy, for the immediate service of the army. Congress at the same time established regular courts of admiralty, for the regular adjudication of all prizes; all which produced a spirit of adventure upon the seas, and the Amer

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