not fparing in throwing fhells, and fupporting a great cannonade upon the works of the provincials, which had little other effect than to inure them to that fort of fervice, and to wear off the dread of thofe noify meffengers of fate. On the other fide, they feemed to have been cautious in expending their powder.

A regiment of light cavalry which arrived at Bofton from Ireland, and which were never able to fet foot beyond that garrifon, ferved only to create new wants, and to in crease the incommodities of the people, as well as of the army. The hay which grew upon the Mands in the bay, became now an object of neceffary attention, as well as the fheep and cattle which they contained; but the provincials having procured a number of whaling-boats, and being mafters of the fhore and inlets of the bay, were, notwithstanding the vigilance and number of the fhips of war and armed veffels, too fuccefsful in burning, deftroying, or carrying away, thofe effential articles of fupply. Thefe enterprizes brought on feveral fkirmishes, and they grew at length fo daring, that they burnt the light-houfe, which was fituated on an island at the entrance of the harbour, though a man of war lay within a mile of them at the time; and fome carpenters being afterwards fent, under the protection of a fmall party of marines, to erect a temporary light-houfe, they killed or carried off the whole detachment.

During these transactions a kind of predatory war commenced, and has fince continued, between the fhips of war, and the inhabitants on different parts of the coafts. The former, being refused the fup

plies of provifions and neceffaries which they wanted for themselves or the army, endeavoured to obtain them by force, and in thefe attempts were frequently oppofed, and fometimes repulied with lofs by the country people. The feizing of fhips in conformity to the new laws, or to the commands of the admiral, was also a continual fource of animofity and violence, the proprietors naturally hazarding all dangers in the defence, or for the recovery of their property. Thefe contests drew the vengeance of the men of war upon feveral of the fmall towns upon the fea coafts, fome of which underwent a fevere chaftifement.

The pernicious confequences of the late Quebec-act, with respect to the very purposes for which it was framed, were now displayed in a degree, which its most fanguine opponents could fcarcely have expected. Instead of gaining the French Canadians to the interest of government by that law, the great body of the inhabitants were found as adverfe to it, and as much difgufted at its operation, as even the British fettlers. General Carleton, the governor of that province, who had placed much confidence in the raifing of a confiderable army of Canadians, and being enabled to march at their head to the relief of General Gage, (a matter which was fo much relied upon at home, that 20,000 ftands of arms, and a great quantity of other military ftores had been fent out for that purpofe) found himself now totally difappointed. The people faid that they were now under the British government; that they could not pretend to understand the causes of the prefent difputes, nor the justice

of

of the claims on either fide; that they did, and would fhew themfelves dutiful fubjects, by a quiet and peaceable demeanor, and due obedience to the government under which they were placed; but that it was totally inconfiftent with their ftate and condition, to interfere, or in any degree to render themselves parties, in the contests that might arife between that government and its ancient fubjects. It was in vain that the governor iffued a proclamation for affembling the militia, and for the execution of martial law; they faid they would defend the province if it was attacked; but they abfolutely refufed to march out of it, or to commence hoftilities with their neighbours. The governor, as the laft refort, applied to the Bishop of Quebec, to use his fpiritual influence and authority with the people towards difpofing them to the adoption of this favourite measure, and particularly that he would iffue an epifcopal mandate for that purpofe, to be read by the parish priests in the time of divine fervice; but the bishop excufed himself from a compliance with this propofition, by representing, that an epifcopal mandate on fuch a fubject, would be contrary to the canons of the Roman Catholic church. The ecclefiaftics, in the place of this, iffued other letters, which were however pretty generally disregarded. The nobleffe alone, who were chiefly confidered in the Quebec-act, thewed a zeal against the English colonists. But, feparated as they were from the great body of the people, they exhibited no formidable degree of ftrength.

Other endeavours which were afed to involve the colonies in do

meftic troubles proved equally abortive. Confiderable pains were taken, by the means of feveral agents who had influence on them, to engage thofe numerous tribes of Indians that stretch along the backs of the colonies, to caule a diverfion, by attacking them in those weak and tender parts. But neither prefents, nor perfuafions, were capable of producing the defired effect. From whatever chance or fortune it proceeded, thofe favage warriors, who had at other times been fo ready to take up the hatchet without fupport or encouragement, now turned a deaf ear to all proposals of that nature, and declared for a neutrality. They ufed much the fame reasons for this conduct that the Canadians had done; they did not understand the fubject; were very forry for the prefent unfortunate difputes; but it was not fit nor becoming for them, to take any part in quarrels between Englishmen, for all of whom, on both fides of the water, they had the higheft affection. This was an object of too much importance to be overlooked by the congress. They accordingly employed proper perfons to cultivate favourable difpofitions in the Indians; and by degrees took fuch meafures as obliged the agents for government to provide for their own fafety. It is faid, that fome of the Indians made propofals to take up arms on their fide; but that they were only requested to observe a ftrict neutrality.

General Gage's late proclamation increafed the animofity, indignation, and rage, which were already fo generally prevalent, and brought

out a declaration from

the general congrefs, July 6th. which, in the nature of thofe general

appeals

appeals that are made to mankind, as well as to heaven, in a declaration of war, fet forth the caufes and neceffity of their taking up arms. Among the long lift of thofe fuppofed caules, befides the late hoftilities, they ftate the en. deavours used to infligate the Canadians and Indians to attack them, and feverely reproach General Gage, for, what they call, perfidy, cruelty, and breach of faith, in breaking the conditions which he had entered into with the inhabitants of Bolton; they are not lefs free in their cenfure of the army, whom they charge with the burning of Charlestown, wantonly and unneceflarily.

In ftating their refources, they reckon upon foreign affiflance as undoubtedly attainable, if neceffary. They, however, afterwards fay, that, left this declaration fhould difquiet the minds of their friends and fellow-fubjofs in any part of the empite, they allure them, that they mean not to diffolve that union which has fo long and happily fubfited between them, and which they fincerely wish to fee reftored; that neceflity has not yet driven them to that defperate meafure, or induced them to excite any other nation to war again them; they have not raifed armies with ambitious defigns of separating from Great Britain, and establishing independent ftates; they fight not for glory or for conqueft.-This declaration was read with great, ferious, and even religious folemnity, to the different bodies of the army who were encamped around Bolton, and was received by them with loud acclamations of approbation.

This declaration was followed by an addrefs to the inhabitants of

Great-Britain; another to the people of Ireland; and a petition to the king. All these writings were drawn up in a very matterly manner; and are, in respect to art, ad. drefs, and execution, equal to any public declarations made by any powers upon the greatest occafions.

The congrefs had in their declaration, without naming it, re. probated the principles of Lord North's conciliatory propofition, which they call an infidious manouvre adopted by parliament. They, however, afterwards took the refolution more formally into confideration. It had been communicated to them by direction, or at least permillion from that minifter, in the hand-writing of Sir Grey Cowper, one of the two principal fecretaries of the treafury. In the courte of a long and argu. mentative difcuffion, they condemn it, as unreatonable and infidious; that it is unreasonable, because, if they declare they will accede to it, they declare, without refervation, that they will purchafe the favour of parliament, not knowing at the fame time at what price they will please to estimate their favour; that it is infidious, because individual colonies, having bid, and bidden again, till they find the avidity of the feller too great for all their powers to fatisfy, are then to return into oppofition, divided from their fifter colonies, whom the minister will have previously detached by a grant of easier terms, or by an artful procraftination of a definitive anfwer. They conclude upon the whole, that the propofition was held up to the world, to deceive it into a belief, that there was nothing in difpute but the mode of levying taxes; and that parliament having

now been fo good as to give up that, the colonies must be unreafonable in the highest degree if they were not perfectly fatisfied. The colony of Georgia at length joined in the general alliance. A provincial congrefs having affembled in the beginning of the month of July, they speedily agreed to all the refolutions of the two general congreffes in their utmolt extent, and appointed five delegates to attend the prefent. As it were to make amends for the delay, they at once entered into all the fpirit of the refolutions formed by the other colonies, and adopted fimilar; and declared, that though their province was not included in any of the oppreffive acts lately paffed against America, they confidered that circomitance as an infult rather than a favour, as being done only with a view to divide them from their American brethren. They alfo addreffed a petition, under the title of an humble addrefs and reprefentation, to his majefty; which, however threadbare the fubject had already been worn, was not deficient in a certain freshness of colouring, which gave it the appearance of novelty. From this acceffion to the confederacy, they henceforward affumed the appellation of the Thirteen United Colonies.

In the mean time the general congrefs, in compliance with the wishes of the people in general, and the particular application of the New-England provinces, appointed George Washington, Efq; a gentleman of affluent fortune in Virginia, and who had acquired confiderable military experience in the command of different bodies of the provincials during the last war, to be general and commander in

chief of all the American forces. They alio appointed Artemus Ward, Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler, and Ifrael Putnam, Efqrs. to be major-generals; and Fioratio Gates, Efq; adjutant-general. Of thefe general-officers, Lee and Gates were English gentlemen, who had acquired honour in the laft war; and who from difguft or principle now joined the Americans. Ward and Putnam were of Maffachufett'sBay, and Schuyler of New-York. The congress alio fixed and affigned the pay of both officers and foldiers; the latter of whom were much better provided for than thofe upon our eftablishment.

The Generals Washington and Lee arrived at the camp before Bofton in the beginning of July. They were treated with the higheft honours in every place through which they paffed; were escorted by large detachments of volunteers, compofed of gentlemen, in the different provinces; and received public addreffes from the provincial congreffes of New-York and Maffachufett's-Bay. The military fpirit was now fo high and fo general, that war and its preparations occupied the hands and the minds of all orders of people throughout the continent. Perfons of fortune and family, who were not appointed officers, entered chearfully as private men, and ferved with alacrity in the ranks. Even many of the younger quakers forgot their paffive principles of forbearance and nonrefiftance, and taking up arms, formed themfelves into companies at Philadelphia, and applied with the greatest labour and affiduity to acquire a proficiency in military exercifes and difcipline. It was faid, (but no computation of that

fort