CHAPTER
XXXII.

The petition of the Continental Congress to the king, intrusted to the care of Richard Penn, had been pre1775, sented through Lord Dartmouth, who informed Penn that no answer would be given. Examined as a witness before the House of Lords, Penn expressed a positive opinion that no designs of independency had been formed by Congress; and as he had been lately a resident at Philadelphia, and was personally acquainted with many of the members, his opinion seemed entitled to great weight. But the ministry, at this very time, were in possession of letters written by John Adams, and intercepted at the Newport ferry, which looked very much the other way. On the strength of Penn's testimony, the Duke of Richmond moved that the petition of Congress, which had been laid before Parliament along with other papers relating to the colonies, might be made the basis of a conciliation with America; but after a warm debate this motion was rejected. In the House of ComNov. 16. mons, Burke introduced a bill repealing the offensive acts, and granting an amnesty as to the past, thus waving the points in dispute. This bill, though supported by one of Burke's ablest speeches, was rejected by a majority of two to one. A similar movement, made shortly after by Hartley, on the part of the other section of the opposition, shared a similar fate.

Dec. 21.

The ministry, on their part, carried a bill prohibiting all trade with the thirteen rebel colonies, and declaring their ships and goods, and those of all persons trafficking with them, lawful prize. A section of this act, deemed in America excessively cruel, authorized the impressment, for service in the royal navy, of the crews of all captured colonial vessels. Another section provided for the appointment of commissioners by the crown, with authority to grant pardon and exception from the penal

ties of this act to such colonies or individuals as might, CHAPTER by speedy submission, seem to merit that favor.

XXXII.

Among the adherents of the mother country assembled 1775. in Boston, three companies of " Loyal American Associators" had been organized, and placed under the command of Ruggles. General Howe was well satisfied that Boston was not a point from which military operations could be advantageously carried on, and, but for the deficiency of shipping, would have evacuated that place before the setting in of winter. Abundant supplies were sent from England at very great expense, but many ships were wrecked, and others were captured; and the British troops felt the want, during the winter, of fuel and fresh provisions. Fuel was supplied by pulling down houses. To diminish the consumption of provisions, numbers of the poorer people were sent out of the town. The troops

on Bunker Hill remained under canvas the whole winter,

and suffered severely from the cold.

The British officers

They got up balls

amused themselves as they could.
and a theater. The Old South, the largest meeting-
house in the town, was turned into a riding school.

Informed by his spies that preparations were making
in Boston for sending off a squadron, Washington's at-
tention was turned to New York. The Committee of
Safety for that province were not thought to act with
much energy.
The city and the neighboring districts
were full of those who refused to sign the Association,
and with whom Tryon, from on board the Asia, kept up
a constant communication. Rivington's Gazette, the
government paper in New York, had long been a thorn
in the side of the patriots. More than once already the
publisher had been called on, and obliged to promise
less freedom in his strictures; but of late he had grown
bolder, and more offensive than ever. The Committee

XXXII.

CHAPTER of Safety having declined to interfere, Sears, on behalf of the "Sons of Liberty," proceeded to Connecticut, 1775. mustered there a party of seventy-five light horse, and, after calling several suspected Tories to account on his way to the city, entered New York at noon, drew up his men before Rivington's office, and, amid the cheers Nov. 25. of an assembled crowd, broke his press, and carried off the type. The party, on their return to New Haven, were welcomed back by salvos of cannon. Of those not sorry for the destruction of the press, many did not like this interference from abroad. When the new Provincial Congress presently met, a petition was presented complaining of the outrage on Rivington by rioters from Connecticut. Thus urged, the New York Congress made a representation on the subject to the Continental Congress and to Governor Trumbull, who was requested, at least, to send back the types. Richmond and Queen's county had refused to elect delegates to the new Provincial Congress, and the machinations of Tryon continued to excite a good deal of alarm.

Jan.

As there were no Continental troops at New York, and the local militia was not much to be relied upon, the agency of Sears and the authority of Governor Trumbull were employed to raise in Connecticut a body of volunteers for the defense of that city. General 1776. Lee was ordered thither by Washington to take the command. A list of" delinquents" who had voted against sending members to the Provincial Congress having been published, the Continental Congress ordered that they should be put out of the protection of the United Colonies, and that all trade and intercourse with them should cease. Under their orders, also, Colonel Howe, with a regiment of New Jersey minute men, joined by some of Sterling's regulars, proceeded to dis

XXXII.

Feb.

arm the Long Island Tories, and to arrest some of the CHAPTER principal delinquents. Tryon threatened a bombardment in case the Connecticut troops entered the city. 1776. The Provincial Congress begged Lee to forbear; but he persisted in sending forward his volunteers; and a committee of the Continental Congress, which presently arrived, supported his plans and confirmed his authority. He was soon joined by Lord Sterling's New Jersey regi ment. But neither Lee, nor Sterling, who succeeded to the command on Lee's removal to the South, could stop March. the communication with the British ships. Tryon kept up a constant correspondence with his adherents. even had spies in Philadelphia, who gave him accurate information, in spite of the injunction of secrecy, of all the doings of Congress.

He

Nor was it only in the city of New York and its environs that the Loyalists were formidable. Thirty miles northwest of Albany, on the extreme frontier of the province, at Johnstown and the neighborhood, was a colony of Scotch Highlanders, established there by Sir William Johnson, whose son and heir, Sir John Johnson, as well as Guy Johnson, the new Indian agent, both adhered to the British rule. The whole district west of the Schoharie had been erected two or three years before into the new county of Tryon. There were firm Whigs among the inhabitants, but many Tories also; and Schuyler found it necessary to send a detachment from Jan. 20. Albany to disarm the Johnsons and the Highlanders, and to compel them to give hostages. Guy Johnson had already retired to Canada, drawing after him most of the Mohawks, who were received into British pay and service. Sir John Johnson gave his parole to Schuyler not to take up arms against America. But he presently fell again under suspicion, and a party being sent to ar

May.

CHAPTER rest him, he fled to Canada, where he was commissioned XXXII. as colonel, and raised from among his tenants and others 1776. two battalions of "Royal Greens," well known afterward,

1775.

Sept.

and not a little dreaded, on the frontiers of New York. The celebrated chief, Brant, who had been educated in Wheelock's school, served Guy Johnson as secretary, and was very active on the British side.

Lord Dunmore, after his departure from Williamsburg, being joined by several British armed vessels in the Chesapeake, began to threaten Lower Virginia. The settlers west of the Laurel Ridge had met at Pittsburg, had agreed to support the American Association, and had chosen delegates to the Virginia Convention. Dunmore, however, not without hopes of making some impression in that quarter, gave to Conolly, formerly his agent in that region, a lieutenant colonel's commission, and sent him to visit Gage at Boston. After his return, Conolly proceeded up the Chesapeake, landed near its head, and set off with several companions on his way across the mountains, in hopes, by his personal influence with the western settlers, to raise a regiment, and, in conjunction with some regulars from Detroit, to operate against the back part of Virginia. It was even said to be a part of his plan to stimulate the Indians to hostilities. But Nov. the whole scheme was cut short by Conolly's arrest at Fredericton, in Maryland, whence he and his companions were sent prisoners to Philadelphia.

Meanwhile Dunmore landed at Norfolk, and seized and carried off a printing press, on which he printed a proclamation, which he dispersed abroad, declaring martial law, calling upon all persons able to bear arms to join him, and offering freedom to all slaves and indented servants of rebels who would enlist under his banner. Having drawn together a considerable force, Dunmore