XXVI. 1775. 1776. the provifion, and crowding the veffels. The Ameri- CHAP. cans had taken poffeffion of Norfolk, and as their riflemen prevented lord Dunmore from obtaining fupplies, he fet fire to the wharfs where they principally if Jan. annoyed him, and the whole town of Norfolk, one of the most flourishing on the fhores of the Chefapeak, containing eight thousand inhabitants, was burnt to the ground. The efforts of the enemy were ftill fuccessful in impeding fupplies; diftrefs daily increased; fickness prevailed, particularly among the negroes, and, finally, lord Dunmore, after fending the flaves to Florida, Bermuda, and the West Indies, quitted for ever the shores of Virginia, and joined the British army under general Howe. Lord Dune more aban. dons the colony. IT was justly confidered effential to the existence of Project of the British power in America, that poffeffion of Vir- Connelly. ginia fhould be retained, and every effort was made for that purpose. One of the most important was a project communicated by Mr. Connelly, a native of Pennsylvania, to lord Dunmore, and approved by general Gage, for attacking Virginia and the other fouthern colonies on their back and inland parts, where the people were known to be ftrongly attached to the British government. The garrifons at Detroit, and fome other remote pofts, with their artillery and ammunition, were to have affifted; and hopes were entertained of engaging the Canadians and Indians in the cause. Connelly, who had received a commiffion as colonel commandant, profecuted his fcheme with vigour and addrefs, when he was betrayed by his confidential assistant, feized, loaded with irons, and fent trated. to Philadelphia, where he was treated with extreme feverity. His papers and plans were published, and the cause of congrefs was thus doubly ferved, by the fruftration of the enterprize, and the opportunity of making the people believe that Providence interpofed, in their behalf. Washington's Official Letters, vol. i. p. 62 to 64. He is betrayed, and the enter prize fruf CHAP. North In North Carolina, Mr. Martin was driven from the government by measures nearly fimilar to thofe 1775. practifed against lord Dunmore: he was accused of infulting their rights and liberties, and inftigating the negroes to infurrection. The governor's réfutation of these charges was couched in language fo forcible, that the provincial convention fhowed their indignation by ordering it to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman. A difpute afterward arofe relative to fome cannon, but the infurgents were awed by the vigorous and determined conduct of the governor. Still as their party was conftantly augmenting, and the royal authority proportionately on the decline, Mr. Martin was ultimately obliged to retire on board a fhip of war at Cape Fear. ift June, 1775. The governor driven away. South Carolina. of congrefs. IN South Carolina, fimilar difturbances produced fimilar effects; lord William Campbell was compelled, after attempting in vain to rally a royalist party, to feek fecurity on fhip board. Afcendancy THE royal government was now reduced to a mere name, the congrefs, favoured by diffimulation, enterprize, and accident, having acquired a decided afcendancy. Every circumftance, which by the most ftrained conftruction could be rendered ferviceable to their caufe, was oftentatioufly advanced; falfehood was often employed in recommending their own proceedings, and vilifying thofe of their opponents; and more frequently thofe perverfe mifreprefentations which are more iniquitous than direct falfehood, as they enable those who are base enough to use them to triumph while undetected; and when their artifices are difclofed, to fhelter themselves under the double sense of the word. The royalilis acted feebly, and, in general, with integrity, they were often overpowered by violence, overawed by the clamours of multitudes, or teazed into filence by repeated efforts of chicane. The fouthern colonies might have been kept in fubjection by an inconfiderable military force; application was made to general Gage, from Sir James Wright, 1775. Wright, governor of Georgia; but intelligence having CHAP been given to fome of the agents of congrefs, the XXVI. meffenger was way-laid, his letters feized, and another man forwarded with difpatches of a contrary ten, dency, fo nicely forged as to deceive the person to whom they were written". called. Americans TOWARD the clofe of the year general Gage was 10th Oct. recalled, and the chief command devolved on Sir Gage reWilliam Howe. The Maffachufet's and continental Nov. congreffes granted letters of marque against British iffue letters veffels, and they were unexpectedly fuccefsful in tak- of marque. ing many laden with military and naval ftores and provifions; captures no lefs beneficial to them than prejudicial to their opponents, who were obliged to draw all their fubfiftence at an immenfe expence from England, In the course of predatory hoftilities the 18th oa. town of Falmouth, in the northern part of Maffachu- Falmouth deftroyed. fet's, was cannonaded by a fingle fhip of fixteen guns, and utterly destroyed. Several feaport towns were deferted; but far from fhowing a difpofition to submit, congrefs refolved to oppofe Great Britain by fea, and iffued orders for building five veffels of thirtytwo guns, five of twenty-eight, and three of twentyfour. view. ON the whole, the transactions of the year 1775 General were productive of the most unfortunate refults to the British cause, and the most animating to the Americans. Meafures which were relied on by the ministry as certain to operate by terror and coercion, were met with firmness, and evaded, or rolled back with address and dexterity: conciliatory propofitions were rejected, and the Americans displayed a confummate proficiency in political intrigue, by appearing to retain fentiments of loyalty, while their conduct evidently indicated a determination to renounce all fubjection to the mother. country. They contrived to advance with rapid steps in the path of revolt, yet to make Great Bri XXVI. 3775. CHA P. tain conftantly appear the aggreffor, and to retain the pretence of a pacific difpofition, while they withstood every offer which had a tendency to terminate the fubfifting differences. Their military operations were uniformly calculated to infpire confidence and animate enterprize: even the expedition into Canada, though not in every part fortunate, was profecuted with fo daring a fpirit, and fruftrated by the failure of fo gallant an attempt, that the Americans felt more pride as fharers of the glory of Montgomery, than mortification in the difappointment, which only fhowed that they could not, without confiderable exertion, wreft from Great Britain the chief conqueft referved as an indemnity for the toils and expenfes of the late war. For this chapter, befide the authorities quoted in fapport of particular paffages, I have confulted the periodical publications; the hiftories of the American War, by Stedman, Andrews, and Ramfay; Morfe's American Geography; and the Remembrancer and I have been affified by very refpe&table manufcript obfervas tions on them. CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SEVENTH: 1775-1776. Proceedings in the city of London.-Addrefs to the king.-His anfwer-Conteft refpecting the right of prefenting petitions to the king on the throne.-Address of congress to the people of Great Britain-to the people of Ireland.-Proclamation against rebellion.-Petition of congrefs to the king.-Anfwer from the fecretary of flate.-Effects of the answer.-Popularity of the measures of government.-Tranfactions in parliament till the Christmas recefs.—King's Speech.-Oppofition to the addrefs in both houses.-Proteft.-Debates on the employment of foreign troops in garrifons.-Bill of indemnityMotion of cenfure--both rejected.-Bill for affembling the militia.-Eftimates.-Motion by the duke of Grafton.-Land tax fixed at four fillings in the pound.-Nova Scotia petition. -Debate on the petition of congrefs to the king.-Mr. Penn examined as a witness.-The duke of Richmond's motion. Burke's conciliatory bill-ably oppofed by governor Pownallrejected.-Hartley's propofitions-rejected. Bill for prohibiting commercial intercourfe with America-debated in the lords -paffed.-Recefs.-Changes in adminiftration.-Lord George Germaine, fecretary of State for America.-his character.→ Other changes.-Defpondency of administration. UNDER XXVII. NDER the mayoralty of Mr. Wilkes, the city CHA P. of London feemed largely to participate in the fentiments which produced fuch alarming commotions 1775. in America. The majority of individuals was friendly Proceedings in the city of to government; but an active and turbulent minority London. managed the proceedings of the city councils, which, by intrigue, were made to affume a factious appear ance. IN confequence of the acts of parliament relative to America, the livery prefented to the king an addrefs, remonftrance, and petition, cenfuring all the late meafures, not merely with plainnefs and freedom, but with acrimonious afperity. "Not deceived," they said, by the fpecious artifice of calling defpotifm dignity, they 10th April. Addreis to the king. |