 Chapter 12 of the Life of Washington, Volume 1 by John Marshall. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 12, Preparations for the Campaign of 1758. Admiral Baskawen and General Amherst arrive at Halifax. Plan of the campaign, Expedition Against Louisburg. It's Ticonderoga and Crown Point. General Abercrombie, repulsed under the walls of Ticonderoga. Fort Frontignac, taken, Expedition Against Fort Duquesne. Preparations for the Campaign of 1759. General Amherst succeeds General Abercrombie. Plan of the campaign, Ticonderoga and Crown Point, taken. Army goes into winter quarters. French repulsed at Oswega. Defeated at Niagara. Niagara, taken, Expedition Against Quebec. Checked to the English Army. Battle on the Plains of Abraham. Death of Wolf and Moncombe. Quebec capitulates, garrisoned by the English under the command of General Murray. Attempt to recover Quebec. Battle near Sealerie. Quebec besieged by Monsieur Levy. Siege raised Montreal capitulates. War with the Southern Indians. Battle near the town of Echo. Grant defeats them and burns their towns. Treaty with the Cherokees. War with Spain. Success of the English. Peace. 1758. The affairs of Great Britain in North America. War, a more gloomy aspect at the close of the campaign of 1757 than at any former period. By the acquisition of Fort William Henry, the French had obtained complete possession of the lakes Champlain and George. By the destruction of Oswega, they had acquired the dominion of those lakes, which connect the St. Lawrence with the waters of the Mississippi and Unite Canada to Louisiana. By means of Fort Duquesne, they maintained their ascendancy over the Indians and held undisturbed possession of the country west of the Allegheny Mountains. While the English settlers were driven to that blue ridge. The great object of the war in that quarter was gained and France held the country for which hostilities had been commenced. With inferior numbers, the French had been victorious in every campaign and had uniformly gained ground on the English colonies. Nor were they less successful elsewhere. The flame of war, which was kindled in America, had communicated itself to Europe and Asia in every quarter of the world, where hostilities had been carried on. The British arms were attended with defeat and disgrace. But this inglorious scene was about to be succeeded by one of unrivaled brilliancy from the point of extreme depression to which their affairs had sunk. The brightest era of British history was to commence. Far from being broken by misfortune, the spirit of the nation was high and more of indignation than dismay was inspired by the ill success of their arms. The public voice had at length made its way to the throne and had forced on the unwilling monarch, a minister who has been justly deemed one of the greatest men of the age in which he lived. Mr. Pitt had been long distinguished in the House of Commons for the boldness and the splendor of his eloquence. His parliamentary talents and the independent grandeur of his character had given him a great ascendancy in that body and had made him the idol of the nation. In 1756, he had been introduced into the cabinet but could not long retain his place. The public affection followed him out of office and the national disaster's continuing. It was found impracticable to conduct the complicated machine of government without his aid. In the summer of 1757, an administration was formed which conciliated the great contending interests in Parliament and Mr. Pitt was placed at its head. The controlling superiority of his character gave him the same ascendancy in the cabinet which he had obtained in the House of Commons and he seemed to dictate the measures of the nation. Only a short time was required to show that qualities seldom united in the same person were combined in him. And his talents for action seemed to eclipse even those he had displayed in debate. His plans partaking of the proud elevation of his own mind and the exalted opinion he entertained of his countrymen were always grand and the means he employed for their execution were always adequate to the object. Possessing the public confidence without limitation he commanded all the resources of the nation and drew liberally from the public purse but the money was always faithfully and judiciously applied to the public service. Too great in his spirit too lofty in his views to become the instrument of faction when placed at the head of the nation he regarded only the interest of the nation and overlooking the country or the party which had given birth to merit he searched for merit only and employed it. Wherever it was found from the elevation of the House of Brunswick to the British throne a great portion of the people under the denomination of Tories have been degraded persecuted and oppressed superior to this narrow and short cited policy Mr. Pitt sought to level these enfeebling and irritating distinctions and to engage every British subject in the cause of his country. Thus commanding both the strength and the wealth of the kingdom with perhaps greater talents he possessed certainly greater means than any of his predecessors. In no part of his majesty's dominions was that new administration more popular than in his American colonies. Deeply and peculiarly interested in the events of the war they looked for a change of fortune from this change of men and cheerfully made every exertion of which they were capable for the ensuing campaign. The circular letter of Mr. Pitt assured the several governors that to repair the losses and disappointments of the last inactive campaign the cabinet was determined to send a formidable force to operate by sea and land against the French in America and he called upon them to raise as large bodies of men within their respective governments as the number of inhabitants might allow. Arms, ammunition, tents, provisions and boats would he said be furnished by the crown and he required the colonies to clothe and pay their men assuring them at the same time that it should be recommended to parliament to make them compensation. Great preparations for the campaign. The legislature of Massachusetts agreed to furnish 7,000 men Connecticut 5,000 and New Hampshire 3,000. These troops greatest were their numbers when compared with the population of the country were in the field early in May and the transports for carrying those of Massachusetts to Halifax were ready to sail in 15 days after they were engaged. Near one-third of the effective men of that province are said to have been in military service and the taxes were so heavy that in the capital they amounted to two-thirds of the income of real estate. In the mother country too the utmost activity was transfused into every department. Her fleets blocked up in the French ports the men and stores designed for Canada and captured on the seas most of those which had been able to make their way into the ocean. Admiral Baskawen and General Amherst arrived. At the same time a powerful armament equipped with unusual expeditions sailed from her ports early in the spring. Admiral Baskawen arrived at Halifax with a formidable fleet and 12,000 British troops under the command of General Amherst. The Earl of Loudoun had returned to England and the command of the British and American forces in the colonies had devolved on General Abercrombie. That officer found himself at the head of the most powerful army ever seen in the New World. His whole numbers comprehending troops of every description have been computed by Mr. Balsham at 50,000 men of whom 20,000 were provincials. The objects of the campaign were no longer defeated by delays the preparations for action were made during the winter and military operations commenced in the spring. Plan of the campaign. Three expeditions were proposed. The first was against Louisbourg. The second against Ticonderoga and Crown Point and the third against Fort Duquesne. Expedition against Louisbourg. The army destined against Louisbourg consisting of 14,000 men was commanded by Major General Amherst and the fleet consisting of 20 ships of the line and 18 frigates by Admiral Baskowen on the 24th of May. The troops embarked at Halifax and on that 2nd of June arrived before Louisbourg. The use made by Greep written of her naval superiority was felt in no part of the possessions of his most Christian majesty more sensibly than in Louisbourg. The garrison of that important place was composed of only 2,500 regulars aided by 600 militia. The harbor was defended by five ships of the line one ship of 50 guns and five frigates three of which were sunk across the mouth of the basin. Soon after investment of the place one of the large ships was set on fire by a bomb from a battery on the lighthouse point and blown up. The flames were communicated to two others which shared the same fate. The English Admiral then sent the detachment of 600 seamen and boats into the harbor under captain's La Fourse and Balfour to make an attempt on the two remaining ships of the line which still kept possession of the basin. This service was executed with great gallantry one which was aground was destroyed and the other was towed off in triumph. The harbor being in possession of the English and several practicable breaches made in the works the place was no longer deemed defensible and the governor was under the necessity of capitulating the garrison became prisoners of war and Louisbourg with its artillery provisions and military stores and also island royal St. John's and their dependencies were surrendered to the English who encountered no farther difficulty in taking possession of the whole island. This important acquisition was made with the loss of between five and six hundred men killed and wounded. The joy it diffused throughout the colonies long familiarized to disaster was in proportion to their former disappointments. Against Ticonderoga the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point was conducted by General Abercrombie in person. His army consisting of near 16,000 effectives of whom 9,000 were provincials was attended by a formidable train of artillery and possessed every requisite to ensure success. On the 5th of July he embarked on Lake George and reached the landing place early the next morning. A disembarkation being effected without opposition the troops were immediately formed into four columns the British in the center of the provincials on the flanks in which order they marched towards the advanced guard of the French composed of one battalion posted in a log can which on the approach of the English made up precipitate retreat. Abercrombie continued his march towards Ticonderoga with the intention of investing that place but the woods being thick and the guides unskillful his columns were thrown into confusion and in some measure entangled with each other. In this situation Lord Howe at the head of the right central column fell in with up part of the advanced guard of the French which in retreating from Lake George was likewise lost in the wood. He immediately attacked and dispersed them killing several and taking 148 prisoners among whom were five officers. This small advantage was purchased at a dear rate though only two officers on the side of the Brevedige were killed one of these was Lord Howe himself who fell on the first fire. This gallant young nobleman had endeared himself to the whole army the British and provincials alike lamented his death in the assembly of Massachusetts passed a vote for the erection of a superb cenotaph to his memory in the collegiate church of Westminster among the heroes and patriots of Great Britain. Without further opposition the English army took possession of the post at the saw mills within two miles of Ticonderoga this fortress which commands the communication between the two lakes is encompassed on three sides by water and secured in front by a morass. The ordinary garrison amounting to 4,000 men was stationed under the cannon of the place and covered by a breastwork the approach to which have been rendered extremely difficult by trees felled in front with their branches outward many of which were sharpened so as to answer the purpose of Chavo de Fries. This body of troops was rendered still more formidable by its general than by its position it was commanded by the Marquis de Montcombe. Having learned from his prisoners the strength of the army under the walls of Ticonderoga and that a reinforcement of 3,000 men was daily expected General Apple Cromby thought it advisable to storm the place before this reinforcement should arrive. Being informed by an engineer directed to reconorder the works that they were unfinished and were practicable he resolved without waiting for his artillery to storm the lines and the dispositions for an assault were instantly made. Arrangers the light infantry in the right wing of the provincials were ordered to form a line out of cannon shot of the entrenchments with their right extending to Lake George and their left to Lake Champlain. The regulars who were to storm the works were formed in the rear of this line. The piques were to begin the attack and to be sustained by the grenadiers and the grenadiers by the battalions. The whole were ordered to march up briskly to rush upon the enemy's fire and to reserve their own until they had passed the breastwork. The troops marched to the assault with great intrepidity but their utmost efforts could make no impressions on the works. The impediments in front of the entrenchments retarded the advance and exposed them while entangled among the boughs of the trees to a very galling fire. The breastwork itself was eight or nine feet high and much stronger than had been represented so that the assailants who did not appear to have been furnished with ladders were unable to pass it. After a contest of near four hours and several repeated attacks General Abercrombie ordered a retreat. General Abercrombie repulsed under the walls of Ticonderoga. The army retired to the camp from which it had marched in the morning and the next day resumed his former position on the south side of Lake George. In this rash attempt the killed and wounded of the English amounted to near 2,000 men of whom not quite 400 were provincials. The French were covered during the whole action and their loss was inconsiderable. Entirely disconcerted by this unexpected and bloody repulse General Abercrombie relinquished his designs against Ticonderoga and Crown Point searching however for the means of repairing the misfortune if not the disgrace sustained by his arms he readily acceded to a proposition made by Colonel Bradstreet for an expedition against Fort Frontagnac. This fortress stands on the north side of Ontario at the point where the Saint Lawrence issues from that lake and though the uphose of real importance had been left in a great degree undefended. The detachment designed for this service was commanded by Colonel Bradstreet that consisted of 3,000 men of whom 200 were British and was furnished with eight pieces of cannon and three mortars. Fort Frontagnac taken. Colonel Bradstreet embarked on the Ontario at Oswego and on the 25th of August landed within one mile of the fort. In two days his batteries were opened at so short a distance that almost every shell took effect and the governor finding the place absolutely untenable surrendered at discretion. The Indians having deserted the prisoners amounted only to 110 men a great quantity of military stores together with nine armed vessels mounting from 8 to 18 guns also fell into the hands of the English. After destroying the fort and vessels and such stores as could not be brought off Colonel Bradstreet returned to the army which undertook nothing farther during the campaign. Expedition against Fort Duquesne the demolition of Fort Frontagnac and of the stores which had been collected there contributed materially to the success of the expedition against Fort Duquesne. The conduct of this enterprise had been entrusted to General Forbes who marched from Philadelphia about the beginning of July at the head of the main body of the army destined for this service in order to join Colonel Boquet at Raisetown. So much time was employed in preparing to move from this place that the Virginia regulars commanded by Colonel Washington were not ordered to join the British troops until the month of September. It had been determined not to use the road made by Braddock but to cut a new one from Raisetown to Fort Duquesne. About the time this resolution was formed and before the army was put in motion Major Grant was detached from the advance post at Loyal Hanan with 800 men to recon order the fort and the adjacent country. This gentleman invited an attack from the garrison the result of which was that upwards of 300 of the detachment were killed and wounded and Major Grant himself was made a prisoner. Fort Duquesne evacuated. Early in October General Forbes moved from Raisetown but the obstructions to his march were so great that he did not reach Fort Duquesne until late in November the garrison being deserted by the Indians in two weeks to maintain the place against the formidable army which was approaching abandoned the fort the evening before the arrival of the British and escaped down the Ohio in boats. The English placed the garrison in it and changed its name to Pittsburgh in compliment to their popular minister. The acquisition of this post was of great importance to Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Its possession had given the French an absolute control over the Indians of the Ohio who were accustomed to assemble at that place for the purpose of making their destructive incursions into those colonies. Their route was marked by fire and the scalping knife and neither age nor sex could afford exemption from their ferocity. The expulsion of the French gave the English the entire possession of the country and produced a complete revolution in the disposition of the Indians inhabiting it. Finding the current success to be running against their ancient friends they were willing to reconcile themselves to the most powerful and all the Indians between the lakes on the Ohio concluded a peace with the English. Although the events of 1758 did not equal the expectations which had been formed from the force brought into the field the advantages were decisive. The whole country constituting the original cause of the war had changed masters and was in possession of the English. The acquisition of the island of Cape Baton opened the way to Quebec and their success in the west enabled them to direct all their force against Canada. The colonists encouraged by this revolution in their affairs and emboldened by the conquest already made to hope for others still more extensive prepared vigorously on the application of Mr. Pitt for the further prosecution of the war. General Amherst succeeds General Abercrombie. Late in the year 1758 General Abercrombie was succeeded in the command of the army by Major General Amherst to form the bow plan of conquering Canada in the course of the ensuing campaign. 1759 the decided superiority of Great Britain at sea and the great exertions of France and other quarters of the world still prevented the arrival of such reinforcements as were necessary for the preservation of his most Christian Majesty's possessions in North America. Plan of the campaign to take advantage of this weakness the English proposed to enter Canada by three different routes with three powerful armies and to attack all the strongholds by which that country was defended. It was determined that one division of the army to be commanded by Brigadier General Wolfe a young officer who had signalized himself in the siege of Louisbourg should ascend the Saint Lawrence and lay siege to Quebec. A strong fleet was to escort the troops destined for this enterprise and to cooperate with them. Major General Amherst was to lead the central and main army against Ticonderoga and Crown Point. After making himself master of these places he was to proceed over Lake Champlain and by the way of Richelieu to the Saint Lawrence and down that river so as to effect a junction with General Wolfe before the walls of Quebec. From their combined force the conquest of the capital of Canada was expected. The third army was to be commanded by General Perdot. Its first destination was against Niagara. After the reduction of this place Perdot was to embark on Lake Ontario and proceed down the Saint Lawrence against Montréal. Chamontréal fall into his hands before the surrender of Quebec. He was to join the Grand Army at that place. It could not be expected that a plan so extensive and so complex should succeed in all its parts and it was greatly to be apprehended that the failure of one part might defeat the whole but it suited the daring spirit which eminently distinguished the officers then commanding the British forces and was entered upon Brazil and activity. As the other two expeditions especially that against Quebec were supposed to depend greatly on the celerity with which the movements of the main army should be made General Amherst began his preparations in the commencement of winter for the enterprise he was to undertake. Early in the spring he transferred his headquarters from New York to Albany whereas troops were assembled by the last of May notwithstanding his continued exertions though someone was far advanced before he could cross like George. Ticonderoga abandoned nor did he reach Ticonderoga until the 22nd of July the lines drawn around that place were immediately abandoned and the English took possession of them. The French troops in this quarter being unequal to the defense of the post they held their object seems to have been to embarrass and delay the invading army but not to hazard any considerable diminution of strength by persevering in the defense of places until the retreat of the garrison should become impracticable. The hope was entertained that by retreating from post to post and making a show of intending to defend each the advance of the English might be retarded until the season for action on the lake should pass away while the French would be gradually strengthened by a concentration and thus enabled to maintain some point which would arrest the progress of Amherst down the St. Lawrence. In pursuance of this plan as soon as the English had completed their arrangements for taking possession of Lake Champlain the garrison of Ticonderoga retreated to Crown Point and Crown Point early in the month of August Amherst advanced to Crown Point which was abandoned on his approach and the garrison retired to Ile-O-Dois at the northern extremity of Lake Champlain French had collected between three and four thousand men at this place in an entrenched camp defended by artillery and protected by several armed vessels on the lake after making great exertions to obtain a naval superiority General Amherst embarked his army on Lake Champlain but a succession of storms compelling him to abandon the further prosecution of the enterprise he returned to Crown Point where the troops were put into winter quarters in the beginning of July General Pridot embarked on Lake Ontario with the army destined against Agra immediately after his departure from Oswego that place which was defended by twelve hundred men under the command of Colonel Alderman was vigorously attacked by a body of French and Indians who were repulsed with some loss in the meantime Pridot proceeded towards not Agra and landed without opposition about three miles from the fort the place was invested in form and the siege was carried on by regular approaches in its progress General Pridot was killed by the bursting of a cohort and the command devolved on General Johnson great efforts were made to relieve this important place a considerable body of troops drawn from the neighboring garrisons aided by some Indian auxiliaries advanced on the English army with the determination to risk a battle in order to raise the siege early in the morning of the 24th the approach of this party was announced and a strong detachment marched out to meet the action which immediately commenced was not of long duration the French were forsaken by their savage allies and victory soon declared in favor of the English now Agra capitulates this battle decided the fate of now Agra the works of the besiegers have been pushed within 100 yards of the walls and a further attempt to defend the place being hopeless a capitulation was signed by which the garrison amounting to rather more than 600 men became prisoners of war although important advantages were gained by the British arms in upper Canada yet as neither division of the army in that quarter succeeded so completely as to cooperate with General Wolf series fears were entertained for the fate of that officer the enterprise conducted by him being of the greatest hazard and of the deepest interest its success was to decide whether the whole campaign would terminate in a manner favorable to the future conquest of Canada expedition against Quebec as soon as the waters were sufficiently freed from ice to be navigable Wolf embarked 8,000 men with formidable train of artillery at Louisburg under convoy of Admiral Saunders and Holmes late in June he anchored about halfway up the island of Orleans on which he landed without opposition from this position he could take a near obstacles to be surmounted before he could hope for success in his enterprise these were so great that even his bold and sanguine temper perceived more to fear than to hope and in a celebrated letter written to Mr. Pitt and afterwards published he declared that he could not flatter himself with being able to reduce the place Quebec stands on the north side of the St. Norm's and on the west of the St. Charles which rivers unite immediately below the town it consists of an upper and a lower town the latter is built upon the strand stretches along the base of the lofty rock on which the former is situated this rock continues with a bold and steep front far to the westward parallel to and near the river St. Lawrence on this side therefore the city might well be deemed inaccessible on the other it was protected by the river St. Charles in which were several armed vessels and floating batteries deriving additional security from a strong bloom drawn across its mouth the channel of this river is rough and broken and its borders intersected with ravines on its left or eastern bank was encamped a French army strongly entrenched and amounting according to the English accounts to 10,000 men the encampment extended from St. Charles eastward to the Montmoral sea and its rear was covered by an almost impenetrable wood to render this army still more formidable it was commanded by a general who had given signal proofs of active courage and consummate prudence the Marquis de Montcom who went strong enough to act offensively had so rapidly carried Oswego informed William Henry and who when reduced to the defensive had driven Abercrombie with such slaughter from the walls of Ticonderoga was now at the head of the army which covered Quebec and was an antagonist in all respects worthy of wool the British general perceived these difficulties in their full extent but his ardent mind growing with military enthusiasm sawed only how to subdue them he took possession of Point Levy on the southern side of the St. Lawrence where he erected several heavy batteries which opened on the town but were at too great a distance to make any considerable impression on the works nor could his ships be employed in this service the elevation of the principal fortifications placed them beyond the reach of the guns of the fleet and the river was so commanded by the batteries on shore as to render a station near the town ineligible the English general sensible of the impracticability of reducing Quebec unless he should be enabled to erect his batteries on the north side of the St. Lawrence determined to use his utmost endeavors to bring Montcom to an engagement after several unavailing attempts to draw that able officer from his advantageous position will resolve to pass the Montmoral Sea and to attack him in his entrenchments in consequence of this resolution thirteen companies of British Grenadiers and part of the Second Battalion of Royal Americans were landed near the mouth of the Montmoral Sea under cover of the cannon of the ships while two divisions under General Townsend and Murray prepared to cross that river Harrop the original plan was to make the first attack on a detached redoubt close to the water's edge apparently unprotected by the fire from the entrenchments in the hope that Montcom might be induced to support this work and thereby enable Wolf to bring on a general engagement on the approach of the British troops this redoubt was evacuated observing some confusion in the French camp Wolf determined to avail himself of the supposed impression of the moment and to storm the lines with his view he directed the Grenadiers and Royal Americans to form on the breach where they were to wait until the whole army could be arranged to sustain them orders were at the same time dispatched to Townsend and Murray to be in readiness for affording the river the Grenadiers and Royal Americans disregarding their orders rushed forward with impetuous valor on the entrenchments of the enemy they were recieved with so steady and well supported of fire that they were thrown into confusion and compelled to retreat the English army repulsed the general advancing in person with the remaining brigades the fugitives formed again in the rear of the army but the plan of the attack was effectively disconcerted and the English commander gave orders for repassing the river and returning to the island of Orleans convinced by this disaster of the impractic ability of approaching Quebec on the side of the Montmoral Sea Wolf again turned his whole attention to the St. Lawrence to destroy some ships of war lying in the river and at the same time to distract the attention of Montcom by dissents at different places 1200 men were embarked in transports under the command of General Murray who made two vigorous but unsuccessful attempts to land on the northern shore in the 30 was more fortunate in a sudden descent on Chambeau he burnt the valuable magazine filled with military stores but was still unable to accomplish the main object of the expedition the ships were secured in such a manner as not to be approached by the fleet or army Murray was recalled and on his return brought with him the intelligence that Niagara was taking that Ticonderoga and Crown Point had been abandoned and that General Amherst was making preparations to attack the Eau Noir this intelligence though joyfully received promised no immediate assistance and the season for action was rapidly raced in a way no was it easy for work to avoid contrasting the success of the British arms under other auspices with the ill fortune attending his own a council of war having determined that all their future efforts should be directed towards effecting a landing about the town the troops who were withdrawn from the islands of Orleans and embarked on board the fleet some of them were landed at Point Levy and the residue carried higher up the river Montcom could not view this movement without alarm that part of Quebec which faces the country had not been well fortified and he was apprehensive that the landing might be affected high up the river and the town approached on its weak side at the same time he could not safely relinquish his position because the facility of transportation which the commander of the water gave the English would enable them to seize the ground he then occupied should his army be moved above the town thus embarrassed he detached Monsieur de Bougainby with 1500 men to watch the motions of the English and to prevent their landing in this state of things Wolf formed a bold and hazardous plan of landing in the night a small distance above the city on the northern bank of the river and by scaling a precipice accessible only by a narrow path and therefore about weekly guarded to gain the heights in the rear of the town this resolution being taken the admiral moved up the river several leagues above the place where the landing was to be attempted and made demonstrations of an intention to disembark a body of troops at different places during the night a strong detachment in flat bottom boats fell silently down with the tide to the place fixed on for the descent this was made an hour before Daybreak about a mile above Cape Diamond Wolf being the first man who leaped on shore the highlanders and light infantry who composed the van under the particular command of Colonel Howe had been directed to secure a foregun battery defending an entrenched path by which the heights were to be ascended and to cover the landing of the remaining troops the violence of the current forced them rather below the point of disembarkation a circumstance which increased their difficulties however scrambling up the precipice they gained the heights and quickly dispersed the guard the whole army followed up this narrow pass and having encountered only a scattering fire from some Canadians and Indians gained the summit by the break of day when the several corps were formed under their respective leaders the intelligence that the English they gained the heights of Abraham was soon conveyed to Mongkong who comprehended it once the full force of the advantage obtained by his adversary and prepared for the engagement which could no longer be avoided leaving his camp at Maorong Sea he crossed the St. Jaws for the purpose of attacking the English army this movement was made in the view of Wolf who immediately formed his order of battle his right wing was commanded by General Moncton and his left by General Murray the right flank was covered by the Louis Bourg Grenadiers and the rear and left by the light infantry of Hau the reserve consisted of webs regiment drawn up in eight subdivisions with large intervals between them Mongkong had formed his two wings of European and colonial troops in nearly equal numbers a column of Europeans composed his center and two small field pieces were brought up to play on the English line in this order he marched to the attack advancing in his run about 1500 militia and Indians who kept in an irregular and galling fire under cover of the bushes the movements of the French indicating an intention to flank his left General Wolf ordered the battalion of Amherst and the two battalions of Royal Americans do that part of his line where they were formed on Poteons under General Townsend presenting a double front disregarding the fire of that militia and Indians he ordered his troops to reserve themselves for the column advancing in the rear of these irregulars battle on the planes of Abraham Mongkong had taken post on the left of the French Army and Wolf on the right of the British so that the two generals met each other at the head of their respective troops and there the battle was most severe the French advanced briskly to the charge and commenced the action with great animation the English reserved their fire until the enemy were within 40 yards of them when they gave it with immense effect the action was kept up for some time with great spirit death of Wolf Wolf advancing at the head of his grenadiers with charge bayonets received a mortal wound and soon afterwards expired undismayed by the loss of their general the English continued their exertions under Moncton on whom the command devolved he also received a ball through his body and general Townsend took command of the British army and of Montcom about the same time Montcom received a mortal wound and general Sena Zurgis the second command also fell the left wing and center of the French began to give way and being pressed close by the British were driven from the field on the left and rear of the English the action was less severe the light infantry had been placed in houses and Colonel Howe the better to support them had taken post still farther to the left behind the cops as the right of the French attacked the English left he sailed from this position upon their flanks and threw them into disorder in this critical moment Townsend advanced several platoons against their front and completely frustrated the attempt to turn the left flank victory of the English in this state of the action Townsend was informed that the command had devolved on him proceeding instantly to the center he found that part of the army thrown into some disorder by the order of pursuit and his immediate efforts were employed in restoring the line scarcely was this effective when Monsieur de Bougainville who had been detached as high as Cape Rouge to prevent the landing above and who on hearing that the English had gained the planes of Abraham hastened to the assistance of non-com appeared in the rear at the head of 1500 men fortunately for the English the right wing of the French as well as their left and center had been entirely broken and driven off the field to battalions and two pieces of artillery being advanced towards Bougainville he retired and Townsend did not think it advisable to risk the important advantages already gained by pursuing this fresh body of troops through a difficult country in this decisive battle nearly equal numbers appear to have been engaged the English however possessed this immense advantage they were all veterans while not more than half the French were of the same description this circumstance would lead to an opinion that some motive not well explained must have induced non-com to hazard an action before he was assured of being joined by Bougainville the French regulars were almost entirely cut to pieces the loss of the English was not so considerable as the fierceness of the action would indicate the killed and wounded were less than 600 men but among the former was the commander-in-chief this gallant officer whose rare merit and lamented fate have presented a rich theme for Panagari to both the poet and historian received a ball in his wrist in the commencement of the action but wrapping a handkerchief around his arm he continued to encourage his troops soon afterwards he received a shot in the groin which he also concealed and was advancing at the head of the grenadiers when a third bullet pierced his breast though expiring it was with reluctance he permitted himself to be carried into the rear where he displayed in the agonies of death the most anxious solicitude concerning the fate of the day being told that the enemy was visibly broke he reclined his head from extreme faintness on the arm of an officer standing near him but was soon roused with a distant cry of they fly, they fly who fly? exclaimed the dying hero on being answered the French then he said I depart content and almost immediately expired a death more glorious as Mr. Belcham and attended with circumstances more picturesque and interesting is nowhere to be found in the annals of history the less fortunate but not less gallant Montcom expired on the same day the same love of glory and the same fearlessness of death which so remarkably distinguished the British hero were equally conspicuous in his competitor for victory and for fame he expressed the highest satisfaction hearing that his wound was mortal and when told that he could survive only a few hours quickly replied so much the better I shall not then live to see the surrender of Quebec Quebec capitulates the first days after the action were employed by General Townsend and making preparations for the siege of Quebec but before his batteries were opened the town capitulated on condition that the inhabitants should during the war be protected in the three exercise of their religion and the full enjoyment of their civil rights leaving their future destinies to be decided by the Treaty of Peace Quebec was garrisoned by about 5,000 English under the command of General Murray and the fleet sailed from the Saint Lawrence the English minister aware of the importance of completing the work thus fortunately begun was not of a temper to relax his exertions his letters to the governors of the several colonies contained declarations of his intention to employ a strong military force for the ensuing year and exhortations to them to continue their efforts for the annihilation of the French power in Canada these exhortations were accompanied with assurances that he would again apply to parliament to reimburse their future extraordinary expenses and were productive of the desired effect the several assemblies voted the same number of troops and amount of supplies as have been furnished the preceding year in the meantime the governor of New France and the general of the army made great exertions to retrieve their affairs and to avert the ruin which threatened them the remaining European troops were collected about Montreal where they were reinforced with 6,000 militia and a body of Indians Monsieur de la vie on whom the command had devolved determined to attempt the recovery of Quebec before the opening of the Saint Lawrence should enable the English to reinforce the garrison and to afford it the protection of their fleet but the outpost being found too strong to admit of his carrying the place by a coup d'état he was under the necessity of postponing the execution of this design until the upper part of the Saint Lawrence should open and afford a transportation by water for his artillery and military stores 1760 in the month of April these were embarked at Montreal under convoy of six frigates which sailing down the Saint Lawrence while the army marched by land reach plan au trombe in 10 days to avoid the hardships and dangers of a siege in a town too extensive to be defended by his sickly garrison and inhabited by persons known to be hostile Murray took the bold resolution of hazarding a battle having formed this determination he let out his garrison to the heights of Abraham battle near ciliary and attack the French near ciliary he was received with unexpected firmness and perceiving that his utmost efforts could make no impression he called off his army and retired into the city in this fierce encounter the English loss amounted to near 1000 men and they represent that of the French to have been not less considerable Quebec besieged Monsieur de Levy improved his victory to the utmost his trenches were open before the town on the same evening but such was the difficulty of bringing up his heavy artillery that near a fortnight he lapsed before he could mount his batteries and bring his guns to bear on the city the batteries had been open but a few days when the garrison was relieved from its perilous situation by the arrival of a British fleet Quebec being secured Monsieur de Levy raised the siege and retired to Montreal during these transactions General Ham Hirst was taking measures for the annihilation of the remnant of French power in Canada he determined to employ the immense force under his command for the accomplishment of this object and made arrangements during the winter to bring the armies from Quebec Lake Champlain and Lake Ontario to act against Montreal their preparations being completed the commander in chief march at the head upwards of 10,000 British and provincials from the frontiers of New York to Oswego where he was joined by Sir William Johnson with 1000 Indians he embarked his army at that place and proceeded down the Saint Lawrence to Montreal Murray who had been directed to advance up the river to the same point with as many minutes could be spared from Quebec appeared below the town on the very day that Anne Hirst approached it from above the two generals found no difficulty in disembarking their troops and the whole plan of co-operation had been so well concerted that in a short time they were joined by Colonel Havilland with the detachment from Crown Point Montreal capitulates the junction of these armies presenting before Montreal a force not to be resisted the governor offered to capitulate in the month of September Montreal and all other places within the government of Canada then remaining in the possession of France were surrendered to his Britannic Majesty the troops were to be transported to France and the Canadians to be protected in their property and the full enjoyment of their religion that colossal power which France had been long erecting in America with vast labor and expense which had been the motive of one of the most extensive and desolating wars of modern times was thus entirely overthrown the causes of this interesting event are to be found in the superior wealth and population of the colonies of England and in her immense naval strength and advantage in distant war not to be counterbalanced by the numbers that discipline the courage and the military talents which may be combined in the armies of an inferior maritime power the death of Wolf on the plains of Abraham from the painting by Benjamin West in the capital of Ottawa Canada surrounded by his devoted officers General James Wolf died in the hour of victory over the French General Moncombe in which the English captured Quebec September 13, 1759 and decided the destiny of North American civilization General Wolf lived to hear the cry they run and expired with the words now God be praised I will die in peace in the canvas painted in 1771 West departed from the venerated custom of clothing pictorial characters in Greek or Roman costume Sir Joshua Reynolds who had endeavored to dissuade him later said I retract my objections I force see that this picture will not only become one of the most popular but will occasion a revolution in art the joy diffused throughout the British dominions by this splendid conquest was mingled with a proud sense of superiority which did not estimate with exact justice the relative means employed by the belligerents and no part of those dominions was this joy felt in a higher degree or with more reason than in America in that region the wars between France and England had assumed a form happily unknown to other parts of the civilized world not confined as in Europe to men and arms women and children were its common victims it had been carried by the savage to the far side of the peaceful peasant where the tomahawk and scalping knife were applied indiscriminately to every age and to either sex the hope was now fondly indulged that these scenes at least in the northern and middle colonies were closed forever the colonies of South Carolina and Georgia had been entirely exempted from the sharp conflicts of the north France having been unable to draw Spain into the war their neighbors in Florida remain quiet and the Indians on their immediate frontiers were in the English interest as the prospect of establishing peace in the north seemed to brighten this state of repose in the south sustained a short interruption when the garrison of Fort Duquesne retired down the Ohio into Louisiana the French employed their address in the management of Indians to draw the Cherokees from their alliance with Great Britain their negotiations with these savages were favored by the irritations given to their warriors in Virginia where they had been employed against the French and the Indians in the French interests their ill humor began to show itself in 1759 upon its first appearance Governor Littleton prepared to march into their country at the head of a respectable military force alarmed at these hospital appearances they dispatched 32 of their chiefs to Charleston for the purpose of deprecating the vengeance with which their nation was threatened their pacific representations did not arrest the expedition the governor not only persisted in the enterprise but under the pretext of securing a safe return of the Indian messengers took them into the train of his army where they were in reality confined as prisoners to add to this indignity they were when arrived at the place of destination shut up together in a single hut notwithstanding the irritation exited by this conduct a treaty was concluded in which it was agreed that the chiefs detained by the governor should remain with him as hostages until an equal number of those who had committed murder on the frontiers should be delivered in exchange for them and that in the meantime the Indians should seize and deliver up every white or red man coming into their country who should endeavor to excite them to war against the English after making this accommodation the governor returned to Charleston leaving his hostages prisoners in Fort Prince George scarcely had the army retired when the chair keys began to contrive plans for the relief of their chiefs in an attempt to execute these plans they killed the captain of the fort and wounded two officers orders were immediately given to put the hostages in irons and indignity so resented by these fear savages that the first persons who attempted to execute the orders were stabbed the soldiers enraged at this resistance fell on the hostages amassed for them were with the southern Indians inflamed to madness by this event the whole nation flew to arms and according to their established mode of warfare wreaked their fury on the inhabitants of the country in indiscriminate murder Mr. Bull on whom the government of the province had devolved represented the distresses of South Carolina in such strong terms to general and Hearst that Colonel Montgomery was ordered into that colony with a detachment of regular troops he arrived in April but as all the forces would be required in the north in order to complete the conquest of Canada he was directed to strike a sudden blow and to return to New York in time for the expedition against Montreal that most exertions were made by the colony in aid of Colonel Montgomery and he entered to the Cherokee country with all the forces that could be collected their lower towns were destroyed battle near Echo but near the village of Echo the first of their middle settlements in an almost impenetrable wood he was met by a large body of savages and a severe action ensued the English claimed the victory but without much reason they were so roughly handled that Colonel Montgomery withdrew his army and retired to Fort Prince George at which place he prepared to embark for New York the consternation of the province was the greater as serious fears were entertained that the Creeks and Choctaws might be induced by the French to join the Cherokees Colonel Montgomery was pressed in the most earnest manner not to leave the province and was with difficult to be availed on to permit four companies to remain while with the main body of his detachment he returned to New York 1761 meanwhile the war continued to rage the savages surrounded Fort Loudon and the garrison the mounting to 400 men was compelled by famine to surrender on condition of being permitted to march into the settlements the Indians who regard conventions no longer then they are useful attack the garrison on its march killed a number and made the residue prisoners Carolina again applied to General Amherst for assistance who having completed the conquest of Canada had leisure to attend to the seven colonies late in May a strong detachment commanded by Colonel Grant arrived at Fort Prince George and the colony raised a body of provincials and the friendly Indians to join him early in June he marched for the Cherokee towns near the place where the action had been fought the preceding year by Montgomery the Indians again assembled in force and gave battle in defense of their country the action commenced about eight in the morning and was maintained the spirit until 11 when the Cherokees began to give way they were pursued for two or three hours after which Grant marched to the adjacent village of Ajo which he reduced to ashes Indians defeated all the towns of the middle settlement share the same fate their houses and cornfields were destroyed and the whole country laid waste reduced to extremity they sued sincerely for peace and in the course of the summer the war was terminated by a treaty it was not in America only that the bigger presiding in the councils of Britain Shedluster on the British arms splendid conquests were also made in Asia and Africa and in Europe per aides of men and money enabled the greatest monarch of his age to surmount difficulties which only Frederick and Mr. Pitt could have dared to encounter 1762 Ed Link, Spain alarmed at the increase of British power in America and apprehensive for the safety of our own dominions determined to take part against Great Britain and early in the year 1762 the two crowns declared war against each other it was prosecuted on the part of Great Britain was signaled success and in the course of the year Martinique Granada Saint Lechia Saint Vincent and all that carried be islands were arrested from France and the very important city of Havana which in a great degree commands the Gulf of Mexico was taken from Spain the course of conquest which no force in possession of France in Spain seemed capable of checking while any of their distant possessions remained to be subdued was arrested by preliminary articles of peace signed at Paris by this treaty his Christian majesty ceded to Britain all the conquest made by that power on the continent of North America together with the river and port of Mobile and all the territory to which France was entitled on the left bank of the Mississippi reserving only the island of New Orleans and it was agreed that for the future the confines between the dominions of the two crowns in that court of the world should be irrevocably fixed by a line drawn along the middle of the Mississippi from its source as far as the river Iberville and then spied a line drawn along the middle of that river and of the lakes Maripá and port Chartran Havana was exchanged with Spain for the Florida's by establishing these great natural boundaries to the British Empire North America all causes a future contest respecting that continent with any potent date of Europe were supposed to be removed into chapter 12 chapter 13 of the life of Washington volume one by John Marshall this LibriVox recording is in the public domain chapter 13 opinions on the supremacy of parliament and its right to tax the colonies the stamp act Congress in New York violence in the towns change of administration stamp act repealed opposition to the mutiny act act imposing duties on t etc resisted in America letters from the assembly of massachusetts to members of the administration petition to the king circular letter to the colonial assemblies letter from the Earl of Hillsborough assembly of massachusetts dissolved seizure of the sleep liberty convention at Vanuja Hall moderation of its proceedings to British regiments arrive at Boston resolutions of the House of Burgesses of Virginia assembly dissolved the members form an association general measures against importation general court convened in massachusetts its proceedings is parodd duties accept that on t repeal circular letter of the Earl of Hillsborough New York receives from the non importation agreement in part for example followed right in Boston proud and acquittal of captain Preston 1763 the attachment of the colonies to the mother country was never stronger than at the signature of the Treaty of Paris the union of that tract of country which extends from the Atlantic to the Mississippi and from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Pole was deemed a certain guarantee of future peace and ineffectual security against the return of those bloody scenes from which no condition in life could afford an exemption this state of things long and anxiously wished for by British America had at length been effected by the union of British and American arms the soldiers of the parents state and her colonies had cooperated in the same service their blood had mingled in the same planes and the object pursued was common to both people while the British nation was endeared to the Americans by this community of danger and identity of interest the brilliant achievements of the war had exalted to enthusiasm their admiration of British valor they were proud of the land of their ancestors and gloried in their descent from Englishman but this sentiment was not confined to the military character of the nation while the excellence of the English constitution was a rich theme of declination every colonist believed himself entitled to its advantages nor could he admit that by crossing the Atlantic his ancestors had relinquished the essential rights of British subjects the degree of authority which might rightfully be exercised by the mother country over her colonies had never been accurately defined in Britain it had always been asserted that parliament possessed the power of binding them in all cases whatever in America at different times and in different provinces different opinions have been entertained on this subject in New England originally settled by Republicans habits of independence and nourished the theory that the colonial assemblies possessed every legislative power not surrendered by compact that the Americans were subjects of the British ground but not of the nation and were bound by no laws to which their representatives had not assented from this high ground they had been compelled reluctantly to recede the judges being generally appointed by the governors with the advice of council had determined that the colonies were bound by acts of parliament which concerned them in which were expressed the extended to them and the general court of Massachusetts had on a late occasion explicitly recognized the same principle this had probably become the opinion of many of the best informed men of the province but the doctrine seems still to have been extensively maintained that acts of parliament possessed only an external obligation that they might regulate commerce but not the internal affairs of the colonies in the year 1692 the general court of Massachusetts passed an act denying the right of any other legislature to impose any tax whatever on the colony and also asserting those principles of national liberty which are found in Magna Carter not long afterwards the legislature of New York probably with a view only to the authority claimed by the governor passed an act in which its own supremacy not only in matters of taxation but of general legislation is expressly affirmed for these acts however were disapproved in England and the parliament asserted its authority in 1696 by declaring that all laws by laws usages and customs which shall be in practice in any of the plantations for pugnant do any law made to or to be made in this kingdom relative to the said plantations shall be void and of none effect and three years afterwards an act was passed for the trial of pirates in America in which it is to be found the following extraordinary clause be it further declared that if any of the governors or any person or persons in authority there shall refuse to yield obedience to this act such refusal is hereby declared to be a forfeiture of all and every sick the chart is granted for government and propriety of such plantations the English statute book furnishes many instances in which the legislative power of parliament over the colonies was extended to regulations completely internal and it is not recollected that their authority was in any case openly controversial in the middle and southern provinces no question respecting the supremacy of parliament in matters of general legislation ever existed the authority of such acts of internal regulation as were made for America as well as those for the regulation of commerce even by the imposition of duties provided those duties were imposed for the purpose of regulation had been at all times admitted but these colonies however they might acknowledge the supremacy of parliament in other respects denied the right of that body to tax them internally their submission to the act for establishing a general post office which raised revenue on the carriage of letters was not thought a dereliction of this principle because that regulation was not considered as a tax but as a compensation for a service rendered which every person might accept or decline and all the duties on trade were understood to be imposed rather with the view to prevent foreign commerce than to raise the revenue perhaps the legality of such acts was the last question because they were not rigorously executed and their violation was sometimes designedly overlooked our scheme for taxing the colonies by authority of parliament had been formed so early as the year of 1739 and recommended to government by a club of American merchants at whose head was Sir William Keith Governor of Pennsylvania in this scheme it was proposed to raise a body of regulars to be stationed along the western frontier of the British settlements for the protection of the Indian traders the expense of which establishment was to be paid with monies arising from a duty on stamp paper and parchment in all the colonies this plan however was not countenance by those in power and seems never to have been seriously taken up by the government until the year 1754 the attention of that minister was then turned to a plan of taxation by authority of parliament and it will be recollected that our system was devised and recommended by him as a substitute for the Articles of Union proposed by the convention at Albany the temper and opinion of the colonists and the impolicy of irritating them at a crisis which required all the exertions they were capable of making suspended this delicate and dangerous measure but it seems not to have been totally abandoned of the right of parliament as the supreme legislator of the nation to tax as well as govern the colonies those who guided the councils of Britain seem not to have entertained the doubt and the language of men in power on more than one occasion through the war indicated a disposition to put this right in practice when the termination of hostilities should render the experiment less dangerous the failure of some of the colonies especially those in which a proprietary government was established to furnish in time the aids required of them contributed to foster this disposition this opposition of opinion on our subject the most interesting to the human heart was about to produce a system of measures which tore asunder all the bonds of relationship and affection that had subsisted for ages and planted almost inextinguishable hatred in bosoms where the warmest friendship had long been cultivated 1764 the unexampled expenses of the war required a great addition to the regular taxes of the nation considerable difficulty was found in searching out new sources of revenue and great opposition was made to every tax proposed thus embarrassed administration directed its attention to the continent of North America the system which had been laid aside was renewed and on the motion of Mr. Grenville first commissioner of the treasury a resolution passed without much debate declaring that it would be proper to impose certain stamp duties in the colonies and plantations for the purpose of raising a revenue in America payable into the British exchequer this resolution was not carried into immediate effect and was but only declaratory of an intention to be executed the ensuing year other resolutions were passed at the same time laying new duties on the trade of the colonies which being in the form of commercial regulations were not generally contested on the ground of right though imposed expressly for the purpose of raising revenue great disgust however was produced by the increase of the duties by the new regulations which were made and by the manner in which those regulations were to be executed the gainful commerce long carried on planned destiny with the French and Spanish colonies in the progress of which an evasion of the duties imposed by law had been overlooked by the government was to be rigorously suppressed by taxes amounting to a prohibition of fair trade and their exact collection was to be enforced but measures not much less offensive than themselves then on account of the object to be affected completely to prevent smuggling all the officers in the sea service who were on the American station were converted into revenue officers and directed to take the custom house owes many vexatious seizures were made for which no redress could be obtained but in England the penalties and forfeitures too accruing under the act as if the usual tribunals could not be trusted were made recoverable in any court of vice admiralty in the colonies it will be readily conceived how odious a law made to effect an odious object must have been rendered by such provisions as these 1765 the resolution concerning the duties on stamps excited a great and general ferment in America the right of parliament to impose taxes on the colonies for the purpose of raising a revenue became the subject of universal conversation and was almost universally denied petitions to the king and memorials to both houses of parliament against the measure were transmitted by several of the provincial assemblies to the board of trade in England to be presented to his majesty immediately and to parliament when that body should be convened the house of representatives of massacres has instructed their agent to use his utmost endeavors to prevent the passage of the stamp act or any other act levying taxes or impositions of any kind on the American provinces a committee was appointed to act in the recess of the general court with instructions to correspond with the legislatures of the several colonies to communicate to them the instructions given to the agent of massacres and to solicit their concurrence in similar measures these legislative proceedings were in many places seconded by associations entered into by individuals for diminishing the use of British manufacturers the administration perceiving the opposition to be encountered by adhering to the vote of the preceding session informed the agents of the colonies in London that if they would propose any other mode of raising the sum required their proposition would be accepted and the stamp duty laid aside the agents replied that they were not authorized to propose any substitute but were ordered to oppose the bill when it should be brought into the house by petitions questioning the right of parliament to tax the colonies this reply placed the controversy on ground which admitted of no compromise determined to persevere in the system he had adopted and believing successful resistance to be impossible Mr. Grenville brought into parliament his celebrated act for imposing stamp duties in America and it passed both houses by great majorities but not without animated debate so little weight does the human mind allow to the most conclusive arguments when directed against the existence of power in ourselves that general Conway is said to have stood alone in denying the right claimed by parliament this act excited serious alarm throughout the colonies it was sincerely believed to wound vitally the constitution of the country and to destroy the most sacred principles of liberty combinations against its execution were formed and the utmost exertions were used to diffuse among the people a knowledge of the pernicious consequences which must flow from admitting that the colonists could be taxed by a legislature in which they were not represented the assembly of Virginia was in session when the intelligence was received and by a small majority passed several resolutions introduced by Mr. Henry and seconded by Mr. Johnson one of which asserts the exclusive right of that assembly to lay taxes and impositions on the inhabitants of that colony on the passage of these resolutions the governor dissolved the assembly and rits for new elections were issued in almost every instance the members who had voted in favor of the resolutions were re-elected while those who had voted against them were generally excluded the legislatures of several other colonies passed resolutions similar to those of Virginia the House of Representatives of Massachusetts contemplating a still more solemn and effectual expression of the general sentiment recommended a Congress of deputies from all the colonial assemblies to meet in New York the first Monday in October circular letters communicating this recommendation were addressed to the respective assemblies wherever they were in session New Hampshire alone although concurring in the general opposition declined sending members to the Congress and the legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina were not in session in the meantime the press teamed with the most animating exhortations to the people to unite in defense of their liberty and property and the stamp officers were almost universally compelled to resign Congress at New York at the time appointed the commissioners from the assemblies of Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New York New Jersey Pennsylvania the three lower counties on the Delaware Maryland and South Carolina assembled at New York neving Joe's and Timothy Ruggles of Massachusetts their chairman proceeded on the important objects for which they had convened the first measure of Congress was a declaration of the rights and grievances of the colonists this paper asserts their title to all the rights and liberties of natural born subjects within the Kingdom of Great Britain among the most essential of which are the exclusive power to tax themselves and the trial by jury the act granting certain stamp and other duties in the British colonies was placed first on the list of grievances its direct tendency they said was by taxing the colonists without their consent and by extending the jurisdiction of courts of Admiralty to subvert their rights and liberties they also addressed the petition to the King and a memorial to each house of parliament these papers were drawn with temperate firmness they expressed unequivocally the attachment of the colonists to the mother country and assert the rights they claim in the earnest language of conviction having in addition to these measures recommended to the several colonies to appoint special agents with instructions to unite their utmost endeavors in soliciting a redress of grievances and directed their clerk to make out a copy of their proceedings for each colony Congress adjourned to interest the people of England against the measures of administration associations were formed for the encouragement of domestic manufacturers and against the use of those imported from Great Britain to increase their quantity of wool the colonists determined to kill no lambs and to use all the means in their power to multiply their flocks of sheep to avoid the use of stamps proceedings in the courts of justice were suspended and a settlement of all controversies by arbitration was strongly recommended violence in the large towns while this determined and systematic opposition was made by the thinking part of the community some rioters and disorderly meetings took place especially in the large towns which threatened serious consequences many houses were destroyed much property injured and several persons highly respectable in character and station were grossly abused while these transactions were passing in America causes entirely unconnected with the affairs of the colonies produced a total revolution in the British cabinet the Grenville party was succeeded by an administration unfriendly to the plan for taxing the colonies without their consent General Conway one of the principal secretaries of state addressed a circular letter to the several governors in which he centered in mild terms the violent measures that had been adopted and recommended to them while they maintained the dignity of the crown and the parliament to observe a temperate and conciliatory conduct towards the colonies and to endeavor by persuasive means to restore the public peace 1766 parliament was opened by a speech from the throne in which his majesty declared his firm confidence in their wisdom and zeal which would he doubted not guide them to such sound and prudent resolutions as might tend at once to preserve the constitutional rights of the British legislature over the colonies and to restore to them that harmony and tranquility which had lately been interrupted by disorders of the most dangerous nature in the course of the debate in the House of Commons on the motion of the address Mr. Pitt in explicit terms condemned the act for collecting stamp duties in America and about the opinion that parliament had no right to tax the colonies he asserted at the same time the authority of that kingdom to be sovereign and supreme in every circumstance of government and legislation whatever he maintained the difficult proposition that taxation is no part of the governing or legislative power but that taxes are a voluntary gift and grant of the commons alone and concluded an eloquent speech by recommending to the House that the stamp act be repealed absolutely totally and immediately the opinions expressed by Mr. Pitt were warmly opposed by the late ministers Mr. Grendel said that the disturbances in America were grown to tumults and riots he doubted they boarded on open rebellion and if the doctrine he had heard that day should be confirmed he feared they would lose that name to take that of revolution the government over them being dissolved a revolution would take place in America he contended that taxation was a part of the sovereign power one branch of legislation and had been exercised over those who were not represented he could not comprehend the distinction between external and internal taxation and insisted that the colonies ought to bear a part of the burdens occasioned by a war for their defense stamp act repealed the existing administration however concurred in sentiment with Mr. Pitt and the act was repealed but its repealed was accompanied with a declaratory act asserting the right of Great Britain to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever the intelligence of this event was received in America with general manifestations of joy the assertion of the abstract principle of right gave many but little concern because they considered it merely as a salve for the wounded pride of the nation and believe competently that no future attempt would be made to reduce it to practice the highest honors were conferred on those parliamentary leaders who had exerted themselves to obtain a repeal of the act and in Virginia the House of Burgesses voted a statue to his majesty as an acknowledgement of their high sense of his attention to the rights and petitions of his people though all the colonies rejoiced at the repeal of the stamp act the same temper did not prevail in all of them in the commercial cities of the north the regulations of trade were nearly as odious as the stamp act itself political parties to have been formed and had assumed a bitterness in some of the colonies entirely unknown in others these dispositions were not long concealed the first measures of Massachusetts end of New York demonstrated that in them the reconciliation with the mother country was not cordial the letter of secretary Conway transmitting the repeal of the act imposing a duty on stamps enclosed also a resolution of parliament declaring that those persons who had suffered injuries in consequence of their assisting to execute that act ought to be compensated by the colony in which such injuries were sustained this was chiefly Massachusetts the resolution of parliament was laid before the general court of that province by Governor Bernard in a speech rather in the spirit of the late and the president administration rather calculated to irritate then assuage the angry passions that have been excited the house of representative resented his manner of addressing them and appeared more disposed to inquire into the rise and to compel those concerned in them to make indemnities then to compensate the sufferers out of the public purse but after a second session and some intimation that parliament would enforce its requisition an act of pardon to the offenders and of indemnity to the sufferers was passed that was rejected by the king because the colonial assembly had no power by their charter to pass an act of general pardon but at the instance of the crown in new york where general gauge was expected with a considerable body of troops a message was transmitted by the governor to the legislature desiring their compliance with an act of parliament called the mutiny act which required that the colony in which any of his majesty's forces might be stationed should provide barracks for them and necessaries in their quarters the legislature postponed the consideration of this message until the troops were actually arrived and then after a second message from the governor reluctantly and partially complied with the requisitions of the act at a subsequent session the governor brought the subject again before the assembly who determined that the act of parliament could be construed only to require that provision should be made for troops on a march and not while permanently stationed in the country the reason assigned for not furnishing the accommodations required by the governor implies the opinion that the act of parliament was rightfully obligatory and yet the requisitions of the mutiny act were unquestionably attacks and no essential distinction is perceived between the power of parliament to levy attacks by its own authority and to levy it through the medium of the colonial legislatures they having no right to refuse obedience to the act it is remarkable that such inaccurate ideas should still have prevailed concerning the controlling power of parliament over the colonies in england it was thought to manifest a very forebearing spirit that this instance of disobedience was punished with no positive penalties and that the ministers contended themselves with the law prohibiting the legislature of the province from passing any act until it should comply in every respect with the requisitions of parliament the persevering temper of massachusetts not having found its way to new york this measure produced the desired effect two companies of artillery driven into the port of boston by the stress of weather applied to the governor for supplies he laid the application before his council who advised that in pursuance of the act of parliament the supplies required should be furnished they were furnished and the money to procure them was drawn from the treasury by the authority of the executive 1767 on the meeting of the legislature the house of representatives expressed in pointed terms the distapprobation of the conduct of the governor particular umbrage was given by the expression in pursuance of an act of parliament after the repeal of the stand back they were surprised to find that this act equally odious and unconstitutional should remain enforced they lamented the entry of this reason for the advice of council the more as it was an unwarrantable and unconstitutional step which totally disabled them from testifying the same cheerfulness they had always shown in granting to his majesty of their free accord such aids as his service has from time to time required copies of these messages were transmitted by governor binard to the minister accompanied by letters not calculated to diminish the unpleasantness of the communication the idea of raising revenue in america was so highly favored in england especially by the landed interest that not even the influence of administration could have obtained a repeal of the stamp act on the naked principle of right few were hardy enough to question the supremacy of parliament and the act receding from the practical assertion of the power to tax the colonists deeply wounded the pride of the king and of the nation the temper discovered in some of the colonies was ill calculated to assuage the wound which this measure had inflicted on the hearty spirit of the country and is supposed to have contributed to the revival of a system which had been reluctant the abandon Charles Townsend chancellor of the checker said boastingly in the house of commons that he knew how to draw a revenue from the colonies without giving them a fence nester grandeur eagerly caught at the decoration and urged this minister to pledge himself to bring forward the measure at which he had hinted during the sickness and absence of Lord Chatham the cabinet had decided on introducing a bill for imposing certain duties on tea glass paper and painters colors and poured into the colonies from Great Britain and appropriating the money in the first instance to the salaries of the officers of government this bill was brought into parliament and passed almost without opposition the friends of America and England had distinguished them between internal and external taxation and the same distinction have been made in the colonies but the discussions originating in the stamp act while they diffused among the colonists a knowledge of their political rights had inspired also more accurate ideas respecting them these duties were plainly intended not to regulate commerce but to raise revenue which would be as certainly collected from the colonists as the duties on stamps could have been the principle of these two measures was the same many of the Americans were too intelligent to be misguided by the distinction between internal and external taxation or by the precedents quoted in support of the right for which parliament contended this measure was considered as establishing a precedent of taxation for the mere purpose of revenue which might afterwards be extended at the discretion of parliament and was spoken of as the entering wedge designed to make way for imposition too heavy to be born the appropriation of the money did not lessen the odium of the tax the colonists considered the dependence of the officers of government on the colonial legislature for their salaries as the best security for their attending to the interests and called to any of the affections of the provinces yet the opinion that this act was unconstitutional was not adopted so immediately or so generally as in the case of the stamp act many able political essays appeared in the papers demonstrating that it violated the principles of the english constitution and of english liberty before the conviction became general that the same principle which had before been successfully opposed was again approaching in a different form 1768 the general court of massachusetts perceiving plainly that the claim to tax america was revived and being determined to oppose it addressed an elaborate letter to denist barrett agent for the house of representatives detailing at great length and with much weight of argument all the objections to the late acts of parliament letters were also addressed to the Earl of Shelburne and general conway secretaries of state to the marquis of rockigan lord camden the Earl of Chatham and the lords commissioners of the treasury these letters while they breathe the spirit of ardent attachment to the british constitution and to the british nation manifest a perfect conviction that their complaints were just conclusive as the arguments they contained might have appeared to englishmen averaged by themselves in support of their own rights they had not much weight when used to disprove the existence of their authority over others the deep and solemn tone of conviction however conveyed in all these letters ought to have produced a certainty that the principles assumed in them have made a strong impression and would not be lightly abandoned it ought to have been foreseen that with such a people so determined the conflict must be stern and hazardous and it was well worth the estimate whether the object would compensate the means used to obtain it petitioned to the king the assembly also voted a petition to the king replete with professions of loyalty and attachment but stating inexplicit terms their sense of the acts against which they petitioned a proposition was next made for an address to the other colonies on the power claimed by parliament which after considerable debate was carried in the affirmative and a circular letter to the assemblies of the several provinces setting forth the proceedings of the house of representatives was prepared and adopted to rescue their measures from the imputation of systematic opposition to the British government the house without acknowledging the obligation of the mutiny act complied with the requisition of the governor to make a further provision for one of the kings garrisons within the province the governor soon afterwards pro-road the general court with an angry speech not calculated to diminish the resentments of the house directed against himself resentments occasioned as much by the haughtiness of his manners and a persuasion that he had misrepresented their conduct and opinions to ministers as by the unpopular course his station required him to pursue the circular letter of the house of representatives of massachusetts was well received in the other colonies they approved the measures which had been taken and readily united in them they too petitioned the king against the obnoxious acts of parliament and instructed their several agents to use all proper means to obtain their repeal virginia transmitted a statement of her proceedings to her sister colonies and her house of burgesses in a letter to massachusetts communicating the representation made to parliament say that they do not affect an independency of their parent kingdom the prosperity of which they are bound to the utmost of their abilities to promote but cheerfully acquiesced in the authority of parliament to make laws for the preserving unnecessary dependence and for regulating the trade of the colonies yet they cannot conceive and humbly insist it is not essential to support a proper relation between the mother country and colonies transplanted from her that she should have a right to raise money from them without their consent and presume they do not aspire to more than the right of british subjects when they assert that no power on earth has a right to impose taxes on the people or take the smallest portion of their property without their consent given by their representatives in parliament on the first intimation of the measures taken by massachusetts the earl of hillsboro who had been appointed to the newly created office of secretary of state for the department of the colonies addressed a circular to the several governors to be laid before the respective assemblies in which he treated the circular letter of massachusetts as being of the most dangerous tendency calculated to inflame the minds of his majesty's good subjects in the colonies to promote an unwarrantable combination to excite an open opposition to the authority of parliament and to subvert the true principles of the constitution his first object was to prevail on the several assemblies openly to censure the conduct of massachusetts is next to prevent their approving the proceedings of that colony the letter far from producing the desired effect rather serve to strengthen the determination of the colonies to unite in their endeavors to obtain a repeal of laws universally detested on manifesting this disposition the assemblies were generally dissolved probably in pursuance of instructions from the crown when the general court of massachusetts was again convened governor benard laid before the house of representatives an extract of a letter from the earl of reels burl in which after animate birding in harsh terms on the circular letter to the colonies he declared it to be the king's pleasure that the governor should require the house of representatives in his majesty's name to rescind the resolution on which the circular letter was founded and to declare their dis approbation of and dissent from that rash and hasty proceeding this message excited considerable agitation but the house without coming to any resolution on it requested the governor to lay before them the whole letter of the earl of hills burl and also copies of such letters as had been written by his excellency to that nobleman on the subject to which the message referred the copies were hardly refused but the residue of the letter from the earl of hills burl was laid before them that minister said if not withstanding the apprehensions which may justly be entertained of the ill consequence of our continuance of this factious sphere which seems to have influenced the resolutions of the assembly at the conclusion of the last session the new assembly should refuse to comply with his majesty's reasonable expectation it is the king's pleasure that you immediately dissolve them this subject being taken into consideration a letter to the earl was reported and agreed to by a majority of 93 to 13 in which they defended their circular letter in strong and manly but respectful terms and concluded with saying the house humbly rely on the royal clemency that to petition his majesty will not be deemed by him to be inconsistent with the respect to the British constitution as settled at the revolution by William the third and that to acquaint their fellow subjects involved in the same distress of their having so done in full hopes of success even if they had invited the union of all America in one joint supplication would not be discounted in spite their gracious sovereign as a measure of an inflammatory nature that when your lordship shall injustice lay a true state of these matters before his majesty he will no longer consider them as tending to create unwarrantable combinations or excited unjustifiable opposition to the constitutional authority of parliament that he will then truly discern who are of that desperate faction which is continually disturbing the public tranquility and that while his arm is extended for the protection of his distressed and injured subjects he will frown upon all those who to gratify their own passions have dared to attempt to deceive him legislature of Massachusetts dissolved a motion to rescind the resolution on which their circular letter was founded passed in the negative by a majority of 92 to 17 and a letter to the governor was prepared stating their motives for refusing to comply with the requisition of the Earl of Hillsborough immediately after receiving it he pro-robed the assembly with an angry speech and the next day dissolved it by proclamation while the opposition was thus conducted by the legislature with temperate firmness and legitimate means the general irritation occasionally displayed itself at Boston in acts of violence denoting evidently that the people of that place were prepared for much stronger measures than their representatives had adopted seizure of the sleep liberty the seizure of the sleep liberty belonging to Mr. Hancock by the collector of the customs occasioned the assemblage of a tumultuous mob who beat the officers and their assistance took possession of a boat belonging to the collector burnt it in triumph and patrol the streets for a considerable time the revenue officers fled for refuge first to the Romney man of war and afterwards to Castle William after the lapse of some time the governor moved the council to take into consideration some measure for restoring vigor and firmness to government the council replied that the disorders which happened were occasioned by the violent in unprecedented manner in which the sleep liberty had been seized by the officers of the customs and the inhabitants of Boston in a justificatory memorial supported by affidavits insisted that the late tumults were occasioned principally by the haughty conduct of the commissioners and their subordinate officers and by the illegal and offensive conduct of the Romney man of war the legislature however did not think proper decountance this act of violence a committee of both houses appointed to inquire into the state of the province made a report which after reprobating the circumstances attending the seizure to which the mob was ascribed declared their abhorrence about procedure which they pronounced criminal desired the governor to direct a prosecution against all persons concerned in the riot and to issue a proclamation offering a reward to any person who should make discoveries by which the rioters or their abetters should be brought to condemn punishment this report however seems to have been intended rather to save appearances than to produce any real effect it was perfectly understood that no person would dare to inform or even to appear as a witness in any prosecution which might be instituted suits were afterwards brought against Mr. Hancock and others owners of the vessel and cargo but they were never prosecuted to a final decision this riot accelerated a measure which tended in no inconsiderable degree to irritate still farther the angry dispositions already prevalent in Boston the governor had pressed on administration the necessity of stationing a military force in the province for the protection of the officers employed in collecting the revenue and of the magistrates in preserving the public peace in consequence of these representations orders had already been given to General Gage to detach at least one regiment on this service and to select for the command of it an officer on whose prudence resolution and integrity could rely the transactions respecting the sleep liberty rendered any attempt to produce a countermand of these orders entirely aborted and probably occasioned two regiments instead of one to be detached by General Gage it seems to have been supposed that a dissolution of the assembly of Massachusetts would dissolve also the opposition to the measures of administration and that the people having no longer constitutional leaders being no longer excited and conducted by their representatives would gradually become quiet and return to what was termed their duty to government but the opinions expressed by the House of Representatives were the opinions of the great body of the people and had been adopted with too much order to be readily suppressed the most active and energetic part of society had embraced them with enthusiasm and the dissolution of the assembly by creating a necessity for devising other expedience hastened the mode of conducting opposition at least as efficacious and afterwards universally adopted at a town meeting of the inhabitants of Boston a committee was deputed for the purpose of praying the governor to convene another general assembly he replied that no other could be convened until his majesty's commands to that effect should be received this answer being reported the meeting resolved that to levy money within the province by any other authority than that of the general court was a violation of the royal charter and of the undoubted natural rights of british subjects that the freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Boston would at the peril of their lives and fortunes take all legal and constitutional measures to defend all and singular the rights liberties privileges and immunities granted in their royal charter that as there was an apprehension in the minds of many of an approaching war with France those inhabitants who were not provided with arms should be requested duly to observe the laws of the province which required that every freeholder should furnish himself with a complete stand but the important resolution was that as the governor did not think proper to call a general court for the redress of their grievances the town would then make choice of a suitable number of persons to act for them as a committee in a convention to be held up for new york hall in boston with such as might be sent to join them from the several towns in the province these votes were communicated by the select men in a circular letter to the other towns in the province which were requested to concur and to elect committee men to meet those of boston in convention convention assembles in boston then the measure was generally adopted and a convention met which was regarded with all the respect that could have been paid to a legitimate assembly its moderation the country in general though united on the great constitutional question of taxation was probably not so highly exasperated as the people of boston and the convention acted with unexpected moderation they disclaimed all pretensions to any other character than that of mere individuals assembled by deputation from the towns to consult and advise on such measures as might tend to promote the peace of his majesty subjects in the province but without power to pass any acts possessing a coercive quality they petitioned the governor to assemble a general court and addressed a letter to the agent of the province in england stating the character in which they met and the motives which brought them together after expressing their opinions with temper and firmness on the subjects of general complaint and recommending patients in order to the people they dissolved themselves and returned to their respected homes two regiments arrived the day before the convention rose the two regiments which had been detached under convoy in nantasket road the council had rejected an application of the governor to provide quarters for them because the barracks in the castle were sufficient for their accommodation and by active parliament the british troops were not to be quartered elsewhere until those barracks were full general gage had directed one regiment to be stationed in boston but on hearing a report that the people were in a state of open revolt he gave additional orders which left the whole subject to the discretion of the commanding officer who was induced by some rash threats of opposing the disembarkation of the troops to land both regiments in that place the ship took a station which commanded the whole town and lay with their broadsides towards it ready to fire should any resistance be attempted the troops landed under cover of their cannon and marked into the common with loaded muskets and fixed bayonets a display of military pomp which was believed by the inhabitants to have been intended for the purpose either of intimidation or of irritation the select men as well as the council having refused to provide quarters for the troops the governor ordered the state house to be opened for their reception and they took possession of all the apartments in it except that which was reserved for the council the people were filled with indignation that seeing the chamber of their representatives crowded with regular soldiers their council is surrounded with foreign troops and their whole city exhibiting the appearance of a garrison town with a difference of manners between the soldiers and the inhabitants and the strong prejudices reciprocally felt against each other it is not wonderful that personal broils should frequently occur and that mutual antipathy should be still further increased while these measures were pursuing in America every session of parliament was opened with a speech from the king stating that as this position to refuse obedience to the laws and to resist the authority of the supreme legislature of the nation still prevailed among his misguided subjects in some of the colonies in the addresses to the throne both houses uniformly expressed the abhorrence of the rebellious spirit manifested in the colonies and their approbation of the measures taken by his majesty for the restoration of order and good government to give a more solemn expression to the sense of parliament on this subject the two houses entered into joint resolutions condemning the measures pursued by the Americans and agreed to an address approving the conduct of the crown giving assurances of effectual support to such further measures as might be found necessary to maintain the civil magistrates in a due execution of the laws within the province of mass at uces bay and beseeching his majesty to direct the governor of that colony to obtain and transmit information of all reasons committed in mass uces since the year 1767 with the names of the persons who had been most active in promoting such offenses that prosecutions might be instituted against them within the realm in pursuance of the statute of the 35th of Henry VIII 1769 the impression made by these threatening declarations would seem to have been directed particularly against mass uces in the hope of deterring the other provinces from involving themselves in her dangers was far from being favorable to the views of the mother country the determination to resist the exercise of the authority claimed by great britain not only remained unshaken but was manifested in a still more decided form not long after these votes of parliament the assembly of virginia was convened by lord batata a nobleman of conciliating manners who have lately been appointed governor of that province the house took the state of the colony into their immediate consideration resolutions of the house of burgesses of virginia and passed unanimously several resolutions asserting the exclusive right of that assembly to impose taxes on the inhabitants within his majesty's dominion of virginia and their undoubted right to petition for a redress of grievances and to obtain a concurrence of the other colonies in such petitions that all persons charged with the commission of any offense within that colony were entitled to a trial before the tribunals of that country according to the fixed and known course of proceeding therein and that to seize such persons and transport them beyond sea for trial derogated in a high degree from the rights of British subjects as thereby the inestimable privilege of being tried by a jury from the viscinage as well as the liberty of summoning and producing witnesses on such trial will be taken from the party accused an address to his majesty was also agreed on which states in the style of loyalty and real attachment to the crown the deep conviction of the House of Burgesses of Virginia that the complaints of the colonists were well founded assembly dissolved intelligence of these proceedings having reached the governor he suddenly dissolved the assembly this measure did not produce the desired effect the members convened at a private house and having chosen their speaker moderator proceeded to form a non-importing association which was signed by every person present and afterwards almost universally throughout the province from the commencement of the controversy the opinion seems to have prevailed in all the colonies for the most effectual means of succeeding in the struggle in which they were engaged for those which would interest the merchants and manufacturers of great Britain in their favor under the influence of this opinion associations have been proposed in Massachusetts as early as May 1765 for the non-importation of goods from that country the merchants of some of the trading towns and the other colonies especially those of Philadelphia refused at that time to concur in a measure which they thought too strong for the existing state of things and it was laid aside but in the beginning of August it was resumed in Boston and the merchants of that place entered into an agreement not to import from great Britain any articles whatever except a few of the first necessity between the first of January 1769 and the first of January 1770 and not to import tea, glass, paper or painter's colors until the duties imposed on those articles should be taken off this agreement was soon afterwards adopted in the town of Salem the city of New York and the province of Connecticut but was not generally entered into through the colonies until the resolutions and address of the two houses of parliament which have already been mentioned seemed to cut off the hope that petitions and memorials alone would affect the object for which they contended the proceedings of the house of Burgesses of Virginia have been transmitted to the speakers of several assemblies throughout the continent that measures against the importation of British goods in the opinion of the neighboring colonies the occasional required efficacious measures and an association similar to that which had been formed by their elder sister was entered into about Maryland and the Carolinas the inhabitants of Charleston went so far as to break off all connection with Rhode Island and Georgia which had refused to adopt the non-importation agreement this vigorous measure was not without its influence and those provinces soon afterwards entered into the association in Portsmouth in New Hampshire where governor Wentworth possessed great influence some repugnance to this measure was also discovered but being threatened with a suspension of their intercourse with the other colonies the merchants of that place concurred in the general system all united in giving effect to this agreement the utmost exertions were used to improve the manufacturers of the country and the fair sex laying aside the late pastoral ornaments of England exalted with patriotic pride in appearing dressed in the produce of their own looms committees chosen by the people superintended importations and the force of public opinion went far to secure the agreement from violation general court in massachusetts the necessities of government requiring a supply of money the general court of massachusetts was again convened the members of the former house of representatives were generally reelected and brought with them the temper which had occasioned their dissolution instead of entering on the business for which they were called together they engaged in a controversy with the governor concerning the removal of the ships of war from the harbor and of the troops from the town of boston to which they contended his power as the representative of the crown was adequate the governor ascribing this temper to the influence of the metropolis adjourned the general court to cambridge but this measure served to increase the existing irritation the business recommended to them remained unnoticed their altercations with the governor continued and they entered into several warm resolutions enlarging the catalog of their grievances in terms of greater exasperation than had appeared in the official acts of any legislature on the continent it is pro-robe not long after the passage of these resolutions the house explicitly refused to make the provision required by the mutiny act for the troops stationed in massachusetts upon which the legislature was pro-robed until the first of january the committees appointed to examine the cargoes of vessels arriving from great britain continued to execute the trust repose in them votes of censure were passed on such as refused to concur in the association are violated its principles and the names of the offenders were published as enemies to their country in some cases the goods imported in contravention of it were locked up in warehouses and in some few instances they were re-shipped to great britain not long after the strong resolutions already noticed have been agreed to by parliament while their effect was unfolding itself in every part of the american continent an important revolution took place in the british cabinet the duke of grafting was placed at the head of new administration he supported with great earnestness a proposition to repeal the duties imposed for the purpose of raising revenue in the colonies but his whole influence was insufficient to carry this measure completely administration resolved on a partial repeal of duties it was deemed indispensable to the maintenance of the legislative supremacy of great britain to retain the duty on some one article and that on t was reserved while the others were relinquished seldom has a wise nation adopted a more ill judged measure than this the contest with america was plainly a contest of principle and have been conducted entirely on principle by both parties the amount of taxes proposed to be raised was too inconsiderable to interest the people of either country but the principle was in the opinion of both of the utmost magnitude the measure now proposed while it encouraged the colonies to hope that their cause was gaining strength in britain had no tendency to conciliate them circular letter of the earl of hillsborough in pursuance of this resolution of the cabinet a circular letter was written by the earl of hillsborough to the several governors informing them that it was the intention of his majesty's ministers to propose in the next session of parliament taking off the duties on glass paper and painters colors in consideration of such duties having been laid contrary to the true spirit of commerce and assuring them that of no time had they entertained the design to propose to parliament to lay any further taxes on america for the purpose of raising a revenue this measure was soon communicated in letters from private individuals in england to their correspondents in massachusetts the merchants of boston apprehensive that an improper opinion concerning its operation might be formed resolved that the partial repeal of the duties did not remove the difficulties under which their trade labored and was only calculated to relieve the manufacturers of great britain and that they would still adhere to their non-importation agreement the communication of the earl of hillsborough to the several governors was laid before the respective assemblies as they convened in terms implying and an intention to renounce the imposition in future of any taxes in america but this communication seems not to have restored perfect content in any of the colonies the virginia legislature was in session on its arrival and governor batta laid it before them their dissatisfaction with it was manifested by a petition to the king reasserting the rights previously maintained and by an association signed by the members as individuals renewing their non-importation agreement until the duty on t should be repealed yet several causes combined to prevent a rigid observance of these associations the sacrifice of interest made by the merchants could be continued only under the influence of powerful motives suspicions were entertained of each other in the same towns and committees to superintend the conduct of importers were charged with gross partiality the different towns to watch each other with considerable jealousy and accusations were reciprocally made of infractions of the association to a great extent letters were published purporting to be from england stating that large orders for goods have been received and the inconvenience resulting from even a partial interruption of commerce and from the want of those manufacturers with the inhabitants have been accustomed to use to be severely and extensively felt in Rhode Island and albany it was determined to import as usual with the exception of such articles that should be dutyable on the remonstrances of other commercial places especially of boston these resolutions were changed and the hope was entertained that the general system on which the colonies rely would still be maintained new york with seeds in part from the non importation agreement these hopes were blasted by new york that city soon manifested a disposition to import as usual with the exception of those articles only which were subject to a duty at first the resolution thus to limit the operation of that non importation agreement was made to depend on as being exceeded to by boston and philadelphia these towns refused to depart from the association as originally formed and strenuously urged their brethren of new york to persevere with them in the glorious struggle this answer was communicated to the people and their opinion on the question of rescinding or adhering to was taken in from their respective wards this determination excited the most lively chagrin in new england and philadelphia their remonstrances against it were however ineffectual and the example was soon followed throughout the colonies the people of new york alleged in justification of themselves that the towns of new england had not observed their engagements fairly and that the merchants of albany have been in the practice of receiving goods from quabac but no sufficient evidence and support of these assertions was ever produced 1770 about this time a circumstance occurred which produced the most serious agitation the two regiments stationed in boston to support as was said the civil authority and preserve the peace of the town were viewed by the inhabitants with very prejudiced eyes march ride in boston frequent quarrels arose between them and at length and afraid took place in the night near the gates of the barracks which brought out captain preston the officer of the day with a part of the main guard between whom and the townsmen blows ensued on which some of the soldiers fired before the people were killed the alarm bells were immediately run the drums beat to arms and an immense multitude assembled inflamed to madness by the view of the dead bodies they were with difficulty was drained from rushing on the 29th regiment which was then drawn up under arms in king street the exertions of the lieutenant governor who promised that the law should be enforced on the perpetrators of the act and the efforts of several respectable and popular individuals prevented their proceeding to extremities and prevailed on them after the regiment had been marked to the barracks to disperse without further mischief Captain Preston and the soldiers who had fired were committed to prison for trial on the next day upwards of 4,000 citizens of Boston assembled at the New Year Hall and in a message to the lieutenant governor stated it to be the unanimous opinion of the meeting that the inhabitants and soldiers can no longer live together in safety then nothing can rationally be expected to restore the peace of the town and prevent further blood and carnage but the immediate removal of the troops and they therefore most reverently prayed his honor that his power and influence might be exerted for their instant removal the lieutenant governor expressed his extreme sorrow at the melancholy event which had occurred and declared that he had taken measures to have the affair inquired into and just as done that the military were not under his command but received their orders from the general at New York which orders it was not in his power to counter man that on the application of the council for the removal of the troops Colonel Dalrymple their commanding officer had engaged that the 29th regiment which had been concerned in the affair should be marched to the castle on their place in barracks until further orders should be received from the general and that the main guard should be removed and the 14th regiment laid under such restraints that all occasions of future disturbance should be prevented this answer was voted to be unsatisfactory and the committee was deputed to wait on the lieutenant governor and inform him that nothing could condemn them but an immediate and total removal of the troops this vote was laid before the council by Mr. Hutchinson who has succeeded Mr. Bernard in the government of the province the council declared themselves unanimously of opinion that it was absolutely necessary for his majesty's service the good order of the town and the peace of the province that the troops should be immediately removed out of the town of Boston this opinion and advice being communicated to Colonel Dalrymple he gave his honor that measure should be immediately taken for the removal of both regiments satisfied with this assurance the meeting secured the tranquility of the town by appointing a strong military watch and immediately dissolved itself this transaction is very differently related by the different parties Mr. Gordon whose history was written when the resentments of the moment had subsided and who has collected the facts of the case carefully states it in such a manner as nearly if not entirely to exculpate the soldiers it appears that an attack upon them had been pre-conserted and that after being long insulted with the grossest language they were repeatedly assaulted by the mob with balls of ice and snow and with sticks before they were induced to fire trial of captain Preston and the soldiers this representation was strongly supported by the circumstances the captain Preston after a long and public trial was acquitted by a Boston jury and that six of the eight soldiers who were prosecuted were acquitted and the remaining two found guilty of manslaughter only Mr. Quincy and Mr. John Adams two eminent lawyers and distinguished leaders of the patriotic party defended the accused without sustaining any diminution of popularity yet this event was very differently understood through the colonies it was generally believed to be a massacre equally barbarous and unprovoked and it increased the detestation in which the soldiers were universally held End of Chapter 13