Private Library —OF- GRANT THORNTON, NO ^2 .UN.VERGiry OF ILLINOIS LiBRABV AT URBANA c l^Sl TJEFENCE OF FORT SUMTEJR. POPULAR HISTORY OF TH? UNITED STATES. BT JOH]sr FEOST. CONTINUED TO THE INAUGURATION OF GBK GARFIELD, BY JOHN G. SHEA. ILLUSmATED. WABHINQTON AND LAPATBTTB. NEW YORK: HURST & CO., PUBLISHERS, NO. 122 NASSAU STREET. -ARGYLE PRESS, Printing and Bookbindinc J4 & 36 WC06TER ST., N. Y. CONTENTS. CHAPTER L DISCOVERT OF AMERICA. CoIumbuB, p. 13 — Portuguese Discoveries in Africa, 14^CvOlumbu8 m Spain, 15 — Columbus's Outfit, 17 — Landing of Columbus at SanSdvador 18— Veapucius, 19 — Fate of Columbus, 20. CHAPTER II. NORTH AMERICA DISCOVERED AND 8BTTLKD. The Continent discovered by the Cabots, p. 20 — French DiacoriBrieBy 81 — Cartier, 21 — Champlain, 22— -Quebec settled, 23. CHAPTER III. THB SPANIARDS TAKE POSSESSION OF FLORIDA. Ponce de Leon, p. 23 — Narvaez, 24 — Soto's Expedition, 26 — Soto hi Georgia and Alabama, 26— In Missouri, 27 — The French in Carolina, Massacre of the French in Florida, 29 — St. Augustine settled, 29. CHAPTER IV. ENGLAND ATTEMPTS TO COLONISE THE UNITED STATES. Drake, p. 31— Gilbert, 31--English in North Carohna, 32— First Settle- ment of Roanoke, 32 — Virginia Dare, 34 — Gosnold, 34 — Pring, Wey- mouth, 35. CHAPTER V. COLONISATION OF VIRGINIA. A Company lormed, p. 35 — First Charter of Virginia, 36 — Newpon sails, 38 — Settlement of Jamestown, 38 — Adventures of Captain Smith 39— The Gold Mania, 41— Second Charter, 42— Lord Delaware, 43— > Departure of Captain Smith, 44 — The Starving Time, 45 — Arrival of Lord Delaware, 46 — New Patent created, 47 — Marriage of Pocahontas, 47— Tobacco cultivated, 48— Tyranny of^ Argall, 49. CHAPTER VL VIRGINIA ACQUIRES CIVIL FREEDOM. Governor Yeardly arrives, p. 50 — First colonial Assembly, 50— The Vir- finians acquire Homes, 50 — Introduction of Slavery, 52 — ^The Indiana, 53 ^s^reat Massacre, 53. CHAPTER Vn. INDIAN WAR— DISSOLUTION OF THE LONDON COMPANY. The Great Maaaacre avenged, p. 55 — Dissolution of the London Company 16— Progress of civil freedom, 57 — Designs of Charles I., 58 —Indian War 3 4 CONTENTS. 69 — Episcopacy ettablishcd, 69 — Virginia adheres to Chailee I, 59--Ct|il' ♦iilatca U the Commonwealth, 60. CHAPTER VIII. VIRGINIA AFTER THE RESTORATION. The Restoration, p. 61 — Restrictions on Commerce, 61 — Discontent s the Virginians, 62 — Bacon's rebellion, 64 — Heroism of Berkeley, 66— War, 66 — Virginia retains her Freedom, 67 CHAPTER IX. SFTTLEMENT OF MARYLAND. Clavbome*8 Exploration, p. 67 — Sir George Calvert, 68 — Charter of Maryland, 68 — Settlement of St. Mary's, 70 — Claybome's Disturbance^ 70 — Maryland during the Civil War, 71. CHAPTER X. miST SETTLEMENT OF NEW ENGLAND. Raleigh Gilbert, p. 72 — Settlement on Kennebec river, 72 — Smith's Voyages to New England, 72 — The Plymouth Council, 72 — The Brownifto, 73 — Voyaffe of the Pilgrims, 73 — Landing, 77 — Massasoit, 80 — Exploit of 8tandish, 80 — ^Treachery of Pierce, 81. CHAPTER XI. PROGRESS OF THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES. Gorges and Mason's patent, p. 83 — Settlement of Maine, 83 — Of Salem Mid Charlestown, 84 — Of Boston, 85 — Banishment of Roger Williams, 86 — Arrival of Peter and Vane, 87 — Aristocracy rejected, 88— Connecticut settled, 89 — The Pequod War, 90. CHAPTER XII. THE COLONIES OF NEW ENGLAND UNITED Attempt to revoke the Charters, 92 — Persecution of the Puritans in Eng land. 93 — ^New England colonies united, 94 — Roger Williams's mission to England, 95-— Maine united with Massachusetts, 96 — Persecution of Quakers, 97. CHAPTER Xm. NEW ENGLAND AFTER THE RESTORATION. The Restoration announced, p. 98 — Arrival of the Regicides, 98 — The Kind's Letter, 99 — New Charter granted, 100 — Charters endangered, 101 — Kmg Philip's War, 101 — Administration of Andros, 103 — Revolution of 1688, 103 — Border Wars, 104— Controversy with the Crown, 106 — Capture of Louisbourg, 108 — Question of Boundaries, TO — State of the New Eng land Colonies in 1754, 111. CHAPTER XIV. COLONISATION OF NEW YORK. Heniy Hudson's Voyage, p. Ill — Settlement of New York, 111 — ArgaC, 112 — The New Netherlands, 112— Governor Stuyvesant, 113 — Cjlonel Nichols, 114 — New York acquires civil Freedom, 115 — The Five Nations, 117 — ^Jacob Leisler, 120 — Burning of Schenectady, 121 — Fall of Leisler, 122 — The Mohawk Warrior, 124 — Affair of Fletcher and Wadsworth, 124— Piracy — Captain Kidd, 126 — Lord Cornbury, 127— AdministiationsofHun Iw Burnet, 12»— Of Cosby, 128— Of Clinton, 129 CONtBIItl* 5 CHAPTER XV. COLOiriSATIOV OF FEW JSR8XT. fietUementfl of the Swedes and Dutch, p. 129 — ^New Jersey grantea ta Berkeley, and Carteret, 129 — Philip Carteret, 130 — ^AndroB, 131 — Bm» lington settled, 132 — ^New Jersey under James II, 133^Under William ■nd Mary, 133. CHAPTER XVI. coLOirisATioiir of delawabs. Tike Swedes at Cape Henlopen, p. 134 — The Dutch, 134 — Stuvreaant rS6-— Penn's purchase, 1 36-— Separation from Pennsylvania, 136« CHAPTER XVII. COLOiriSATION OF PENZ^STLYAITIA. William Penn, p. 136 — His Charter, 137 — Landing of Penn, 138 — Treatv With the Indians, 138 — Pennsylvania under William and Mary, 139 — Deatii of Penn, 141 — Franklin's Mission to London, 141. CHAPTER XVIIL COLONISATION OF NORTH CABOUNA. Heath's Patent, p. 142 — ^Albemarle Settlers, 142 — Culpepper's Inaur- cecUon, 144— Separation of the Carolinas, 145. CHAPTER XIX. COLONISATION OF SOUTH CABOUNA* Sayle's Settlement, p. 146 — Hostility of the Spaniards, 147 — Settlement af Charleston, 148— Sothel's Usurpation, 148— Abolition of Proprietary Ck>vemment, 160. CHAPTER XX. COLONISATION OF OSOBOIA. Charter, p. 161— Oglethorpe, 161- Whitefiield, 163 — Spanish Hoatilitlfla 63 — Invasion, 164 — Retirement of Oglethorpe, 166. CHAPTER XXI. COMMSNCEHENT OF THE OLD FRENCH WAB. Origin of the French War of 1764, p. 166 — The Ohio Comyany, 168 — Fort Du Qcesne built, 160 — Conquest of Nova Scotia, 160 — Braddoek^a Defeat, 161 — Victory of Colonel Johason, 163 — Campaign of 1766 164 — Campaign of 1767« 164. CHAPTER XXn. CONQUEST OF CANADA. Pitt's Ministry, p. 166 — Campaign of 1768, 166— General WoUb^ 167— rail of Quebec, 169 — ResulU of the Campaign of 1760, 170. CHAPTER XXIIL THE BEVOLirriOV. Scheme for Taxing the Colonies, p. 172 — The Stamp Act, 173^¥M Continental Congress, 174 — Repeal of the Stamp Act, 174 — ^New Taxes imposed, 176 — Opposition to the Taxes, 176 — Affair of the Sloop Liberty, 177 — British troops in Boston, "S — Boston Massacre, 180^ Butdunaon's Letters, 182- Destruction o. the Tea, 183— Boston Pod 6 CONTENTS. Bfll^ 185— PriMseedings of the ContinentaJ CongreM, 186— >ikppii>adli oi War, 188. CHAPTER XXIV. COMMESrCBMENT OF THE RETOLUTTONART WAB. Battle of Concord, p. 189 — Boston besieged, 193 — ^Ticonderoga and Crown Point taken, 194 — Battle of Breed's Hill, 196— Falmouth burnt, 198 CHAPTER XXV. EXPEDITION AGAINST CANADA. Invasion — ^Montreal taken, p. 201 — Escape of Governor Carlton, 201- Amold before Quebec, 202 — Montgomery before Quebec, 203 — Death of Montg'Dmery, 204 — Arnold's Operations, 204 — The Americans retreat, 205 —Operations in Upper Canada, 206. CHAPTER XXVI. CAMPAIGN OF 1776. Attack on Charleston, p. 208 — Defeat of the British, 210 — IiidiaTi War, 212— Declaration of Inclependence, 213 — Arrival of the British fit New York, 217 — Defeat on Long Island, 220 — Washington's Plan of Op»Tationi», 222-^Battle of White Plains, 222 — Retreat through the Jerseys, 223 — Washington appointed Dictator, 224 — Battle of Trenton, 226— battle of Princeton, 226 — Washington reconquers the Jerseys, 227. CHAPTER XXVII. CAMPAIGN OP 1777. The Confederation, p. 228 — American Pnvateers, 229 — La Fayette, 230 — The Prison Ships, 230 — Capture of General Prescott, 232 — Operations in New Jersey, 232 — Battle of the Brandywine, 233 — Battle of German town^ 234 — Battle of Redbank, 235 — Operations in the North, 236 — Loss of Ticonderoga, 238 — Advance of Burgoyne, 238 — Battle of Bennington, 240 — Fort Schuyler invested, 241 — Murder of Miss Macrea, 242 — Bur- |03me at Saratoga, 243 — Battles of Stillwater 244 — Burgoyne's Retreat, 244 — Surrender of Burgojme, 246 — The Army at Valley Forge, 246 CHAPTER XXVIII. CAMPAIGN OF 1778. Conciliatory Offers of England, p. 248 — Death of Chatham, 249 — General Ueed, 250 — Retreat of Barren Hill, 261 — Battle of Monmouth, 262 — Attempt to recover Rhode Island, 253 — Massacre at Wyoming, 264 — Defeat of Ge- neral Howe, 256— Loss of the Randolph, 265. CHAPTER XXIX. CAMPAIGN OF 1779. Virginia ravaged, p. 257 — Putnam's Ride, 267 — Storming of Stony Point, 258 — Operations in the South, 269 — Defeat of General Lincoln, 260 — General Prevost before Charleston, 261 — Siege of Savannah, 262 — Achieve- mentfl of Paul Jones, 263. CHAPTER XXX. CAMPAIGN OF 1780. War in the South, p. 265— Capitulation of Charleston, 266 — Condition of South Carolina, 267— Treachery of the British. 267 — Gates's March if the South, 268 — Battle of Camden, 270 — Proi eedmgs of ComwaUis, 273 - Battle of King's Mountain, 273 — General Gates superseded, 274 — Dia- sontents in the Army, 275 — The Army relieved and reinforced, 2'36— —Arrival of the French Fleet, 276— Arnold's Treason 277— Capture of Ifidi^, 278 — Mutiny in the American Camp, 280 OONTINM. t CHAPTER XXXI. CAMPAIGN OF 1781. General Greene in the South, p. 282 — Battle of Cowpens, 283 — Morg;an^i Retreat, 284— Greene's Retreat, 285— Battle of Guilford, 286— Greene inarches for South Carolina, 287 — Siege of Ninety-Six, 287— Battle of Eutaw Springs, 289 — Affair of Colonel Hayne, 289 — Cornwallis in Virginia, 890 — Arriyal of the French Fleet, 292 — Preparations for the Siege of New York, 292 — Washington marches South, 293 — Capture of Fort Griswold, 294 — Siege of Yorkiown, 294 — Surrender of Cornwallis, 297 — Its Effects, 298 — Lord North resigns, 299 — Treaty of Peace, 300 — Discontent of the Army, 301 — New York evacuated, 301— Retirement of Washington, 302 Character of the Revolutionary War, 304. CHAPTER XXXII. FOBMATIOIT OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITTTTIOH. State of the Country, p. 305 — Insurrections, 306 — Shay's Rebellion, 307 — Convention at Alexandria, 308 — Federal Convention, 309 — Federal Constitution, 310— Formation of Parties, 311 — Washington elected Pregi- dent, 312. CHAPTER XXXIII. WA<«HINGTON's ADMINISTRATIOlf. Washington receives notice of his Election, p. 312 — His Journey to New York, 313 — Proceedings of the first Congress, 316 — Washington's Tout through New England, 316— Debts of the States, 317— Indian War, 319— Defeat of General St. Clair, 320 — Washington re-elected President, 321— Citizen Genet, 322 — Insurrection in Pennsylvania, 323 — Jay's Treaty, 324 —Pacific Policy of Washington, 325 — Proceedings of the French Di- rectory, 326 — Washington's Retirement, 327 — His Character, 328. CHAPTER XXXIV. ADMIlflSTBATION OF JOHN ADAMS. Relations with France, p. 330 — Intrigues of Talle)nrand, 830 — Prepa- rations for War with France, 331 — Death of Washington, 332 — Election of Jefferson, 334. CHAPTER XXXV Jefferson's administration. Effects of Peace in Europe, p. 336— Acquisition of Louisiana, 337 — Wti with TripoK, 338 — Burr's Conspiracy, 340 — Depredations on Americao Commerce, 341 — Affair of the Chesapeake, 342 — Berlin and Milan Decreea. 343— Embargo, 344 — Retirement of Jefferson, 344. CHAPTER XXXVI. commencement 0? Madison's administration. Character of Madison, p. 345 — Repeal of the Embargo Law, 346 — Mil- iions of Erskine and Jackson, 346 — Affair of the Little Belt, 348 — Indian War — Battle of Tippecanoe, 349 — Henry's Mission, 349— War declaredi S50— Effects of the Declaration of War, 350. CHAPTER XXXVIL campai&n of 1812. Military Force of the Country, p. 352— The Navy, 352— General Hiili*i Expedition, 353 — Governor Brock's Proclamation, 354 — Surrender of €r«- oeral Hull, 355— General Smyth's Operations, 357 — Naval Victories, KB, 8 OOHTSIITt* CHAPTER XXXVIIL OAMPAiGN or 1813. Opeiations on the North Western Frontier, p. 361 — Siege of Fort Metgh, 362 — Capture of York, 363 — Attack on Sacketrs Harbour, 364— Operationi on the Niagara Frontier, 365— Expedition against Montreal, 366 — Battle of Chrystler's Fields, 366 — British Ravages on the Sea-coast, 367 — Sackiiic of Hampton, 368 — Affair of the hornet and Peacock, 369— Defence ot Fort Sandusky, 371 — Battle on Lake Erie, 372 — Battle of the Thames, 378 -Creek War, 374. CHAPTER XXXIX. CAMPAIGN OF 1814. Russian Offer of Mediation, p. 376 — Battle of Chippewa, 377 — Siege of Fort Erie, 378 — New York invaded, 379 — Battle on Lake Champlain, 379 — Flight of General Prevost, 380 — Arrival of the British in the Chesapeake. 383 — Capture of Washington City, 383 — Maryland invaded, 384 — Battle of Baltimore, 385 — Cctinecticut and Maine invaded, 386 — Hartford Conven- tion, 387 — The British expelled from Florida, 388 — Attack on New Orleans, 890 — Defeated, 392— Peace of Ghent, 393 — United States Bank Chartered, 894. CHAPTER XL. ▲DMIiriBTRATIOir OV JAMES MOITBOS. Relations with Florida and Spain, p. 394 — Amelia Island taken, 394— Seminole War, 395 — Acquisition of Florida, 395— Admission of Missonil into the Union, 396 — La Fayette's Visit — Vote of Congress respecting hii Services, 396. CHAPTER XLL ADMIiriSTRATIOW OF JOHBT aTOTCT ADAMS. Inaugural Address, 397 — La Fayette at Bunker's Hill, 398 — Indian Trea- ties, 39fr— Treaty with Denmark, 399 — Death of Jefferson and Adams, 399 —The Tariff, 399 CHAPTER XLII. ABMIiri STRATI Oir OP AISDRBW JACKSOIT. Commercial Treaty with Great Britain, 400 — Indian War, 401 — Tariff; 402 — Nullification, 402 — Compromise Bill, 403 — Bank Question, 403 — French War threatened, 404 — Florida War, 404 — Public Debt extinguished, 404. CHAPTER XLin. ADMINISTRATION OP MAETIN VAN BTJREN. Great financial distress, p. 406— The Sub-treasury, 407— The Florida War, 408 —Troubles in Canada, 409. CHAPTER XLIV. ADMINISTRATIONS OF HARRISON AND TYLER. Death of Harrison, p. 410— Tyler disagrees with Congress— The Caroline Affair, 411— The Ashburton and Chinese Treaties, 412— Annexation of Texas, 412. CONTEOTS. CHAPTER XLV. ADMINISTRATION OP JAMES K. POLK. The Mexican War, p. 414— Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, 415— Matamoras taken, 417— Capture of Monterey by Taylor, 419— Battle of Buena Vista, 421— Scott takes Vera Cruz, 425— Battle of Cerro Gordo, 426— Battle of Contreras, 428— Battles of Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec, 429— Capture of Mexico, 432— Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and Cession of California and New Mexico, 435. CHAPTER XLVI. ADMINISTRATION OF ZACHART TAYLOR. Admission of California, p. 437— Lopez Expedition to Cuba, 437. CHAPTER XLVn. ADMINISTRATION OP MILLARD PILLMORB. Lopez renews his Attempts, p. 438— Death of Henry Clay, 439. CHAPTER XLVm. i ADMINISTRATION OP FRANKLIN PIERCE. The Koszta AJQEair, p. 440— The Japan Expedition, 441— The Clayton-Bulwer T^atv. 442. CHAPTER XLIX. THE KANSAS DIFFICULTY. ' •aoubles as to the question of Slavery in the Territories, p. 443— Pierce's Proc- kmation, 446— Bill for admission of Kansas, 447. CHAPTER L. ADMINISTRATION OP FRANKLIN PIERCE (COncludcd). Indian War in Oregon and California, p. 449— Vigilance Committee in CalJ» fomia, 450. CHAPTER LT. ADMINISTRATION OP JAMES BUCHANAN. Kane's Arctic Expedition, p. 452— Walker's career in Central America, 452— Election of Abraham Lincoln— Secession of South Carolina and other States, 453. CHAPTER LH. ADMINISTRATION OP ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Attack on Fort Sumter, p. 454— President Lincoln calls for troops, 454— First battles of the war, 455— Defeat at Bull Run, 455 -The Trent Affair, 455— Naval operations against the South, 456— Issue of Paper Money, 456— Capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, 457— Battle of Pittsburg Landing, 457— The Monitor and Merrimac, 458— McClellan's Peninsula Campaign, 459 -Defeat of Pope, 459 —Battle of Antietam, 459— Burnside, 459— Bragnts ? I^hat is said of Champlain ? What was included in Aci»lia f • Bancroft THE SPANIARDS IN FLORIDA. 23 Annapolis now siande as the site of a settlement, to which he gave the name of Port Royal. De Monts settled on the island of St. Croix, at the mouth of the river of the same name, but afterward abandoned this situation and removed to Port Royal, which was the first permanent French settlement made in North America, (1605.) Three years afterwards (1608) Champlain, acting in the service of a private company of merchants, occupied the site of the city of Quebec by raising some cottages and clearing a few acres of land. He afterwards took a part in the Indian wars, sailed up the river Sorel, and explored the lake which now bears his name. To his enterprise and courage the French were indebted for their colonies in this country.* CHAPTER III. THE SPANIARDS TAKE POSSESSION OF FLORIDA. As the Spaniards had been the first nation to attempt the discovery of the New World, so they were the most enter- prising and adventurous in their endeavours to conquer and colonize its extensive and fertile countries. The history ol their warlike achievements in Mexico and Peru presents ex- amples of the most heroic bravery and perseverance, dark- ened by many shadows of avarice and injustice. The whole nation seems to have been fired with the spirit of foreign adventure, and the New World was the grand theatre for its display. Previous to the expeditions of Cortes and Pizarro, Florida had been discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon. This adven- turer had accompanied Columbus in his second voyage ; and afterwards had been successively appointed governor of the eastern province of Hispaniola, and of Porto Rico. Wher he had been displaced from the government of the lattei island, in consequence of the paramount claims of Colum- bus's family, he fitted out an expedition with the romantio Where was the first permanent French settlement in North Ame- rica made * When f By whom ? When was Quebec settled f Who were the earliest European set- tlers in the Nev World ? Who was Juan Ponce de Leon ? Where had ne served ? Under what leader ? For what purpose did he fit out ai expedition ? • BaiicrofL 24 DISCOVER/ OF tLORlDA. design of scarcliingfor a country in which, according .c inforiD ation received from the Caribs, there was a fountain whose waters imparted to those who bathed in them the gift of per- petual youth. Having sailed about among the Bali^ma« and touched at several of them, in pursuit of this fairy land, he at length, (March 27, 1512,) came in sight of the continent. As this discovery was made on Easter Sunday, which the Spaniards call Pascua Florida, the land was called Floirida Its verdant forests and magnificent flowering aloes ni'iy have afforded another reason for assigning it this name. It was not till the 8th of April that he was able to effect a landmg in the latitude of thirty degrees and eight minutes, a little to the north of St. Augustine. He claimed the territory for Spain, remained some weeks exploring the coast, and then returned to Porto Rico, leaving a part of his company ill the newly discovered country. The King of Spain rewarded him with the government of Florida, on condition that he should conquer and colonise it. This he attempted in 1521, but was resisted with great fury by the Indians, who killed many of his followers, drove the survivors to their ships, and compelled him to relinquish the enterprise. Ponce de Leon himself was wounded with am arrow, and died shortly after his return to Cuba. In 1510, the southern coast of the United States w^as par- tially explored by Grijalva; and in 1520, Lucas Vasques de Ayllon fitted out two slave ships, from St. Domingo, visited he coast of South Carolina, then called Chicora, discovered the Combahee river, to which the name of the Jordan was given; and finally, having decoyed a large number of the Indians on board his ships, set sail with them for St. Do- mingo, leaving behind the most determined purpose of revenge among the injured natives. His sovereign rewarded this atrocious enterprise by ap- pointing Ayllon to the conquest of Chicora. In attempting this, he lost one of his ships and a great number of his men ; who were killed by the natives in revenge for former wrongs He was fini^Uy compelled to relinquish his undertaking. In 1526, Pampfeilo ue Narvaez, the ctsae T^^J^et who had ^at country did he discover ? What was the origin of its naine ? ^Vte did he land ^ Wot whom did he claim the country ? On what condition was he made gover- nor f What prevented his retaining the conn try i What was his fate ? What was done by Grijalva ? When I By Ayllon •» When ? ^©"35 Vie, he rewarded ? Wai i Ms success ? What was attempted by lb«rTaaif Wh«n? FERDINAND DE SOTO. 25 been sent by Velasquez to supersede Cortes in M«xicc, attempted the conquest of Florida. This expedition wat signally disastrous. The Spaniards landed near Appal achee bay, marched into the interior, and spent six months, m various hardships and conflicts with the Indians, and at lasi found their way back to the sea shore, somewhere near th« bay of Persacola. Here they fitted out boats, and embark- ing weie ^jhip wrecked near the mouth of the Mississippi, Only four or five out of three hundred reached Mexico to tell the story of their disasters. These men gave such flattering accounts X)f the riches of the country, that their fiuflferings by no means deterred others from attempting its subjugation. The wanderings of the few survivors across the continent froni one ocean to the other is one of the most interesting episodes in our early history, and one of them, Cabeza de Vaca, has left a quaint account Their long journey lasted eight years. On the way they visited the Indians on the Rio Grande, whom we now call Pueblos, and when after reaching his countrymen he described their strange towns, with houses which were several stories high, and were en- tered by ladders and by a door in the roof, most people ridiculed him. Expeditions were, however, sent from Mexico, and in 1541 Zuni was captured by the Spaniards under Coronado. But no settlements were made, and missionary efforts were defeated by the death of the zealous men, whom the Indians soon massacred. The next Spanish adventurer on the shores of the United States was Ferdinand de Soto, a highly distinguished ofiicer, who had k^hared the glory and wealth obtained by Pizarro in the conquest of Peru. Returning to Spain after the most brilliant success in that country, he demanded of Charles V to conquer Florida at his own cost ; and received from that monarch, a commission for that purpose, together with the government of Cuba. (1537.) Multitudes of adventurers flocked to his standard. Ex pectation had been raised to the greatest height by the exaggerated accounts of the wealth of Florida; ancl men of all classes sold their possessions in Spain to fit tlemselves out for a conquest which promised to outshine those of "Mexico and Peru, in the brilliancy of its results. Describe his expedition. How many of his 300 men survived ? Who WW Ferdinand de Soto ? Under whom had he served i In what country ? What did be ot&x to Cbftrlef V? 26 SOTo's EXPEDITION. Soto selected six nundreJ of the choicest men for his companions, and sailed to Cuba. (1538.) Here he wag joine(^ by other adventurers, and having completed his pre- parations, he embarked (oi Florida in May, 1539. Having arrived in the bay of Spiritu Santo, he sent back most of his ships to Havanna, and commenced his march into the interio** — a march which has no parallel in the history of adventure. Fired by the example of their countrymen in the more southern regions, the Spaniards advanced as if to certain conquest and wealth. They were abundantly supplied with provisions and munitions of war, horsey for the cavalry, ^nd blood hounds for hunting the natives ; and their numbers exceeded those of the armies which had conquered Mexico and Peru. But they were destined for a far different fate. Their grand error, the pursuit of gold, was the source of endless disasters and sufferings. The Indians, who were determined in their hostility to the invaders, had lecourse to stratagem, as well as force, in order to get rid of them. They continually deceived the Spaniards by representing to them that, by continuing their march into the interior, they would at last arrive at a region abounding with gold — and deluded, again and again, by this plausible story, Soto passed onward from tribe to tribe, and from river to river, until his splendid and well appointed army had melted away to a mere handful of men, worn out with sufferings, and destitute of the means of subsistence or defence. Setting out from the bay of Spiritu Santo in June, 1539, they spent the time in wanderin-g through forests and morasses, until October, when they found themselves in the neighbourhood of Appalachee bay. — The men were iis pirited ; and desired to return home ; but Soto would not hear of such a measure ; he sent to Cuba for supplies for the next year's expedition. In March, 1540, deluded by the promise of an Indian guide to conduct him to a country where gold was abundant, Soto set forth again and marched towards the north-east, till they reached the Ogechee, and then through the country of the Chrrokees, now a part of the gold region ; but without dis- covering any of the precious metal. From Georgia the How many adventurers iccompanied him ^ When did he sail f Where did he land ? Describe his arm j ? What was his error f When did his march hegin ? Where were the Spaniards in October 7 Whither did they march in the tqf ceeding spring ^ SOTO IN MISSOURI 21 Spaniards passed into Alabama, and in October fought a severe battle with the Indians, at a town which was then called Mavilla or Mobile, on the Alabama, above the junction o\ the Tombecbee. In this engagement 2500 Indians are Baid to have fallen. The town was burned. The Spaniards had 18 killed and 150 wounded, and lost a part of theii horses and all their baggage, which was burned in the town. Having received supplies from Cuba, Soto now marched towards the north and west. In December, 1540, he had reached the upper part of the Mississippi, where he wintered in a deserted town of the Chickasaws. In the spring he demanded of them 250 men, to carry the baggage of the soldiers. The Indians, instead of complying with this unwarrantable requisition, set fire to the town in which the Spaniards were encamped, in the night, and attacked them with great fury. The loss of men in this encounter was trifling, but the Spaniards suflfered severely from the destruc- tion of their clothing, their arms, and a part of their horses The Indians knew not how to follow up their first advantage and the invaders were soon in a condition to continue their progress to the west. In April, 1541, Soto discovered the Mississippi, being the first European who visited that river. In June he had crossed it; and reached Missouri; and during the summer he is supposed to have penetrated as far as the highlands of the White river, 200 miles from the Mississippi. Thence he turned towards the south, and passed through Arkansas into Louisiana. His wanderings and contests with the Indians continued until May 21st, 1542, when, worn out with sickness and fatigue, the unfortunate Soto died, on the banks of the great river which he had discovered. To con- ceal his death from the Indians his followers sunk his body in the middle of the stream. * The discoverer of the Mississippi,' says Bancroft, from whose eloquent history we have condensed this brief account of his expedition — ' the discoverer of the Mississippi siepl beneath its waters. He had crossed a large part of the con- tinent in search of gold, and found nothing so remarkable as his burial place.' Where did they fight a battle with the Indians ? When ? What was the result ? What transpired in December ? In the spring ? Wh»t did th« Spaniards lose ? How cid the Indians me their adrua- tage ? What did Soto discover m April, 1541 How far did he go to the weft ? To what place did he return f When did be die ? t6 THB FRENCH IN CAROLINA. He had been the soul of the enterprise ; and when he bar] perished, the remnant of his followers were only anxious for a safe passage to their countrymen. Under the conduct of Moscoso, their new leader, they attempted to reach Mexico, and marched 300 miles westward from the Mississippi. But the Red river was swollen so as to present an impassable barrier to their further progress, and they were compelled to return and prepare boats for passing down the Mississippi to the gulf of Mexico — an undertaking of great difficulty and danger, which was not accomplished until July 18th, 1543. Fifty days afterwards the remnant of Soto's splendid company of adventurers, now reduced to 311 in number, arrived at the province of Panuco in Mexico. Thus far the Spaniards, although they claimed the whole coast of the United States under the name of Florida, had not effected a single settlement on the soil. For some years after Soto's failure the design seems to have been abandoned ; until an attempt of the French to establish a colony in Florida awakened the jealousy of the Spaniards, and brought them forward once more, to revive and make good their claim to the land which had cost them so much blood and treasure. Gaspard de Coligny, admiral of France, conceived the design of establishing a colony of French Protestants in America, which should afford a refuge to those who were persecuted for their religious opinions, during the civil wars with which his country was disturbed in the reign of Charles IX. He obtained a commission for this purpose from the king ; and intrusted the expedition to John Ribault, who sailed with a squadron in February, 1562. Having arrived on the coast of Florida in the latitude ot St. Augustine, Ribault explored the coast, discovered the river St. Johns, which he called the river of May, and visited Port Royal entrance, near Beaufort, and having left a colony of 26 persons at a fort which he named Carolina in honour of Charles IX, he returned to France. The civil wars in tha kingdom being revived, no reinforcements were sent out to the colony, and it was speedily abandoned. On the return of peace (1564) Coligny was enabled to send out a new expedition under Laudonniere, an able and intelli- gent commander, who arrived on the coast of Florida in June, What course did his foUowers take ? Under what commander ? What caused their return ? How did they reach Mexico ? When ? Wm mMJiy of the Spaniards lurviyed f What nation next attempted *Jie itt- tlement of Florida ? Where did Admiral Colignj planf f colony f When ? What occasioned its faihue i MASSACRE or THE FRENCH. 29 began a settlement on the river May, and erected a new Fori Carolina, many leagues to the south of its predecessor. Here they had to encounter the usual hardsliips and privations of settlers in a new country, till December of the same year, when a part of the colonists, under pretence of escaping from amine, obtained permission from Laudonniere to equip two vessels and sail for Mexico. But instead of doing so, they began to capture Spanish vessels. They were taken and nunished, as pirates. When the colony was nearly exhausted by the scarcity ot Ctod, relief was brought by the fleet of Sir John Hawkins, who furnished a supply of provisions, and made the offier of one uf his vessels to convey the French to their own country Jnst a« they were preparing to embark, Ribault arrived with a reinforcement and ample supplies of every kind. The colony had now a fair prospect of ultimate success, But it had been planted in a territory to which the Spanish had a prior claim, which, although dormant, was by no means extinct. An expedition was soon fitted out for the occupation of Florida; and its departure from Spain was hastened by the report, that the country was already in possession of a com- pany of settlers doubly obnoxious to the Spaniards on account of their nation and their religion. They were not only Frenchmen, but Protestants. This expedition, commanded by Pedro Melendez, came in sight of the Florida shore in August, 1565. A few days afterwards Melendez discovered and named the harbour of St. Augustine, and learned the position of the French. Before attacking them, he landed at St. Augustine, and took pcis- session of the continent in the name of the King of Spain, an»,^ aid the foundation of the town. This interesting event took place on the 8th of September, 1585 ; more than forty years defore the settlement of Jamestown in Virginia. St. Augustine can, therefore, boast a higher antiquity than the Ancient Do- minion. Meanwhile the French, having learned the arrival of their enemies, nearly all abandoned the settlement on the river May, embarked in their fleet, and were shipwrecked on th« coast. The remnant were attacked and massacred by the Where did Laudonniere make a set- Who threatened its extinction i tlement ? What was done by a part of the set- tlers ? Who relieveij the colony ? What did he oflFer to the French f 3* When did Melendez arrive ? What town did he found ? What is said of it ? How were the French coloniiiti tsm^ ed by Melendez f 30 MA§9ACRE OF THB SPAMAROft. Spaiiards, who, in honour of the saint on whose festival th« victory had been obtained, gave the river May the name of St. Matheo, or St. Matthew. Those Frenchmen who had survived the shipwreck of the fleet, surrendered to Melendez on a piomise of safety ; but they were nearly all put to death, many of them were hung on gibbets with the inscription over their heads, 'Not as Frenchmen, hut as Protestants.^ A few Catholics were saved from the massacre. After tlius extirpat- ing the French colony, the Spaniards sailed for their native country, leaving a force in possession of the settlement. As the French government took no measures for punishing this aggression, Dominic de Gourgues, a French oflicer of some distinction, fitted out an expedition of three Fhips and one hundred and fifty men at his own cost, (1568,) for the express purpose of avenging his murdered countrymen. He surprised the forts on the river St. Matheo, and captured a considerable number of prisoners, who were forthwith hanged upon trees with the inscription over their heads, */ do not this as unto Spaniards or mariners, but as unto traitors^ robbers, and murderers,^ He then embarked without at- tempting to keep possession of his conquest. His acts were disavowed by the French government, and the Spaniards continued to hold the colony. Thus it appears, that up to the year 1568, the Spaniards were the only nation holding possessions within the territory at present belonging to the United States. It was nearly forty years after this that England began the setdement of Virginia. CHAPTER IV. BNOLAND ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE THE UNITED STATEft. The fisheries of Newfoundland appear to have been visited frequently, if not annually, by the English as well as the French navigators, during the early part of the sixteenth century ; and both nations cherished the design of founding colonies in North America. We have already shown that Nova Scotia was settled by the French in 1605, and Canada in 1608. How was this revenged! By whom Wliai part ox North Americt was visited by the French and £ngliflk in the early part of the I6th c«>- tory? m FRANCIS DllAKB. 31 Previous to these settlements the English were by no meana inactive in .he career of western adventure. The discovery of a north-west passage to India was a favourite project with them, notwithstanding the failure of the Cabots in attempting it. An expedition for this purpose was fitted out by Martin Frobisher, under the patronage of Dudley, Earl of Warwick, in 1576. It consisted of two small barks, of twenty and twenty -five tons burden, one of which was lost on the outward passage. With the remaining vessel Frobisher pursued his voyage ; landed on the coast of Labrador, and brought away •ome of the mineral productions of the country. On his re turn one of the stones he had found was thought, by the English refiners, to contain gold. This circumstance gave a new direction to British enterprise, and gold became now the grand object of discovery. Queen Elizabeth contributed to the fitting out of a new expedition, which returned laden with what was supposed to be gold ore, but was soon discovered to be worthless earth. (1577.) Not discouraged by this result, the queen lent her aid to a new enterprise, which had for lis objects the permanent settlement of that high northern region and the working of its supposed mines of gold. Fifteen vessels, carrying one hundred settlers, many of whom were sons of the English gentry, were despatched in pursuit of boundless wealth in the New World. The fleet encountered great difficulties and dangers among the currents and islands of ice, with which the northern seas abounded ; the settlers were afraid to remain in so dreary a region ; and their hopes of bringing home cargoes of gold ore were, of course, as futile as those of their predecessors. While these attempts were made on the eastern coast of North America, Sir Francis Drake, in one of his cruises in search of Spanish merchantmen in the Pacific, thought proper to explore the western coast in hopes of finding the supposed northern strait connecting the two oceans. He sailed as far as the forty-third degree of north latitude, and was conse- quently the first Englishman who visited the Oregon territory. (1579.) The plan of colonisation was, meanwhile, ^evived by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a man of intelligence and singular intre- pidity, who, having obtained a charter from Queen Elizabeth, What was the object of Frobisher's expedition f Where did he land ? What did he bring away ? What occationed a new expedition ? What was the result ? What was the result of thf third expedition ? What discovery wai mado bf Drake ? 82 ENGLISH IN NORTH CAROLINA. sailed from England with a small fleet in 1579, in hopes of establishing a permanent colony : out the loss of one of his ships and other disasters compelled him to return. A new squadron was fitted out by the joint exertions of Gilbert and his step-brother, Walter Raleigh, in 1583. Nothing more was accomplished by this expedition, than the empty cere- mony of taking possession of Newfoundland in the queen's name, and the discovery of some earth which was falsely supposed to contain silver. On the passage home, the small vessel in which the unfortunate Gilbert sailed was foundered. Her companion reached England in safety. Not disheartened by the sad fate of his step-brother, Raleigh determined to found a colony farther to the south. For this purpose, having obtained a patent from the queen, he de- spatched two vessels under the command of Amidas and Barlow, who arrived on the shores of Carolina in July, 1584 and after sailing along the coast for a distance of one hundred miles, landed on the island of Wococken, the southernmost of the islands forming Ocracock inlet. They were delighted with the rich and verdant appearance of the country, and the mild and gentle manners of the natives ; and having explored Albemarle and Pamlico sounds and Roanoke island, and induced two of the natives to accompany them, they returned lo England. The accounts, which they gave of the beauty and fertility of the country, were so flattering, that Queen Elizabeth considered it an important addition to her dommions, and gave it the name of Virginia, in reference to her own un- married state. Raleigh, who had now received th» honour of knighthood, soon fitted out a new expedition of seven vessels, carrying one hundred and eight settlers under the direction of Ralph Lane, who was appointed governor of the colony. Sir Richard Grenville, Hariot, Cavendish, and other distinguished men accompanied him. Arriving on the coast, the fleet was in some danger of shipwreck near a head land, to which they gave the name of Cape Fear. It escaped, however, and arrived at Roanoke. After landing, the men of science, attached to the expedition, made an excursion, to When did GilbeiVs first expedition take place ? What was the result ? What was accomplished by Gilbert and Raleigh's expedition ? What was Gilbert's fate ? Who were sent out by Raleigh in Where did they land ? What followed ? What name did tue qae«n give tht country ? Who commanded the next expcdi* tion ? What distinguiihe^ fersroi Aooom panied Hi TOB LAST MOMENTS OF »IR W!7)lfPHRKT QlLVSmT* FIRST SETTLEMENT OF ROANOKE 33 examine the country ; and in revenge for some petty theft, Sii Richard Grenville ordered ^n Indian town to be burnt. He soon after sailed for England, leaving Lane and his company oehind. Hariot, who was an accurate observer of nature, paid considerable attention to the native productions of the soil. Among these were tobacco, maize or Indiar corn, and Potatoes, which, till then unknown to the English, have since ecome important sources of subsistence and wealth in every part of the country. The Indians were at first considered by no means formi- dable to the colonists. Their weapons were bows and arrows, and wooden swords. They were divided into numerous small tribes, independent of each other. The largest of these tribes could scarcely muster a thousand warriors. Their terror at the effects of the English fire-arms was only equalled by the superstitious reverence which they professed for beings who were so much their superiors in knowledge and arts. Their fears, however, did not restrain them from attempts to destroy the intruders, as soon as they began to suspect them of a design to supplant themselves in the possession of the soil. They formed a conspiracy to massacre the English, and even thought of abandoning their fields in order to drive them away by famine. When the situation of the colony had oe'come critical, and the people were beginning to despond, Sir Francis Drake, with a fleet of twenty-three vessels, on his way from the West Indies to England, paid them a visit ; and ihe whole colony abandoned the soil, and returned to theii native country. (1586.) A few days afterwards, a ship, which had been sent out by Raleigh, arrived with supplies for the colony, and soon after. Sir Richard Grenville, with three more ships, sought in vain for those whom he had so recently left full of hope and reso- lution, to hold permanent possession of the land. He left fifteen men on the island of Roanoke, who were afterward:? ascertained to have been murdered by the Indians. Next year (1587) Raleigh sent out a colony of emigrants with their wives and families, hoping thus to ensure their permanent residence. They were directed to settle on Chesa- peake bay, but the governor, White, was compelled by the Who was left in command of the colony ? What important productions of the soil were discovered ? What is said of the Indians i What did they attempt * What caused the abandcnment of the colony ? When t Who arrived soon afterwards f What befell the colonists left by him? How did Raleigh endeavour to reode the r^xt colony permanent ? 34 UOBNOLL IN NKW ENGLAND commiinder hi the fli ei to remain on Roanoke. The eini^anlh met with th'^ usual hardships, and many of them only remained till the close of the summer. During their stay, Virginia Dare, the grand-daughter of the governor, was born, the first descendant of English parents in our country. She remained with her parents after the governor had returned to England, and with them she perished in the land jf her birth. The threatened invasion of England by the Spanish armada, prevented Raleigh from sending out rein- forcements'; and when, in 1590, governor White returned to search for his daughter and grand-child, Roanoke, the place of their settlement, was deserted. The fate of the colony was never precisely ascertained. When the English had succeeded in defeating the Spanish deet, Sir Walter Raleigh, finding his fortune too much dimi- nished to continue the project of colonising Virginia, made use of the privilege granted in his patent to form a company of merchants and adventurers, for the purpose of effecting his original design. Among the members of the new company was Richard Hakluyt, prebendary of Westminster, a man of distinguished learning and intelligence, and the author of an extensive collection of voyages. He contributed more than any other individual to awaken among his countrymen that spirit of foreign enterprise, for which they have ever since been distinguished. Although the design of the new company was not immediately executed, yet to them we are chiefly indebted for the expedition which finally effected a permanent settlement, as we shall hereafter relate. While their operations were suspended, a voyage took place, which had nearly given to New England a priority over Virginia in the period of its settlement. This voyage was undertaken in 1603, by Bartholomew Gosnold, who, aban doning the usual route to America by the Canaries and West Indies, sailed directly across the Atlantic and landed in Massachusetts Bay, discovered and named Cape Cod, the Elizabeth Islands, and Buzzard's Bay, which he called Gos- nold's Hope. On the westernmost of the Elizabeth Islands, to which he gave the name now applied to the whole group, he landed some men with a design of settling. A fort ana store house were built; and preparations were made for a Did he succeed ? ] What discoveries were made by Gos- Who was the first Anglo-American ? [ nold in New England ? WhMX is «aid of Haklujrt ^ I Did he make a permaneni settlement I in New En^cland i VOYAGES OF PRINO AND WEYMOUTH. 15 permanent residence on the spot. But the courage of the colonists failed, and the whole company returned to England after a short voyage of four months. In 1603, and 1606, Martin Pring made tvi^o voyages to the American coast, which he explored from Martha's Vineyard to the north-eastern part of Maine. His object was to trafRc wuh the natives, and in this he was successful. Nearly the same ground was passed over in 1605, by George Weymouth, who discovered and ascended the Penobscot river; and on his return brought away five of the natives whom he had decoyed on board his ship. Thus far the attempts of the English to form permanent settlements on our shores were unsuccessful. Still these expeditions served to keep alive the claims which were founded on the discovery of the Cabots ; and the extent of the explorations made by English voyagers on the coast, was subsequently considered a sufficient ground for expelling, or incorporating with their own establishments, the colonies which were planted by other nations on the soil of the United States. CHAPTER V. COLONISATION OF VIRGINIA. Although the attempts to form a permanent colony in Virginia had not hitherto succeeded, many persons of distinc- tion in England still entertained sanguine hopes of ultimately effecting this grand object. Gosnold, whose voyage to New England we have already noticed, succeeded in forming a company consisting of himself, Wingfield, a merchant, Hunt, a clergyman, and the celebrated Captain John Smith ; and ihey were, for more than a year, engaged in considering the project of a plantation. At the same time Sir Ferdinand Gorges was forming a similar design, in which he was joined by Sir John Popham, lord chief justice of England. Hakluyt, who was a participator in the privileges of Ra- leigh's patent, was desirous of proceeding with his plan ot Why not ? What is said of Pring expedition ? Of Weymcuth*s ? What is said of all these unsuccessful expeditions of the English ? I WTiat persons now formed the design I nf colonisinti ViixiDia f 36 FIRST CHARTER OF VIK»jaN1A. colonisation ; and the King of England, James I, was favouf ably disposed towards the design of enlarging his dominions, A company was formed by Gates, Somers, Gosnold, Smith, Hakluyt, Gorges, and Popham ; application was made to the king for a charter; and one was readily obtained which secured imple privileges to the colonists. On the 10th of April, 1606, the charter was issued undei the great seal of England, to the petitioners. Sir Thomaa Gates and his associates, granting to them those territories in America, lying on the sea coast between the 34th and 45th degrees of north latitude, (that is, from Cape Fear to Halifax,) and which either belonged to James I, or were not then pos- sessed by any other Christian prince or people; and also the islands adjacent to, or within one hundred miles of the coast. The French settlement already noticed in Nova Scotia, then called Acadia, was of course excepted by these terms. The petitioners were divided by their own desire into two companies ; one consisting of certain knights, gentlemen, merchants and other adventurers of the city of London, and elsewhere, was called the first colony, and was reqmred to •ettle between the 34th and 41st degrees of north latitude: the other consisting of certain knights, gentlemen, merchants ana' other adventurers of Bristol, Exeter, and other places in the west of England, and called the second colony, was ordered to settle between the 38th and 45th degrees of north latitude. The intermediate region from 38 to 41 degrees was open to both companies, and to prevent collision, each was to pos- sess the soil extending fifty miles north and south of its first settlement. Thus, neither company could plant within one hundred miles of a colony of its rival. The patent also empowered the companies to transport to the colonies as many English subjects as should be willing to accompany them, who with their descendants were to retain the same liberties, within any other dominions of the crown of England, as if they had remained or were born within the realm. The land of the colonies was to be held on the con- dition of homage to the crown, and a rent consisting of one- fifth of the net produce of gold and silver, and one-fifth of the copper which might be taken from the mines to be discovered. Who obtained Uie first charter ? From what king ? When ? What territories did it grant ? Did this include French America ? Bfow w«re the petitioners divided ? What was required cf the fijst cioi»- pany ? Who composed it ? What was required of the sectmd f Who composed it ? What privileges were granted to ths colonists f aOVERNMENT UNDER THE FIRST CHARTER, 37 The right of coining money was also conferred on the cdo- aies. The government of the colony, the king retained as much as was possible in his own hands ; for it was one of his foi- bles, to imagine that he possessed the most consummate skill, not only in the construction of laws, but in the policy of government. Accordingly the superintendence of the whole colonial sys tern was placed in the hands of a council in England ; and the administratiou of affairs in each colony was confided to a council residing within its limits. The king reserved to him- self and his successors the right of appointing the members of the superior council, and of causing those of the colonial councils to be ordained or removed according to his own 'nstructions. He also took upon himself the task, so agree- able to his vanity, of framing a code of laws both general and particular. Thus the legislative and executive powers were all virtually reserved to the crown of England. * At this time,' says a late writer,* * the English were accustomed to the arbitrary rule of their monarchs, and the limits of the royal prerogative were unknown. It was either not perceived, or not attended to, that by placing the legislative and executive powers in a council nominated by the king, every settler in America was deprived of the chief privilege of a freeman — that of giving his voice in the election of those who frame the laws which he is to observe, and impose the taxes which he is to pay.* By the code of laws, which the king prepared, it w-as pro- vided that the superior council in England might name the colonial council, with power to elect its own officers and fill its own vacancies. The religion of the church of England was established for the colony. Lands were to descend by the common law. Murder, sedition, and some other crimes were punishable by death after trial by jury. But civil causes, requiring corporeal punishment, were decided by the council, which was also empowered to enact such additional laws as the condition of the colony might require. Com- merce with foreign nations was not restrained either by the terms of the patent or the laws. What is said of the King f What was the form of government under the first charter of Virginia ? Where were the legislative and ex- ecutive powers vestea f What remaiks on this subject vn quoted ? What were the provisions of tlifl laws made by King James for Vir- ginia ? • Hodgson, 38 NEWPORT SAILS FROM ENGLAND Such were the regulations under whi^h the patentees pro- ceeded to the arduous task of founding a colony at the distanc*- of three thousand miles from the mother country, in a regi<»n filled with powerful tribes of savages, who, if they should ai first receive them as friendly visiters, would not be slow to discover that their occupation of the soil was dangerous a themselves and their posterity. Having procured their charter, the patentees proceeded to dt out a squadron of three small vessels^ the largest not ex needing one hundred tons burden, bearing one hundred an( five men destined to remain. This squadron was placed under the command of Captain Newport; and sailed from England on the 19th of December, 1606, one hundred and nine years after the discovery of the continent by Cabot. Among the emigrants were some gentlemen of distin- guished families, particularly Mr. Percy, brotlier to the Earl of Northumberland ; but there was a great deficiency of arti- sans, mechanics, and labourers, so absolutely necessary in a new setdement, and none of the men brought families with them, which at the present day we should consider quite essential to the success of such an enterprise. On the voy- age, dissensions arose ; and as King James had concealed the names and instructions of the council in a box, which was not to be opened till their arrival, no one could assume the authority necessary to repress disorders. Smith, on account of his superior merit and ability, was particularly obnoxious iKlo£ company ^ Relate the circumstances of its dis solution. What had the colony cost the eoui' panv i PROGRESS or CIVIL FREEDOM. 57 from it did not exceed twenty thousand pounds, and the num- Der of inhabitants was only eighteen hundred. While the controversy between the king and the company was going forward, the colonists were continuing to exercise the right of self-government. The general assembly met in February, 1624. Their most important act was a solemn declaration * that the governor should not impose any taxes on the colony, otherwise than by authority of the genera, assembly ; and that he should not withdraw the inhabitant! from their private labour to any service of his own.' Other Hieasures, for the protection of the colonists against arbitrary power, were passed ; and * the laws of that session generally,' gays Judge Marshall, * are marked with that good sense and patriotism which are to be expected from men perfectly un- derstanding their own situation, and legislating for themselves.* They resisted the attempt of the royal commissioners to extort from them a declaration of unlimited submission to the king ; but transmitted a petition to him praying for a confir- mation of the civil rights then enjoyed, together with the sole importation of tobacco. They also petitioned to have the direction of any military force which the king might station in the country. All the acts of this assembly indicate a remarkable progress of the colonists in the knowledge and appreciation of their civil rights. King James I was not disposed to yield up a second time .he unlimited controul of the colony. He issued a special commission, appointing a governor and twelve councillors, to whom the entire direction of the affairs of the province was committed. He did not recognise the assembly as a part of the government ; but attributing the late disasters to the in- fluence of that body, he determined on its discontinuance. He granted to Virginia and the Somers Isles (Bermudas) the exclusive right of importing tobacco into England and Ireland, as had been desired, but totally disregarded the wishes of the colonists respecting the continuance of their civil freedom. His death prevented the completior of a code of laws in which he proposed to carry out his favourite principles of government. Charles I inherited the arbitrary disposition and despotic principles of his father. He appears, however, to have at- tached very little importance to the political condition of the What did it prDducc ? What was done by the king ? What is said of the general assembly ? What prevented his completing hif Of their acts ? ^ arbitrary designs ? 58 I^£3IONS OF CHARLES I. Virginians His principal aim was to derive profit from their industry. He neither granted nor restricted franchises ; but his firsst act was to confirm the exclusive trade in tobacco to Virginia and the Somers Isles, aud his next was to proclaim himself, ' through his agents, the sole factor of the planters.' Sir George Yeardley was the successor of governor Wyatt. (1626.) The assemblies were, of course, continued undei the administration of the man who had first introduced them. The king did not disturb the Virginians in the exercise of this important civil right. Emigrants continued to arrive in great numbers, and the agriculture and commerce of the colony were in a most flourishing state. On the death of governor Yeardley, which took place in November, 1627, the council elected Francis West to succeed him. During his administration, the king proposed to the assembly to contract for the whole crop of tobacco ; but this attempt to monopolise the chief staple of the colony was met by a decided refusal. In 1629, John Harvey, the governor who had been com- missioned by the king, on the decease of Yeardley, arrived in Virginia. He had formerly resided in the colony, and was personally unpopular. A strong party was formed in opposi- tion to him, and when, in some dispute about land titles, he was found to favour the court, in opposition to the interests of the colonies, he was removed from the government and West appointed in his place. He subsequently consented to go to England, with two commissioners on the part of the colonists, in order that their complaints might be heard by the king. Instead of listening to them, Charles reappointed Harvey, who remained in office till 1639. He has been stigmatised by most of the old historians as a tyrant ; but it does not ap- pear that he attempted to deprive the colonists of any of their civil rights. The assemblies were continued as before, and exercised all the powers which they had acquired in Yeardley*8 time. His successor was Sir Francis Wyatt, who continued in office till February, 1642, when Sir William Berkeley, having been appointed to succeed him, arrived and assumed the go» What were the views of Charles I ? What was his first act ? His next ? What IS sai' of Ywdley'i admi- nistration ? U West's? What governor came )ut in 1629 f What occasioned his return to ElQg« land ? What was done by the king f What was Harvey's cnaiacter ^ What is said of Berkeley f INDIAN WAR. vernment. He recognised and confirmed the privileges which the Virginians had previoiisf y enjoyed, and received the cordial support of all parties. Some abuses in the construction and administration of the laws were reformed. Religion was provided for ; the mode of assessing taxes was changed for a more equitable one ; and the people, under this able and popular governor, enjoyed their civil liberties without dis- turbance from any quarter. We must not omit to mention an order of the assembly establishing Episcopacy as the religion of the colony, and banishing all non-conforming ministers. Missionaries from New England, who had come on for the purpose of preaching to the puritan settlements in Virginia, were silenced and or- dered to leave the colony. This intolerance was in accord- ance with the spirit of the age ; and examples of a similar character are not wanting in the history of Massachusetts. In 1644 the Indians, against whom a hostile spirit had been kept up since the great massacre of 1622, made a sudden attack upon the frontier settlements, and killed about three hundred persons, before they were repulsed. An active war- fare was immediately commenced against the savages, and llieir king, the aged Oppaconcanough, was made prisoner, and died in captivity. The country was soon placed in a state of perfect security against further aggressions from that quarter In 1646 a treaty, accompanied with a cession of lands, was concluded between the inhabitants of Virginia and Neconto- wanee, the successor of Oppaconcanough. The colony was now in a flourishing state. Its commerce nad increased, so that upwards of thirty ships were engaged in the traffic with different ports in New England and Europe. The inhabitants, in 1648, had increased to twenty thousand. In the dispute between Charles I and the parliament of England, Virginia espoused the cause of the king ; and when the republicans had obtained the ascendency, a fleet was fitted out from England, for the purpose of reducing the colony to submission. In the mean time, an ordinance of parliament, of 1650. which forbade all intercourse between the loyal colonies and foreign countries, was rigorously enforced, as well as the ac- of 1651, which secured to English ships the entire carrying Of his measures ? What act of intolerance was passed ? Relate the events of the Indian war of 1644. What is said of the commerce of Vir- ginia ? Of the civil war in England ? For what purpose was a fleet fitted out? 60 VIRGINIA CAPITULATES, trade with England. When the fleet arrived, commissioncn were instructed to reduce the colony to submission. It wai found that parliament offered to the colonists, provided they would adhere to the commonwealth, all the liberties of Eng- lishmen, with an amnesty for their past loyalty to the deposed king, and * as free trade as the people of England. On th€ other hand, war was threatened in case of resistance. The Virginians, with their accustomed gallantry, * refused to surrender to force, but yielded by a voluntary deed, and j mutual compact.' All the rights of self-government, formerly enjoyed, were again guaranteed, Richard Bennet, who had been one of the commissioners of parliament, was elected governor, and Berkeley retired to private life. In 1655, and 1658, the assembly of burgesses exercised the right of electing and removing the governor of the colony ; and, on occasion of receiving intelligence of the death of Cr( mwell, they were careful to reassert this right, and re- quire the governor, Matthews, to acknowledge it, in order, as they said, ' that what was their privilege now, might be the privilege of their posterity.' On the death of Matthews, the government of England being in an unsettled state, the assembly elected Sir William Berkeley for governor ; and, as he refused to act under the usurped authority of the parliament, the colonists boldly raised the royal standard, and proclaimed Charles the Second, as their lawful sovereign. This was an act of great temerity, as t fairly challenged the whole power of Great Britain. The distracted state of that country saved the Virginians from its consequences, until the restoration of Charles to the British hrone gave them a claim to his gratitude, as the last among his subjects to renounce, and the first to return to their alle- giance. What terms were offered to the Vir- ginip ns on its arrival ? Were they accepted ? V\ no was elected governor ? Vh2t was done by the burgesses in \m and \m Who succeeded Matthews ? What bold act was performe*' d iring Sir William Berkeley's admin iitn tion ? Why was it unpumshftd ITAVIOATION ACT CHAPTER VIIl. VIRGINIA AFTER THE RESTORATION. The intelligence of the Restoration was received with ew* fchusiasin in Virginia. It naturally excited hign hopes of favour, which were increased by the expressions of efcteem and gratitude, which Charles found no difficulty in addressing 10 the colonists. These hopes they were, for a short tirae permitted to indulge. The assembly introduced many portant changes in judicial proceedings * trial by jury waa restored ; the Church of England, which of course had lost its supremacy during the protectorate, was again established by law ; and the introduction of Quakers into the colony wa« made a penal offence. The principles of government which prevailed in England during the reign of Charles II, were extended to the colonies, which were now considered as subject to the legislation of parliament, and bound by its acts. The effects of this new state of things were first perceived in the restrictions on commerce. Retaining the commercial system of the Long Parliament, the new house of commons determined to render the trade of the colonies exclusively subservient to English commerce and navigation. One of their first acts was to vote a dut) of five per cent, on all merchandise exported from, or imported into any of the dominions belonging to the crown. This was speedily followed by the famous ''Navigation Jict^ the most memorable statute in the English commercial code. By this law, among other things, it was enacted, that no commodities should be imported into any British settlement in Asia, Africa, or America, or exported from them, but in vessels built in England, or the plantations, and navigated by crews, of which the master and three-fourths of the mariners should be English subjects, under the penalty of forfeiture of ship and cargo ; that none but natural born subjects, or such as had been naturalised, should exercise the occupation of mer- chant, or factor, in any English settlement, under the penalty of forfeiture of goods and chattels ; that no sugar, tobacco, cot- How did the Virginians regard the What act of parliament was pais- Restoration in England ? ed Wnat was done l»y the assembly ? What were the pro visions of the nft> What was now the policy of the vigation act ? British government ? 62 RESTRICTIONS ON COMMERCE. ton, wool, indigo, ginger, or woods used in dyeing, produced or manufactured in the colonies, should be shipped from them to any other country than England ; and to secure the obser vance of this regulation, the owners were required, before tail- ing, to give bonds, with surety, for sums proportioned to the rate of their vessels. Other articles of merchandise were subsequently aided to the list, as they became impcrtant tc the colonial trade. As some compensation to the colonies for these commercial restrictions, they were allowed the exclusive privilege of sup- pJv'^ig England with tobacco, the cultivation of which was ^rOiiibited in England, Ireland, Guernsey, and Jersey. In 1663, the fib ligation act was *^nlarged, by prohibiting the im* portation of European commodities into the colonies, except in vessels laden in England, and navigated and manned ac- cording to the provisions already quoted. At the same time the principle was assumed, and declared, that the commerce of the colonies ought to be confined to the mother country, and that the colonies themselves should be retained in firm and absolute dependence. Not content with this, the parliament proceeded to tax the trade of the several colonies with each other, by imposing a duty on the exporta- tion of the commodities enumerated in the navigation act, from one colony to another, equivalent to what was levied on the consumption of those articles in England. This colonial system was considered highly conducive to the interests of England ; and was, of course, popular in that country, but it was felt to be unjust and injurious to the colo- nists, and excited their indignation, as well as a determination to evade it in every possible way. The Virginians, who had naturally expected distinguishing favours from the restored government, were highly exaspe- rated at this selfish and cruel attack upon their prosperity. They remonstrated against it as a grievance, and petitioned for relief. But Charles, instead of listening to their request, enforced the act with the utmost rigour, by erecting forts on the banks of the principal rivers, and appointing vessels to cruise on the coast. Relief was sought by entering into a clandestine trade with the Dutch, on Hudson river. This, however, was of trifling importance. A conspiracy for throw- ing oflf the yoke of England, which has received the name What was allowed to the colonists ? How in America ? What principle was assumed ? What was done by the Virg* How was the colrnial system regarded By Charles II ? in England f By Birkenhead and othen f MSCONtENT OF THE VIROINIANft ofBiikeahead's plot, was entered into by some batiislied sol- liers of Cromwell; but it was easily suppressed by the pruilence of Sir William Berkeley, and the leaders were executed. (1663.) The colonial assembly, by way of retaliation on the mother eountry, enacted a law that, in the payment of debts, coun- try creditors should have the priority, and that all courts ct justie« should give precedence in judgment to contracts made m the colony. Acts were passed to restrain the cultivation of tobacco, and to introduce the production and manufacture of silk. These designs were unsuccessful. The people would raise tobacco as long as they found a ready market for it ; and the price of labour, in a new country, was found to be wholly incompatible with the profitable culture of the silk worm. The discontents, occasioned by the commercial restric tions, were further increased by the inconsiderate grants oi land which the king made to his favourites, in violation o* the rights of the Virginians, and the grants which had pre- viously been made. In the beginning of the year 1675, there occurred some slight out-breakings of popular discontent, which, though easily suppressed by the prudence and decision of the go» vernor, gave a significant intimation of the state of public feeling. To avert the crisis, and obtain some redress, a deputation was sent to England ; who, after a tedious nego- tiation with the king and his ministers, had nearly succeeded in their object, when they received the intelligence of a fof' midable rebellion in the colony. A tax, imposed by the assembly to defray the expenses of the deputation had caused some irritation, which the delay of the government in affording relief exasperated into fury. A war with the Susquehannah Indians, which had distressed the frontiers for some time, now burst forth with new vio- lence, and threatened additional expense and distress to the people. The governor. Sir William Berkeley, whose popu larity had been hitherto equal to his spirit and integrity, was now pronounced too old and infirm for his office. He was ungratefully * accused of wanting honesty to resist the op pressions of the mother country, and courage to repel the hostility of the savages.' These charges were urged with great artifice, eloquence, and address, by an adventurer whe By Governor Berkeley ? I What happened early in 1676 f By the assembly ? With whom did a war break o«t f What iDcreaMd the disconttntt ? | BACCN S REBELLION. d arrived in the colony about three years before, Nathaniel Bacon. This man had been bred to the law, and had gained, by his talents and insinuating manners, a seat in the council, and the rank of colonel in the militia. He was not satisfied with these distinctions, but aspired to greater things. He had been concerned in the insurrection of the preceding year, and had been taken prisoner, but was pardoned by the governor. This circumstance had cut him off from all hope of promo- tion by the regular government of the colony ; and his am- bition took another direction. He inveighed, with much warmth and eloquence, against what he termed the inertness And neglect of the governor, in the conduct of the frontier war; and, declaring that the whole Indian race might easily be exterminated, he exhorted the people to take up arms in their own defence, and, by one vigorous campaign, to ter- minate the war. His harangue was successful. A great number of the peo- Die were soon embodied for an expedition against the In- dians ; and, having elected Bacon for their general, placed themselves entirely at his disposal. To sanction the autho- rity he had acquired, or to create an open breach with the existing government, he applied to the governor for a con firmation of his election, and offered instantly to marcl against the common enemy. Berkeley temporised, and when pressed for a decision, issued a proclamation, com manding the multitude, in the king's name, to disperse im mediately, under the penalties of rebellion. Bacon, by no means disconcerted at this turn of affairs., marched directly to Jamestown, at the head of six hundred of his followers; and, surrounding the house where the go- vernor and assembly were met, he demanded the commission m a tone not to be mistaken. Berkeley refused with firm- ness ; and, presenting himself to the conspirators, who had fharged him with cowardice, he undauntedly exposed his breast to their weapons, and awaited the result. The coun- cil, less courageous than their leader, hastily prepared a com- mission, appointing Bacon captain-general of all the forces in Virginia, and, by dint of earnest entreaty, prevailed on the governor to sign it. Who slandered the governor, and fo- iifinted disturbances ? Wbiit was Bacon's character ? How did he Ip flame the minds of t\ie people ' WUmlX did the/ do i To whom did they apply for a con- firmation of their acts ? What was Berkeley's answer How did Bacon then proceed f How did the governor behave f Who made out the commissioi^ t CIVIL WAR IN VIRGINIA. 65 The insurgents raised a shout of triumph, and retired , and the assembly, feeling their courage suddenly revive with the Departure of the danger, voted a resolution annulling the commission they had just granted, as having been extorted by force, denouncing Bacon as a rebel, and commanding his followers to deliver him up. The governor readily con- firmed this act of the assembly. Bacon and his army could now charge their opponent! with baseness and treachery ; and give their own cause a colour of justice. They returned to Jamestown ; and the governor was obliged to retire to Acomac, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Some of the councillors accom panied him ; the rest returned to their plantations ; and the government of the colony remained in the hands of the popular leader. Having acquired the actual power. Bacon now sought to give it a legitimate form. He, therefore, assembled the gen- tlemen of the country in convention, and prevailed on a large number of them.* to pledge themselves, by oath, to support his authority, and resist his enemies.' A declaration was published, in the name of the convention, charging the origin of the civil war upon Sir William Berkeley, setting forth that he had given information to the king that the general and his followers were rebels ; and requiring the people to support the general, by aid and allegiance, against all forces whatso- ever, till the king should be informed of the true state of the case. This declaration united the great body of the people in Virginia, and even found some advocates in England. Berkeley, in the mean time, retaining some adherents nmong the planters, induced them to take up arms ; and, having raised some recruits among the crews of the English, shipping on the coast, with their united force he commenced a series of attacks on the insurgents, with various success. The colony was now in a state of civil war. Jamestown was burnt by Bacon's party ; the estates of the loyalists were plundered, their families seized as hostages, and the richest plantations in the province ravaged. The governor retali- ated these outrages, and executed some of the insurgents by martial law. A war of extermination was threatened. Meantime, intelligence of the rebellion had reached Eng- land. The king had issued a proclamation, declaring Bacon Hov«^ did the assembly then behave ? How did Berkeley proceed ? What was the consequence ? What was the state of the colony t Who retained the government ? What was done by the King of Eng- How did ne seek to strengthen it ?" land ? 66 VIRGINIA RETAINS HER FREEDO a traitor, and the sole author of the insurrection, granting pardon to those of his followers who would forsake hiin, and offering freedom to all slaves who would aid in suppress- ing the revolt. An armament, under Sir John Berry, had sailed from England to assist the governor in his warfare. Bacon heard the intelligence of these operations without dismay. He counted on the devotion of his adherents, and determined to resist to the last extremity. He had already proclaimed a general forfeiture of all the property of his op- ponents, and was preparing to take the field anew, when his career was suddenly arrested by an unforeseen contingency. When just ready to strike the blow which was to annihilate the opposition of his enemies, he suddenly sickened and died. So completely had he been the soul of his party, that his death was the signal for its immediate dissolution. Without any attempt at reorganization — without any choice of a new leader, they entered into terms with Sir William Berkeley and laid down their arms on condition of receiving a general pardon. (1676.) This rebellion, which had placed the cdbny for seven months under the direction of a most reckless usurper, might ^lave terminated in its complete ruin. It cost many valuable jves, and occasioned the loss of property to a very large amount. It failed, however, to convey to the mother country the lesson that it was unsafe and impolitic to oppress the colonies by restrictions on their commerce. Had the signs which it held forth been properly understood by the British government, the revolution of 1776 might have been delayed to a much later period. The succeeding period in the history of Virginia is marked with few incidents of importance. The succession of the different governors and the continuance of the commercial restrictions are the only circumstances of note during the subsequent portion of the reign of Charles II and that of James II. The revolution of the British government which took place in 1688 was highly beneficial to Virginia, in common with the other American colonies. The new sovereigns, William and Mary, gave their patronage and their name to a college which had been projected in the preceding reign, and which By Bacon What ended his rebellion ? How did his followers proceed iftei hii death ? What waa ihe effect of this rebellion ? Wha^ v as the etfect ol the revolution of 1588, on tne affairs of Virgi- nia? SETTLLMENT CF MARYLAND. 67 is to tliis day one of the most respectable literary seminariefc in the country. The political freedom, which the revolution confirmed and established in England, extended many of its blessings to Virginia. The province became less dependent on the will of the sovereign, and although he had still the appointment of the governors, the influence of the colonial assemblies was sufficient to restrain those functionaries within such boundaries of authority as were requisite for the well being of the colony. Favouritism and religious intolerance dis- appeared ; and a better understanding prevailed with the other provincial governments. The population had increased to upwards of 60,000 souls ; and the increasing healthfulness of the settlements promised a still more rapid augmentation of their numbers. In 1688, the province contained forty-eight parishes, embracing upwards of 200,000 acres of appropriated land. Each parish contained a church, with a parsonage house and glebe attached; and jach clergyman was by law assigned a salary of 16,000 pounds jf tobacco. Episcopacy continued to be the established eligion, but dissenters were increasing so rapidly, that before .he American revolution they amounted to two-thirds of the whole population. The statutes against them, though un- repealed, had become a dead letter. CHAPTER IX. BETTLEMENT OF MARYLAND. By its second charter, Virginia included the whole territory ^hich at present forms the state of Maryland. The country was explored by the Virginia settlers as early as 1621; a settlement was formed, and a trade with the Indians in furs established. An attempt was made to monopolise this trade by William Clayborne, a man of active and turbulent dispo- sition, who long exerted an extensive and injurious influence over the fortunes of the rising state. He had come out from England as a surveyor in 1621, and had sustained impo rtant offices in Virginia till 1629, when he was employeil to survey the Chesapeake bay. The informa- What was the population ? In what state was Maryland originally included f What was done in 1621 f Who ^as William Clayborne > How (v^as he employed in 1629 f 68 CHARTER OF MARYLAND. tion which he obtained in executing this undertaking, indulged hiin to form a company m England for trading with the Indians, and he obtained a royal license, giving him the direction of an expedition for this purpose in 1631. Under these auspices trading establishments were formed on Kent Island in Maryland, and also near the mouth of the Susque- hannah. Clayborne's authority was confirmed by a commis- sion from the government of Virginia, and that colony claimed the advantages which were expected to result from commer- cial speculation extending far to the north of the presen limits of the state of Virginia. But a distinct colony was now formed on her borders under the auspices of the Calvert family. Sir George Calvert, a Roman Catholic nobleman of enlarged capacity and liberal views, had become interested in American colonisation. He had spent a large amount of time and money in unsuccessful attempts to form settlements on Newfoundland. In 1628, he visited Virginia ; but was deterred from settling within its limits by the intolerance of the colonial government towards his religious opinions. He therefore turned his attention towards the country beyond the Potomac ; and, finding it at the disposal of the King of England, he easily obtained from him a charter for colonising it. This charter was of a liberal character, afford- ing ample guarantees for the freedom of the colonists, and the rights and privileges of the proprietary. The boundaries which it prescribed were the Atlantic ocean, the fortieth parallel of north latitude, the meridian of the western fountain of the Potomac, the river itself from its mouth to its source, and a line drawn due east from Watkin's Point to the ocean. The name given to the new colony w-as Maryland, in honour of Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henry IV of France, and wife of Charles I of England. The charter assigned the country to Calvert, Lord Balti- more, his heirs and assigns, as absolute lord and proprietary, on payment of a feudal rent of two Indian arrows, and one-fifth of all gold and silver ore which might be discovered The In 1631 ? Where did he form trading establish- ments ? Uttder wliat colonial government did he act ? Urder whose auspices was a distinct colony formed ? Who was Sir George Calvert ? What prevented his settling in Vir- For what country did he obtain a charter ? From whom ? What did it aflford ? What were the boundaries of the new colony ? What was its name ? What were the tenni the clui» tcr? CHARACTER Or SIR OEORGE CALVERT. 66 right of legislation was given to the emigrants who should Bettle on the soil. They were also protected from injury by the proprietary, to their lives, liberty, or estates. Although Sir George Calvert was a Roman Catholic, he allowed the most perfect religious liberty to the colonists under his charter ; and Maryland was the first state in the world in which perfect religious freedom was enjoyed. All English fubjects, without distinction, were allowed equal rights in respect to property and religious and civil franchises. A royal exemption from English taxation was another singular privilege obtained by Lord Baltimore for the people of his colony. All the extraordinary features of his charter owe their origin to the political foresight and sagacity of this remarkable man. * Calvert,' says Mr. Bancroft, * deserves to be ranked among the most wise and benevolent lawgivers of all ages. He was the first in the history of the Christian world to seek for religious security and peace by the practice of justice, and not by the exercise of power ; to plan the establishment of popular institutions with the enjoyment of liberty of con- science ; to advance the career of civilisation by recognising the rightful equality of all Christian sects. The asylum of papists was the spot, where, in a remote corner of the worlc' on the banks of rivers, which, as yet, had hardly been ex- plored, the mild forbearance of a proprietary adopted religious freedom as the basis of the state.' Before the patent was executed Sir George Calvert died, and was succeeded by his son, Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore ; who became the proprietor of Maryland, and transmitted his proprietary rights to many generations of his heirs. Virginia remonstrated against what she considered an in- fringement of her rights and an invasion of her territory ; but the remonstrance was disregarded at court ; and in November, 1633, Leonard Calvert, the brother of Lord Baltimore, sailed from England with about two hundred Roman Catholics foi America. He arrived in February of the following year at Point Comfort, in Virginia, and was courteously received by the governor, Harvey. From this Point he sailed up the Potomac *to the Indian town of Piscataqua, nearly opposite What religious rights wer*; allowed by Calvert ? What is observed of Maryland ? What was Calvert's character ? Who was his successor ? What was done by Virginia ? Who was sent out with the settlers under the charter of Maryland ? Where did he arrive ? 70 SETTLEMENT OF ST. MARY's. Mount Vernon, the chieftain of which told him * he might uae his own discretion about settling in his country. Calvert, however, chose a site lower down the river, at the Indian town of Yoacomoco, on the St. Mary's river, which he named St. George's river. The Indians were induced, by presents, to give them up half the town, and promise the abandonment of the whole after harvest. Quiet possession of the place was accordingly taken by the colonists, and the town waa naiKied St. Mary's. The Indians now entered into a permanent treaty with the settlers ; their women taught the wives of the English to make bread of maize, and the men instructed their visiters in the arts of the chase. The ground being already tilled, and a supply of food and cattle from Virginia being always within reach, the province advanced rapidly in wealth and industry. In six months it had increased more than Virginia had done in as many years. The proprietary was liberal in his dis- bursements, spending forty thousand pounds in the first two years. In 1635, the first colonial assembly was convened, and passed laws for protecting its rights against the encroach- ments of Clayborne. He had made an attack on the colonists on one of the rivers near the isle of Kent, but his men had been defeated and taken prisoners. Clayborne himself fled to Virginia, and when reclaimed by the governor of Mary- land, was sent by Harvey to England. He was declared a traitor, and his estates were pronounced forfeited by an act of the Maryland assembly. His attempts to obtain redress in England were unavailing; and the right of Lord Baltimore to the jurisdiction of Maryland was fully confirmed by the British government. Meantime the assembly of Maryland was labouring in the cause of civil liberty ; at the same time that it recognised the sovereignty of the king of England, and the rights of the proprietary, it confirmed the rights of Englishmen to the in- habitants of Maryland ; established a representative govern- ment ; and asserted for itself similar powers to those of the British House of Commons. In 1642, the gratitude of the colonists towards Lord BaltP more was manifested by the grant of such a subsidy as they could aflford. Wh-ere did he settle ? Wtiat IS saiu of the Indians ? Of the increase of the colony ? Of the proprirtary ? ^ What is related of CUyborne i Of Lord Baltimore ? Of the assembly f Of the colonistg } FIRSJ SETTLEMENT OF NEW ENGLAND. 7) Abou t the same time, tht Indians, instigated by Clayborne. commenced hostilities, but were reduced to submission with- out much difficulty, and measures were taken by the assem- bly to insure the future tranquillity of the colony. In 1643, Clayborne succeeded in raising a rebellion, which kept the province in a state of disturbance for three years ; and at one time the governor was compelled to fly, and the public records were lost or embezzled The government, however, was eventually triumphant, and confirmed its victory by the wise and humane expedient of a general amnesty. The civil wars of England extended their influence to Maryland as well as the other colonies. When the authority of Cromwell was defied by the Virginians, and commis- sioners were sent to reduce them to obedience, Clayborne, the ever active enemy of the Mary landers, seized the occa- sion for extending his authority over them ; and a long series of fresh troubles and disturbances were brought on by his measures. Stone, the deputy of Lord Baltimore, was re- peatedly deprived of his commission ; the Catholic in- ^^^.^ habitants were persecuted for their religious opinions, and the province was kept for years in a state of alarm ^g^g and confusion. The authority of the proprietary was, however, finally restored. In 1660, the representatives of Maryland declared their right of independent legislation, and passed an act making it felony to disturb the order thus established. From that time forward the province enjoyed comparative repose. Their population had already reached the number of twelve thou- sand. Several abortive attempts were made to colonise the country now called New England, before the famous expedi- tion of the Pilgrim Fathers, which planted the earliest p«^ manent colony CHAPTER X. FIRST SETTLEMENT OF NEW ENGLANH. Of the Indians ? Of Clayborne ^ Ot the governor ? Of the govemmrat * wars of England ? What wa5 done in 1660 ' What followed } What transpired durin|( the oir THE PLYMOUTH COUNCIL. Two expeditions were sent out from the west of England as early as 1606, neither of which left settlers ; but in 1607, two ships, commanded by Raleigh Gilbert, sailed with a colony of emigrants under the presidency of George Popham. These adventurers landed and formed a settlement near the mouth of Kennebec river, which they called St. George. Forty-five persons were left here by the ships on their return to England, in December. During the winter the little colony suffered many hard- ships and misfortunes. Their president died ; and on the return of the ships with supplies, Gilbert, who had suc- ceeded to the presidency, learning that chief justice Popham, the principal patron of the colony, was dead ; and that he himself had, by the decease of his brother, become heir to a considerable estate, abandoned the plantation ; and the whole company returned to the mother country. In 1614, Captain John Smith, the hero whose name is so celebrated in Virginia history, set sail with two ships for the coast north of Virginia, and performed a prosperous voyage, during which he explored the coast, and prepared a map of it, from the Penobscot river Cape Cod. He gave to ine country the name of New England. His success in this enterprise encouraged him to attempt the settlement of a colony for Sir Ferdinand Gorges and others, of the Plymouth company. But after two attempts he was intercepted on his voyage by French pirates, lost his vessel, and finally escaped from the harbour of Rochelle, alone, in an open boat. Smith was a perfect hero of romance. Wherever we hear of his being, we are sure to find him per- forming some extraordinary act, some feat of chivalry or herculean labour, such as no ordinary man would ever have thought of attempting. His fortune was as extraordinary as his genius. On his return home from France, he published his map and description of New England ; and by his earnest soli- citations engaged the western company for colonising Ame- rica, to solicit and obtain a charter for settling the country. The company was called * The council established at Ply- mouth, in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and governing New England, in America.' The Where was a colony planted in 1607? What occasioned its abandonment ? What was done by Captain Smith in 1614 ? Whot bcfelJ him afterwards ? What is observed of Smith ? What was done by him on his return to England ? What company was formed under hit auspices f THE BROWNISTS. 7^ charter gave this company the absolute property and un- limited controul ol the territory included between the fortieth and forty-eighth degrees of north latitude and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A glance at the map will show that this included the Canadas, all the Eastern and nearly all the Mid die States, and a country of immense extent to the west. All this territory, with its commercial and internal resources- were placed under the absolute controul of some forty mer- chants and gentlemen, who composed the company, and re- sided in England. The extent of these powers, vested in the company, de- layed emigration ; and in the mean time, the first permanent colony in New England was established without regard to this charter, or even the knowledge of the company who hac obtained it. A sect of puritans, distinguished by the democracy of its tenets respecting church government, and denominated Brownisls, from the name of its founder, had sprung up in England, and after suffering much persecution from the go- vernment, had taken refuge at Leyden, in Holland. Here its members having formed a distinct society under the charge of their pastor, Mr. John Robinson, resided for some years in obscurity and safety ; but not finding their situation con- genial to their feelings as Englishmen, and fearful of losing their national identity, they had come to the determination of removing in a body to America. They accordingly sent two of their number, Robert Cush- man and John Carver, to England, for the purpose of obtain- ing the consent of the London company to their emigration to Virginia. Permission was promised, and a formal application, signed by the greatest part of the congregation, was transmit- ted to the company. The language used on this occasion mdicates the state of feeling which prompted the application. • We are well weaned from the delicate milk of our mothei country, and inured to the difficulties of a strange land ; the people are industrious and frugal. We are knit together as a body in a most sacred covenant of the Lord, of the violation whereof we make great conscience, and by virtue whereof we hold ourselves straitly tied to all care of each other's good, and of the whole. It is not with us as with men whom small What was granted in their charter ? What delayed emigration ? What took place in the mean time ? Who were the Brownists ? Where did they take refuge f Who was their pastor ? Wh> did the> determine to leave Holland ? To whom did they apply for permis- sion to settle in America ? What was their character f 74 yOYAGE OF THE PILGRIMS. things can discourage.' Such was the character of the far- renowned Pilgrims of New England, as described by thero- sclves. They were desirous that their enterprise should receive the formal approbation of the king. But James I was hostile to all the puritans ; and the utmost that he would promise wm neglect. A patent under the company's seal was, however, obtained through the influence of Sir Edwin Sandys, and s tract of land assigned them within the limits of the Virginia charter. The funds necessary for defraying the expenses of the expedition were obtained in London, on terms by no means favourable to the borrowers ; but this circumstance could not deter men wVio were actuated by the spirit of the Pilgrims. Two vessels, the Speedwell, of sixty tons, and the May- flower, of one hundred and eighty tons burthen, were hired in England. Only a part of the congregation could be accom- modated in these ; and Robinson was obliged to remain at Leyden, while Brewster, an elder, conducted the company It was on the morning of the 22d of July, 1620, when Robinson, kneeling in prayer on the sea shore at Delfthaven, consecrated the embarkation of the Pilgrims. The beginning of their voyage was prosperous. They touched at South- ampton, in England, and sailed thence on the fifth of August. Their prospect soon darkened ; they were obliged to put back twice in order to repair the smaller of their vessels, and final- ly to abandon her with such of their company as were too cowardly to continue the voyage ; so that it was not until th? 6th of September, 1620, that they took their final departure iirom England in the Mayflower. ' Could,' says a celebrated orator of our own times, * Could a common calculation of policy have dictated the terms of that settlement, no doubt our foundations would have been laid beneath the royal smile. Convoys and navies would have been solicited, to waft our fathers to the coast ; armies to de- fend the infant communities ; and the flattering patronage of princes and lords, to espouse their interests in the councils of the mother country. * Happy, that our fathers enjoyed no such patronage ; hap- py, that they fell into no such protecting hands ; happy, that our foundations were silently and deeply cast in quiet insig- What was done by James I ? How did they obtain their patent f Where did ttey raise morey ? What ship^s did they hire ? Who was their leader f When did they leave Holland ? What occasioned the abandonment o one of their ships ? Desciibe the vovage. «rOYAOE OF THE PILGRIMS. 76 flificance, beneath a charter of banishment, persecution, and contempt; so that when the royal arm was at length out- stretched against us, instead of a submissive child, tied down by former graces, it found a youthful giant in the land, horn amidst hardships, and nourished on the rocks, indebted for no favours, and owing no duty. * From the dark portals of the star chamber, and in the stern texts of the acts of uniformity, the Pilgrims received a com- mission, more efficient than any that ever bore the royal seal. Their banishment to Holland was fortunate ; the decline of their little company in the strange land was fortunate ; the difficulties which they experienced, in getting the royal con- sent to banish themselves to this wilderness, were fortunate • all the tears and heart-breakings of that ever memorable part- mg at Delfthaven, had the happiest influence on the rising destinies of New England. * All this, purified the ranks of the settlers. These rough touches of fortune brushed off the light, uncertain, selfish spirits. They made it a grave, solemn, self-denying expedi- tion, and required those who engaged in it to be so too. They cast a broad shadow of thought and seriousness over the cause, and if this sometimes deepened into melancholy and bitterness, can we find no apology for such a human weakness ? ' It is sad indeed to reflect on the disasters v hich the little band of pilgrims encountered. Sad to see a p )rtion of them, the prey of unrelenting cupidity, treacherous y embarked in an unsound, unseaworthy ship, which they are soon obliged to abandon, and crowd themselves into one vessel ; one hun- dred persons, besides the ship's company, in a vessel of one hundred and sixty tons. One is touched at the story cf the long, cold, and weary autumnal passage ; of the landing on the inhospitable rocks at this dismal season ; where they are deserted, before long, by the ship which had brought them, and which seemed their only hold upon tne world of fellow men, a prey to the elements and to want, and fearfully igno- rant of the numbers, of the power, and the temper of the savage tribes that filled the unexplored continent upon whose verge they had ventured. * But sil this wrought together for good. These trials of wandering and exile of the ocean, the winter, the wilderness, and the savage foe, were the final assurance of success. It was these that put far away from our fathers' cause all patri- eian softness, all hereditary claims lo pre-eminence. ' No effeminate nobility crowded into the dark and austere rtnkg of the Pilgrims No Carr nor Villiers would lead Qp 76 rOYAGE OF THE PILGKIMS. the ill-provjded band of despised Puritans. No well er'JO^eO clergy were on the alert, to quit their cathedrals, and set up a pompous hierarchy in the frozen wilderness. No craving governors were anxious to be sent over to our cheerless El Dorados of ice and of snow. *No, they could not say they had encouraged, patronised/ or helped the Pilgrims ; their own cares, their own labourSj their own counsels, their own blood contrived all, achieved all, bore all, sealed all. They could not afterwards fairly pretend lo reap where they had not strewn; and as our fathers reared this broad and solid fabric with pains and watchfulness, un- aided, barely tolerated, it did not fall when the favour, which had always been withholden, was changed into wrath ; when the arm, which had never supported, was raised to destroy. * Methinks' I see it now, that one solitary, adventurous vessel, the Mayflower of a forlorn hope, freighted with the prospects of a future state, and bound across the unknown sea. I behold it pursuing, with a thousand misgivings, the uncer- tain, the tedious voyage. Suns rise and set, and weeks and months pass, and winter surprises them on the deep, but brings them not the sight of the wished-for shore. * I see them now, scantily supplied with provisions, crowded almost to suffocation in their ill-stored prison, delayed by calms, pursuing a circuitous route — and now driven in fury before the raging tempest, on the high and giddy waves. The awful voice of the storm howls through the rigging. The labouring masts seem straining from their base — the dismal sound of the pumps is heard — the ship leaps, as it were, madly, from billow to billow — the ocean breaks, and settles with engulfing floods over the floating deck, and beats with deadening, shivering weight, against the staggered vessel. * I see them, escaped from these perils, pursuing their all but desperate undertaking, and landed at last, after a five months' passage, on the ice clad rocks of Plymouth — weak and weary from the voyage — poorly armed, scantily provisioned, depend- ing on the charity of their ship-master for a draught of beer on board, drinking nothing but water on shore — without shel- ter — without means — surrounded by hostile tribes. * Shut now the volume of history, and tell me, on any prin- ciple of human probability, what shall be the fate of this handful of adventurers. Tell me, man of military science, in how many months 'vere they all swept off by the thirty savage tribes, enumerated within the early limits of New England ? T*ill me, politician, how long did this shadow of a a}lonjr, on CONsntUtiON OF THE PILGRIMS. 71 #hich your conventions and treaties had not smiled, languish PI the distant coast? ' Student of history, compare for me the baffled projects, the deserted settlements, the abandoned adventures of other times, and find the parallel of this. Was it the wintei's storm, beating upon the houseless heads of women and children ? Was it hard labour and spare meals — was it disease — was it the tomahawk — was it the deep malady of a blighted hope, a ruined enterprise, and a broken heart, aching m its last mo- ments, at the recollection of the loved and left beyond the sea: was it some or all of these united, that hurried this for- eaken company to their melancholy fate ? * And is it possible that neither of these causes, that not all combined, were able to blast this bud of hope ? Is it possible, that from a beginning so feeble, so frail, so worthy, not so much of admiration as of pity, there has gone forth a progress so steady, a growth so wonderful, an expansion so ample, a reality so important, a promise, yet to be fulfilled, 60 glorious V The destination of the Pilgrims was the mouth of the Hud- son ; but by the treachery of their captain, who is supposed to have been bribed by the Dutch, interested in the colony of New Amsterdam, they were conducted to the inhospitable ;oast of Massachusetts. They did not make the land till he ninth of November. On the next day they cast anchor ♦n the harbour of Cape Cod. Before landing, they adopted a solemn compact or consti- tution of government in the following words : • In the name of God, amen ; we, whose names are under- rritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign King James, aving undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of he Christian faith, and honour of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Vir- ginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together, into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends afore- said ; and by virtue hereof, to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most conve- nient fo*" the general good of the colony. Unto which w« promise ail due submission and obedience.* What was the destination of the Pil- Sims ? r did tliej Dot land there ? Whither were they conducted / What was their constitutiDii ? 78 LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS* This in&triiment was signed by the men, forty one in number ; and they, with their families, amounted to one hun- dred and one persons. As soon as their covenant or contract was signed, Mr. John Carver was unanimously chosen their governor for one year The inclemency of the season was very unfavourable to their undertaking. Several days were spent in searching for a suitable place to land, and much hardship was endured by those who went in the boats for this purpose. Some traces of the Indians were discovered — a heap of maize, a buria place, and four or five deserted wigwams. On the 8th oi December, Carver, Bradford, Winslow, Standish, and eigh* or ten seamen, being on shore near Namskeket, on Great Meadow Creek, were assailed by a party of Indians, who welcomed them with the war whoop, and a flight of arrows. On the same day, they were near being wrecked in theii shallop as they were seeking a harbour. They escaped this danger, however, and landed at night on a small island. Here they kept the Christian Sabbath with strict observance, and on the day following, December 11, found the long sought harbour, to which, in grateful remembrance of the friends they had left at their last port in England, they gave the name of Plymouth. In a few days the Mayflower was safely moored in Ply- mouth harbour ; the surrounding country was then explored, and a high ground facing the bay, where the land was cleared and the water good, was selected for building. On the morning of the 20th of December, 1620, after im- ploring the divine guidance and blessing, the Pilgrims landed on the rock of Plymouth. The spot which their footsteps first touched, on this memorable occasion, has ever since been regarded by their descendants as sacred, and the day is still celebrated with all the enthusiasm of religion and patriotism. When the landing of the Pilgrims was eflfected, their diffi- culties and distresses were but just begun. We are to recol- lect that it was in the depth of a New England winter, that their company was already sufl?*ering with colds lung fevers, and incipient consumptions, contracted by thei exposure to snow, rain, and the beating surf, in exploring tiie coa^t ; that their stock of provisions was scanty ; and * lat the care of their wives and children was added to hard^iips which map hood was hardly able to encounter. Who was chosen goverbor ? I What passed on the 1 1th / What befeU a party of Item on the I When did the Pilous land } %tb of December } | PTI,GRIM FATHEB8 BOBMD A WATCH-FIBB DISTRESSES OF THE PILGRIMS* 79 The month of January was spent in erecting such tene- ments as their scanty means afforded. Sickness attended them, and mortality thinned their numbers through the winter; and it was not until the spring was far advanced that health revisited the remnant of the stricken colony. Half their number had perished. Carver, their first governor, died in March, and William Bradford was chosen to succeed him. During this winter of trial, Standish was devoted in his care of the sick, and his own wife was one of those whose remains were committed to the earth. He was the soldier of the colony, brave, energetic, and capable; and soon made the Indians feel that the new-comers would be good friends, and stubborn enemies. Before spring an Indian named Squando came to the stricken settlement. This native had been to England, and knew enough of their Umgnage to communicate with the colonists. He was not only their interpreter, but their friend in many ways. Under his guidance they began to plant Indian corn in a way to secure a crop on that sandy soil, using fish caught in seines as manure. Privation and want were still to be endured. A reinforce- ment of emigrants, which came out in the autumn of 1621 brought no supply of provisions, and the colony was com- pelled to subsist, for six months longer, on half allowance. The scarcity of provisions continued, with only occasional relief, for two years longer. A mistaken policy, or a desire to conform to the simplicity of apostolic times, had induced the Pilgrims to adopt the system of community of property. This was one of the causes of scarcity. In the spring of 1623, each family was allowed a parcel of ground to cultivate for itself ; and aftei the harvest of that year, no general want of food was ex perienced. A profitable commerce was established with the Indians. European trinkets were exchanged for furs, and the colonists were at length enabled to barter corn with them for the pro- ducts of the chase. The Indians were not numerous in the vicinity of Plymouth, for before the arrival of the English, a sweeping pestilence had carried off whole tribes of them, but How was 'heir first winte*' passed ? When did Carver die ? Who succeeded him ? When did a reinforcement arrive ? What cause of distress remained ? 9oi how long a time ? What mistake was made by the Pil- grims ? When was it rectified ? How ? With whom did they trade } In what commodities ? What had thinned the Iudi*Qi } 80 Massasoit. enough were left to render a sort of military organisation necessary for the defence of the colony, and Captain Miles Standish, a man of great courage and fortitude, obtained the chief command. In March, 1621, the colonists were visited by Samoset, a chief of the Wampanoags, who bade them welcome, and in the name of his tribe gave them permission to occupy the soil, which there was no one of the original possessors alive to claim. In the same month, Massasoit, the greatest king of the neighbouring Indians, paid them a visit, and entered into a league of friendship, which was inviolably observed for upwards of fifty years. This event was followed by others of the same character. A sachem who had threatened hostilities was compelled to sue for peace, and nine chiefs subscribed an instrument of submission to King James. Canonicus, the sach?m of the Narragansetts, sent a bundle of arrows wrapped in a rattle- snake's skin to the governor, in token of defiance ; but Brad- ford coolly stuffed the skin with powder and shot, and re- turned it. The Indian's courage failed at the sight of this unequivocal symbol; and he followed the example of his countrymen by subscribing a treaty of peace. Another colony was the means of involving the Plymouth settlers in an Indian war. Weston, one of the London ad- venturers, had been induced, by the hope of a lucrative trade, to obtain a patent for land near Weymouth in Massachusetts Bay, and sent over a company of sixty men, who settled on the soil, intruded themselves on the hospitality of the Ply- mouth colony, were idle and dissolute, and finally exasperated 1623 Indians so much by their repeated aggressions, that a plot was formed for the entire extermination of the English. This plot was revealed by Massasoit. The governor, on receiving intelligence of it, ordered Standish to take a party with him to the new settlement, and, if he should discover signs of a plot, to fall on the conspirators. Standish took but eight men; and, proceeding at once to the scene of action, was insulted and threatened by the natives. Watching a favourable opportunity, he attacked them, kill- ed several, and put the rest to flight. Who was the military leader of the Pilgrims ^ Who visited them ? Who made a treaty with them ? What events followed i Tell the story of Canonicui. What is said of the Weymoath ctf lony ? Of the Indians ? Of Standish f TREACHERY OF PIERCE. 81 This bold and resolute action disconcerted the Indians. Weston's men took heart and killed two more of the enemy. The natives were at once thoroughly disheartened and alarmed, and thus their plot failed. But the courage of the survivors of Weston^s party gave out, and they resolved to abandon their settlement. The few among them who had any good qualities to commend them proceeded to Plymouth with Standish ; the rest, aided by him with what corn he could spare, embarked to meet the English fishing vessels, which were usually at this season off the banks of Newfoundland. Weston did not abandon his project, however, but came over in person with auother party of settlers, hoping by main- taining order to ensure success ; but misfortune pursued him. He was shipwrecked on the coast, and stripped by the Indians. This utterly disgusted him with America, and after experi- encing the hospitality of the Plymouth colonists he returned to England. The London merchants, wno nad lent money to the Pil- grims on their departure from England, had been admitted to a sort of partnership in the colony, which was afterwards productive of much inconvenience. These merchants used their power for the purpose of making severe restrictions and exactions. They refused a passage to Mr. Robinson, who wished to join his friends in Plymouth ; endeavoured to force upon the colony a clergyman whose religious opinions were at variance with their own ; and even attempted to injure their commerce by rivalry, extorting from them exorbitant profits on supplies, and excessive usury on money. The emigrants bore all this patiently, and at last succeeded in buying o\}t the entire rights of the London adventurers, and relieving themselves from debt, and its unpleasant conse- quences. The first patent of Plymouth had been taken out at the instance of Sir Ferdinand Gorges, in the name of John Pierce, as trustee for the adventurers. When the enterprise assume^' a promising aspect, this man secretly procured an- other patent of larger extent, for his own benefit, intending to hold the adventurers as his tenants. He accordingly sent out ships for New England ; but they were driven back repeatedly by storms ; and the losses he WTiat was the end of the Weymouth colony f What if said of th« London mer- ebaots / How were their exactions ended f How did the trustee of the Pilgrlmi abuse his trust ? What misfortunes befeU him / 82 GOVERNMENT 01 THE OLD COLONV underwent compelled him to sell his patent and his propertj to the company A patent was afterwards granted for the lands about the Kennebec river, where a trading establishment had been formed ; but no charter could ever be obtained from the king, who still retained his hostility to the Puritans. The population of the old colony, at Plymouth, increased slowly. Ten years after the first settlement there were only three hundred inhabitants. But they had spread over a wide territory, and become firmly rooted in the soil. The government of the old colony was strictly republican* The governor was elected by the people, and restricted by a council of five, and afterwards of seven, assistants. The legislature was at first composed of the whole body of the people. But, as the population increased, they adopted the representative system. CHAPTER XI. PflOORESS OF THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES. The old Plymouth company ' for the plantmg, ruling, ordering, and governing New England, in America,' whose extensive and very exclusive charter has already been men- tioned, had made no other use of its inordinate privileges than an attempt to exclude from the trade and fisheries all who would not pay the company a heavy tax. No mono- poly could be more odious to the people of England than this. Their privileges were violently assailed in the hous(> of commons, and the patentees were finally compelled to relinquish their claims. They continued, however, to issue patents for portions of their immense territory, to diflferent companies and individuals. One of these having been granted to Robert GorgiiS, the son of Sir Ferdinand, for a tract extending ten miles on Mas- sachusetts Bay, and thirty miles into the interior, he was appointed by the company lieutenant-general of New Eng* For what country was a patent after- wards granted ? What ib said of tlie population of the Plymouth colony ? What is said of the government ? What use did the old Pljrmouth com* pany make of its charter ? Who opposed their claims ? Were they abandoned ? What practice did they continue ? ^Vhat is said of Gorges's patent f SETTLEMENT OF MAINE. 83 .and, ^ 'th extensive powers. But this grant was productive of no permanent settlement, and the powers of Gorges were Lever exercised. In 1622, Sir Ferdinand Gorges and John Mason took a patent for a territory called Laconia, extending from the At- lantic to the St. Lawrence, and from the Merrimac to the Kennebec. Under this patent Portsmouth and Dover were settled, in 1623. A fresh patent, for the country between the Merrimac and Piscataqua, was obtained by Mason in 1629. This was the patent for New Hampshire. Its early progress was so slow that, in thirty years after its settle- ment, Portsmouth contained no more than sixty families. In 1628, a number of settlements were commenced on the coast of Maine, under a succession of patents granted by the Plymouth council. But, as most of these were merely tem- porary, having for their object the pursuits of hunting anc fishing, they were soon abandoned. A district of forty miles square, which was called Lygonia and situated between Harpswell and the Kennebunk river, was settled in 1630 and given up the next year, the settlers retiring to Massachusetts. Sir Ferdinand Gorges obtained, in 1635, a patent for the district lying between the Kennebec and the Piscataqua, and sent his nephew, William Gorges, to govern the territory, who found some settlers on the Saco and Kennebec. ; but he remained in the country only two years, and it was Ihen left without a government. Sir Ferdinand still con* nned his schemes for colonisation, and was subsequently constituted lord proprietary of the country by a royal charter. New England would have increased but slowly in wealth and population, had not the same causes which drove the Brownists from England still continued to operite. The Puritans were constantly the objects of persecution m Eng- land, and numbers of them were desirous to seek an asylum in the new world. Several emigrations were consequently made to Massachusetts. Mr. White, a Puritan minister of DorcheJstPr, in England, bad induced some merchants and gentlemen to join him (1624) in sending out a small colony, who began a planta- tion at Cape Ann, recognising, however, the suj/^'ei^ia^ if the Plymouth settlers. When was New Hampshire settled ? I What was done ir /Iv it f By whom ? I What was doi ^ /t G^rgr Whftt £9u:t provet tea slow progress ? \ By Mr. W^hite • < /a^^ / 84 SETTLEMENT OF SALEM AND CHARLESTOWN. h\ 1627, Mr. White and his company concluded a treaty% with the council of Plymouth, for the purchase of that part of New England lying three miles south of Charles river, and three miles north of Merrimac river, and extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. A small number of emigrants, under the direction of John Endicott, were soon afterwards sent out, who laid the foundation of Salem, the first perma- nent town in the Massachusetts colony, in 1628. The adventurers did not deem themselves able to efl!ect all their objects without the aid of more opulent partners. Some London merchants joined them, and a charter was obtained from the crown confirming the grant from the council of Ply- mouth, and conferring powers of government. The supreme authority was vested in persons residing in London, a most unwise provision, as the history of the Virginia company suflficiently proved. The patentees were styled ' The Gover- nor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New England.' The executive power was vested in a governor, deputy governor, and eighteen assistants, to be nominated by the crown, and afterwards elected by the company. The go vernor and assistants were to meet monthly for business. The legislative power was vested in the body of the pro- prietors, who were to assemble four times a year, under the denomination of the General Court, for electing officers, and making laws for the common weal. The colonists were exempted from taxes and duties, and declared entitled to all the rights and privileges of Englishmen, as had already been done in the charter of Virginia. Under this charter three vessels sailed in May, 1628, with ahout two hundred persons, who reached Salem in Juno, where they found a colony of one hundred planters under the government of John Endicott. Not satisfied with the situation at Salem, one hundred of the company, under the direction of Thomas Graves, removed to Mishawum, where they laid the foundation of a town, to which they gave the name of Charlestown. Both settlements were united under the same government; and one of their first acts was to form a church and ordain their minister and In 1627 ? When waa Salem settled ? By whom ? What new company was formed ? What form of government was es- tM Uflhed by ^eir charter f What exemptions and privileges did it grant ? How many emigrants came over in 1628 !> Who founded Charlestown f What was one o' their first acta f SETTLEMENT OF BOSTON. 85 luling elder, in which solemnity they were joined by a repre- sentation from the Plymouth colony. The inconveniences, which would have resulted from that provision of the charter which required the government of the colony of Massachusetts to be resident in London, had already been foreseen, and in consequence of representations to that effect, the charter was transferred to those of the freemen who should themselves reside in the colony. This gave a new impulse to emigration, and many persons of various rank* prepared for their departure to the New World. The next year (1630) brought a fleet with eight hundred and forty emigrants, among whom were governor Winthrop, deputy governor Dudley, and many other persons of wealth and respectability. In September, of the same year, a set- tlement was formed at a place on the south side of Charles river, called by the Indians Shawmut, and by the English, Trimountain, to which the name of Boston was now given. The succeeding autumn and winter were marked by severe distress. Sickness visited the colony, and before December, two hundred of their number had died. Among these was the lady Arabella Johnson, the daughter of a noble house in England, who had left the quiet and luxury of her home, but to leave a memorial of her virtues and misfortunes in the new country. The colonists were by no means disheartened by their suflferings, but bore all with fortitude, in the hope of transmitting free institutions to their posterity. In May, 1631, at the first court of election in Massachu- setts, * that the body of the commons might be preserved of good and honest men,' it was ordered that, from that time, no persons be admitted to the freedom of the body politic, but such as were members of some of the churches within its limiis. This provision has been much censured by historians and statesmen, and the right of the government to make it has been questioned. It was subsequently productive of much dissension. It was, however, by no means inconsistent with the spirit of the age, and was unquestionably adopted from the most upright and conscientious motives. The settlements gradually extended n the neighbourhood of Boston and Charlestown to such remote points, that the purely democratic form of government, which admitted every What gave a new impulse to emigra- tion? Who came over in 1630 ? What town was then settled ? What ensued in the autumn ? Who died f When was the first court of electioa held in Massachusetts t What law was made ? ^Vhat is said of it ? 86 BANISHMENT OF ROGFR WILLIAMS. fieeman to a share in the deliberations respecting the public welfare, was found to be very inconvenient ; and accordingly, in 1634, a representative form of government was adopted. The whole body of the freemen assembled but once a year for the. election of magistrates, and the freemen of each town chose deputies to the general court, who were vested with the full power of all the freemen, and were required to assemble in general court four times a year. This form of government was retained, with but slight alterations, during ihe continu- ance of the charter. We have here the second instance of a house of representatives in America, the first having been convened in Virginia, June 19, 1619. Roger Williams, a minister of Salem, having put forth car tain tenets, which were considered heretical and seditious 1634 ' tending equally to sap the foundations of the estab lishment in church and state,' and refusing to recanl and conform to the opinions of the ruling powers, was banished the colony. The heresy which he promulgated was, * that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never controul opinion ; should punish guilt, but never violate the freedom of the soul.'* His firmness on this occasion made him the founder of a state, and classed him among the most celebrated asser- tors of intellectual freedom. His exile was not a mere transfer from one agreeable resi- dence to another as agreeable. He was obliged to go into the wilderness of woods in the depth of winter ; and when cast out from the society of civilised men, for asserting the noblest right of humanity, he found a shelter among the untutored savages. Pokanoket, Massasoit, and Canonicus, welcomed him to their rude wigwams, and thus confirmed a constant friend and benefactor. In the spring he began to build and plant at Seekonk, but finding that this place was within the patent of Plymouth, he passed over the water with five com- panions, and settled on a spot which, in token of his humble reliance on the Divine favour, he called Providence. Under ihese circumstances was commenced the settlement of Rhode Island — a state, whose history is marked throughout with the strongest evidences of the attachment of its people to the prin ciples of civil and religious liberty. Wliat form of government was adopted I What is said of Roger Williams ? in 1634 f I What town and itate did he found f • Bancroft WILLIAMS IN THE FOREST. ARRIVAL OF PETER AND VANE. 87 At the election held in May, 1635, John Haynes, who had served as assistant, was chosen governor, and Endicott, who had created trouble by cutting the red cross from the Eng- lish flag, was dropped from the number of magistrates. This election is memorable as being the first recorded to have been made " by papers/^ that is to say, by ballot. At that time this was done in two ways. Sometimes ballots with the names of candidates were dropped into a box ; at others the officer presiding over the election announced a candidate as nominated. Those who favoured him dropped in a ticket with his name, those who opposed him put into the ballot- box only a blank. If the blanks were more numerous, another candidate was proposed. In 1635, three thousand emigrants were added to the puri- tan colony of Massachusetts. Among them were two persons who were afterwards remarkably distinguished by their cha- racters and fortunes ; these were Hugh Peter, and Henry V ane the younger. Peter, who had formerly been pastor of a church of English exiles at Rotterdam, was a man of high spirit, great energy, eloquence and ability. Vane, who suf- fered much censure during his active career, is now pro- nounced by impartial historians to have been a man of spotless integrity and pure mind, and a genuine martyr for liberty. The freemen of Massachusetts, captivated by the talents and fascinating manners of Vane, and flattered by his aban- donment of ease and high rank in England, for a residence on their own soil, elected him for their governor. He was too voung and too little acquainted with the country to fulfil with success the duties of so arduous an office. The arrival of Vane was followed by certain negotiations with other men of noble rank in England, who were desirous 40 emigrate to Massachusetts, provided they could continue there in the enjoyment of those hereditary powers and offices, which were guaranteed to them and their families by the British constitution. Their proposals were received and considered by the leaders and freemen of the colony ; but, fortunately for their posterity, these sagacious republicans foresaw the evils whirh would result fro ti s^ch an arrange- * ment, and ihe proposal was accordingly declined. The colony was not so fortunate in respect to another source Who came over in 1636 ? To wbat office was Vane elected ? I What proposal was made by certain English noblemen ? How was it treated ? B8 RELIGIOUS DISSENSIONS of disorder, religious dissensions. A controversy arose con cerning faith and works, in which a Mrs. Anne Hutchinson and two clergymen, Mr. Wheelwright and Mr. Cotton, es- poused one side of the question, and received the support of governor Vane, while the lieutenant governor Winthrop, and a majority of the ministers and churches, contended as earnest ly for the opposite opinions. Mrs. Hutchinson held weekly conferences for persons of her own sex, and commented with great asperity on the ser- mons delivered by preachers of the opposite party, whom she pronounced to be * under a covenant of works.' The number and quality of her adherents soon gave the affair a degree of political importance, which it could never have acquired in a community where the church and state were not intimately connected. The general court took up the matter, and censured Wheel- wright for sedition. This measure embroiled the parties still further ; and the * party question' of the day was made the test of elections, and interfered with the discussion and deci- sion of every public measure. The controversy lasted till 1637, when Anne Hutchinson, Wheelwright, and Aspinwall were banished the colony, and their adherents were required to deliver up their arms. Many of the Antinomians, as the minority were called emigrated to the neighbouring colonies. A considerable num- ber found shelter with Roger Williams ; and, by his influence and that of Vane, obtained from Miantonomoh, the chief of the Narragansetts, a gift of the beautiful island of Rhode Is- 'and. Wheelwright and some of his friends removed to the Piscataqua, and founded the town of Exeter. Thus the into- lerance of Massachusetts became instrumental in scattering new settlers over the face of the country, and founding ne\% communities of men, who were ready to sacrifice all the de lights of social intercourse to the preservation of the rights of conscience. Such men were worthy to become the founders of new states, and to be remembered with gratitude by those who are now enjoying the blessings which they so deariy purchased. Vane, not being elected governor a second time, and having witnessed the persecution and exile of the party to which he had been conscientiously attached, soon after returned to Eng- land, became conspicuous in the civil wars, and suffered death What cause of disorder now besjan to operate ? "Whtt is laid of Mrs. Hutchinson f How did the controversy end ? Where did the exiles settle ? What became of Vane ? CONNECTICUT SETTLED. 89 for liis attachment to the republican cause. Peter became chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and, after the Restoration, suf- fered the same fate. The valley of the Connecticut had already attracted atten- tion, by its fertility and its convenient location for an exten- sive internal trade in furs. The first proprietary under the Plymouth council, the Earl of Warwick, had assigned hi« grant to Lords Say and Seal, Lord Brook, and others, in 1631 The people of the old colony at Plymouth had built a trading house at Windsor (1631) for the purchase of furs ; and the Dutch had settled Hartford, under the name of Good Hope, in 1633. The proprietaries sent out John Winthrop, in 1635, who erected a fort at the mouth of the Connecticut, and founded Saybrook. Before his arrival, parties of emigrants from Mas- sachusetts had already formed settlements at Hartford, Wind- sor, and Wethersfield. The settlers marched through the forest to their new abode, accompanied by their wives and children. This appears to have been the first example of /western emigration,' which was conducted in this manner. The march of the vanguard of sixty Pilgrims, which took place late in autumn, was attended with much suflfering and privation. Next year a government was organised under a commis- sion from Massachusetts ; and, in June, a company of one hundred new emigrants, under the direction of the Rev. Thomas Hooker, commenced its march from Massachusetts towards the new settlement on the Connecticut, travelling through the pathless woods at the slow rate of ten miles a day, encumbered with their families and flocks, and sleeping at night with scarce any shelter but what the woods afllx)rded. This pilgrimage is not less remarkable for its romantic daring, than for the high character of its leaders. The new settlement was surrounded with perils. The Dutch, who were established on the river were anxious to exclude the English ; and the natives, who were numerous and powerful in that neighbour- hood, had begun to entertain hostile dispositions towards all European intruders. / The Pequods, residing in the vicinity of the Thames river could bring seven hundred warriors into the field. They haJ Ol Peter ? What settlements had been made in Connecticut ? By whom ? Wfcen was Saybrook settled ? By whom ? 8* What other places had been set* tied? Describe the pilgrimage ol Mr. Hook er and his followers. What iangers did they cncotiijierr What is said of the Pequods ? tHE PEQUOt) WAH. already committed repeated aggressions on the whites, with- out suflering any chastisement, and they now proposed to the Narragansetts and Mohegans to unite in a league for the utter extermination of the race. Fortunately this design became known to Roger Williams, who communicated it to the go- vernor of Massachusetts ; and having received, from the governor and council, letters, requesting his personal exertions in dissolving the league, he went directly to the house of the eachem of the Narragansetts, and, although the Pequod chiefs were already there, he succeeded, at great hazard of his life, in breaking up the conspiracy. Such was the service which the persecuted man was able to render to those who had been his persecutors. The Pequods, when the Narragansetts and Mohegans were detached from their alliance, foolishly resolved to prosecute the war alone. They commenced hostilities by murdering the white people on their borders ; but the Connecticut settlers promptly raised a force of ninety men, who were placed under the command of John Mason. The Massachusetts and Plymouth colonies proceeded to furnish their contingent of troops ; but before they could arrive, the Connecticut party were on their way to the scene of action. By a rapid march they succeeded in surprising the Pequods, in their camp of palisades, before daybreak, and, but for the barking of a watch dog, would have destroyed them without resistance. The warriors rose at the alarm, and defended themselves with theif bows and arrows. Their superiority of numbers gave them some chance of escape, until Mason cast firebrands upon tiie Indian cabins, and set the whole encampment in a blaze. The confusion that ensued gave the English an easy victory. Six hundred of the Indians, men, women, and children, perished ; most of them by the fire. Only two of the assailants were killed. The following account is given by Robertson, of the cause which delayed the arrival of the force from Massachusetts. * The march of the troops from Massachusetts, which formed the most considerable body, was retarded by the most singu- lar cause that ever influenced the operations of a military force. When they were mustered, previous to their departure, it was found that some of the oflScers, as well as of the private sol diers, were still under a govenant of works ; and that the r Whvi leagued with them ? What did they design ? Wlio broke up the league ? I Who remained hostile ? Who marched against them? I What was the result ? NBW HAVEN SETTLED, 91 blessing of Go] could not be implored, or expected to crown the arms of such unhallowed men with success. The alarm WHS general, and many arrangements necessary in order to cast out the unclean, and to render this little band sufliciently pure to fight the battles of a people who entertained high ideas of their own sanctity.'* These troops, consequently, only arrived in time to hunt out a few of the fugitives, burn their remaining villages, and lay waste their corn-fields. Sassacus, the sachem of the Pe- quods, fled to the Mohawks, and was murdered. The rem- nant of the tribe, two hundred in number, surrendered, and were either enslaved to the English, or mingled with the Mo- hegans and Narragansetts. The Pequods no longer existed as a distinct tribe. Tt is worthy of remark, that the Indians were never danger- ous enemies to the colonists, until they had learnt tlie use of fire-arms. A handful of English could always march into their territory, and conquer a whole tribe, before the Euro- pean weapons were brought into use among them. The successful termination of the Pequod war, was fol- lowed by a long season of uninterrupted peace, during which the colonies of New England continued to flourish, increas- ing in wealth and population. Being no longer hemmed in by hostile tribes, the settle- ments began to spread beyond the narrow limits to which they had been confined. The lands to the westward seemed more fertile and attractive than those on the bleak New England coast. The Dutch on Hudson river did indeed claim the shores of Long Island Sound, but Englishmen paid little attention to this. In March, 1638, Theophilus Eaton and John Davenport, a minister, projected a new colony, to be guided in all things, civil as well as religious, by the Scriptures. Early in the spring of 1638, the company, many of whom came from Europe, set forth by water from Plymouth for Quinnipiack, thirty miles west of the mouth of the Connecticut river. A fortnight later they reached their destination, and gath- ering beneath an oak to listen to Davenport, their spiritual guide, they formed a plantation covenant, and established the colony of New Haven. For twenty years Theophilus Eaton What became of the remnant of the | What followed the Pequod war ? Pequods ? | When was New Haven settled ? ♦ Neal, i.,ie8. 92 tHE THREE CONMliCtlCtJt C0L0Nt£8. sustained the office of governor. This was a separate juris- diction from that in the interior, so that, at this time, there were no less than three distinct political communities in the territory now called Connecticut, viz. Saybrook, under the proprietaries, Connecticut colony, under a commission from Massachusetts, and New Haven colony, claiming its territory by purchase from the Indians, and governing itself by virtuf erf* a social contract. CHAPTER XH. THE COLONIES OF NEW ENGLAND UNITED. The increase of the colonies in New England, had already attracted considerable attention in the mother country. Some of those who had fallen under the censure of the government in Massachusetts, had returned to England, and busied them- selves in exciting animosity against the colony. Gorges and Mason, who were rivals to the leaders of that colony, joined in the clamour against them. But there were friends of the colonists in England, who pleaded their cause with success. Notwithstanding their exertions, however, an order in council was obtained, for preventing the departure of ships bound with passengers to New England ; and a requisition was made for producing the letters patent of the company in England. This requisition was evaded. A special commis- sion was then issued to the archbishop of Canterbury and others, for regulating the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of the colonies, with power to revoke charters. When intelligence of this proceeding reached Boston, coupled with the rumour that a governor-general was on his way to assume the controul of affaiis, the colonists began to prepare tor resistance. Money was raised for erecting forti- fications, and the boldest measures were determined on. Mean time the council of Plymouth had resigned its char- ter, after parcelling out the territory among its members, which they had already granted by patents to others. They Enumerate the separate political communities existing in Connec- ticut. What is said of the New England co- lonies f Of Gorges and Mason ? What hostile measures were threat- ened in England ? What was the effect of this news u New England ? What is said of the council of Ply mouth } PERSBJUTION ON THE PURITANS. 9 were not able, however, to take possession of the territory thus clauned, without the aid of government. At their in- stance a quo warranto was issued against the company of Massachusetts' Bay, and jud^rnaent was pronounced against Its members. The other patentees of the Plymouth company were outlawed. But the death of Mason, their most active enemy, and the civil disturbances in England, prevented any further proceedings for the time. The persecution of Puritans raged with great fury in Eng- land. The punishments of scourging, mutilation, imprison- ment, and the pillory were inflicted on great numbers of them ; and when they attempted to fly from their persecutors to the safe asylum of the New World, the ships in which they proposed to embark were detained. In 1638, a squad- ron of eight ships, preparing to sail for New England, was detained in the Thames, by order of the privy council. Thia detention lasted, however, but a few days. It has been afliirmed by historians, that Hampden and Cromwell were about to embark in this fleet ; but Mr. Ban- croft, in his history, has conclusively shown that this asser- tion is without foundation. During the civil wars of England, the colonies were left in a state of peace and prosperity. The population increased rapidly. Twenty-one thousand two hundred emigrants had arrived before the assembling of the Long Parliament, and a million of dollars had been expended on the plantations. Agriculture, ship building, the fisheries, and an extensive commerce in furs, lumber, grain, and fish were the chiefs pursuits of the inhabitants. Their institutions of religion and civil government were highly favourable to habits of in- dustry and economy ; labour rendered their soil productive, and the natural result was a rapid increase of wealth and population. The members of the Long Parliament, being Puritan* themselves, were disposed to extend every encouragement to the Puritan colonies. They freed the colonists from all -^g^^ taxation on exports and imports, and declared their ap- probation of the enterprise in which they were engaged. The colonists accepted the courtesy, but were careful to avoid too close a connection with these unsought friends. What prevented further proceedings ? What is said of the Puritans ? Of Hampden and CromweU ? Of the populatioii of New England ? The pursuits and institutions of the people ? Of the Long Parliamert f Of the colonistfl ^ 94 NEW ENGLAVB COLONIES UNITED. In 1641, New Hampshire W2.s annexed to Massachusetts, by request of the people, and on equ-^^ terms ; the inhabitants of the former province not being requn^d to qualify its fr'?e- men or deputies, for a participation in the business of legisla- tion, hy church membership. As early as 1637, a union of the (olonies of New England had been proposed at a meeting of the leading magistrates and elders of Connecticut, held in Boston ; but it was not until 1643, that a confederation was effected, embracing the •separate goveinments of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connec- ticut, and New Haven, under the title of the United Colonies of New England. Their declared object was the protection •f the lives, property, and liberties of the whole, against foreign or internal dangers. The local jurisdiction of the several states was carefully guarded. Two commissioners from each colony were to assemble annually to deliberate on the affairs of the confederacy. The measures which they determined were merely recommended to the several colonies, to be carried into effect by their local authorities. Rhode Island was excluded from the union, because it declined to come under the jurisdiction of Plymouth ; and the people of Providence Plantations and Maine were not admitted on account of the want of harmony between their religious views and those of the members of the confederacy. One of the chief offices of the commissioners of the United Colonies was the regulation of Indian affairs ; and their m- tervention was required soon after they had become organised. Miantonomoh, the sachem of the Narragansetts, orompted by an ancient grudge against Uncas, chief of the Mohegans, suddenly gathered his warriors, to the number of 1000, and fell upon the hated tribe with great fury. He was defeated and taken prisoner ; and Uncas applied to the commissioners for advice respecting the manner in which he should be dis- posed of. They inquired into the circumstances of the affair, and finding that Miantonomoh had killed a servant of Uncas, in time of peace, they pronounced him guilty of murder. How far an independent chieftain was amenable to their tri- bunal may be doubted. The Indian customs warranted his execution, and accordingly he was put to death by Uncas himself, on a spot beyond the jurisdiction of the colony, Of New Hampshire ? What was done in 1637 ? In 1643? What was the object of this union ? What colonies were excluded ? Why ? Relate the affair of Ikliantosoiiio* and Uncas. miKUS AND MIAJfTONOMOB; ROGER WILLIAMS IN ENGLAND. 96 His tribo were greatly exasperated, but durst not attempt t€ avenge his death. In 1646, the people* of Connecticut purchased the territory at the mouth of the river, from the assigns of the Earl of Warwick. Rhode Island, having been excluded from the union of the colonies, sought the immediate protection of the mother country. For this purpose the government despatched Roger Williams himself, the founder of the colony, to England. He was warmly received by the republicans, who had then the controul of affairs, and found no difficulty in obtaining from parliament, a free and absolute charter of civil government. On his return, he took letters of safe conduct from parlia- ment, and landed at Boston, whence, it will be recollected, he had been banished with an ignominy as signal as his return was now triumphant. His return to his own slate was marked with every demonstration of joy and welcome. On his arrival at Seekonk, he was met by a fleet of canoes, manned by the people of Providence, and conducted joyously to the opposite shore. The aflfairs of Rhode Island were not yet finally settled. The executive council in England had granted to Coddington a separate jurisdiction of the islands. Justly apprehending that this would lead to the speedy dissolution of their little state, and the annexation of its ports to the neighbouring go- vernments, the people sent Williams again to England, ac- companied by John Clark; and the danger was removed by the rescinding of Coddingtoh's commission, and the confirma lion of the charter. (1652.) The province of Maine had made but little progress under the auspices of Sir Ferdinand Gorges, as lord proprietary. He had granted a city charter to the town of York, which contained some 300 inhabitants, and sent out his cousin Thomas, to support the dignity of a deputy governor. He had expended much time and money on his favourite scheme of colonisation, but died at an advanced age, without realis- ing any benefit from it. After his death a dispute arose between the colonists who were settled under his charter, and those who had settled under Rigby's patent, for Lygonia. The magistrates of the What took place in 1646 ? What is related of Roger Williams ? How was he received on his re- turn? Wliat was the occasion of his 8€Cond visit to England ? What was the result ? What is related of Gorges ? What dispute arose after his death 7 96 MAINE UNITED WITH MASSACnUSETTS. neighbouring colony of Massachusetts were appealcl to by both parties ; and after a hearing, the litigants were informed that neither had a clear right, and were recommended to live in peace. The heirs of Gorges seemed to have forgotten the care of his colony, and his agents withdrew. Under these circumstances, the inhabitants of Piscataqua, York, and Wells j^ccepted the ofler of Massachusetts to place themselves under 1652 protection. The province was formally annexed to the Bay colony, and the towns, situated farther east, readily sent in their adhesion. In 1655, Oliver Cromwell offered the people of New Eng- land a settlement in the Island of Jamaica, provided they would emigrate thither, and possess its fertile lands, and orange groves. But the people were too much attached to the country of their adoption to listen to such a proposal. They would have considered it a species of sacrilege, to abandon to the savages the consecrated asylum of their religion. The protector's offer was respectfully declined. The religious sentiments of the Puritan colonists gave a peculiar character to all their institutions. Religion waa with them an affair of state ; and to preserve its purity was considered a paramount duty of the civil magistrate. We have seen the effects of this principle in the history of the Antinomian controversy, which led to the expulsion of Anne Hutchinson, and her disciples. It was now applied to the Anabaptists and Quakers. Clarke, a baptist of Rhode Island, of exemplary character, was fined for preaching at Lynn, and Holmes, for refusing to pay a fine, inflicted for his religious opinions, was publicly whipped. The union of church and state had become so intimafco that offences against religion, as it was understood by the governing powers, were treated as civil crimes. Absence from public worship was punished by a fine. The utterance cf certain opinions was denounced as blasphemy, and visited with fine, imprisonment, exile, or death. Ministers not ordained in the regular manner, were silenced by the publii authorities ; and the very men, who had fled from England to gain an asylum for religious freedom, were refusing the slightest toleration to any religious opinions but their own. It is not surprising that, in this state of the colony, certain How was it settled ? To what colony was Maine annexed ? What offer was made by Cromwell ? W«f it accepted ? What sects were now persecuted? Why? What measures were taken by ^ government ? PKRSECUTION OF QUAKIRft. members of the society of Friends, who came into Massachu- setts, and made known their sentiments, were dealt with in % summary manner. Mary Fisher and Ann Austin, members of the society, who arrived in Boston in July, 1656, were put in close custody for five weeks, and then banished. A special law was passed, prohibiting their admission into the colony; and a fine was imposed on such as should entertain them. The Quakers not being deterred from visiting the forbidden ground by these regulations, a law was finally passed which banished them on pain of death. Several persons were actually hanged under this enactment. Such proceedings evince at once the peculiar delusion of the times, and the dangerous tendency of a union of church and state. It is fortunate that this delusion was temporary ; and that the unnatural combination which led to it, was soon dissolved. The people of New England were early impressed with the importance of a provision for general instruction. In 1647, a law was passed for the establishment of public schools, requiring one in every township containing fifty householders ; and a grammar school where boys could be fitted for college in every town containing one hundrt d families. A sum equal to a year's rate of the whole coloiiy of Massachusetts had been voted for the erection of a college, in 1636; and in 1638, John Harvard, who died soon after his arrival in this country, bequeathed half his estate and all his library to the college. The institution has ever since borne his name. It was supported with great zeal not only by the inhabitants of the Bay colony, but by all the other members of the New England confederacy ; and the example of Massachusetts was followed by the others in the establish- ment of public schools. The benefits of this early and con- stant attention to education have been felt in every peri. afforded them the strongest reason to ex- pect an abridgment of their commercial advantages, and an attack upon their religious and political privileges. They were accordingly in no haste to recognise the royal authority. In July, 1660, Whaley and Goffe, two of the late king's judges, arrived in Boston, and announced the restoration of Charles II, but represented the mother country as being in a very unsettled state. They were freely permitted to travel through New England, and received many attentions from the inhabitants. When, at length, it was known that the king's authority was firmly established in England, and that complaints agains* the colony of Massachusetts had been presented to the privy rooncii and both houses of parliament, by Quakers, royalists, ajid others adverse to its interests, the people became con- vinced of the necessity of decisive action. A general court was convened, and an address was voted to the king, vin- dicating the colony from the charges of its enemies, professing the most dutiful attachment to the sovereign, and soliciting protection for their civil and ecclesiastical institutions. A similar address was made to parliament, and the agent of the colony was instructed to exert himself to obtain a continuance of the commercial immunities which had been granted by the l.u'W Parliament. Before he had time to obey these instructions, a duty of five per cent, on exports and imports had already been im- posed ; and before the session closed, the famous navigation act was reenacted. The king returned a gracious answer tc the colonial address, accompanied by an order for the appre* hension of Goflfe and Whaley. This small measure of royal favour was joyfully received, and a day of thanksgiving was appointed, to acknowledge the favour of Heaven in disposing the king to clemency. A What is said of the Restoration ? By parliament ? What happened in July, 1660 ? By the king ? What was at length done by the ge- By the coloniftf aeraJ eourt ? THE king's letter /)rmaA requisition for the regicide judges was sent to New Haven whither they had gone ; but matters were so ar- ranged that they escaped from their pursuers, and lived in New England to the end of their days. Apprehensions of danger to their civil and religious righ*« were still felt by the colonists, notwithstanding the bL4*d professions of the king. Rumours of a meditated attack vifl their commercial privileges, and of the coming of a governor- general for all North America, were seriously believed. This led to the famous Declaration of Rights on the part of Massachusetts, in which the powers and duties of the colony were very clearly and ably defined. Having thus declared the terms on which his authority should be recognised, the general court caused the king to be solemnly proclaimed as their undoubted prince and sovereign lord. Agents were then sent over to England to protect the inte- rests of the colony, who were favourably received, and soon returned to Boston, bringing a letter from the king confirm- mg the colonial charter, and granting an amnesty to all po- litical offenders who were not already attainted for high trea- son ; but requiring that he oath of allegiance should be administered; that justice should be distributed in the king's name ; that the church of England should be tolerated ; and that the qualification of church membership for civil officers should be dispensed with. Of all these requisitions, the only one which was com- plied with was that which directed the judicial proceedings to be conducted in the king's name. The others were pub- lished, but reserved for deliberation. The agents, Brad- street and Norton, who had returned with the letter, were so severely reproached for not being able to procure better terms of acceptance with the king, that one of them, Norton, actu- ally died of a broken heart. His unhappy fate seemed to convince the colonists of their injustice, and his death was« universally and sincerely mourned. Rhode Island was not backward in acknowledging the restored king. He was early proclaimed in the colony, and an agent, being despatched to England, soon succeeded in obtaining a charter whic.i granted the most ample privileges. What 18 said of the regicides ? Of the declaration of rights ? Cf the general court ? "H the agents sent to England ? Whmt terms were offered by the kin^ } How were they disposed of ? What is said of the agents after their return ? Of Rhode Island and its new chai< ter? 100 NEW CHARTERS GRANTED It gave to the patentees the title of the Governor and Com pany of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence. The form of government, prescribed by it, was the usual one of a governor, assistants, and representatives elected by the freemen. It was received with the greatest satisfaction, as it confirmed to the colonists the democratical constitution to which they had always been accustomed. Connecticut deputed John Winthrop, son of the celebrated governor of Massachusetts, as their agent at court, who hii no difficulty in obtaining a charter in almost every respect the same with that which had been granted to Rhode Island. It differed from it, however,' in requiring the oaths of alle- giance and supremacy to be administered to the inhabitants By the new charter New Haven was united with Connecti- cut ; an arrangement which was for some time opposed by the people of the former colony, although they finally con- curred in it. Winthrop, on his return, was cordially wel- comed ; and was annually chosen governor of the colony during the remainder of his life. The privileges confirmed by these charters were subse- quently of immense importance to the cause of liberty. The English government had always questioned the light of the Dutch to their settlements m what are now called the Middle States ; the history and extent of which we shall notice in another place. Charles II now resolved to dispos- sess them, and accordingly granted the territory to his bro- ther, the Duke of York, who sent Colonel Nichols, with four ships and three hundred soldiers, for the purpose of taking possession. In the same ships came four commissioners, * empowered to hear and determine complaints and appeals in causes, as well military as civil; within New England, and to proceed for settling the peace and security of the country.* Their real object was to find pretexts for recall ing the liberal charters of the colonies. (1664.) The people and government of Massachusetts were awake to their danger, and exhibited an admirable mixture of firm iiess and address in a crisis so alarming. On the arrival oj ihe commissioners in Boston, their credenti^ils were lain before the council, with a letter from the king, requiring Connecticut ? Of John Winthrop ? For what purpose was Colonel Ni- choli sent fron* England to Ame- rica / For what pretended objects were commissioners sent with hiflo ? What was their real object ? What is said of Massaciiusects ? Oi tne commissioners ? COLONIAL CHARTERS ENDANGERED. 101 prompt assistance in the expedition against New Nether- lands, The general court was convened, and, after declaiing their loyalty and their attachment to the charter, voted a sub- sidy of two hundred men. Meantime Colonel Nichols pro- ceeded to Manhattan, and reduced the colony before the Massachusetts troops could arrive, so that their services were never required. The commissioners now called the attention of the general court to the king's letter, received two years before, but not much regarded. Their recommendation was complied with roceefling, the British fleet, off* the harbour, captured the V^igilant, a French frigate, having on board a reinforcement of five hundred and sixty men, and supplies for the garrison. Soon after this an attack was made on the island battery by four hundred men, which failed with the loss of sixty killed, ^ind one hundred and sixteen taken prisoners. But even thia disaster seems to have been fortunate ; for the prisoners united \n giving the French a most exaggerated and formidable ao count of the English force. Deprived of his expected supplies of men and provisions, iiid apprehending an immediate assault, the French governor of Louisbourg, Duchambon, determined to surrender, and in a few days sent in his capitulation. An examination of the fortress after its surrender, convinced the victors that it would h£ve proved impregnable against any assault. It may well be supposed that the news of this important tronquest spread universal joy through New England. It had been the people's own enterprise ; undertaken at their own earnest solicitation ; fitted out from their own resources of men and money, and accomplished by their own courage and perseverance. It was a noble triumph of New England spirit and resolution. Pepperel and Shirley were rewarded by the British govern- ment with the honours of knighthood ; and parliament ordered reimbursements to be made for the expenses of the expedition. When Duvivier, the French admiral, charged with a fleet and army to attempt the conquest of Nova Scotia, heard of the fall of Louisbourg, he relinquished the expedition and returned to Europe. Shirley now wrote to the British government for reinforce- ments of men and ships, for the purpose of attempting the conquest of Canada, and raised a large body of forces m the colonies. But before offensive operations could be com- menced, news was brought that the Duke d'Anville had ar- rived in Nova Scotia with a formidable armament, intended •or the invasion of New England. The apprehensions caused by this intelligence were soon after dissipated by the arrival of some prisoners set at liberty by the French, who reported By the fleet f What resulted from the attack on the island battery ? Why did Duchambon surrender ? How was the aewi receiye wealth and importance of the respective territories. The right of discovery was pleaded on both sides, and the right of prior possession was urged wherever it existed ; but so large a part of the country was still unsettled, and even unvisited, that the question of boundaries opened a wide field for discussion. The line between Canada and New England, the bounda- ries of Nova Scotia, and the extent of Louisiana were all sub- jects of dispute. The last mentioned territory had been acquired by the French in 1722, when New Orleans receivet the remnant of a colony of that nation, which had been plantec near Mobile. It was now beginning to flourish ; and settle- ments were extending up the Mississippi, towards the great lakes. This circumstance gave rise to a grand project lor connecting New Orleans with Canada by a chain of forts ex- tending along the whole western and northern frontier of thd British colonies. Such a design was too important not to receive the most earnest attention of both nations. Its execution became the grand object of desire to one and dread to the other ; and wa» What saved New England from inva- sion f Wliat were the cotisequences of the treaty 01 Aix la Chapelle ? Whkt was done by Massachusetts i What was a new subject ol dispute between France and England What design was entertained by France f CHARACTER OF THE NEW ENGLANDERS. Ill uhe central point of all the operations of the succeeding French war, which will become the subject of attention in another part of this history. At the period to which we have now brought our narrative, the New England colonies had acquired no small importance, not only in view of the other Nortn American communities, but of Europe. The inhabitants had displayed a degree of hardihood and perseverance in their early settlements, an ac- tivity and enterprise in their commercial operations, a firmness in defence of their liberties, and an indomitable courage in their wars, which could not pass unnoticed. Their resources in agriculture and trade were greatly developed ; and their popu- lation exceeded a million of souls. The influence which they exercised on the subsequent destinies of the whole country was commensurate with these important advantages of cha- racter and ability. CHAPTER XIV. COLONISATION OF NEW YORK. The territory now occupied by the middle states of the American Union, was originally settled by the Dutch and Swedes. In 1609, Henry Hudson, an Englishman, in the service of the East India company of Holland, set sail from the Texel for the discovery of a north-west passage to India. On his voyage he touched at Long Island, and sailed a consi- derable distance up the river to which his own name was afterwards given. The right of discovery, supposed to be thus acquired, and the favourable reports of subsequent voyagers, induced a company of Dutch merchants to establish a trading settlement ; and the States-general promoted the enterprise by granting them a patent for the exclusive trade of the Hudson river. They built a fort near Albany, which they called Fort Orange, and a few trading houses on Manhattan island, which is now called the island of New York. These events took place in 1613. The claim thus established by the Dutch, was regarded by What was the state of New England I Who discoveied Hudson river? When? at this period ? j Where did the Dutch form settle first colonif ed the middle states ? | mentf ^ When ? 113 THE NEW NEIIIKULANDS. ihem as valid ; but in the same year the English, who 3onsi* dered themselves entitled to all North America, because the continent was first discovered by Cabot, sent Captain Argall from Virginia to dispossess all intruders on the coast. Having taken possession of Port Royal, St. Saviour, and St. Croix^ French settlements in Acadia, Argall paid a visit to the Dutch at Manhattan, and ordered them to surrender the place. Tae Dutch governor, having no means of defence, submitted him* self and his colony to the British authority, and consented to pay tribute. In the year following, however, a new governor having ariived at the fort, with a reinforcement of settlers, the claim* of the English to dependence was forthwith defied, and the payment of tribute, imposed by Argall, resisted. For the better protection of their claim to the country, they erected a fort at the south-west point of the island. Here they were left undisturbed by the English for many years ; maturing their settlements, increasing their numbers, and establishing a prosperous and * quiet little colony.' In 1621, the attention of the government of Holland being directed to the importance of this settlement in America, they granted a patent to the Butch West India Company, embrac- ing the territOr^ from the Connecticut river to the Delaware, under the title of the New Netherlands. Under this com- pany, the colony was considerably extended The city of New Amsterdam, afterwards called New York, was built on Manhattan island; and in 1623, at the distance of 150 miles higher up the Hudson river, the foundations were laid of the city of Albany. Their first fort in this place was called fort Aurania, a name which was afterwards changed to Fori Orange. The same year they built a fort on the east side of the Delaware, which they named Fort Nassau. Ten years afterwards, they erected a fort on the Connecticut river near Hartford, and called it Fort Good Hope. Their possessious were thus extended, or rather scattered, from the Connecticut to the Delaware. The Swedes were already settled on the Delaware ; and the claims of the two nations were afterwards the subject of controversy, until the final subjugation of the whole territory by the Dutch. The English extended their settlements to Relate ArgalPs proceedings. What happened next year ? What was done in 1621 f In 1623? How far were the Dutch possetsioiif extended in 1633 ? Where were the Swedes settled ' W)^e dispossessed theiil / GOVERNOR STUYVESANT. ua the Connecticut, and after disputes, which lasted inanj years, rlriaily ejected the Dutch from their fort on that river. During their occupancy of this post, however, the Dutch received frequent assistance from their Enghsh neighbours, in their wars with the Indians. So little accustomed were the Dutch to this species of warfare, that, on one occasion, their governor, Kieft, was obliged to engage the services of Captain Underbill, who had been banished from Boston far his eccentricities in religion. This commander, with oric !iundred and fifty men, succeeded in making good the defence of the Dutch settlements. In 1646, a great battle was fought on Strickland's Plain, in which the Dutch gained the victory. In 1650, Peter Stuyvesant, the governor of New Nether- lands, went to Hartford, and demanded from the commission- ers of the United Colonies of New England a full surrendei of the lands on Connecticut river. Several days were spent in controversy on the subject, and articles of agreement were finally signed, by which Long Island was divided between the parties ; and the Dutch were permitted to retain only those lands on the Connecticut which they held in actual possession. On the Delaware, Stuyvesant defended the claims of his country against both the English and the Swedes. In 1651, he built fort Casimir, on the river, near New Castle. The Sv^'edes, claiming the country, protested against this inva«)on of their rights ; and Risingh, their governor, treacheroiusiy surprised it, and taking possession, compelled the garrison to swear allegiance to Christina, Queen of Sweden. Stuyvesant, taking fire at this outrage, determined to invade and subdue the vvhole Swedish settlement. He accordingly proceeded to execute his purpose, and easily succeeded in so far intimidat- ing the Swedes, that they quietly surrendered the whole of their establishments, and soon became incorporated with the conquerors. During the next ten years, Stuyvesant was occupied in strengthening and extending the colony of New Netherlands. But he was only rendering it a more valuable acquisition for his powerful neighbours. Charles II was now (1664) king of England, and forgetting the friends who had afiforded him shelter during his long exile, he sought every pretext for a Who took the Dutch fort on the Con- accticut ? Who aiaed the Dutch in their wars with the ladiu t f 10» What was done in 1650 ? In 1651 f Who was the conqueror o/ New Sweden ? Give an account }f the eonquMt 14 COLONEL Nichols's administration. quarrel with Holland. Among others he asserted his ciaifH to the province of New Netherlands ; and, without regarding the claims of the actual occupants, he executed a charter con- veying to his brother, the Duke of York, the whole territory lying between the Connecticut and the Delaware. No sooner did the Duke of York obtain this grant, than he conveyed to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, all that portion now constituting the state of New Jersey. To carry the king's grant into effect. Colonel Nichols wa» sent out with a fleet and army. After touching at Boston he sailed for New Amsterdam, and, anchoring before the place, demanded its surrender from the governor. Stuyvesant was for making the best defence he could, but being overruled by the fears of the people, who dreaded the storming and sacking of their city, he was induced to sign a treaty of capitulation of the most favourable character. Private property was respected, and Dutch vessels were still permitted to come to the colony for the purpose of trading or bringing settlers. The inhabi- tants retained their estates, and became incorporated with the new comers. Stuyvesant himself remained in the colony to the end of his life. Out of compliment to the patentee. New Amsterdam was thenceforward called New York ; and this name was extended to the whole province. Fort Orange was soon after surren- dered, and received the name of Albany. Carteret, who had been despatched to reduce fort Orange, effected a treaty with the Indians of the Five Nations, which was productive of lasting benefits to the colonists. Sir Robert Car received the surrender of the garrison on the Delaware, on the first of October, and the entire subjugation of New Netherlands to the English was thus completed. Colonel Nichols was the first English governor of New York. His government was absolute, but paternal. On the judicial institutions of the Dutch, he ingrafted the trial by jury ; and having caused the laws to be revived, improved, and formed into one code, he transmitted them to England ; wheio tney received the confirmation of the Duke of York. On the 12th of June, 1665, New York became an incorporated city. During Colonel Nichols's administration, (1666,) a war with ^en, and by whom were the New Netherlands conquered ? Relate the affair. What was the new name of city and What was done by Carteret f Relate the events of Goyeinor Ni- chols's admimstratjoiL ANDROs's ADMIN SSTRATION. 115 Holland having broken out, apprehensions weie entertained of an attempt to recover New York by the Dutch. Heavy taxes were laid for the purpose of defence, and the people complaining, Nichols nobly sacrificed his private property for ihe public service. No attack took place, however ; and a/ the peace of Breda, the colony was ceded to England in exchange for Surinam. Next year Colonel Nichols found himself compelled, by the sacrifices of property he had made, to resign his appointment. He was su''€eeded by Colonel Lovelace, during whose ad- ministration a^six years, the colony was happy and prosper- ous. Towards the close of his term of office, war with Holland having again broken out, a small squadron was de gpatched to destroy the commerce of the English colonies After having accompL'shed this purpose to a considerable extent, the commander made a sudden descent on New York and Lovelace being absent, Colonel Manning, who had been left in command, sent down a messenger, and treacherousl} surrendered the place without the least opposition. It re- mained in the hands of the Dutch but a few months, being restored to the English again at the treaty of Westminster, in 1674. The Duke of York now took out a new patent. It em- powered him to govern the inhabitants by such ordinances as ne or his assigns should establish, and to administer justice according to the laws of England, allowing an appeal to the king in council. It prohibited trade without his permission and imposed the usual duties on exports and imports. Under the authority of this charter, the Duke of York retained the government of New York until his accession to the throne of England, as James II. He first commissioned Andros, who was afterwards the oppressor of New England, to be governor under his authority, of all his territories, from the Connecticu to the Delaware. In October the Dutch resigned their au thority to Andros, who forthwith entered upon the duties ot his administration. During its continuance he exhibited much of tnat harshness, severity, and rapacity which afterwards rendered him so odious in the eastern colonies. In 1682, Colonel Thomas Dongan was ap':^ointed governor. His ad ministration is memorable as the era of the commencement of representative government in the colony. The royal proprie- Governor Lovelace's. | Give an account of Governor Andros's What wer? tbe terms of tiie new I administration, patent t \ Who succeeded hm f 116 NEW YORK ACQUIRES CIVIL FREEDOM, fcary having perceived in the people pretty unequivocal symp- toms of discontent with the arbitrary system which prevailed in Andros's time, and being solicited by the council, court ot assizes, and corporation, consented to grant New York the same form of government which hitherto was enjoyed in the colonies, and accordingly transferred the legislative power to an assembly of the representatives of the people. The as- sembly was to consist of a council of ten members, and a house oi representatives chosen by the people, composed of eighteen members ; but its laws were to be ratified by the proprietary before they could take eflect. This free constitu- tion was received by the people at the very period when the colonists of New England were deprived of their charters. As an admission of the principle of representative government it was important ; but the people, having gained their point, seem to have settled down into that happy and contented state, which required very little attention either to the iram- ing or executing of laws, since they only had two sessions of the legislature for the next six years. Although we are not fond of statistical details, we cannot refrain from presenting an extract from Graham's history, exhibiting the condition of the province at this period. It is particularly interesting when we contrast these small begin- nings with the present extent and resources of that powerful state. * The city of New York, in 1678, appears to have con- tained three thousand four hundred and thirty inhabitants, and to have owned no larger navy than three ships, eight sloops, and seven boats. No account appears to have been collected of the population of the whole province, which con- tained twenty-tour towns, villages, or parishes. About fifteen vessels, on an average, traded yearly to the port of New York, importing English manufactures to the value ^50,000, and exporting the productions of the colony, which consisted of land produce of all sorts, among which are particularised beef, pease, lumber, tobacco, peltry, procured from the Indians, and sixty thousand bushels of wheat. Of servants the number was small, and they were much wanted. Some unfrequent and intonsiderable importations of slaves were made from Barbadoes ; and there were yet but very few of these unfortu- nate beings in the colony. Agriculture was more generally followed than trade. A trader worth 561000, or even £500, What remarkable change in the form of government now took place ? Wliat is said of the people f What account is given of the condi tion of New York at tJiis period? Its commerce t THE FIVE NATIONS. was considered, a substantial merchant , and a planter worth half that sum in moveables was accounted rich. All the estates in the province were valued at ^150,000. Minis- ters," says Andros, '* are scarce, and religions many." The duke maintained a chaplain at New York ; which was the only certain endowment of the church of England. There were about twenty churches or meeting places, of which half were vacant. All districts were liable by law to the obligation of building churches and provid^'^g for ministers, whose emoluments varied from ^40 to ^70 a year, with the addition of a house and garden. But the Presbyterians and Independents, who formed the most numerous and substantial portion of the inhabitants, were the only classes who showed much willingness to procure and support their ministers. Marriages were allowed to be solemnised either by ministers or by justices of the peace. There were no beggars in the province : and the poor, who were few, were well taken care of. The number of the militia amounted to two thousand, comprehending one hundred and forty horsemen: and a standing company of soldiers was maintained, with gunners and other officers for the forts of Albany and New York. Such was the condition of the province about four years pre- ceding the period at which weTiave now arrived. Four years after, (in 1686,) it was found to have improved so rapidly, that the shipping of New York amounted to ten three masted vessels, twenty sloops, and a few ketches of intermediate bulk. The militia had also increased to four thousand foot, three hundred horse, and a company of dragoons. The aug- mentation of inhabitants, indicated by this increase of military (orce, appears the more considerable, when we keep in view, tint some time prior to this last mentioned period, the Dela- ware territory had been partly surrendered to Lord Baltimore, and partly assigned to William Penn.' The administration of Colonel Dongan was chiefly distin- jinished by the attention which he bestowed on Indian affairs. I' he confederacy of the Five Nations had long existed in the 'neighbourhood uf the colony, and, by a system of wise and politic measures, had succeeded in acquiring a degree of power and importance never attained by any other associa tion of the North American tribes. They had adopted, among other practices, that of incorporating numbers of their conquered enemies among themselves ; and the consequence What is said of Colonel Dongan's ad- | Of the Five Natioas f ministration ? | £18 TREATY WITH THE FIVE NATIONS. was the acquisition of id any hartly warriors, and even distill- guished sacheuis and chiefs. When, subsequently to the period of whirh we. are now writing, the Tuscarora tribe was vauqiiishcid by ihe South Carolina troops, it was adopted entire, and thus gave to the confederacy the name of the Six Nptions. Before the arrival of Champlain in Canada, they had driven the Adirondacs to a position near Quebec ; but the aid ren- dered by that adventurer, and the use of fire-arms in several battles, turned the tide of war, and compelled the Five Na- tions to retreat into their own country in the greatest distress. The arrival of the Dutch in the Hudson river, at this critical juncture, affording them a supply of the fire-arms to which their enemies had been indebted for success, they revived the v/ar with such impetuosity and determination, that the nation of the Adirondacs was completely annihilated. Hence ori- ginated the hatred entertained by the confederacy against the French, and their grateful attachment to the people of New York. In 1665, a party of French, under Courcelle, the governor of Canada, marching into their country, lost their way, and arrived in the greatest distress at Schenectady, where Cor- laer, a Dutchman of some consideration, had founded a village. This man, by a simple artifice, saved them from the ven- geance of the Indians, who were at that village in suflicient force to have destroyed their invaders. He gave them r-e- freshments, and sent them away. This circumstance was gratefully remembered by Courcelle ; and, in 1667, a treaty of peace was signed between the Five Nations and the French, which lasted till the beginning of Colonel Dongan's adminis- tration. Meantime the French had advanced their settlements along the St. Lawrence, and in 1672 built Fort Frontignac on its north-west bank, near Lake Ontario; and the Jesuits w^eie conciliating the neighbouring Indians, and converting many of them to tlie Catholic reh'gion. Colonel Dongan, perceiving the danger of these encroach- ments to the interests of the colonies, entered, in conjunction with Lord EfTinghani, governor of Virginia, into a definitive? treaty with the Five Nations, embracing all the fhiglish sei* tlements and all the tribes in alliance with theai. Tliis treaij took place in 1684. It was long and inviolably adhered to. What occasioned their attachment to | What happened in 1666 ? the jpeople of New York i \ What wa-t done by the French i DE LA BARRE'S INVASION. 119 Governor Dongan was a far-si gb ted and able man. He was tbe first to comprehend fully the vast designs of France, and the extent to which her progress in America threat- ened the British colonies. To defeat them and weaken their power was the great object of all his plans, and he saw that the powerful Iroquois confederacy was the only agency through which England could strike at her dangerous rival. His control over these Indians was not too soon acquired. The insolence cf the Five Nations had provoked the French, and De laBarre, governor of Canada, raised a large force and entered the territory of the haughty Iroquois. But his troops were struck down by sickness, provisions failed him, and after receiving deputies from the cantons, he patched up a peace and retired ingloriously. His successor Denonville, a more capable man, determined to chastise the Senecas, and invaded their territory in western New York. He defeated them in battle and ravaged their towns. By the death of Charles H, in 1685, the Duke of York succeeded to the throne of England. The people of New York now solicited a new constitution, which he had pre- viously promised them, but were coldly refused. At the same time additional taxes were imposed ; and the existence of a printing press in the colony was strictly forbidden. An- other measure of James 11, which was highly injurious to he interests of the colony, was a treaty of neutrality with France, by which it was stipulated that neither party should give assistance to the Indian tribes in their w^ars with each other. This did not prevent the French from exciting hos- tilities between their Indian allies and the Five Nations, but compelled the English to refrain from assisting these their ancient friends. In 1688, Andros v/as appointed governor of New York and New England. The appointment of this tyrant, and the annexation of the colony to the neighbouring ones, were measures particularly odious to the people. Andros re- mained at Boston, and appointed Nicholson his lientenanv governor. During his administration, the F'ive Nations, being at war with the French, made a sudden descent on Sive ap accoi nt of the invasions of De la Bi.rre and Dc Nonville. What i£.jpeDo(^ on the accessian of Who was made governor in 16S8 ? What was the charactei of his admi- 1, 'Miration f 120 • LEISLER S GOVERNMEN'l Montreal, burned and sacked the town, killed one thousand of the inhabitants, carried away a number of prisoners, whom they burned alive, and then returned to their own country, with the loss of only three of their number. Had the Eng- lish followed up this success of their allies, all Canada might have been easily conquered. Meantime the discontent of the people had risen to an alarming height, and on receiving intelligence of the acces- sion of William and Mary, and of the successful insurrection at Boston, which had terminated the government of Andros, they resolved to imitate the example, and effect a revolution. Jacob Leisler, a man of eager, headlong temper, and nar- row capacity, was selected for a leader. He had already resisted the payment of customs on some goods which he had imported, and alleged that there was no legitimate go- vernment in the colony. Raising a report that hostile opera- tions were about to be commenced by the government, he took a detachment of trained bands, and, seizing the fort, de- clared his determination to hold it until the decision of the new sovereigns should be known. He then despatched a messenger to King William, and, by negotiations with Massachusetts and Connecticut, suc- ceeded in interesting the governments of these colonies on his side. A report at the same time being spread that an English fleet was approaching to assist the insurgents, all classes in New York immediately joined themselves to Leis- ler's party ; and Nicholson, afraid of sharing the fate of the imprisoned Andros, fled to England. Soon after Leisler's elevation to power, a letter came from the British ministry, directed ' to such as, for the time, take care for administering the laws of the province,' and giving authority to perform the duties of lieutenant-governor. Leis- ler regarded this letter as addressed to himself, and accord- ingly assumed the ofnce, issued commissions, and appointed his own executive council. A few of Nicholson's adherents, Courtlandt, the mayor of the city. Colonel Bayard, Major Schuyler, and a number of other gentlemen, jealous of the elevation of a man of inferior rank to the supreme command, retired to Albany, and, seiz- ing the fort there, declared that they held it for King Wil- What ended it ? Who now usurped the gc^ernment of New York ? Relate the circ itmitancei of hit usurp- fttioii. What circumstance gave a temporary sanction to his proceedings ? Who retired to Albany aid re- nounced Leisler i bORNING of SCHENECtADY. 121 ham, and would have no connection with Leisler. Mil- biourne, the son-in-law of Leisler, was despatched to Albany to dislodge them ; and an irruption of French and Indian? happening it the same time, they gave up the fort, and re- tired to the neighbouring colonies. Leisler, to revenge him- self for their defection, confiscated their estates. A convention was now called, consisting of deputies from all the towns and districts, who proceeded to enact various regu- lations for the temporary government of the colony. The proceedings of Leisler were of so arbitrary a character, how- ever, that a strong party was formed in opposition to him, and every measure of his government was questioned with deter- mined hostility. It was fortunate that the Dutch inhabitants were divided between these two parties, so that national antipathy was not superadded to party discord. Such was the state of affairs in New York, when the miseries of foreign war and hostile invasion were added to the calamity of internal dissension. The condition of the French in Canada had been suddenly changed from the depth of distress and danger to comparative security, by the arrival of a strong reinforcement from the parent state, under the command of a skilful and active general, the old Count de Frontignac, who now became governor, and speedily retrieved the affairs of his countrymen. He first succeeded in obtain- ing a treaty of neutrality from the Five Nations ; and, war having been declared between France and England, he col lected a body of French and Indians, and despatched them in the depth of winter against New York. This partjr having wandered for twenty-two days through deserts, ren- dered trackless by the snow, approached the village of Sche- nectady in so exhausted a state, that they had determined to sunender themselves as prisoners of war. But arriving at a late hour on a stormy night, and finding, by means of their •pies, that the inhabitants were asleep, without a guard, they suddenly resolved to refuse the mercy which they had been just on the point of imploring, and dividing themselves into seven^l parties, they set fire to the village in various places, and attacked the inhabitants as they fled from the flames. Men, women, and children, shared the same fate. Sixty persons were massacred, and twenty-seven carried into cap- tivity. Of tLie fugitives who escaped, half clad, and made Kow were they disposed of ? What new misfortune befell tht «o- What was ione by the convention ? lony ^ By Leisler ? Relate the circumstaa^ei of the bun By hit opponeatt ? ing of Schenectady u FALL OF LEISLER. their way through a storm of snow to Albany, twenty-five lost their limbs b} the intensity of the frost. The French, having destroyed the village, retired, laden with plunder. This atrocious proceeding roused the indignation of all tha colonies. Extensive preparations were immediately com- menced, in New York and New England, for a general in- vasion of Canada. An expedition against Quebec, under Sir William Phipps, sailed from Boston ; and the united forces of Connecticut and New York, under the command of General Winthrop were to marcn against Montreal. But Leisler'a son-in-law, Milbourne, who acted as commissary-general, having failed to furnish supplies, and the Indians not bringing the requisite number of canoes, for crossing the rivers and lakes, the general was obliged to order a retreat. The expe- dition agaiast Quebec was equally unsuccessful. Leisler, transported with rage when he was informed of the retreat, caused Winthrop to be arrested, but was instantly compelled, by the indignation of all parties, to release him. This man was intoxicated with his elevation, and began to betray his utter incapacity for the supreme controul of a colony. The government of Connecticut, incensed at the affront to one of their ablest officers, warned him that his state needed prudence ; and that he had urgent occasion for friends. King William received the messenger, who had been sent to him by Leisler, very graciously, and admitted him to the honour of kissing his hand, as a testimony of his approbation of the proceedings at New York. But Nicholson, arriving m England, found means to prejudice the royal mind against the insurgents both of Boston and New York. The king returned thanks to the people of New York, for their fidelity; but, without recognising the governor of their choice, he committed the administration of the province to Colonel Sloughter, in 1689, who did not arrive in the province, how- ever, till 1691. The new governor, on his arrival, summoned Leisler to deliver up the fort. Unwilling to relinquish the power which he had so long held, he replied that he would not give it up, but to an order undsi the king's own hand. Finding, how- ever, that parties were strong against him, he abandoned his desperate design of defending the fort ; and, on surrendering How did the colonists prepare to re- venge this massacre ? How was the design frustrated ? What WM do&« by Lei»ler ? By the government of Connecticut f By King WiUiam ? Whom did he appoint to bs govern er of New York ? fiXECtTTION CP LSISLBR. 123 h, he was instantly deneunced as a rebel, and east into prison, with Milbourne, and others of his adherents, on a charge of high treason. Sloughter then called an assembly v/ho voted an address, censuring the conduct of Leisler, and passed an act annulling the regulations which had been in force during his adminis- tration. They also passed a law declaring the assembling of a representative body to be an inherent right of the people, and that all the other liberties of Englishmen belonged of right to the colonists. This act was afterwards annulled by King William. Leisler and Milbourne were now brought to trial; and, after vainly pleading their loyalty and public services, were convicted of treason, arid sentenced .o death. The governor still hesitated to destroy the two persons, who, of all the in- habitants, had been the first to declare themselves in favour of his sovereign. Their enemies resorted to a most unjusti- fiable stratagem. They prepared a sumptuous feast, to which Colonel Sloughter was invited ; and when his reason was drowned in wine, the entreaties of the company prevailed with him to sign the death-warrant ; and, before he recovered from his intoxication, the prisoners were executed. The best act of Sloughter's administration was the execu- cution of a new treaty, offensive and defensive, with the Five Nations. On his return from the conference with their de- puties he suddenly died. He was a man of profligate cha- racter, and mean abilities. At the close of the year 1691, Major Schuyler, who had acquired, by his courage and courtesy, an extraordinary de- gree of influence over the Indians of the Five Nations, un- dertook an expedit'on against Montreal, at the head of a con- siderable body of colonial and Indian forces Though the invaders were compelled to retreat, the French suffered heavy losses, in several encounters, and the spirit and animosity of the Five Nations was excited to such a pitch that when their allies retired, they continued to wage incessant and harassing hostilities with the French through the whole winter. Count Frontignac succeeded in capturing two of their warriors, of the Mohawk nation, whom he condemned to die by torture. Give an account of the faU of Leis- ler. What was done by the assembly ? Relate the circumstances of the death of Leisler and Milbourne. Vhat WM Sloughter's charricter ^ What was the best act of Sloughter*! administration ? What ended it ? What was his character What was done in 1691 ? What was done bj Fmt^pMW t 124 HEROISM OF A Mohawk. One of ihtni despatched himself with a knife, which some Freiiclnnan threw into the prison ; but the other, disdaining such pusilianimiiy, walked boldly to the stake, singing, in his death chaunt, that he was a Mohawk warrior, and that dl the power of man could not extort an indecent expression of sulfcring from his lips ; and that it was ample consolation to him to reflect that he had made many a Frenchman suHer the same pangs that he must now himself undergo. When at- tached to the stake he looked round on his executioners, their instruments of torture, and the assembled multitude of speo^ tators, with the composure of heroic fortitude, and after en- during for some hours, a series of barbarities too atrocious to be recited, his sufferings were terminated by the interce&iiion of a French lady, who prevailed with the governor to order that mortal blow to which human cruelty has given the name of coup de grace, or stroke of favour. Colonel Fletcher was ths next governor of New York. He arrived in 1692. He was an able soldier, but avaricious and passionate. The king, who had refused to grant a charier to New York, was anxious to encroach on the privileges of Con- necticut, by placing the militia of that colony under the con- troul of Fletcher. To effect this object, Fletcher sent a com- mission to Governor Trent, of Connecticut, who was already commander of the colonial force by virtue of his office. The acceptance of a commission, from the governor of New York, would have made him subject to his orders. It was of course refused. Incensed at such contumacy, Fletcher proceeded, with his usual impetuosity, to Hartford, and commanded the assembly of the colony, who were then in session, to place their militia under his orders, as they w^ould answer it to the king. He even threatened to issue a proclamation calling on all who were for the king to join him, and denouncing all others as traitors. Finding his menaces disregarded, he pre- •ented himself with one of his council, Colonel Bayard, lo the militia, at tlieir parade, and commanded Bayard to road his commission from the king aloud. But Captain Wads- worth, a tried patriot, stepped forward, and commanded the drums to beat, so that the reader could not be heard. When Fletcher attempted to interpose, Wadsworth supported his orders with such determination, that his antagonist was ccm- peiled to give up the point, and make a hasty retreat to hia Give an account of the death of the Mohawk warrior. Who waa the next goremor of New What was his character f Give an account of his adveuture it Cornccticut. J'tfiTCHtlR AND WADSWORTH. 125 own jurisdiction. The king ordered the matter to be sub- mitted to the attorney-general and solicitor-general in Eng- land, who finally decided in favor of Connecticut. This affair, as well as the Leisler's troubles in New York, arose mainly ifrom the utter indifference manifested by William III. nnd his successors in regard to the British colonies in America. While James II. had shown grand and statesman- like views, and a wish to strengthen, consolidate, and protect the colonies, William left them to be rent by anarchy and jealousies, while all the time France was steadily increasing her power and influence. The efforts of the colonies against Canada were not properly supported, and by their failure epread distress throughout America. Moreover, men of little ability, sordid, grasping, or worth- less were sent over as governors, without regard to the real interests of the colonies. It w^as fortunate for New York that Fletcher made use of the prudent counsels of Colonel Schuyler, in his intercourse with the Indians. His promptitude, skill, and intelligence, were of essential service, in preserving the attachment of the Five Nations, during an expedition against the French, in »vhich they were assisted by the New York militia, in 1693. Fletcher laboured hard with the assembly to render Epis- copacy the established religion of the colony. The Dutch, and other Presbyterians, naturally opposed him in this design. He at length succeeded in carrying a bill through the assembly of representatives, for settling ministers in the several parishes. But when the council added the clause, which gave the people the privilege of electing their own ministers, and a proviso, Mid its propretf f Give an account of Culpepper H in surrection. How did it tenninate ? What took place in 171)0 / In 1713? 8EFARATI0N OF THE CAROLIXAS. 115 taken with such secrecy and despatch, that no alarm was spread until each house was the scene of a murderous tra- gedy. At Roanoke, one hundred and thirty-seven of the settlers were massacred. A few escaped to the other settle- ments ; and they were placed in a posture of defence, until assistance should arrive from South Carolina. Colonel Barnwell of South Carolina was sent, with 600 militia and 366 Indians, to their relief. A.^ter marching through a wilderness of 200 miles, he arrived at the encamp- ment of the Indians, attacked and defeated them, killing 300 of their number, and taking 100 prisoners. The survivors sued for peace. Hostilities were soon after renewed, and the Indians suffered another terrible defeat from a party under Colonel James Moore. Disheartened by these re- peated disasters, the Tuscaroras abandoned their ancient haunts, and, migrating to the north, united themselves with the Five Nations, constituting the sixth of that famous con- federacy. After South Carolina was settled, that colony and North Carolina had remained distinct, so far as to have separate governors and assemblies ; but they had remained under the same proprietaries. In 1729, seven of the proprietaries sold their rights, and they were completely separated. This measure promoted the. peace, security, and happiness of both colonies. The last of the proprietary governors of North Carolina was Sir Richard Everhard. The first royal go- vernor was George Harrington. The population of North Carolina increased but slowly for the first hundred years. About the middle of the eighteeiith century, it was ascertained that the lands of the interior were far more fertile than those on the coast. From this time emigrants, chiefly from Pennsylvania, poured into that re- gion in great numbers, and the lands were speedily brought into a state of high cultivation. In 1775, the population of tne colony was estimated at a quarter of a million. What is said of Colonel Barnwell ? Oi the Tuscaroras ? How was the separation of North and lioctb Ctrolina effected . What was its effect ? Give the subsequect lemartt oi Nortk CaroliiiA. 18 lie 8ATLE 8 SETTLEMENT CHAPTER XIX. COLONISATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA. The reader is already apprised of the intimate connection between the history of this province and that of North Caro- lina. They were, for a long period, under the same proprie- taries : but in all other respects, they remained distinct, from heir first settlement. The first effective settlement, by governor Sayle, was made at Port Roval, in 1670. He was accon\panied by Joseph West, who, for upwards of twenty years, bore the chief sway in Carolina, and was now entrusted with the management of the commercial aff*airs of the proprietaries, on whom the colo- nists long depended for their foreign supplies. The settlers brought with them the famous constitution prepared by John Locke, but on arriving at their destination, they found it to be more applicable to an old and populous, than a new and un- settled country. The order of nobles, which it permitted, would have compromised their dignity by hard labour on the soil, to which every man in the colony seemed destined. The colonists resolved, however, as they could not * execute the grand model,' * that they w^ould come as nigh to it as possi- ble.' They accordingly elected a council and delegates ; and jnvested them with legislative and executive powers. They sufi'ered from a scarcity of provisions, at first ; but a supply was soon sent by the proprietaries ; and with it a plan for a magnificent town, and a regulation by which every settler was allowed 150 acres of land. Several persons were created landgraves, under the provision of Locke's constitu- tion ; and, among the rest, the lawgiver himself. But this race of Carolinian nobles was very short-lived. The attempt to establish a feudal nobility in this country was universally felt to be ridiculous ; and it accordingly proved utterly abortive. Bayle fell a victim to the climate before his settlement was well established. On his death, Sir John Yeamans claimed the oflSce of governor, as due to the rank of landgrave, which When was the first effective settle- ment made in South Carolina ? By whom, and where ? What is said of West ? Of Locke's <}onstitution ^ Of the cohMuati } From what circumstance did they suffer ? How were they relieved ? What is saivi of the order of n obilitf instituted by Locke ? Of Sayle? OfYeamani? HOSTILITY OF THE SPANIARDS. 147 no other person residing in the province enjoyed. The council pteferred to give the office to Joseph West, until the pleasure of the proprietaries should be known ; who, after due deliberation, judged it expedient to entrust the government to Yeamans. In 1671, settlers from North Carolina and Port Royal, began to resort to the neighbourhood of Cooper and Ashley rivers ; and there they soon after laid the foundations of Old Charleston ; which became for some time the capital of the •outhern country. The settlements had now attracted the attention of the Spaniards at St. Augustine, who became very desirous to break them up. They sent emissaries to Charleston, who attempted to excite the inhabitants to revolt encouraged indented servants to run away from their masters to the Spanish territory ; and instigated the Indians to extir pate the colony. In these attempts the Spaniards were too successful; and the repeated attacks of the Indians, added to the severe labours, and occasional sickness of the colonists were rapidly spreading discontent. An insurrection actually took place, but was easily quelled by the governor. While Yeamans was exerting himself to repress these dis- orders, the Spaniards, learning the situation of affairs in the coiony, despatched a party for the purpose of extirpating it. But they had proceeded no farther than St. Helena, when, hearing that a force was advancing to meet them, they hastily retreated. The Indians were, meantime, diverted from their hostile operations against Charleston, by a war among them- selves, which nearly proved fatal to two of their principal tribes, tne Westoes and Seranas. In 1673, the colony was strongly reinforced by the arrival of settlers from the Dutch province of New Netherlands, which having passed into the hands of the English, many ol the original colonists chose to seek a new residence. They founded a town on the south-west side of the Ashley river, to which they gave the name of Jamestown. They were sub- sequently joined by large numbers of their countrymen from Holland ; and eventually deserting Jamestown, were dispersed throughout the province. Disputes now arose between the proprietaries and the Of West? What transpired in J 671 ? How did the Spaniards display their hostility ? For what purpoie did they despatch a partj firoEB St Au^stise ? What occasioned their retreat ? What diverted the Indians from m attack on the colony ? What happened in 1673 ? What became a subject of dispult f 148 SETTLEMENT OF CHARLESTON colonisia, occasioned by the heavy expenses, and deficiem returns of ihe colony. The proprietaries attributed these, in part, to the mismanagement of Yeamans, who retired to Bar- badoes, and soon after died. His place was supplied by Joseph West. (1674.) In 1680, the proprietaries caused the capital of the province to be removed from Old Charleston to Oyster Point, which j8 formed by the confluence of Cooper and Ashley rivers. Here the present city of Charleston was founded; and, by the superior advantages of its situation, soon became the chief city of the southern country. A war with the Indians, which broke out the same year, was speedily and successfully ter- minated by the prudent and vigorous measures of the governor. West's administration terminated in 1683, when he waa succeeded by Morton. The practice of kidnapping Indians, and selling them in the West Indies, which had been intro- duced by West, was the subject of many disputes between the proprietaries and the colonists, during Morton's administra- tion, whose opposition to it finally occasioned his retirement* Kyrle was next appointed by the proprietaries ; but soon after died ; and Quarry, his successor, being dismissed for coun- tenancing piracy, Morton was reinstated in 1685. In 1686, the Spaniards from St. Augustine invaded South Carolina, and laid waste the settlements of Port Royal. Pre- parations were made for an attack on St. Augustine, which was only prevented by the interference of the proprietaries. About the same time a large accession of emigrants arrived, consisting of Protestant refugees who had been driven from France by the revocation of the edict of Nantz. Morton was succeeded by James Colleton, in August, 1686. His administration was distinguished by a series of disputes with the legislature, who desired a new constitution, which the proprietaries refused to sanction. When the disconten of the colonists had attained its greatest height, Seth Sothel who had been banished from Albemarle, suddenly presented himsdf at Charleston, and usurped the government, banishen Colleton, and fined and imprisoned many others of the govern- ment party. Bat his tyranny and rapacity were soon found Id be intolerable, that, on the remonstrance of the propria Who retired and died ? Who was his successor ? When was Charleston settled ? What is said of the Indians P Ok kidnapping f What was done in 1686 f What is said of Morton's adminiitra tion ? Who usurped the goTemmtnt f How did he behay« / CULTURE OF RICE INTR0DUCE1> 149 taiies, he was compelled to vacate his functions, and abandon the province. He went to North Carolina, w^here he died in 1694. Colonel Philip Ludwell was now appointed governor. He was anxious to protect the French refugees ; and endeavoured to have them naturalised, and admitted to equal rights with the rest of the colonists. This measure was resisted by the bigotry and intolerance of the people ; and it was not till many years afterwards, that they obtained the recognition of their natural rights. Thomas Smith succeeded Ludwell. It was under his administration that the celebrated fundamental constitutions of John Locke were finally abolished, and a system more conformable to the state of the country and the actual wants of the people, was substituted. In 1694, a ship from Madagascar, on her homeward pas- sage to Britain, happening to touch at Charleston, the captain, in acknowledgment of the civilities of governor Smith, pte- sented him with a bag of seed rice, which he said he had seen growing in the eastern countries, where it was deemed excel- lent food, and yielded a prodigious increase. The governor divided it among his friends, who agreed to make the experi- ment ; and planting their parcels in different soils, found the result to exceed their most sanguine expectations. From this incident we are to date the first introduction of one of the chief staples of South Carolina. John Archdale, a Quaker, was appointed governor in 1695. His jurisdiction extended also to North Carolina ; and the wisdom and prudence of his administration were universally acknowledged. It terminated in 1696. John Blake was his uccessor. He was instrumental in conciliating the different ,eligious sects, whose dissensions had been a source of much disturbance. He died in 1700. Under the rule of his immediate successors, Moore and Johnson, the colony was harassed by a succession of Indian wars ; involved in a heavy debt by an ill-conducted and fruit- less expedition against St. Augustine ; and agitated by religious disputes originating in a scries of persecuting laws against the dissenters from the church of England. How was his power tftiminated ? What wa? attempte»l by governor LudweU } What was done during Smith's ad- miniitratioD f 13« How was the culture of ric* intro- duced into South Carolina > What is said of Archdale and hit adt r:iinistration ? Of Blake's ? Of Moore'f ? um ^oimtuo't f 150 WAR OF THE Y£MASS£Eft« In 1706, (luring the administration of governor Joiinsot the Spaniards from St. Augustine made a descent upon Charleston, but were repulsed with a heavy loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Henceforward the proprietary government was involved in constant disputes with the colonists, excepting a short interval during the administration of Charles Craven, until 1729, when the company of proprietaries was dissolved, the chief part he chartered interests being sold to the crown. The war of the Yemassees occurred in 1715. It was at- tended with every circumstance of savage treachery and bar- barity. Ninety persons were massacred by the Indians, on the first onset at Pocotaligo, and the neighbouring plantations. Port Royal escaped by a timely warning, most of the inha- bitants being conveyed to Charleston by a vessel which was fortunately lying in the harbour. It was soon found that this was but the opening of the drama. All the southern tribes, from Cape Fear to Florida were in arms, and seven thousand warriors were speedily arrayed against the Carolinas. Governor Craven mustered 1,200 men; marched into the enemy's country; defeated them in a pitched battle, and drove them into Florida. Their lands were taken by the colony, and offered to purchasers. A body of 500 Irishmen was speedily settled on them, but being afterwards displaced by the injustice of the proprietaries, the land was again left vacant, and the frontier exposed. For nearly a century after its first settlement, South Caro- lina, like North Carolina, had nearly all its population con- fined to the neighbourhood of the sea coast. But subsequently a flood of inhabitants poured into the western woods of the country, from the more northern provinces ; and before the revolutionary war commenced, the population amounted to 248,000. When was the proprietary govern- Give the concluding remarkg respect- men* abolished ? in^ South Carolina. Give an account the Yemassee war. Under what charter wa# ^Mrtia ori- What w Y ioM -r^lfci tb^In^ian lands? J ,'^ally included f CXiLETHOfiPE'S TREATY WITH THE INDIANS. 151 CHAPTER XX. COLOKIZATIOiq- OF GEOEGIA* Georgia was the last of the colonies settled before the Declaration of Independence. Its origin was peculiar. A spirit of adventure colonized Virginia ; traders settled New York. New England and Maryland were colonized mainly by those who could not practise their religion according to the dictates of their own consciences in England without incessant vexation and oppression. Georgia originated in the benevolent mind of General Oglethorpe, a British com- mander of great public feeling. His main object was to afford a refuge and a home in America for impoverished debtors, so as to afford them every means to retrieve their ruined fortunes and regain the position and self-respect which had been jeopardized by their financial embarrass- ments. A charter was obtained from George 11, incorporating the company under the name of ' Trustees for settling and esta- blishing the colony of Georgia.' Large sums of money were subscribed for defraying the expenses of transportaticm and settlement ; and, in November, one hundred and sixteen per- sons embarked at Gravesend, under the direction of General James Oglethorpe, who arrived early the next year at Charles- ton. He was cordially received by the inhabitants, who were gratified with the prospect of establishing a barrier between themselves and the Spaniards of Florida. Having explored the country which he was about to occupy, Oglethorpe fixed upon a high bluff on the Savannah river as a suitable situation for a settlement, and there founded the town of Savannah. Having completed the erection of a fort, his next object was to treat with the Indians for a share of their possessions. He accordingly summoned a congress at Savannah, composed of the chiefs of the Upper and Lower Creeks, and the Yamacraw Indians, represented to them the wealth, power, and intelligence of the English, and the ad- When was a settlement first made ? Unaer wnat circumstances ? Who was the leader of the eolonists ? Where did he first arrive f !How was he received ? What town did he found ? Where f With whom did he hol4 a MnfereDce ? 152 TOMOCHICHI. vantages which would accrue to the natives from an alliance with them, and finally offered to purchase so much of their lands as might be required for the use of the new colony. After he had distributed presents among the Indians, hia terms were accepted ; and Tomochichi, in the name of the Greek warriors, addressed him in a set speech. Among other observations, he said, * Here is a little present;' and then gave him a buffalo's skin, painted on the inside with the head and feathers of an eagle, and desired him to accept it, ' because the eagle signiried speed, and the buffalo strength. The Eng- lish,' he proceeded, 'are as swift as the bird, and as strong as the beast ; since, like the first, they fly from the utmost parts of the earth, over vast seas, and, like the second, nothing can withstand them. The feathers of the eagle are soft, and sig« nify love ; the buffalo's skin is warm, and signifies protection, He hoped, therefore, that they would love and protect theii little families.' When this treaty was concluded with the natives, and the colony placed in a state of defence, Oglethorpe returned to England, taking with him Tomochichi, his queen, and several other Indians. On their arrival in London, they were intro- duced to the king and the nobility, and treated with much distinction. Curiosity, and a desire to conciliate the native tribes, were sufficient motives with the English for lavishing upon them an abundance of civilities and presents, and all classes strove to render their visit agreeable. At the end of four months they returned to their country ; and by their in- fluence with the Indian tribes, contributed much to the good understanding which subsequently prevailed between them and the colonists. During the following year, five or six hundred emigrants arrived and took up their abode in the colony. But it was soon found that the paupers of England were not sufficiently hardy and industrious to form prosperous establishments in a new country. The trustees offered lands to other emigrants : and, in consequence of this encouragement, more than four hundred persons arrived from Germany, Scotland, and Swit- zerland, in 1735. The Highlanders built a fort and town at Darien ; and the Germans formed an establishment on the Savannah, which they called Ebenezer. In 1736, Oglethorpe What was the substance of Tomochi- of the treaty, to secure the contlniied chi's harangue ? friendship of the Indians ? What was dope after the conclusion What took place in the foUowmi I jear ? In 1736 f In 17M f ▼HIJ OF ^GLETHORPE TO THE HIGHLAKD COU>XT» i HOSTILITIES OF THE SPANIARDS. 153 arrived with two ships and three hundred emigrants. In the same year the celebrated John Wesley came out to Georgia, and commenced preaching to the colonists and Indians. His benevolent efforts met with much opposition ; and he was soon compelled to return to a more congenial sphere of use fulness in England. Soon after his return, another distinguished methodist preacher, George Whitefield, arrived in the colony, and formed a project for establishing an orphan house for the education of poor children. He travelled all over the colonies and England, preaching and soliciting subscriptions for this pur- pose. His eloquence was very efficient in promoting his de- sign ; the orphan asylum was established, and still exists, although in no very flourishing condition. Oglethorpe's attention was now directed to the defence of the colony. He erected a fort on the banks of the Savannah, and another near the mouth of the Altamaha, where a town called Frederica was laid out and built. Ten miles nearer the sea, on Cumberland Island, he raised a battery, commanding the entrance to Jekyl Sound, and protecting Frederica from ships of war. The Spaniards sent a commissioner from Havanna, de- manding the evacuation of all the territories south of St. Helena Sound, as belonging to the King of Spain. Oglethorpe, having vainly remonstrated against this claim, broke up the confer- ence and returned to England. Here he received the ap- pointment of general and commander in chief of all his majesty's forces in South Carolina and Georgia; and returned with a regiment of six hundred men, designed for the protec- tion of the southern frontier. The Spaniards, meantime, had been busy in attempting to detach the Creeks from their alliance with the English ; but Oglethorpe, on his return, defeated their intrigues, and formed a new treaty of friendship with the chieftains. The Spaniards next employed a most unwarrantable stratagem against the English. Having corrupted an English soldier, who had been in their service, they employed him to excite a mutiny in Oglethorpe's camp, and an audacious attempt was made to assassirate the general. But his life was fortunately preserved, and the principal conspirators were shot. What is said of Whitefield ? What measures of defence were taken by Oglethorpe f What was done by the Spaniards ? By Oglethorpe ? What force did he bring from England^ With whom did he make a new tieatyV What was attempted by the niards ? What was the result ? 154 INVASION of" GfiOftOlA BY THE SPANIARDS. By a report of the trustees, made in 1740, it appeared tha^ twenty-five hundred emigrants had been sent out to tfie colony and five hundred thousand dollars expended on its settlement, without rendering it independent of charitable contributions for support. An expedition was undertaken, in 1740, for the reduction of St. Augustine, under the command of Oglethorpe, with an army consisting of four hundred troops, from Georgia and South Carolina, and a large body of auxiliary Indians. Two of the Spanish forts were taken, and St. Augustine was for- mally besieged. But the Spaniards, famous since the days of Scipio for resisting sieges, maintained their post ; and the colonial army was compelled to retire. In two years afterwards, this invasion was retaliated by a formidable land and naval force, chiefly from Havanna. The army consisted of three thousand men ; and their object was to drive Oglethorpe from the frontiers, break up the Georgia settlements, and then march on South Carolina and Virginia. As the South Carolinians had not yet sent him any assist- ance, the founder of Georgia was now left to his own resources. His operations in this emergency are thus described by Dr. Ramsay. * When the Spanish force proceeded up the Altamaha, Ogle- thorpe was obliged to retreat to Frederica. He had but about seven hundred men besides Indians ; yet, with a part of these, he approached within two miles of the enemy's camp, with the design of attacking them by surprise, when a French sol- dier of his party fired a musket and ran into the Spanish lines. His situation vvas now very critical, for he knew that the deserter would make known his weakness. Returning, however, to Frederica, he had recourse to the following ex- pedient. He wrote a letter to the deserter, desiring him to acquaint the Spaniards with the defenceless state of Frederica, and to urge them to the attack. If he could not efl?ect this object, Oglethorpe desired him to use all his art to persuade them to stay three days at Fort Simon's ; as, within th^t time, he should have a reinforcement of two thousand land forces, with six ships of war ; cautioning him, at the same ume, not to drop a hint of Admiral Vernon's meditated attack What facts were reported by the trustees of Georgia ? Give an account ol the siege of St. Augustine. »Vith what force dia the Spaniard! iuradt Georpa ? What was Oglethorpe's force How was his weakness made knowi to the Spaniards ? Bj what stratagem did he deceire the Spanish commander ? RETIREMENT OF OGLETHORPE. 151 rpon 5i. Augustine. A Spanish prisoner was entrusted with this letter, under promise of delivering it to the deserter ; but lie gave it, as was expected and intended, to the commander in chief, who instantly put the deserter in irons. In the per- f)lexity occasioned by this letter, while the enemy was de- iberating what measures to adopt, three ships of force, which the governor of South Carolina had sent to Oglethorpe's aid, appeared on the coast. The Spanish commander was now convinced, beyond all question, that the letter, instead of being a stratagem, contained serious instructions to a spy; and, in this moment of consternation, set fire to the fort, and embarked so precipitately* as to leave behind him a number of cannon, with a quantity of military stores. Thus, by an event beyond human foresight or controul, by the correspond- ence between the suggestions of a military genius and the blowing of the winds, was the infant colony providentially saved from destruction, and Oglethorpe gained the character of an able general. He now returned to England, and never again revisited Georgia. In 1775, he was offered the com- mand of the British army in America. He professed his readiness to accept the appointment, if the ministers would authorise him to assure the colonies that justice would be done them; but the command was given to Sir William Howe. He died in August, 1785, at the age of 97, being the oldest general in the service. Nine years before his death, the province of Georgia, of which he was the father, was raised to the rank of a sovereign, independent state, and had been for two years acknowledged as such by the mother country, under whose auspices it had been planted.' The interesting character and destiny of Oglethorpe has induced us to continue an extract from Dr. Ramsay's sketch, with a trifling omission, to the end of his life. We novv return to the course of events in Georgia, after the Spanish invasion. The original charter of Georgia had prohibited the intro- duction of negroes and rum into the colony. The fonner of these restrictions was believed to have prevented the success- ful cultivation of their lands ; and the latter cut oflf all com- oierce with the West Indies. Theii lands also were held by a tenure not satisfactory to the inhabitants. The consequence was, that in ten years after their first settlement, the people What circumstance favoured the de- What circumstances retarded the pro- ception ? What was the result ? gross of the colony ? What were the subsequent events of What was the consequence? Oglethor}.e 3 life? 56 k^RRENDER OF THE CHARTER. could, mia gi-eat difficulty, obtain a scanty subsistence ; and new emigrants were discouraged from entering a colony which laboured under such apparent disadvantages. Tht* com- plaints which were made to the trustees were utterly dis- r'egarded ; and the colony was suffered to languish under all its discouragements till the year 1752, when the charter wa* surrendered to the king. Under the royal care the people were favoured with the same liberties and privileges which were enjoyed by the neighbouring colonies, and from this period Georgia rapidly advanced in population and wealth. CHAPTER XXI. COMMENCEMENT OF THE OLD FRENCH WAR. Hitherto we have regarded the British colonies of North America as distinct communities, and have accordingly traced their histories separately, from the periods of settlement lo the middle of the eighteenth century. Although they had thus far acknowledged a general relationship, and in some instances had formed political combinations, yet their remoteness from each other, their several difficulties of early colonisation, and the border wars which they were compelled to wage with the aborigines in their respective neighbourhoods, had thus far prevented them from ever becoming consolidated and united in any common design. It was perhaps fortunate, that the period had now arrived, when their whole frontier was threatened by an enemy suf- ficiently formidable to demonstrate the necessity of union and concerted action. They w^ere henceforth to be one people, in war and in peace, bound together by common interests* touched by common sympathies, and nerved by one spirit. The war with France, commenced in 1754, in which thai nation vigorously prosecuted its design of fortifying the terri- tory, which it claimed from Canada to Louisiana, was one in which every colony had a direct and lively interest. It ac- Whcn was the charter surrender- ed? What followed ? What ciicum stance united the British colonies of North America, Ift « common cause ? When was the old French wv com* menced? DESIGN AM> CLAIMS OF FB\NCE. 157 jordingly developed the resources of the whole country, and- taught the lesson which, in a subsequent, and more interesting struggle, was of such vital importance, the lesson, namely, that union is strength. At the period when the war commenced, which was fami- liarly called, by the revolutionary veterans, the old French war, the French, in addition to their possessions in Canada and Nova Scotia, held a settlement in New Orleans, and a number of others in the surrounding region, to which they had given the name of Louisiana. As their possessions were extended up the Mississippi, they conceived the grand design of forming a complete chain of fortifications from New Orleans to the lakes ; thus partially surrounding the English colonies by a bow of which they would constitute the chord. This project excited the most lively apprehension in the English nation, and its colonies. Having granted charters to the first adventurers, embracing the whole territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the English had advanced towards the west, in the full belief that their title to the country, in that direction, could not be ^controverted. The French settlements, scattered from Canada to the gulf of Mexico, of course inter- fered with these pretensions, and if held, would not only limit their territory, but expose the English inhabitants to perpetual incursions of the rival nation and its Indian allies, on the whole western border. The claims of France extended to the Alleghany mountains; and the whole fertile vale of the Mississippi became now the subject of a controversy, which could only be decided by the sword. The white population of the English colonies, at the com- mencement of this contest exceeded one million of souls, while that of the French was estimated at only fifty-two thousand. The governo. of New France, a name given to the French possessions collectively, was by no means deterred from his purpose by this great disparity of numbers. While the population of his enemies was scattered over a widely ex •ended territory, and under various local governments, tha *f his own dominion was all under his own direction, and occupied a comparatively small space. Besides, his own people were military in their spirit and habits, and his alli- ances with the Indians commanded a much larger number of those barbarous, but efficient auxiliaries, than could be mus- How far had the French extended claims of France and England con- their settlements ? flicted. WhzX design had they formed ? What was the population of the En^- OMcribe the Mi^nnti in which the lish settlements i Of the Frenck 14 l58 PROCfEEDINOS OF THE OHIO COMPANY. lered by his opponents. The Five Nations were almost the only Indian allies of the English, while the French were connected by ties of interest and friendship with all the in- numerable hordes of the north and west. The command of Lake Champlain had been already attained by the French, who had erected a strong fort at Crown Point A chain of fortifications had been extended up the St. Law- rence and along the great lakes ; and this was designed to be continued down to the Mississippi. The execution of thij design was hastened by an act of the English government. The king had granted to a corporation, called the Ohio com- pany, a tract of 600,000 acres of land, lying in the disputed territory ; and this company now proceeded to establish trad- ing houses and survey the country The governor of Canada, considering this to be an intru- sion on the French dominions, wrote to the governors of New York and Pennsylvania, informing them of it, and threatening to seize the English traders, wherever they should be found. This intimation being disregarded, he seized some of the traders, and carried them prisoners to Presque Isle, on Lake Erie, where he was engaged in erect- ing a strong fort. He also opened a communication from Presque Isle, down French creek and the Alleghany river, to the Ohio, and kept it open by detachments of troops and oy entrenchments. Dinwiddie, the lieutenant governor of Virginia, regarding ihese proceedings as so many acts of aggression on that colo- ny, laid the subject before the assembly, and despatched Major George Washington, (the same who afterwards be- came so nobly conspicuous in the annals of his country,) with a letter to the commandant of the French forces on the Ohio, requiring him to retire from the dominions of his Bri- tannic majesty. To this letter the French officer replied thai he acted under the orders of his general, then in Canada, and should hold himself responsible only to him. This answer being equivalent to a defiance, the Virginia spirit was roused, and active preparations were instantly com- menced for a campaign. Early in the spring of 1754, Major Washington advanced with a detachment of his regiment into the disputed teiritory, where he fell in with and defeated a What advantages had the French ? What waj done by the Ohio compa- ny ? By the governor of Canada t What was hit next proceeding ? What was done hy governor Dinwid- die ? By George Washington ? By the French oflScer ? What was done in the spring of MBii CONVENTION AT ALBANY. 159 party or hostile French and Indians. Being joinet by the remaini^er of his regiment, he pushed forward with the in- tention of preoccupying the post at the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers ; but on his march thither, he met a superior force of French and Indians, who attacked him in a hastily built stockade, and, after a gallant resistance, compelled him to capitulate. The post towards which he was proceeding had already been occupied by the French, who built there a strong fort, which they called Fort Du Quesne. Meantime the English government were not backwaid in perceiving and preparing for the approach of war. The Earl of Holderness, secretary of state, had written to the governors of the respective colonies, recommending united action, and directing their attention to the necessity of securing the friendship of the Five Nations ; ordering them at the same time to repel force by force, and, if possible, dislodge the French from their posts on the Ohio. A convention of delegates from the several colonies met at Albany, to treat with the Five Nations. Governor Shirley of Massachusetts, embraced this opportunity of recommend ing to the other governors to instruct their commissioners on the subject of union. The delegates from Massachusetts and Maryland received the necessary instructions. The others received no direct authority for this purpose. The congress of delegates, however, after endeavouring to secure the friend ship of the Five Nations by large presents, directed a com- mittee to report a plan of union. It was accordingly re- ported, and approved, on the 4th of July. It provided for a grand council of delegates from the several legislatures, and a president general to be appointed by the king, and invested with a negative power. This council was to enact gener;0 laws for the union, raise money, and provide for and regulatt the system of general defence. The delegates from Connecticut dissented from this plan, being apprehensive of the dangerous powers vested in the president general. The English government disapproved of the plan on the ground thai the union might eventually lead to A concerted system of resistance to the suprema(;y of the For what place did Washington march ? What stopped him ? Where was Fort Du Quesne built ? CVhat was done by the British secre- tary of state ? When and for what purpose was t convention held ? What was reported by a coimuittM ? What were the prov-»?ione of the plan ? Who Ji^nented ? 160 CONQUEST OF NOVA SCOTIA. mother country. The scheme was, therefore, laid aside Subsequent events proved that both objecting parties under- stood full well the tendencv of such a union as the one pro- posed The ministry presented a plan of their own, which was still less acceptable; and it was accordingly determined to carry on the war with British troops, aided by such rein forcements as the colonies could raise. Early in the year 1755, General Braddock arrived from Europe with an army, and convened the governors of the sei^eral provinces in Virginia, on the 14th of April, for the purpose of adopting a plan for the campaign. It was re- solved to carry on three expeditions ; one against Fort Du Quesne, to be conducted by General Braddock, at the head of the British army and auxiliary forces from Maryland and Virginia; a second against Niagara and Fort Frontignac, under the command of Governor Shirley, his own and Pep- perel's regiments constituting the principal force ; and a third asfainst Crown Point, led by Colonel William Johnson, and composed of the colonial troops raised in New England and New York. Meantime, the government of Massachusetts, having al- ready projected an invasion of Nova Scotia, sent out three thousand men to that province, under Colonel Winslow, who embarked at Boston, in May ; and in the course of the month of June, with the loss of only three men, the English ac- quired complete possession of the whole country. This con- quest was followed by the confiscation of the lands and moveables belonging to the French inhabitants, and their dis- persion through the English colonies ; a measure which the English considered necessary, though severe ; inasmuch as the war, which was already commenced, would render ii extremely unsafe to permit their continuance in Nova Scotia, Dr their retirement to Canada. No parole, nor even the oath of allegiance to England, had ever been found suffi- ciently binding on these people, to prevent their taking an active part against the English, whenever an opportunity was afforded What was tbe consequence ? What other plan was rejected ? Who arrived in 1755 ? Who formed a convention, and for what purpose ? What was the plan of the campaign ? Who WIS to command the first expe- dition^ and where was it to act ? The second ? The third ? Meantime what achievement wag performed by the Massac huietts men ? How were the conquered people treated ? Why? braddock's defeat. 161 After the convention of governors had separated, General Braddock proceeded to Fort Cumberland, in the western part of Virginia. After waiting here for the residue of his army for some time, he selected 1200 men, and, pushing forward towards Fort Du Quesne, reached the Monongahela on the 8th of July. On the march, he was repeatedly warned to guard against a surprise. Washington and the other pro- vincial officers advised him to send forward the provincial troops, to scour the woods and look out for ambuscades, But Braddock, confident in his own skill and bravery, disre- garded their advice, and absurdly persisted in marching for- ward, as if no hidden enemy were to be apprehended. His van was composed of British troops, totally unaccustomed to forest warfare ; and the main body, with the artillery, fol- lowed at some distance. The French force at Fort Da Qaesne was very small, and there seemed no hope of maiutaiaing it against the formi- dable English army that was rapidly approaching. But the commander, Daniel Lienard de Beaujeu, was too high- spirited to remain and surrender. He proposed to the In- dians around the fort to join him and go out to attack the English, They ridiculed the project as a mad one. Finding them obstinate, he tauntingly told them to go to Canada, and report that they had seen him march out, while they stayed behind like squaws. Then they followed him. His plan was to ambuscade Braddock, beyond the Monongahela. Finding that general already between that river and the fort, he led an attack on the van in person, while his Indians, after one volley, skirted the English flanks. When within seven miles of Fort Du Quesne, in an open wood, thick set with high grass, as the troops were pressing boldly forward, the war whoop resounded in their ears, and a destructive fire was poured in upon them from thousands of invisible enemies. Every rock, and tree, and stump ap- peared to conceal a marksman. The van was thrown into cx)nfusion ; but the main body being ordered to come up, and the fire of the enemy being suspended in consequence of the fall of their commander, they were supposed to be dispersed. But in a few minutes the attack was renewed with increased fury ; the van was driven back upon the main body ; and the whole army was thrown into utter confusion. The officers on horseback were conspicuous marks for the Indian sharp- Who marched towards Fort Du I Did he regard the warning ? Queine ? What was the consequence Wi* warned him of danfi^er / Describe the battle. li* 162 CONSEQUENCES OF BRADDOCk's DEfEAT shooters ; and most of them were brought down. I.i a short time Washington was the only aid-de-camp left alive, and not wounded. He had two horses shot under him, and foui bullets passed through his coat ; but he escaped unhurt. He wa» reserved, by Providence, to perform future and more important services. Throughout the whole of that tremen- dous scene he displayed the most perfect coolness and self- possession. Braddock was not less undaunted. Amidst the whistling of the Indian bullets, he endeavouied to rally h'i% men, and restore order. But being totally unacquainted with the Indian mode of fighting, he neither allowed his men to push into the forest singly and attack the enemy in theii own way, nor did he order a retreat. He endeavoured to form his broken troops on the spot where they were first attacked, and where they still remained exposed to the fire of a sheltered enemy. The battle lasted three hours. The general, after having three horses shot under him, received a mortal wound. The British officers fought with determined bravery ; and out of eighty-five, lost sixty-four of their num* ber, killed and wounded. The common soldiers of the Bri- tish regiments were so unaccustomed to this savage mode of attack, that they soon broke and could not be rallied ; but the provincial troops stood their ground coolly ; and, under the command of Colonel Washington, covered the retreat of their associates. The Indians, attracted by the rich plunder left upon the field, soon gave over the pursuit. The army retreated to the camp of Colonel Dunbar, where Braddock died of his wounds. The panic of the defeated portion of the army was communicated to those troops which had be.en left in reserve ; and the whole of the British troops, after destroying the chief part of their stores, hastily retreated to Philadelphia ; leaving the entire western frontier of Pennsylvania, Mary land, and Virginia, exposed to the incursions of the savages. The settlements on the border were broken up, and the in- habitants driven towards the sea-board. Distress and dismay were universal. Such were the eflfects of the presumption and folly of one man. Had Braddock but listened to the prudent counsels of Washington, the border would, probably tidve been freed from the presence of a savage enemy and the inhabitants might have held their possessions in peace. Wliat was the number of British | Whither did the whole %rmj re- officers killed and wounded ? I treat? Who saved the remoant of the arm;r? | What wafi the consequence f ncTORY OF COLONEL JOHNSON. 163 The two northern expeditions, though less disastrous lhait this, were both unsuccessful. The expedition of 1,500 men commanded by General Shirley, against Niagara, was de- layed so that he was not able to reach Oswego till late in August ; while attempting to embark 700 men on the lake, !iis progress was arrested by a succession of heavy rains. The troops were discouraged and the Indians dispersed. The season being then too far advanced for the success of the en terprise, the general retired to Albany, leaving 700 men in Oswego. The third expedition of this campaign, that against Grown Point, was to be executed by colonial troops raised in New England and New York, under the command of Colond William Johnson. This, was also delayed till the last o( August. Baron Dieskau, the French commander, advanced to attack Johnson, who was on his march to Crown Point. Colonel Williams, with 1,000 men, w^as deiached to meet him, but fell in the onset ; and his party retired. A second detachment, ordered forward for his support, was also driven in upon the main body, who awaited it, posted behind fallen trees. The French, who were in close pursuit of the fugi- tives, now halted. The Americans commenced an effective fire, with musketry and two pieces of artillery, and soon put the enemy to flight, in their turn. Dieskau was mortally wounded, and taken prisoner. This victory re-assured the colonists, and removed the depression which Braddock's de- feat had occasioned. Johnson was rewarded with ^S5,000 sterling, and the title of baronet. Thus ended the campaign of 1755, leaving the colonies without any important point gained, except the recovery of Nova Scotia ; while the French and Indians maintamed com- plete ascendency on the frontier; and, by their bloody incur sions, broke up the border settlements, murdering the people, carrying them into captivity, or driving them into the more thickly settled regions. This disastrous result is to be attri- buted to the want of union and concerted action. Notwithstanding these hostile operations, war had not yet been formally declared between France and England. This took place, however, in the following spring, in consequence What is said of tho two other expe- ditions against the French ? What caused the failure of Shirley's ? Describe Johnson's operations. What were their effects ? How was he rewarded ? What was the result of the campugn of 1755 ? Wh^t ciused the declaration of war? 164 CAMPAIGNS OF 1756 AND 1757 of the capture of part of a French scj^adron, destinea to A.merica, by Admiral Boscawen. The plan for the campaign of 1750, was similar to that of 1755. In a grand council of war, held by General Shirley, commander in chief of the British forces in America, and the governors of Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, it was resolved to attempt the reduction of Crown Point and Niagara, with the other posts on Lake Ontario, and of Fort Du Quesne. For this purpose it was determined to raise 19,000 men in America. Thi? number was so unusu- ally large, that much delay was experienced in the raising of recruits. A further source of difficulty was the regulation requiring that provincial officers should be under British officers when they acted together. While they were adjusting their claims to rank, and delibe- rating whether to attack Niagara, or Fort Du Quesne, Mont- calm, the successor of Dieskau, an accomplished and brave officer, advanced at the head of 5,000 French and Indians, and invested Oswego. The garrison, consisting of 1,600 men^ well supplied with provisions, was soon compelled to sur- render ; and the fortress was demolished. This bold measure completely disconcerted the originaj plan of the campaign, and nothing was thought of now, but security against further losses. An invasion was expected ; and the colonies were urged to send forward reinforcements. To add to the distress, the small-pox broke out in Albany and spread such alarm that it was found necessary to garrison the posts in that neighbourhood with British troops, and dis- charge all the provincials, except a regiment raised in New York. Thus, the second campaign terminated as unfortu- nately as the preceding one. The campaign of 1757 was, nevertheless, commenced with ffreat zeal and activity. Lord Loudon, the new commandei in chief of the British forces, applied lor 4,000 men from New England, which were promptly granted. A formidable fleet and army arrived from England ; and confident hopes were now entertained of the speedy downfall of the French power in America. It was determined to concentrate tha Wnat was the plan of the campaign of 1756 ? What difficulties existed ? What was done by Moi tcalm ? Wnat was the effect of this proceed- ing ? What was the result of this ran^- paign ? What was the plan of the campaigr of 1757 ? C4PTUft£ OF Font WILLI AM HENRt l66 whole disposable force upon one point — the fortress of Louis- bourg, on the island of Cape Breton. But intelligence being received that an immense land and naval force had been sent out to this place from France ; and the strength of ihe forti- fications being perfectly well known to the Americans, the proposed expedition was abandoned, and the British admiral, and general, returned from New England to New York. The French general, Montcalm, meantime determined to gain complete possession of Lake George. Collecting from he forts ^t Crown Point, and Ticonderoga, and from the Car-adian and Indian establishments, an army of 9,000 men, he laid siege to Fort William Henry, a place of considerable •trength, with a garrison of 3,000 men, and urged his attack with so much skill and resolution, that in six days the com- mander. Colonel Monroe, was compelled to capitulate. A reinforcement, sent to his aid, did not arrive in season. Its return to New York, in August, closed the military operations of this season. CHAPTER XXn. CONQUEST OF CANADA. AT the close of the campaign of 1757, the affairs of Great Britain, and of her colonies in America, wore a very unpro- mising aspect. Three campaigns, carried on with immense exertion and expense, had produced nothing but disaster and defeat. The lakes, and the whole western and northern border, were in possession of the French and Indians ; who, with a vastly inferior force, had maintained their ground, and even extended their encroachments. The French had been successful every where. The British had every where ex perienced reverses. Not only in America, but in Europe and Asia, their arms had been unsuccessful. It was seriously apprehended that the French would make good their claim to the whole valley of the Mississippi, and thus fulfil their de- sign of connecting Canada with Louisiana, and confiining the What prevented its execution ? I What was the state of aflaln at tfe W^hat fortress was lost ? close of the campaign ol 1767 f Describe the affair 1 16H PREPARATIONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF 1758 British settlements to the Atlantic border. In the colonies men looked forward with apprehension and dismay. But a new era was at hand. One of those ' choice ana master spirits,' that never fail to leave their impress on their age and nation, had risen to the direction of affairs in Britain; and summoned to his aid the best talents of the country. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, had been placed at the head of the new administration ; and, uniting a bold and masterly style of eloquence with consummate ability in the manage ment of state affairs, he possessed the full confidence of th nation, and the complete command of its resources. His plans of operation were grand ; and the means which he em- ployed for their accomplishment were always adequate tc their object. Superior to the prejudices of party, he sought out and employed merit wherever it could be found. His means and his talents were greater than had been possessed by any of his predecessors. Pitt was highly popular in America, and the confidence inspired by his energy and decision led the colonists to make every exertion, and every sacrifice, which the occasion re- quired. A circular letter of Mr. Pitt assured the several go- vernors, that, to repair past losses and disappointments, the cabinet was determined to send a formidable sea and land lorce to America ; and he called upon them to raise as man^ men as possible, promising all the munitions of war, and a future compensation for the expenses of the soldiers' wages and clothes. Massachusetts agreed to furnish 7,000 men ; Connecticut 5,000 ; New Hampshire 3,000. These troops were in the field in May. Meanwhile the British fleets blocked up, in the French ports, the men and stores designed for Canada, or captured them on the sea. A powerful armament sailed from England. Twelve thousand men, under the command of General Amherst, arrived in Halifax ; and, soon after. Genera) Abercrombie, the commander in chief, found himself at the head of an army of fifty thousand men, of whom twenty thousand were provincials. Three expeditions were proposed ; one against Louisbourg Whit gave them a new aspect ? What was the character of Lord Cha- tham ? Paw was he regarded in Arjierica What was promised in his letter j th« governors ^ What states furnished troops, ana in what numbers ? What was done by the British fleet f How many men were sent from fing- land ? What was the whole numb«x tercdi' CAMPAIGN OF 1757. a second against Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; and a third against Fort Du Quesne. That against Louisbourg consisted of 14,000 men, 20 ships of the line, and 18 frigates. Thia formidable armament arrived before Louisbourg on the 2d of June ; and, in less than eight weeks, the fortress was surren- dered. The expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point was tthsuccessful. Sixteen thousand men were ordered on this iervice. They crossed Lake George in boats ; and, landing On the western side, were soon engaged with the enemy. Lord Howe fell at the first fire. General Abercrombie pro ceeded ; and, after an action, took possession of a post near Ticonderoga. On the 8th of July, he attempted to carry the fortress itself, by assault. But the works were strong ; and the commander was the able and courageous Montcalm. After a contest of four hours, and the loss of 1,800 men, the British were compelled to retire. Abercrombie now detached Colonel Bradstreet, with 3,000 men, and eight pieces of cannon, who succeeded in capturing Fort Frontignac, an unimportant post on the north side of Lake Ontario, garrisoned by 110 men. The fort being de- stroyed, Bradstreet returned to the main body ; and nothing further was attempted, by this division of the forces, during the campaign. The expedition against Fort Du Quesne was undertaken by General Forbes, with 8,000 men. On arriving at the fort, they found it abandoned by the garrison, who had gone down the Ohio river in boats. The place was thenceforward called Pittsburg, in honour of Mr. Pitt. The Indians came in and entered into treaties, which gave peace and security to the frontiers of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Two of the three objects of the campaign of 1758 had thus been accomplished. It now remained to attempt the complete conquest of Canada. Accordingly it was agreed, that in the next year three powerful armies should enter Canada by dif- ferent routes, and severally attack the strong holds of the enemy. General Wolfe, with one division, was to ascend the St. Lawrence, and lay siege to Quebec. Another divisioii was to reduce Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; and then de- What three expeditions were pro- posed P How did the first succeed ? The second ? Describe the first operations of tms tzpedition. The subsequent operations What was accomplished by the thud expedition ? What was the plan of the next eai» paign ? 166 GfiNEftAL WOLFE BEFORE QtlESEd. scend the river and join General Wolfe before Quebec. Th* third division, under General Prideaux, was to reduce Niagara and INIontreal, and then proceed to Quebec, tht ultimate objeci of the whole force. General Amherst advanced to Ticonde- roga and Crown Point, and found those places abandoned. He then made an unsuccessful attempt to gain possession o, the lake ; but, after capturing two vessels, was obliged, by etorms and the advanced season of the year, to return to Crown Point and go into winter quarters. Prideaux besieged Niagara ; and, being killed, the command devolved on Sir William Johnson, who succeeded in reducing the place. Neither of these armies was able to effect a union with Gene ral Wolfe. Fortunately he was able to accomplish the grand object, without their co-operation Embarking at Louisbourg, with 8,000 men, and a formida- ble train of artillery, Wolfe proceeded up the St. Lawrence, and landed his army on the island of Orleans, near Quebec. The difficulties which he had to encounter were sufficiently great to have deterred a less ardent commander ; but it was a maxim of Wolfe's that ' a victorious army finds no difficulties.' He first attacked the French entrenchments at the falls of Montmorency ; but without success. He then landed his troops in the night, and ascended a steep craggy cliflf, to an eminence, called the Heights of Abraham, in rear of the city Montcalm, the French general in chief, now determined to iCave his camp and attack the English army. Accordingly, on the 13th of September, he drew out his forces, and prepared for a pitched battle. The French ad- vanced to the charge with their usual spirit, and the action commenced with great resolution on both sides. The Eng- lish reserved their fire till the French were within forty yards of them, and then gave it with eflfect. Wolfe, advancing at the head of the British grenadiers with charged bayonets, received a mortal wound. Monckton, who succeeded in the command, was shot through the body ; and the direction of the army devolved on General Townshend. Montcalm, too, received a mortal wound ; and General Senezurgus, the s©» cond in command, fell. The French were driven from the What was done by General Amherst ? By Prideaux and Johnson ? What was General Wolfe's force ? Where did he land ? Wnere did he meet with a repulse ? How did lie gain the Heights of Abra^ humt What was done then by Montcalm ' When and how did the battle coii> mence ? How did it terminate ? What general officers were kil]«4 f FALL OF QUEBEC field ; and a reinforcement, brought forward by Bougainville •vas a'so compelled to retire. It appears that, in this decisive action, the numbers on botk tides were nearly equal. Tiie English troops, however, were ill veteians, while those of the French commander were but half of lhat description. The French regulars were almost all destroyed ; while the English loss was less than 600 in killed and wounded. They had to mourn, however, the loss )f their gallant commander ; which was regarded as a national calamity in the mother country, as well as in the colonies, Ke received a ball in his wrist at the commencement of the action ; but he wrapped a handkerchief round his arm, and continued to encourage his men. He soon afterwards received a ball in the body, but also concealed this wound, and was advancing at the head of the grenadiers, when a third bullet pierced his breast. In a dying sta^e, he unwillingly suffered himself to be borne to the rear, evincing the greatest anxiety for the fate of the day. Being informed that the enemy's ranks were breaking, he reclined his head, from extreme faintness, on the arm of 2n ofEcer. He was soon roused by the cry ' They fly, they tly.' * Who fly V he ex- claimed. * The French,' was the reply. ' Then,' said the dying hero, *I depart content,' and almost instantly expired. How many tears have been shed at this simple but affecting recital ! How often, by the firesides of the colonists, for years afterwards, has the touching ballad m which his gal- lantry and his mournful fate are sung, drawrv forth the sym- pathies of the listening circle. Wolfe was the favourite hero of our ancestors ; and his name was long held in grateful remembrance. While General Townshend was making preparations for the siege of Quebec, the town capitulated, on condition that the inhabitants should be protected in their religious and civil rights, till a treaty of peace should determine their future condition. General Murray left a garrison of 5,000 men at Quebec, and sailed with the fleet and the remainder of the army, from the St. Lawrence. The campaign of 1760, was directed to the reduction of Montreal, and the remaining posts of the French in Canada. A. w^ell concerted union of three divisions of forces, uude( A^mherst, Johnson, and Haviland, secured the capitulation WTiat was the toss on each side ? | What city now capitulated ? Oescribe the circumstances of General I What was accomplished m tbt imi^ Wolfe'f death. j campaicn ? 170 RESULTS OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1760. VIontre?.!, in September; and all the other fortresses werf soon after surrendered to the English. The French powei m Canada was thus entirely overthrown ; and it thencefor- ward became a British province. The British arn^s were equally successful in other parts of the world. Important conquests were made in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Spain having declared war against England, io 1762, lost the important city of Havanna, while France wai compelled to surrender Martinique, Granada, St. Lucia, St, Vincent, and all the Caribbee islands. A general treaty of peace gave Britain all her conquests in North America, with the river and port of Mobile, and all the French territory on the eastern side of the Mississippi, reserving only the island of New Orleans. The French possessions, in that quarter, were thenceforward bounded by the Mississippi, from its source to the river Iberville, and thence by a line drawn along the middle of that river, and of the lakes Maurepas and Pont- chartrain. The Havanna was exchanged with Spain for the Floridas. The British empire, in North America, was thus not only extensively widened, but clearly defined by great natural boundaries, which bade fair to remove all future causes of controversy with other nations respecting their possessions on the continent. One hundred and sixty years had elapsed between the first permanent British settlement in North America, and the con- quest of Canada. During a great part of this period, Eng- and, France, and Spain, had been contending respecting the boundaries of their several possessions on the continent ; and the wars to which these controversies gave rise, were of the most distressing and sanguinary character. Each power was willing to employ the tomahawk and scalping knife of the savage, in its aggressions on the others ; and all the barbari- ties of Indian warfare were thus brought home to the fire- sides of the defenceless settlers. Well might the inhabitants of the country now rejoice that the controversy was termi- nated ; and look forward with hope for a period of undl0< turbed t;-anquillity. lu what other parts of the world were the British successful ? What possessions were given to the Pritish in tjie treaty ? What remarks are made concemini the late American wars ? DISIOSITION OF THE COLONISTS TOWARDS* £N01AN1» 171 CHAPTER XXIII. THE REVOLUTION. The attachment of the American colonies to the mother niuntry was never stronger than at the close of the French war, which terminated in the conquest of Canada. To the natural ties of brotherhood were superadded the strongest feelings of mutual regard, arising from a participation in common dangers, and a common victory. The colonists were proud of their descent from British ancestors, and their connection ith one of the most powerful nations of Europe They were also fully sensible of the value of English liberty and every colonist believed himself to be equally entitlea with his brethren, on the opposite side of the Atlantic, to all the essential rights of a British subject. The habits of the early settlers, and many circumstances m the history of their descendants, had led them to study, with attention and lively interest, the principles of political liberty, and to watch, with the most jealous vigilance, against every encroachm.ent of arbitrary power. The degree of au- thority which might be legally exercised over the colonies, oy the parent state, had never been very clearly defined The doctrine prevailed in England, that parliament had the power of bmding them in all cases whatever. In America this had been repeatedly and publicly denied. In New England, the colonial assemblies were supposed to possess every legislative power not expressly surrendered This, however, had been modified into an admission that par liament might regulate commerce, but not the internal affairs of the colonies. As early as 1692, the general court of Mas sachusetts passed an act, denying the riglit of any other legis* lature to lay a tax on the colony ; and, not long after, the same denial was extended, by the assembly of New York, to all legislation over the colony. These acts were disapproved , and expressly denied in England, in 1696; and the power of parliament to regulate certain internal aflfairs of the colo- nies, had been established by usage. In the middle and What were the dispositions of the American colonies towards the mo- ther country ? What wag their character at free- What was the political doctrine oi New England ? What had been done by the legiila- tures of Massachusetts and N«w 172 HCHEME FOR TAKING THE COLONIES. souinern colonies, while the power of general legislation was admitted to belong to parliament, that of direct interna taxation was denied. Schemes for taxing the colonies by authority of parliament had been formed in 1739, and again in 1754, but, from temporary causes, they had been abandoned. The expenses of the recent war had rendered necessary a great addition to the usual taxes of the English aiation. Ap- prehensive of rendering themselves unpopular, by pressing too severely on the resources of the people at home, the ministry directed their attention to the North American colo- nies ; and determined to revive the scheme for raising a re ▼enae from that source. Mr. Grenville, first commissioner of the treasury, (1763,) introduced a resolution, which was passed, without much debate, declaring that it would be proper to impose certain stamp duties on the colonies. The actual imposition of them was deferred till the next year. At the same time, other resplutions were passed, imposing new duties on the trade of the colonies ; those on the com- merce with the French and Spanish colonies amounted to a prohibition of fair trade, and the regulations for collecting them were calculated to prevent the smuggling which had hitherto been overlooked, or connived at. All th«. naval officers, on the American station, were converted into revenue officers ; and many seizures were made. The forfeitures were ordered to be decided on by courts of vice-admiralty , as if the government distrusted the impartiality of the ordi- nary tribunals. These acts were received in the colonies with a genera feeling of indignation. Treated hitherto with comparative kindness and indulgence, the people could not fail to perceive that such measures w^ere harsh and coercive. They were, in fact, not less impolitic than unkind ; for it could not rea •onably be expected that thosse communities, who had been left to grow in the free air of independence in childhood, and had acted as the allies of the parent state in youth, would iubmit to a system of unbending restraint, when they had attained to tne strength and maturity of manhood. Parlia- ment should have understood, that while the colonies were becoming more and more jealous of their rights, they were ji the middle and southern states ? What made the British ministry de- sirous of raising a revenue from the colonies ? Utm the/ determine to do it ? What resolution was passed in pa» liament ? What new duties were imposed ? How were these acts received in tbf colonies ? Why were thef impolitic ^ THE STAMP ACT. 173 also becoir.*ng sensible of their power. If they Lad learned die lesson of civil freedom from the Pilgrims, they had also learned the art of war from the French and Indians. The resolution to lay a duty on stamps was particularly odious in the colonies , and the right of parliament to impose taxes on the colonies for the express purpose of raising 9 revenue was strongly and universally denied. Petitions to the king, and memorials to parliament, against the measure, were sent in from several of the provincial assemblies. The agent of Massachusetts, in England, was instructed to use hi? utmost endeavours to prevent the passage of the stamp act* and associations were entered into, in various parts of the country, to diminish the use of British manufactures. These, and other measures of the same tendency, did nol prevent the ministry of Great Britain from persisting in theii determination; and, accordingly, in the spring of 1765, the famous stamp act was passed; not, however, without a spirited opposition from the minority. The act provided, that contracts, bills, notes of hand, and other legal documents, should be written on stamped paper, which the British govern- ment was to furnish at certain high prices, or that these con- tracts, (fee. should not be valid in law. It was a direct, and a very heavy tax, on almost every transaction in business. The passage of this law excited the most serious alarm throughout the colonies. It was perceived, at once, to be the commencement of a system of extortion, which would leave the people nothing which they could securbiy call their own. It therefore became necessary to resist its execution or pro- cure its repeal, or to give up all claims to civil liberty. Combinations were immediately formed against the execu •on of the law ; and every exertion was made by the popula*^ eaders, to impress on the public mind the fatal c onsequences of submitting to it. The assembly of Virginia, on motion of the celebrated Patrick Henry, passed resolutions, declaring the exclusive right of that assembly to lay taxes and imposi tions on the inhabitants of that colony. Other colonial legislatures passed similar resolutions. The house of re- presentatives of Massachusetts, perceiving the necessity of combined action, recommended a congress of deputies, from all the colonial assemblies, to meet at New York on the first Wliat waj done by the colonists to prevent the passage of the stamp act P When did it pasa? 15 What were its provisions ? How was the news recei\ ed ic Ame- rica ? How was its object defeated ? .74 FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS Monday in October. Meantime the press was not idle ; an() the popular clamour was so urgent, that nearly all the stamn officers were compelled to resign. The first continental congress met at the time appointed. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Three Lower Counties on the Delaware, and South Carolina, were represented. Timothy Ruggles, of Massachusetts, was chosen president. Their first measure was a declaration of the rights and grievances of the colonists. In this important stale paper, they aswserted their title to all the rights and liberties of natural born sub jects within the kingdom of Great Britain ; the chief of which are, the exclusive power to tax themselves, and the trial by jury ; both of which had been invaded by the recent acts of parliament ; and the tendency of these acts to subvert thei rights and liberties was clearly pointed out. They also ad dressed a petition to the king, and a memorial to each house of parliament. These papers were temperate and respectful, but firm ; ex- pressing the attachment of the colonies to the mother country, but earnestly declaring their rights. After recommending to the several colonies to appoint special agents for obtaining a redress of grievances, and transmitting a copy of their pro- ceedings to each colony, the congress adjourned. Meantime the people formed associations to encourage domestic manufactures and the raising of sheep, in order to disj ense with the usual supplies from England ; and, to avoid us.ng stamps, law proceedings were suspended, and arbitra- tions resorted to. Some riotous and disorderly proceedings took place, which resulted in the destruction of property, and much insult and abuse to obnoxious supporters of the British government. While these things were passing in America, a complete change took place in the ministry of Great Britain. Mr. Pitt, in parliament, openly condemned the stamp act, and recom- mended its immediate repeal; asserting that parliament had no right to tax the colonies. The late ministers opposed thi« opinion, and predicted a revolution. After a highly spirited debate, the stamp act was repealed ; but, at the «ame When did the first continental con- gress meet ? Who was chosen president ? What was their first measure ? ^ tia was stated in the declaration ©f rights ? What further was done by the tcor gress ? What was acne by the people ? Who opposed the stamp act in parlia ment ? Was it repealed ? REPKAL OV THE STAMP ACT. 17ft finie, a dijclaratory act was passed, asserting the right ol Great Britain lo bind the colonies in all cases whatever. In A.merica, the news of the repeal of the stamp act was received with the liveliest expressions of joy and gratitude. Public thanksgivings were offered in the churches. The importation of British goods was again encouraged ; and the homespun dresses being given to the poor, the people once more appeared clad in the products of the mother country. The declaratory act, asserting the supremacy of parliament, being considered a mere salvo to wounded pride, was little regarded ; and the colonists believed that the attempt to force direct internal taxes would not again be made. A circular letter was addressed by secretary Conway, to the governors of the several colonies, in which he censured the colonists in mild terms for the late disturbances, but at the same time required compensation to be made to those who had suffered by the riots, which had taken place at Boston and New York, in the summer of 1765. In June, 1766, this letter was laid before the assembly of Massachusetts, by governor Bernard, accompanied by such remarks, that the assembly thought proper to delay the act of indemnity till December, and then to accompany it with a general pardoo to all offenders in the recent disorders. This act was dis allowed by the king and council, on the ground, that the pardoning power belonged exclusively to the crown. This, however, did not prevent the act from taking effect. Go- vernor Bernard was naturally haughty, and tyrannical, and delighted to thwart the legislature in all their proceedings. His conduct exasperated the popular party, and confirmed them in their opposition. In New York, the legislature voluntarily compensated the sufferers by the riots ; but refused to execute an act of parlia* ment, called the mutiny act, for quartering the king's iroops upon them ; because it appeared to involve the principle of taxation. The same thing was refused by the* legislature of Massachusetts for the same reason. Meantime, a change had taken place in the British cabinet William Pitt came into power with a ministry composed of How was the newt received in Ame- rica ? What was now done by the people ? Wliat was the purport of the secre- tary's letter ? I What was done by the legislature of Massachusetts ? By governor Bernard ? By the legislature of New York ? What change took place in the Bntiat cabinet f 76 OPPOSITION To THE N£W TAXfiS. difTerer t parties, and under their auspices, a new act of pai aament was passed, laying a tax on glass, paper, pasteboard^ white and red lead, painter's colours and tea, imported into the colonies. Pitt was at this time confined by sickness, id the country. The refusal of the legislatures of New York and Massa-^ chusetts to execute the mutiny act, being disapproved by ihf* ministry and parliament, an act was passed restraining the legislature of New York from passing any law whatever, until they furnished the king's troops with all that was required by the mutiny act. At the same time commissioners were ap- pointed for executing the revenue laws, in a more speedy and effectual r: anner than had hitherto been done. The reception of these laws in America, was any thing but cordial. All minds were at once employed in considering, and all pens in defending the rights which they invaded. The legislature of New York granted the required sup- plies ; but in Massachusetts the spirit of resistance was again awakened, and displayed itself, particularly in opposition to the required grants of money for the maintenance of crown officers. The legislature addressed a circular to the other colonies, stating the difficulties to be apprehended from the 'ate acts of parliament, and calling upon them for their co- operation in measures for obtaining redress. On receiving information of this proceeding, the ministry were alarmed at the prospect it presented of a new combina- tion among the colonies, and Lord Hillsborough, secretary of state, wrote to the governor of Massachysetts requiring it to oe rescinded. This order the legislature, in June, 1768, refused to comply with, declaring their right to petition for redress of grievances, and to call on the other colonies to unite with them for the same purpose. On the question to rescind, James Otis of Boston, said, ' When Lord Hillsborough knows thai we will not rescind our acts, let him apply to parliament to rescind theirs. Let Britain rescind their measures, or they are lost for ever ' On receiving information of the decision of the house, governor Bernard dissolved the assembly. The other colonies were equally refractory. The as- What new taxes were !aijd ? What restrictions on the legislatures of Massacnusetts and New Ycrk were paHsed ? flow weie thete laws received in America ? What was done 'n New York ? In Massachusetts ? What was done by Lord Hillsborough ? By the legislature of Massachusvtiv Fv governor Bernard ? kPPAik OF tkB I^LOOP LIBERTY serablies of Maryland, New York, Delaware, Virginia, and Georgia expressed their sentiments Tespecting Lord Hillsbo- rough's letter in decided language. In the mean time, Lord Chatham had retired from office, and Lord North was appointed chancellor of the exchequer A. new office was created — that of secretary of state for the colonies, to which Lord Hillsborough was appointed. Thin cin umstance shows the importance attached to colonial affairs by the British government. The colonists were adopting various measures of their own i)r procuring a redress of grievances. Finding their peti ^ons and remonstrances tn the king and parliament disre* garded, they had recourse to the old measure of combining in a determination not to import British goods ; a measure highly injurious to the interests of the commercial class of *he mother country. Boston, as usual, took the lead ; and « one of those famous town meetings which have given to Fanueil Hall the name of the * Cradle of Liberty,' it was resolved to encourage domestic manufactures, and to pur- chase no articles of foreign growth or manufacture but such as were absolutely indispensable. New York and Philadel- phia followed the example, and, in a short time, the mer- chants themselves formed associations to import nothing from Great Britain but articles that necessity required. The board of commissioners of customs, appointed by the late act of parliament, entered upon the duties of their office at Boston. From the excitement existing at that place, a collision between them and the people was daily expected This was soon brough* on by the seizure of Mr. Hancock's sloop Liberty, for a violation of the revenue laws. John Hancock, though a merchant of great wealth, was attached to the popular cause ; and this circumstance, together with the hatred entertained for the revenue collectors, served to heig^ht- en their indignation on this occasion. Supposing that th*^ sloop would not be safe at the wharf in their custody, the custom house officers had solicited aid from a ship of war lying in the harbour, and the sloop was cut from her fasten- ing and brought under the guns of the ship. It was to pre- vent this removal that the mob had collected. Many of the officers were wounded in the scuffle, and the multitude, beini; baffled in their attempts to retain the sloop at the wharf, r©- Wliat wai done by the other colo- nies ? WYiai changes took place in the Bri- tiil adnistry? What measures were adopted by the colonists What was done in Boston ? Relate the affair of the slooo Liberty? 178 BRITISH TR00F6 IN BOSTO^ paiied to the houses of^the collector and other officers of the customs, where they committed acts of violence and injury to their property. This riotous disposition lasting for seve- ral days, the commissioners of customs applied for protec- tion to the governor, but not being able to protect them, he advised them to remove from Boston ; they consequently retired, first on board the Romney man-of-war, and after- wards to Castle William. The rioters were prosecuted ; but the prosecutions could not be successfully carried on, in consequence of the public excitement. About this time, some seamen were impressed :n Boston, by order of the officers of the Romney. A town meeting being called in consequence of this aggression, a petition, full of complaints of repeated outrages, and praying for redress, was sent to the governor. The general court of Massachusetts having been dissolved by governor Bernard who refused to convene it again without the king's command a convention was assembled at Boston, composed of delegated from the several towns in the colony, to deliberate on consti tutional measures of redress. ^J'hey disclaimed legislative authority, but petitioned the governor to assemble the gene- ral court, professed their loyalty, wrote to the agent of the province in England, stating the character in which they met ; and, after recommending patience and order to the people, dissolved the session. The day before the convention rose, two regiments, which had been detached by General Gage, arrived under convoy at Nantasket road. Next day, the fleet was brought to anchoi near Castle William. Having taken a station which com- manded the town, the ships having their broadsides towards it, the troops landed, to the number of seven hundred men, and marched, with loaded muskets and fixed bayonets, mar- tial music, and the usual military parade, to the common. In the evening, the selectmen of Boston were ordered to quarter the two regiments in the town ; but they absolutely refused. A temporary shelter was permitted, however, to one regiment, without its camp equipage, in Fanueil Hall The next day, the state house waj opened for the soldiers by order of the governor, and two field pieces, with the mail guard, were stationed just in its front. This was regarded by the people as a peculiar outrage 01 the town meeting. Of the convention. How many regiments of British troops now arrived in Boston ? Descnbe the landing. Their reception. Where were they quartered * PROCEttblNGS IN MA8SACHtJS£tt0. 1T9 The very temple of liberty was profaned by the piresence of armed soldiers. The council chamber having been reserved the members of that body were compelled to pass guards of soldiery in order to re^ich their place of meeting. The common was covered with tents. Soldiers were constantly marching through the streets ; and sentinels challenged the inhabitants as they passed. The Sabbath was profaned, and the devotion of the sanctuary disturbed by the sound of mar tiai music. The place had all the appearance of a garrisoned town. The people felt the insult, but were by no means intimidated ; and when a requisition was made for barracks for the troops, the council declined to furnish them, lest, by so doing, they might seem to adopt a measure of submission In a few weeks, a fresh reinforcement of troops arrived under Colonels Mackay and Pomeroy. Parliament, meantime, resolved to persevere in the system of coercion, and united in an address to the king, expressing their satisfaction at the measures which he had pursued, giving assurance of their support, and beseeching him to direct the governor of Massachusetts to institute an inquiry into all acts of treason committed in that colony since 1767, and to send the offenders to England for trial. Nothing could have been done more effectually to irritate the people than this resolution. The general court of Mas- sachusetts was not in session when it reached America ; but ihe house of burgesses of Virginia passed resolutions, asserting the exclusive right of taxing the colony and the right of triai oy jury in the vicinage ; and ordered their speaker to trans- mit copies of the resolutions to the other colonies. An ad- dress to the king, of the usual tenor, was also voted. The g^overnor, on learning the character of these proceedings, dis- solved the assembly. This measure only inflamed ti:e ^i- rit of opposition; the assembly was immediately conve*.ed at a private house, and unanimously resolved on agreements not to import British goods, similar to those which hai been entered into at the north. The general court of Massachusetts was convened on the 30th of May, 1769 ; and, after some altercation with the go vernor concerning the subjects of legislation, it was removed Why did the people resent this ? What annoyed them ? V\'hat was done by parliament ? How wag the news received in Ame- rici ? What was done Id Virginia ? What did the governor d« r What was then done by the aifem- bly ? By the general court oi Mass&dia> setts ? fiOSttO^ MASgACki. to Cain6ridge On the 6th of July, the governor made i requisition ^ir funds to defray the expenses of the troops in Boston, which was decisively refused ; and resolutions were )assed, at the same time, recommending assemblies of the j}eople, in the several towns, to petition for redress of griev- ances and declaration of rigfits. The governor then pro- rogued the general court, to meet at Boston on the 10th of January. On the first of August, governor Bernard was recalled, leaving the administration of the province in the hands of lieutenant governor Hutchinson. The people, on his de- parture, manifested their joy by ringing the bells, firing guns, covering their liberty tree with flags, and kindling a great Donfire on Fort Hill. In 1770, Lord North was appointed premier. His first measure was partly conciliatory : it was a repeal of the port duties ; but with the exception of the duty on tea. This left the assertion of the right of taxation in full force, and, of course, was wholly unsatisfactory to the colonists. The presence of the military in Boston, too, still served to keep alive the animosity of the people, who were constantly brought in unpleasant collision with these unwelcome and uninvited guests. On the evening of the 5th of March, 1770 an affray took place in King-street, now called State- street, in which a small detachment of soldiers, under the command of Captain Preston, after being assaulted with snow balls and other missiles, and one of them struck with a club, fired upon the populace, killing three men, mortally wounding two, and slightly wounding several others. The drums were instantly heard beating to arms ; thou- sands of the people assembled, and seeing the dead bodies of their fellow citizens who had fallen in the cause of liberty they resolved on a general attack upon the soldiery. The lieutenant governor being sent for, addressed the people from the balcony of the state house, and at length prevailed upon them peaceably to disperse. The next day. Captain Preston and his party of soldiers were committed to prison, to await the course of law ; and the troops were all withdrawn from the town to Castle William. By the governor ? By the general court, in consequence of the governor's requisition ? Wliat did the governor then do ? When was the governor recalled ? Who was left to alminister the go- ▼emment ? What was done hy the peopie ? Who was appointed premier in 1T70 What was his first act ? Why was it unsatisfactory f What took place on the 5th of Maiek 1770? What was dene next day i AfFAlR Of^ THE UASPEB. 181 Those who had fallen in this affair, were honoured whh a public funeral of great pomp and solemnity. The shopt were closed ; the bells of Boston, and the neighbouring towns, were tolled ; and an immense number of citizens fol- lowed the first martyrs of the opening revolution to their final resting place. Captain Preston and his soldiers were brought to trial some time after. Six weeks were spent in examining witnesse and hearing counsel ; and John Adams and Josiah Quincy who were distinguished leaders of the popular party, exerted themselves with great ability in defence of the accused. The captain and six of the men were acquitted ; and two were brought in guilty of manslaughter. This result was highly honourable to the distinguished counsel and to the impartial tribunal of the colony. The occurrences of 1771, were not important. Hutchin son, the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, was appointed governor; and used his prerogative of adjourning the general court from Boston to Cambridge and Salem, in spite of the remonstrances of the members. In 1772, a bold act of hostility was committed in Rhode Island, which greatly exasperated the British ministry. Lieu- tenant Doddington, who commanded the revenue schooner Gaspee, had become very obnoxious to the people of that colony, by his extraordinary zeal in the execution of the revenue laws. On the 9th of June, the Providence packet was sailing into the harbour of Newport, and Lieutenant Doddington thought proper to require the captain to lower his' colours. This being refused, as degrading, the Gaspee fired at the packet, to bring her to : the American captain, however, still holding his course and keeping in shoal water, contrived to run the schooner aground in the chase. As the tide was ebbing, the Gaspee was set fast for the night, during which, a number of fishermen, aided by some of the most respectable inhabitants of Providence, manned some boats and boarded the Gaspee. The lieutenant was wounded in the affray ; but, with every thing belonging to him, he and his crew were carefully conveyed on shore. The vessel, with her stores, was then burnt, and the party returned home A reward of five hundred pounds, offered by the governor, and every exertion to discover the perpetrators of this bold action, Describe the funeral. Relate the affair of the tchoonti What 18 taid of the trial f Gaspee. <¥kat was done in 1771 ? Were the actors in thii affair pvaiah^ ed? 1§ 182 HtJlcHlKSON^S LEftERS. were ineffectual. The people were banded together by » principle of resistance to tyranny which neither threats not promises could shake. Committees of correspondence were this year organised in the several towns oi Massachusetts, for the purpose ol securing concert of action, in iheir measures of opposition, and, in 1773, at the suggestion of the ^ouse of burgesses of Virginia, standing committees were ? ^,ointed by the differ- ent colonial assemblies ; and by this means a confidential communication and interchange of opinions was kept up between the colonies. liOrd Dartmouth, who was supposed to entertain favourable riews towards the colonies, having succeeded l^ord Hillsbo- rough, as secretary of state for the colonies, the legislature of Massacnusetts addressed a letter to hiin, expressing desire for complete reconciliation. This, however, was in- effectual. IN either the British cabinet, nor the nation, was disposed to recede from the ground they had taken. About this time a discovery was made, which caused a great deal of excitement in New England. Doctor Franklin, the agent of Massachusetts in England, obtained possession of the letters which had been addressed by Governor Hutch- inson and Lieutenant Governor Oliver, to the department of state, and sent them to the general court. They were evi- dently designed to induce the ministry to persist in their oppressive measures. They represented the patriots as a mere faction, who were not countenanced by the mass of the people, and who were emboldened by the weakness of the means used to restrain them. More vigorous measures were recommended ; and, among the rest, a plan for altering the charters of the colonies, and making the high officers dependent solely on the crown for their salaries. The assembly passed a vote of censure on the writers of these letters ; and petitioned the king to remove them for ever from the government of the colony. This petition was disap- proved; but Hutchinson was soon after removed, and Gonera. Gago. appointed to succeed him. The effect of this disclosure of the treachery of Hutchinson and Oliver, was electrifying. The passions of the people What wsLS done m Massachusetts ? In Virginia ? Who succeeded Lord Hillsborough ? What followed ? What discovery waa made by Dr. Franklin/ What was done by the assembly f What followed ? What was the effect of this diacl» sure ? What is said of the peopla i DESTRUCTION OF THE TEA AT BOSTON. 183 weie inflamea by il to the nighe»t pitch ; and their expecta- tion of a better understanding with the government, was greatly diminished by the conviction that traitors dmong them were engaged in misrepresenting the state oi the country and their own dispositions, to the ministry. The duties on other importations excepting tea, had been removed; and an alteration, corresponding to this change, had been made by the colonists in their non-importation agree ments. Tea, therefore, remained the only prohibited article Great quantities of it had accumulated in the warehouses of the East India Company ; and, as none was ordered by the colonial merchants, it was determined to send it over on con signment. The company were allowed to export it from England free of duty, so that, although the offensive duty on its importation into the colonies still remained, it was offered at lower prices than in former times. Confident of finding a market at these reduced prices, the company sent large cargoes to New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, and Boston. The inhabitants of New York and Philadelphia sent the ships back to London, 'and they sailed up the Thames, to proclaim to all the nation, that New York and Pennsylvania would not re enslaved.' The people of Charleston unloaded the tea, And stored it in cellars, where it perished. The Boston people disposed of the article in a more sum- mary way. Before the vessels arrived with it, a town meet- ing was held to devise measures for preventing the landing and sale of the tea. The agreement not to use it was re- newed ; and a committee was chosen to request the con- signees not to unlade or sell it. They referred the matter to the merchants who were to take charge of it ; but received for answer, that they could make no promises, because they had received no orders on the subject. When the tea arrived another meeting was called, ' to make a united and success ful resistance t( this last and worst measure of the adminis- tration.' People came in from the adjoining towns in such numbers, that it was found necessary to adjourn the meeting from Fanueil Hall, to a large church. Here it was voted to use all lawful means to prevent the landing of the tea and to procure its return to England. After several days spent in What IS said concerning the duty on tea ? What was done by the East India company ? Wh3t was done with the tea ships in New York ami PhLladelphia ? In Charleston ? What was done in Boston before tht arrival of the tea ships ? On their arrival ? What was done at the meeting of tht people ? 184 BOSTON PORT BILL. negotiations, the consignees refusing to return it, and the governor to order a pass to be given for the vessels to sail, number of men, disguised as Mohawk Indians, proceeded to ilie vessels lying at the wharf with the tea on board, raiseo the hatches, took out the chests, and after breaking them open, quietly emptied their whole contents into the dock The number of men concerned in this busmess was aboul fifty ; but for many years afterwards it was not known whc they were This was the most cool and determined defiance of the government which had yet been hazarded. The crisis which it tended to bring about, appears to have been appre- hended and deliberately met. Josiah Quincy, jr., a leading statesman of the time, warned the citizens, in town meeting, * that the spirit then displayed and the sentiments then avowed should be such as they should be ready to approve and maintain at any future day. For to retreat from the ground they should then take, would bring disgrace on them- selves, and ruin on the country.' He by no means over- rated the importance of the position at that time assumed. The intelligence of this proceeding excited a great sensation in England. It was communicated to parliament, in a mes- sage from the crown ; and excited strong indignation against the colonies. Both houses expressed their approbation of the king's measures, and promised their support in maintain- ing his authority. A bill was brought in for discontinumg the lading and shipping of goods, wares, and merchandise at Boston, or the harbour thereof, and for the removal of the custom house, with its dependencies, to the town of Salem. This bill was to continue in force, not only until compensation should be made to the East India company for the damage sustained, but until the king should declare himself satisfied, as to the restoration of peace and good order in Boston. It passed almost without opposition. This was followed by another bill, subverting the charter of Massachusetts, and vesting in the crown the appointment of the councillors, magistrates, and other officers of the colo* ny, to hold office during the king's pleasure. Next followed a bill for transporting persons accused of sedition, treason, f Chatham compared them with the celebrated writings of Greece and Rome of a similar character, and gave them the preference. They were read and admired in every part of Europe ; and enlisted the friends of liberty throughout the civilised world, in the cause of American liberty. In America they were received with more intense interest; ind their immediate effect was to rouse every friend of the sommon cause to exertion. The whole country resounded wiih the din of martial preparation. Companies of volunteers were organised in every city and village. Munitions of war were treasured up and concealed from the eyes of the myrmi- dons of government; contributions of money, ammunition, and provisions were cheerfully made, and persons of ever^ age and rank were roused into the liveliest enthusiasm in the iacred cause of liberty. When General Gage attempted to introduce the new system of government in Massachusetts, he found himself unable to effect his object. The new councillors, appointed by the crown, were compelled to resign their offices, by threats of popular violence ; and the judicial proceedings were prevented by the crowd of people who filled the court-house, and de- clared their determination to submit to none but the ancieni laws and usages of the country. Gage, upon this demonstration of popular feeling, raised fortifications on Boston Neck ; and, seizing the ammunition and stores, contained in the provincial arsenal and magazii les, at Cambridge and Charlestown, conveyed them to Boston. The people were with difficulty restrained from attempting their recovery by force ; and in New Hampshire and Rhode Island the powder, belonging to the government, was seizt u by the people. In the mean time, the parliament of Great Britain was ap prised of the proceedings of the colonists ; and severe censure was passed upon them in the king's speech and the addresses in answer to him. Lord Chatham, then in the decline of life, after demonstrating the impossibility of subjugating America, brought forward a bill for composing all difficulties and dis- putes, which was promptly and decisively rejected. A bill was then passed for restraining the trade and commerce of th« How were they received in America ? I W" A seizures were made in Rhodi What was done by the people ? island and New Himpshire ? la what inanner was General Gage vVhat was done by parliament ? opposed in Massachusetts I By Lord Chatham ? Wliat measures ^d he consequer jy What tUl was then passea t idopt ? ^ 188 APPROACH OF WAR. New England provinces, and prohibiting them from canjing on the fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland. While this bill was pending, Lord North suddenly broiight forward what he considered a conciliatory measure. It proposed, that par liament should forbear to tax any colony, which should tax itself in such a sum as would be perfectly satisfactory. Its obvious design to separate the colonies from each other, caused it to be receired by them with universal scorn and derision. When the bill restraining the trade of New England had passed, information was received, that the middle and southern colonies were supporting their northern friends in every mea- sure of opposition. In consequence of this intelligence, the same restrictions were extended, by a second bill, to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, and Delaware. New York and North Carolina escaped, on the ground of their supposed dissent from the opposition. The reception of these laws in America seems to have con- vinced the people that there was no hope of redress by peace ful or constitutional measures. Their addresses, remon- strances, and petitions, had been treated with contempt ; and when they had hoped for a considerate hearing of their de- fence, they had only received a fresh accumulation of wrongs and insults. All now looked forward to a fearful contest. The terrible calm that precedes a storm, settled darkly over the continent, and thunders of vengeance muttered in the dis- tance. The crisis was at hand. What bill was brought forward by Lord North ? How was it received in America ? To what states were the commercial D^ftrictioni e^ende^ ? What states escaped, and on what ground ? What was the effect of the reception^ of these laws in America ? What was the determinatic:! of tl|f people of New En^gJawd ^ AFFAIR AT LEXmGTON. 189 CHAPTER XXIV. COMMENCEMENT OF THE KEVOLUTIONAKY WAR. It seems to have been the determination of the people ot New England, that whenever actual hostilities should com- mence, the roj^al party should be the aggressors. With their habitual reverence for law and justice, they resolved to place their adversaries in the wrong, and to keep the right on their vwn side. It was equally their determination to repel with firmness the first hostile attack which should be made. An occasion was soon furnished in which these principles of action were put to the test. On the evening preceding the 19th of April, 1775, General Gage detached Lieutenant Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn with 800 grenadiers and light infantry, to destroy some mili- tary stores which had been collected at Concord, about 18 miles from Boston. Information of this movement was sent into the country by Dr. Warren, and the whole surrounding region was soon in arms, and marching, in small parties, towards the scene of action. When the British troops reached Lexington, about five o'clock in the morning, a small body of militia was paraded in front of the meeting house. Major Pitcairn, who led the van, rode up, calling out, * Disperse, rebels, disperse.' His soldiers rushed forward, with loud huzzas, and commenced a scattering fire. This was soon followed by a general dis- charge, which continued until the militia retreated. Eight men were killed and a considerable number wounded. The main body now proceeded to Concord and destroyed the stores. The subsequent events of the day are thus described by Mr. Everett.* * On arriving at Concord, it was the first care of the British commander to cut off the approach of the Americans from the Pot what purpose were British troops | What took place at Lexington f Kent to Concord ? I ^ 'Ql^t^n mnif f 196 B.\TTLE OF breed's HILL. provincial troops laboured indefatiga»bly upon their woiki^ until they had extended a breast-work from the east side o the redoubt to the bottom of the hill, towards Mystic river. General Gage, deeming it absolutely necessary to dislodge the Americans from this commanding eminence, detached Major General Howe, and Brigadier General Pigot, abou* noon, with ten companies of grenadiers, ten of light infantry and a body of artillery, to perform that service. They landed at Moreton's Point, l3ut finding the Americans did not desert their intrenchments, as they had expected, they awaited the arrival of a reinforcement from Boston. Meantime the pro- vincials also received a fresh accession of troops, under the command of Generals Warren and Pomeroy ; and made a further addition to their defences by pulling up some post ano rail fences, placing them in parallel lines, and filling up the intervening space with new mown hay. The British troops, being now reinforced, marched to the attack in two lines. It was commenced by a heavy discharge of fieldpieces and howitzers, the troops advancing slowly, to allow time for the artillery to produce effect on the works. While they were advancing, orders were given to set fire to the village of Charlestown, which was soon enveloped in flames. This added, in no small degree, to the terror and sublimity of the spectacle, which was contemplated by thou- sands of interested spectators, assembled on the surrounding heights, and the roofs of buildings in Boston, awaiting in breathless expectation the issue of the contest. The Americans permitted the enemy to approach within less than one hundred yards of their works, unmolested ; and then poured in upon them such a deadly fire of musketry, that the British line was broken, and driven towards the landing place in disorder. The exertions of the officers, in rallying the troops, were successful ; and they were again led on to the charge. But another equally destructive fire of the Americans proved as efl^ectual as the first; and the troops, a second time, retreated in confusion. General Clinton, now arriving from Boston, aided General Howe, and the other officers, in restoring order, and thr troops were, a third time reluctantly led on to the attack. But the powder of the How far were the works extended ? What force was sent to dislodge the Americans ? Under what generals ? After landing, what did they wait for ? Who reinforced the Americans ? *iaw did they extend their works ? Describe the advance of the cnesaj. What town was burnt ? Who were the spectators cf the bftt^ tlep Describe the first onset. The second. The third. EESULTS OF THE BATTLE. 197 Americans was now nearly exhausted ; and some of the British cannon had been brought into such a position as to rake the inside of the breast-work from end to end. The fire from the ships, batteries, and field artillery was redoubled ; and, by thus attacking it on three sides at once, the British finally succeeded in carrying the redoubt at the point of the bayonet. The provincials, however, made an obstinate resistance, even after a retreat was ordered ; defending themselves with »he butt end of their muskets, and disputing the ground, inch by nch. When the redoubt on the hill was lost, the breast-work )n the left, which had been defended with similar firmness against the light infantry, was also necessarily abandoned. The provincials now retreated over Charlestown Neck, with but trifling loss, although they were raked by the guns of the Glasgow man of war, and two floating batteries. The British felt that this was a victory by no means to be boasted of. Their force was 3,000 men ; and their killed and wounded amounted to 1,054. The American force was but 1,500, and they lost, in killed and w^nnded, 453. Their chief regret was for the loss of Genei ; V^arren, an ardenf patriot, and highly popular oflficer, who fell in the engagement The British kept possession of Breed's Hill, and, after w^jds, seized and fortified Bunker's ; which secured to them the peninsula of Charlestown ; but the provincials, by fortify ing Prospect Hill, held their enemies as closely besieged bp before. This was the first great battle of the war. At Lexington the colonists had been unprepared, but here they were pre- pared to meet the enemy, and had seen trained British regiments, proud of their European achievements, recoil again and again before the deadly fire of New England farm- ers. They had seen these raw soldiers stand the terrible bayonet charge without being routed. As fast as the news could travel in those days there went over the land the report of that day's fighting. The aw^e which many had felt of regular troops vanished, and the regiments raised in the different colonies were rapidly put in motion for the seat of war. The courage of the yeomanry and the skill and ability of the American oflScers displayed in the battle of Breed's Hill, or, as we commonly call it, Bunker's Hill, raised What was the result ? | What events followed the battle ? What were the f orc^ and the loss on What waB its moral effect on tJb^ ^^cJ> si^e ? I Americans ? 17* 198 SIEGE OF BOSTQN the spirits of the colonists, and made thein ready to dare any dangers. They believed that intrepidity, and dexterity in the use of fire arms, would supply their deficiency of discipline. But in this they were mistaken ; and subsequent eventi convinced them of the error. In July, General Washington took command ot the troops intrenched round Boston, and proceeded to inspect and review them. He found the army, consisting of 14,000 men, ani mated with great zeal, and prepared to follow him in the mos arduous undertakings ; but he soon discovered that they wert unacquainted with subordination, and strangers to military discipline. Their spirit and courage displayed itself in fre- quent skirmishes with the British, which were attended, however, with no important result. The Massachusetts troops elected their own officers, and regarded them nearly as equals , and the congressional and colonial authorities inter- fered with each other. The supply of arms and ammunition was scanty, the troops being without bayonets, and having but nine rounds apiece of cartridges. These difficulties were in a great measure overcome by the superior talents and perseverance of Washington. He formed the soldiers into brigades and accustomed them to obedience. He requested congress to appoint a commissary general, a quartermaster general, and a paymaster general; a number ot men were instructed in the management of artillery, and the army was soon completely organised and fit for service. The troops were now regularly encamped round Boston and occupied a space of ground nearly twelve miles in length. The English had strong intrenchments on Bunker's Hill ana Roxbury Neck ; and were defended by floating batteries in the Mystic river, and a ship of war lying between Boston anc Charlestown. The respective forces being thus disposed, the siege of Boston continued until the succeeding spring. In consequence of orders from the British ministry to de- stroy the sea-ports of the rebellious colonies, four ships, under the command of Captain Mowatt, were despatched to Fal« mouth, (now Portland,) in Maine, in the month of October; and, after offering disgraceful terms of submission to the in- habitants, which of course were rejected, he commenced a bombardment and speedily reduced the town to ashes. This When did Washington join the army? In what condition did he find it ? How did be rei;nedy its de^cieneies f Where were the Amencanf camped ? Where were the English forcei r Describe the affair of F'liffPQtb* BOSTON EVACUATED. 199 unnecessary and cruel act of aggression only served still fur- ther to exasperate the colonies against the mother country. In March, 1776, General Washington determined on forcing the British to evacuate Boston. Having opened his batteries and commenced a brisk cannonade on the opposite side of the city, he succeeded in occupying Dorchester Heights, on the evening of the 4th, and throwing up a fortification before morning. General Howe, who had succeeded General Gage *n the chief command, on discovering that this position was occupied, saw the necessity of dislodging the Americans or instantly abandoning the place. He prepared for a vigorous attack on the works, but was prevented from landing his forces, which had embarked in boats, by the occurrence of a tremendous storm. Nothing remained, therefore, but to eva cbate the place. The British were not annoyed in their retreat, as they might thus have been provoked to burn the town ; a loss which it would have required years of profitable industry to repair. For this, and some other reasons, they were allowed to embark at their leisure, and take with iUtii as many of the adherents to the royal cause, with their ef*e< ts, as chose to accompany them. On the 17th of Marc*/, their fleet sailed for Halifax. The American army, under Washington, hastened towards New York, whither they hvpposed the English were gone. What was determined by Washington in March, 1776 ? What heights did he occupy ? 4riiAt wmt ^me hy General Howe ? Why were the British permitted to escape without loss * Whither did the Americans proceed ? Why? too CAPTURE OF FORT AT. JOHN. I CHAPTER XXV. EXPEDITION AGAINST CANADA. During these transactions in New England, events oi some importance took place in other parts of America. Congress nad early directed its attention towards Canada, and endea- voured either to gain the co-operation, or secure the neutrality of the inhabitants in its dispute with Britain. Addresses had been repeatedly sent to them in the French, as well as the English language, representing the tendency of the new mea- sures of parliament, and these had not been without »ome effect. The Canadians generally were willing to remain neutral in the contest. Congress believed them to be partial to their cause, and resolved to anticipate the British, by striking a decided blow in that quarter. In this purpose they were encouraged by the success of the expedition against Crown Point and Ticon- deroga, as well as by the small number of troops then in Ca- nada. They appointed General Schuyler commander of the expedition, with General Montgomery to act as second in command. Early in September, 1775, these officers, with about 1,000 men, made an ineffectual attack on Fort St. John, situated on the river Sorel ; but found it expedient to retire to Isie-aux-Noix, at the entrance of the lake, about twelve miles above the fort, and wait for an increase of their effective force. Meanwhile General Schuyler, being taken ill, and return- ing to Albany, the command devolved upon General Mont- gomery, who was instructed to prosecute the enterprise on receiving reinforcements. These reinforcements soon ar- rived ; the attack on Fort St. John was renewed ; and, after a vigorous defence, it surrendered, about the middle of No- vember. The Americans found, in the fort, a considerable number of brass and iron cannon, howitzers, and mortars, a quantity of shot and small shells, about 800 stand of small arms, and some naval stores ; but the powder and provisions were nearly exhausted. H(»w did congress endeavour to gain the Canadians ? What were they willing to do ? What did congress design ? Who was made commander ? Wkp W»M afifio»d in coiQwajDd f What was done by them ? Who succeeded Schuyler in the com mand ? What fort did he take ? What supplief we^e found *bmi ESCAPE OF GOVERNOR CARLETON. 201 Duiing the siege of Fort St. John, Fort Chamblee had been taken, which furnished General Montgomery with a plentiful supply of provisions, of which his army stood much in need. General Carleton, on his way from Montreal, had been defeated and repulsed ; and Colonel Ethan Allen, who had made an unauthorised and rash attack on Montreal, had been overcome, made prisoner, and sent in irons to England On the fall of Fort St. John, General Montgomery advanced •gainst Montreal, which was not in a condition to resist hina. Governor Carleton, fully sensible of his inability to defend the town, quitted it. Next day General Montgomery entered Montreal. He treated the inhabitants with great lenity, respecting their religion, property, and rights ; and gained their good will by the affability of his manners, and the nobleness and generosity of his disposition. A body of provincials, under Colonel Easton had been despatched by Montgomery, and took post at the mouth of the Sorel ; and by means of an armed vessel and floating batteries, commanded the navigation of the St Lawrence. The British force which had retreated down th^ river from Montreal, consisting of 120 soldiers under General Prescott, and accompanied by Governor Carleton, seeing ii impracti- cable to force a passage, surrendered by capitulahon. About midnight, the day before the capitulation. Governor Carleton escaped down the river, passing through the Ameri^^iin squadron in a boat with muffled oars, and reached Quebec \n safety. • It was now the 19th of November, and the season waa very unfavourable to military operations. General Mont- gomery, a young officer of superior talent and hi^h spirit, found himself placed in extremeCy unpleasant circumstances- He was at the head of a body of armed men, by no m^^'jns de- ficient in courage ana patriotism, but totally unaccus med to military subordination. The term of service, for which manv of them had enlisted, was near an end ; and, heartily we^rv of the hardships of the campaign, they were loudly demand ing their discharge. Nothing but devotion to the cause could have made the general continue the command. Hitherto his career had been marked with success ; and he was ambi tious of closing the campaign with some brilliant achievemenl What other fort was taken ? What is said of Carleton ? Of Ethan Allen ? Against what place did IV^ontgomery now advance ? Uid he take the place f How did he gain the good will of the inhabitants ? Who were captured on the Sv Law rence ? How did Carleton escape f What was Montgomery*! fituadoi 1 B»W? 1202 ARNOLD BEFORE QcEBEC which should elevate the spirit of the Americans and humble ►he pride of the British ministry. With these views, not- withstanding the advanced season of the year, he hastened towards Quebec, although he had found it necessary to weaken his army, which had never exceeded 2,000 men, by discharging many of them whose terms of service had expired. About the middle of September, a detachment of 1,100 men under Colonel Arnold, had been sent from the vicinity of Boston, with orders to march across the country against Quebec, by a route which had never been explored and was but little known. The party embarked at Newbury, steered for the Kennebec, and ascended that river, in order to reach Canada by penetrating the forests in the interior of Maine— a most difficult and hazardous attempt. Their progress was impeded by rapids and by an almost impassable wilderness; and they suffered incredible hardships through the severity of the weather and the want of provisions. They separated into several divisions ; and the last, under Colonel Enos, finding itself unable to proceed, returned to the camp at Roxbury. But the other divisions, under Arnold, pressed forward, and triumphed over every obstacle. For a month tiiey toiled through a rough and barren wilderness, without seeing a human habitation, or the face of an individual except of their own party ; and their provisions were exhausted ; so that Arnold was obliged to push forward before the rest, with t few followers, and obtain a supply from the nearest Cana- dian settlement. At length, on the 9th of November, the partv. with iU* force much diminished, arrived at Point Levi, opposite Quebec His appearance, says an English writer, was not unex pected ; for the lieitenant governor had been for some time apprised of his march. In the early part of his progress, Arnold had met an Indian, to whom, although a stranger, he had imprudently trusted a letter to General Schuyler, under cover, to a friend in Quebec. The Indian, instead of faith fully delivering the letter, according to the directions which he had received, carried it to the lieutenant governor, who, ia order to prevent the Americans from passing the river, imme diately removed all the canoes from Point Levi, and began to Towards what place did he march ? How had Arnold's imprudence pre* Describe Arnold's expedition through vented him from surprising Qije- ihe wilderness. bee ? When dil he reach Poic L««a ? j What was the consequeocf ? MONTGOMERY BEFORE QUEBEC 203 put the city in a posture of defence ; which, but ftr this folly and rashness of Arnold, might have been easily surprised. On discovering the arrival of Arnold at Pomt Levi, the British commander stationed two vessels of war in the river to guard the passage ; and at that interesting crisis Colonel M*Lean, who had retreated before Montgomery, arrived from the Sorel, with about one hundred and seventy newly raised troops to assist in defence of the place. in spite of the vigilance of the British, Arnold succeeded on the night of the 14th of November, in crossing the river with five hundred men in canoes, and landed near the place where the brave and enterprising Wolfe had landed, sixteen years before, called, from this circumstance, Wolfe's Cove. Not being able to convey his scaling ladders over the river with his troops, he could not immediately attack the town. Instead of concealhig himself, till his scaling ladders could be brought forward, and then making a sudden and unex- pected attack by night, he marched part of his troops in military parade in sight of the garrison ; and so put the British fully on their guard. He wished to summon them to surrender. But they fired upon his flag of truce, and refused to hold any communication with him. He therefore on the 19th of the month, retired from Quebec to Point aux Trembles, about twenty miles above the city, where General Montgomery, with the force under his command, joined hirn on the 1st of December. From him the soldiers of Arnold received a supply of winter clothing which their previous condition rendered particularly acceptable. Soon after Arnold's retreat. Governor Carleton arrived in Quebec, and exerted himself to put the place in a state of defence. General Montgomery having brought the scaling ladders across the river, appeared with his whole force before Quebec on the 5th of December. The garrison was then more numerous than it? assailants. The Americans amounted to but nme hundred efteciive men, while Governor Carleton had about fifteen hundred, soldiers, militia, seamen, and volunteers under his command. General Montgomery sent a flag of truce to summon th« How did the British commander guaid the river ? How was he reinforced I What was done by Arnold on the 14th of November ? ^bat blunder did be make How was his flag of truce received / Whither did he retire } Who joined him there ? What is said of Carleton * Of Montgomery^ 204 DEATH OF MONTGOMERY. garrison to surrender; but it was fired upon, as that of Amok had been ; and although it was in the depth of a Canadian winter and in the most intense cold, he proceeded to the diflicidt task of erecting batteries ; but his artillery was too light to make any impression on the fortifications. He theie fore determined to storm the town ; and the assault was made on the morning of ihe 31st of December. About four o'clock in the m orning, in the midst of a violent storm of snow, two feints and two real attacks were simul taneously made. The real attacks were conducted by Mont gomery and Arnold. Montgomery advancing at the head of about two hundred men, fell by the first discharge of grape shot from the works. Several of his best officers being killed, his division retreated. Arnold, at the head of about three hundred men, in a diflferent quarter, maintained a fierce and obstinate conflict for some time ; but was at last wounded and repulsed, leaving many of his men in the hands of the enemy. The death of Montgomery was the subject of much regret, as he had been universally loved and esteemed. On assembling, after the assault, so large a number had been killed or taken prisoners, that the provincials could not muster many more than four hundred efifective men, who chose Arnold for their commander ; and in the hope of re- ceiving reinforcements, resolved to remain in the vicinity o Quebec. Sir Guy Carleton acquired much honour, not ouly by his gallant defence of the city, but also, by the humanity with which he treated all his prisoners. The sick and wounded, he caused to be taken care of, and permitted them, when re- covered, to return to their homes unmolested. The Ameri' cans were not ignorant of their own inferiority in point of numbers to the garrison, and were not without apprehensions of being attacked ; but although the garrison was three times more numerous than the besieging army, it was of such a mixed and precarious character, that Carleton did not deem it prudent to march out against his enemy. A small reinforcement, from Massachusetts, reached the American camp, and all the troops, that could be spared from Montreal, marched to join their countrymen before Quebec but the month of February was far advanced before the army What is said ot the comparative force of tlie two parties ? How was Montgomery's flag treated ? What did he then do ? When was the assault made on Q,ie- \ What was the result ? How did Carleton behave ? Why did he not attack in hi^ turn Who relieved the Americans? What was their number in Febiuaiy i FALL OF QUEBEC, imounted to 960 men. Arnold, however, resumed the siege; but his artillery was inadequate to the undertaking, anu made no impression on the works. Although unsuccessful against the town, he defeated a body of Canadians, who advanced to relieve it; and succeeded so well in cutting off supplies from the country, that the garrison was reduced to great distress for want of pr? ^visions. When the Americans entered the province, many of the nhabitants were well disposed towards them, as the frienda nd defenders of liberty. But by their subsequent behaviour, they forfeited the good will, and provoked the hostility of the Canadians. They were wanting in respect to the clergy; compelled the people to furnish them with articles below the current prices ; gave illegal and unsigned certificates for goods which they had received, which were consequently rejected by the quartermaster general. They made promises and did not perform them ; and insulted the people when they demanded payment of their just debts. Such conduct, oi course, alienated the affections of the Canadians, who con- sidered congress as bankrupt, and their army as a band of plunderers. On hearing of this scandalous misconduct, congress or- dered justice to be done to the Canadians, and the strictest military discipline to be observed. But in Canada the tide of popular sentiment and feeling was turned against the Americans, who, by their unworthy practices, had awakened a spirit of hostility, which all the policy of Governor Carle- ton had been unable to excite. While the American army lay before Quebec, the troops had caught the small-pox from a woman who had been a nurse in one of the hospitals of the city, and the loathsome disease spread rapidly among them. In order to mitigate its ravages, many of the men, regardless of orders to the contrary, inoculated themselves. The reinforcements, which were daily arriving, had recourse to the same practice; and, so general was the infection, that on the first of May, although the army amounted to 2,000 men, yet not more than 900 were fit for duty. In this diseased state of the troops, medicines, and every thing necessary for the sick were wanting. The men were also scattered, lor w^ant of barracks. How did Arnold carry on the war ? What disease visited the Arnerlcan How did the Americans render them- camp ? se'ves unpopular in Canada ^ What was its effect on the numbers What wag done by congress ? and condition of the army f 18 206 THE AMERICANS RETREAT FROM CANADA. Major General Thomas, who had been appointed to iht command of the American army in Canada, arrived in canfip on the first of May. He found the troops enfeebled by ais- ease, ill supplied with provisions, and with only a small quan- tity of ammunition. The river was opening below, and he was well aware, that, as soon as ships could force their way through the ice, the garrison would be reinforced. On the fifth of May, therefore, he resolved to retreat towards Mon- treal ; and, on the evening of the same day, he received cer- tain information that a British fleet was in the river. Next morning some of the ships, by great exertion, and with much danger, pressed through the ice, into the harbour, and landed 0ome troops. The Americans were preparing to retire ; General Carleton marched out to attack them ; but, instead of awaiting his approach, they made a precipitate retreat, leaving behind them their sick, baggage, artillery, and military stores. Many of those who were ill of the small-pox, escaped from the hos- pitals, and concealed themselves in the country, where they were kindly entertained, by the Canadians, till they re- covered and were able to follow their countrymen. General Carleton could not overtake the retreating army ; but he took about 100 sick prisoners, whom he treated with characteristic humanity. The Americans retreated about forty-five miles, and then halted a few days ; but, afterwards, proceeded to Sorel, in a distressed condition, and encamped there. In this interval, some reinforcements arrived. General Thomas, being seized with the small-pox, died, and was succeeded in the command by General Sullivan. The British had several military posts in Upper Canada; and the Americans established one at the Cedars, a point of land projecting into the St. Lawrence, about forty miles above Montreal. The garrison consisted of 400 men, under the command of Colonel Bedell. Captain Foster, with abou'^ 600 regulars and Indians, marched from Oswegatchie to attack this post. The American commander having received an intimation, that, if any of the Indians were killed, the garrison would probably be massacred, made but a short and feeble resistance before he surrendered the place. An American party of about 100 men, under Major Shep Who was now commander of the Americans ? What course did he take ? 'A^liat coiiipelled him to retreat f Whither did the Americans retire/ What general died ? Who succeeded him ? WOAHOlffTAS BAYBS CAPTAIN UaTU'H UTS. ORERAtlONS IS VPPER CANaDa. 201 burne, left Montreal to assist their countrymen al the Ctdars As they approached that place on the day after the surrender Ignorant of that event, they were suddenly and unexpectedly attacked by a body of Indians and Canadians. After defend- ing themselves for some time, the Americans were overpow- ered, and many of them fell under the tomahawks of the Indians. The rest were made prisoners. Arnold, who in the month of January had been raised to the rank of brigadier general, was desirous of recovering the Cedars and of relieving the prisoners there ; and, for these purposes marched towards that place at the head of about 800 men. But on his approach. Captain Foster gave him notice, that unless he agreed to a cartel, which had already been signed by Major Sherburne and some other officers, the Indians would put all the prisoners to death. In these cir- cumstances, Arnold reluctantly signed the cartel and retired. Congress long hesitated and delayed to sign this agreement. Before the end of May, the British force in Canada was greatly increased ; and including the German mercenaries, was estimated at 13,000 men. This force was widely dis- persed ; but Three Rivers, half way between Quebec and Montreal, was the point of general rendezvous. A consi- derable detachment, under General Frazer, had already ar- rived there. General Sullivan despatched General Thompson, with a party, to surprise them, but the enterprise failed Thompson was made prisoner, and his detachment dispersed. When the British sea and land forces had collected at Three Rivers, they advanced, by land and water, towards the Sorel. General Sullivan had retreated up that river; and General Burgoyne was ordered cautiously to pursue him. On the 15th of June, Arnold quitted Montreal and retired to Crown Point with little loss in the retreat.* The American forces were thus completely withdrawn from Canada, and this bold and hazardous invasion was finally terminated. Il had cost much suffering and many valuable lives ; and it pro duced no advantage to the American cause. Relate the affair of the Cedars. Of the party who came to relieve the Americans at the Cedars. *)f Arr old's attempt to recover the Cedars. What is said of the British force io Canada ? Of General Thompson's capture ? Describe the final retreat of the Ame- ricans from Canada. What is said of this expedition • Sir Guy Carleton succeeded in gaining possession of TicoDderoga an/ Lake Champlain, in the succeeding October. 2(m OPERATIONS IN CHARLEStOM . CHAPTER XXVI CAMPAIGN OF 1776. The spring of 1776 opened with very little prospect ol si Oa iKe rnoraia^* of the 14th of August, he marched aghinsi the enem/, at tLe hei.d of 700 men ; and sent Colonel (jlregg, with a party Oi 30G, skirmish in their front, and retard their progrestj. Ke \\ie^ up his men in order of oaitle ; but, on coming in sight of him, Baum halted on ad- vantageous ground ; sent aa expiobs to Burgoyne informing him of his situation ; and foitifioO himself as well as circum etances would permit. After some skirmishing, on the uoining of the 16th, Starke commenced a furious attack on the royhX forces. Baum made a brave defence. The battle lasted iwo hours, during which he was assailed on every side by incessant discharge of musketry. He was mortally woundock ; his troops were overpowered ; a few of them escaped ihto the woods and fled, pursued by the Americans ; the le^st wcie killed or taken prisoners. ' Thus,' says a British hisCorian, in whose lan- guage we have chosen to record some of these events, ' with- out artillery, with old rusty firelocks, and with scarcely a bayonet, their militia entirely defeated i!>0() vetoiaas, well armed, provided with two pieces of aitilleiy, nvcx defended by breastworks.' This was not the only subject of .wtonish- ment with which the Americans furnished their cuemies during this campaign. After the victory, the greater part of the militia dib'pe, sed in quest of booty; and this imprudence nearly proved »atiil to them, for, on receiving Baum's express. General Bur- goyne had sent Colonel Breyman, with 500 men, to his as sistance ; and if Colonel Warner's regiment of continentab had not arrived just as he came up and was attacking the scattered militia, they would have fared but indifferently Breyman maintained the conflict till dark ; when, abandon ng his artillery and baggage, he retreated, and, escapin,^ under cover of the night, with a shattered remnant of hi^ detachment regained the camp. Thus the victory at Bennington was complete. The Ame- ricans took 4 brass fieldpieces, 1,000 muskets (a very season able supply for the ill-armed militia), 900 swords, and \ Who intercepte'l Baum ? How did Baum prepare for action ? Describe the battle of Benning- ton encoiu* ter.^ LOSS OF THE FRIGATE RANDOLPH. 255 Colonel Campbell with about 3,500 men, escorted by a smaE squadron under Admiral Parker appeared off the mouth of the Savannah, and proceediug up the river effected a landing without much opposition on the 29th. Howe, with about 900 men, was posted in a good position about two miles from Savannah. He was surrounded by a »wamp, river, and morass, excepting in front. He had de» stroyed a bridge and broken up the road in front, so that if attacked in that quarter he could have defended himself with advantage. But a black man who fell into Colonel Campbell'a hands, informed him of a private path through the morass by which the rear of the American army might be gained The consequence was, that being attacked on both sides although Howe and his men fought with the greatest intre- pidity, less than one half of them were able to escape and effect a retreat to South Carolina. The capital of Georgia of course fell into the hands of the British, and Sunbury anu Augusta being soon after taken, the whole state was brough under the British sway. The noble defence of Fort Moultrie, in 1776, had hitherto saved the southern states from the horrors of war ; but th^ defeat of General Howe, at Savannah, made those states thi scene of fierce and desolating hostilities during the remainder of the contest. The small navy of the Americans suffered some loss during this year. Many of their ships were destroyed in the har hours on the coast, and one was lost at sea under very dis- tressing circumstances. The Randolph, an American frigate of 36 guns and 305 men, commanded by Captain Biddle, having sailed from Charleston on a crnise, fell in with the British frigate Yarmouth, of 64 guns, and engaged her in the night. In about 15 minutes the Randolph blew up; and all the crew, except four men, perished. These men, floating on a piece of the wreck, subsisted four days on rain water which they sucked from a piece of blanket. They were ^hen discovered and relieved by the captain of the Yarmouth Captain Biddle, who perished on board the Randolph, was universally lamented. He was an officer whose tried courage and skill had excited high expectations of future r'^^fulne^s to the country. What preparations did he make ? Who betrayed him ? What was the consequence ? Vhat state was oveixun by the Bri- What were the conBt^,^ee» of Howe's defeat ? Relate the catastrophe oi the Rad dolph. What is said of Captfiiii Biddl* i 256 RESULT OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1778. In April of this year the celebrated naval commander, Paul Jones, in the brig Ranger, of 18 guns, captured the British sloop of war Drake, of 20 guns, which had been fitted out with more than her complement of officers and men for the express purpose of capturing Jones. This was one among a geries of brilliant achievements which had already procured for Jones the highest reputation. Neither of the contending parties was very well saiisfied •with the result of this campaign. The Americans, who hsd expected, with the assistance of the French, to terminate the war by some decisive stroke, were not a little mortified that the Duly result of the co-operation of their ally, was the recovery of Philadelphia. On the other hand, the British ministry were grievously disappointed on learning that the issue of the campaign, as far as regarded their main army, was the exchange, by their commander in chief, of his nar- row quarters in Philadelphia, for the not much more extended ones of New York island. Hitherto they seem to have car- ried on the war under the idea that the majority of the colonies were favourably disposed towards the royal government, and were only restrained from manifesting their loyalty by a fac- tion, whom it would be easy with their assistance to subdue ; but from this period they appear to have abandoned this chimera, and conducted their hostilities in a spirit of despe- ration and revenge. CHAPTER XXIX. CAMPAIGN OF 1779. The principal operations of the war were now transferred from ihe> northern and middle, to the southern states of the union. In the north the British seem to have aimed chiefly at creaang as large an amount of distress and devastation as possiM*" . They had declared their intention of making the colonics of as little avail as possible to their new connec- tions and truly the zeal and activity with which Ihey en- GjTe FX »*ccount of Paul Jones's vie- What part of the union now became tory. the theatre of war ? What frenaraX remarks are made on In what spirit was it conducted hj tius T»nmi of the campaij^n of 1778 ? the British t PUTNAirs RI 257 deaYOured to rei/ r the country a desert, ere worthy of a better cause. With a view to subject Virginia to the unmitigated horrors of war, Sir Henry Clinton, on the lOth of May, 1779, sent an expedition into that state, under the command of Sir George CoUyer and General Matthews, who, after landing at Portsmouth, proceeded to Suffolk, and laid that town in ashes. The houses of private gentlemen in the surrounding country shared the same -fate. After burning and capturing 130 vessels of different sizes, and devastating the whole country in their line of march, the marauders sailed back, loaded with plunder, to New York. About five weeks after their return, governor Tryon, doubtless stimulated with ambition at so noble an example, look the command of a similar expedition to the coast of Connecticut. With about 2,600 men, he sailed from New York, by the way of Hell-gate, and landed at East Haven, which he devoted to the flames, in violation of his promise of protection to all the inhabitants who should remain in their houses. He then marched to New Haven, and delivered flp that town to promiscuous plunder. The inhabitants were stripped of their household furniture and moveable property and subjected to every outrage of a brutal soldiery, excepting only the burning of their houses. The British then em- barked and proceeded to Fairfield and Norwalk, which were also plundered and then burnt. Governor Tryon having effected this mischief in ten days, with little loss, returned to the British head quarters to make a report of his proceedings to the commander in chief. Whilst this mode of warfare was carried on, Washington «50uld spare very few men, for the defence of the invaded districts. His attention was engrossed by the main army of the British, to keep which in check, he posted his forces at West Point, and on the opposite side of the Hudson, pushing his patrols to the viciiwty of his adversary's lints. It was about this time that General Putnam performed his famous feat of riding down the stone stairs at Horse Neck. He was stationed at Reading, in Connecticut, and visiting his out post at Horse Neck, with but 150 men, and two iron field- pieces without dvagropes, he was attacked by governor TryoD Give an account of the expedition What is said of General Washinjt- of Sir George Collyer and General ton ? Matthews into Virginia. Give an account of Putnam'f f-»«t ai Of General Tryon 's expedition to Horse Neck. Connecticut. 88* 258 THE STORMING OF STONY POINT. With 1,500 men. Putnam planted his cannon on the high ground, ne-cX the meeting house, and by firing, retarded the enemy's advance, till seeing the infantry and cavalry pre- paring for a charge, he ordered his men to retire to a neigh- bouring swamp, and plunged down the precipice ne'o.( the church. This was so steep as to have artificial stairs, torn- posed of nearly 100 stone steps for the accommodatioji of foot passengers. The British dragoons durst not follow the intrepid horseman down the precipice, and before the} could ride round the hill, he was out of their reach. The in/antry poured a shower of bullets after him, but all missed except one, which pierced his hat. He proceeded to Stamfoid, and having re-united his men, and obtained a reinforcement of militia, faced about, and pursued General Tryon on his return. As the British occupied, with a strong garrison. Stony Point, some miles to the south of Washington's camp, on the 15th of July, he despatched General Wayne, with a small detachment, to dislodge them. This expedition, though an exceedingly bold and hazardous one, was completely suc- cessful. After a very obstinate defence, in which Wayne was wounded, the fort was carried by storm, the garrison, to the number 543, were taken prisoners, 63 being killed, and the standards, ordnance and military stores, fell into the hands of the conquerors. This was considered one of the most brilliant achievements of the war. Washington did not, how ever, think it prudent for the present, to attempt to establish himself at Stony Point ; and it was speedily reoccupied by the British. Another instance of the enterprising boldness of the Ame- ricans occurred soon after, in the surprise of the British gar- rison at Paulus Hook, opposite to New York, which was attacked on the 19th of July, by Major Lee, who stormed the works, and took 160 prisoners, whom he brought safely o the American lines. The joy felt by the Americans at the success of these daring enterprises, was somewhat damped by the failure of m expedition, undertaken by the state of Massachusetts, to dispossess the British of a fort which they had erected a* Penobscot, in the district of Maine. They here lost the whole of their flotilla, which was destroyed or raptured by Give an account of the «tonn\ng of | Relate the affair of Paula" HooIl Stony Point. ] The defeat at Pei:i»b8co* WtiB the fost retained { OPERATIONS IN GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAR LINa. 2(^0 Sir George Collyer, whilst their land forces were c napel-ed to seek for safety by retreating through the woods. Spain having now declared war against Great Britain, it was hoped by the Americans that this additional pressure of foreign foes would compel the British ministry to withdraw their forces from North America. But the energies of the mother country were roused in proportion to the increase of her peril. Her fleets gave her decided superiority on the ocean, and her king was determined to strain every nerve to reduce his revolted colonies to obedience. At this period the case with which the reduction of Georgia had been effected and the advantages which it might afford in making an attack upon the rest of the southern states, induced his ministers to renew their efforts in that quarter. The back settlements of Georgia and the Carolinas, abound- ed with renegadoes and tories, who had been compelled by the republicans to withdraw into these wilds, from the more settled part of the country. These adventurers having joined the royal forces, under the command of Major- General Pres- cott, which had also received reinforcements from Florida, that officer found himself in a condition to commence active operations. His preparations filled the neighbouring states with alarm. The American regular troops, had, with few exceptions, been sent from the Carolinas to reinforce the army of Gene- ral Washington ; and the only reliance of the patriots in this part of the country was on the militia, which con- gress had placed under the command of General Lincoln. On inspecting his men, Lincoln found them very ill prepared to meet the disciplined forces of the enemy, as they were deficient in equipments, badly organised, and worse drilled. In these circumstances, the active operations of thi enemy allowed him no time to train them. Soon after his arrival at head quarters, a division of the British army, under Major Gardiner, was detached from Sa- vannah to take possession of Port Royal, in South Carolinar but was driven back with a heavy loss of men, aud nearly al their ofllicers, by General Moultrie. This repulse damped the ardour, and suspended the enterprise of the British, who took Whf^t is said of Spain and Great Bri- tain f WhQt induced the British to transfer rw:a iipetatious chiefly to the What description oi forces joined th6 standard of Geiaeral Prescott ? Who commanded the American fa»««« in the south ? Of what did they consiii^ What took plae« at Port Uojvl f 260 DEFEAT OF GENERAL LINCOLN, post at Augusta and Ebenezer, situated on tb<9 Savannali fiver. Here th-ey waited in expectation of being joined by a body of tories, who had been collected in the upper parts of South Carolina. These reputable allies of the British had no sooner begun their march towards Augusta, than they commenced »uch a series of atrocities against the peaceful inhabitants, that they rose en masse, to oppose them. Colonel Picken, with about 300 volunteers, pursued and came up with them near Kettle creek, where he totally routed them, killed about 40, with their leader, Colonel Boyd, and dispersed the rest. Some of them afterwards gave themselves up to be tried by the laws of South Carolina, for violating the sedition act. Seventy of them were condemned to die ; but only five of the ringleaders were executed. This proceeding led to acts of retaliation on the part of the tories, and the king's troops, which for a long time gave a peculiar character of atrocity to the war in the southern states. Encouraged by this success. General Lincoln sent an ex- pedition into Georgia, with a view of repressing the incursions of the enemy, and confining them to the low country near the ocean. The detachment, consisting of 1,500 North Carolina militia, and a few regular troops, under General Ash, crossed the Savannah, and took a position on Briar creek ; but he was surprised by Lieutenant-Colonel Prevost, who made a circui- tous march of 50 miles, and came upon his rear with 90C veterans. The militia were thrown into confusion at once and fled at the first fiie ; 150 of the Americans were killed 162 taken, some were drowned in attempting to cross th( Savannah, and only 450 escaped to the camp. This even cost General Lincoln one-fourth of his army, and opened { communication between the British camp at Savannah, and the Indian and tory friends of the British in North and South Carolina. In this disastrous state of affairs the legislature of South Carolina invested their governor, Mr. John Rutledge, and hit council, with an almost absolute authority, by virtue of which a considerable force of militia was embodied and statione . near the centre of the state, to act as necessity might require. Lincoln now determined to carry the war into the enemy's What is related of the tories ? Who defeated tbem ? How were tney treated ? What was the conseqvence ? Give an account of the hattle of Bnaa creek. What were the effect? of tmt dt.t»»i%^ Who was made dictatoi it o*»^\m Carolina ? GENERAL PREVOST BEPORE CHARLESION 261 quarters ; anH with the main army, he crossed the Savaimah, near August^., and marched towards tlie capital of Georgia. Prevost instantly took advantage of this movement, to invade South Carolina, at the head of 2,400 men, and compell/ng General Moultrie, who was charged with the defence of Charleston, to retire, he pushed forward towards that city. At this time his superiority was so decisive, and his pro»» pects so bright, that Moultrie's troops began to desert in great numbers, and with real or affected zeal embraced the royal cause. On his appearance before Charleston, the garrison of that place, consisting of 3,300 men, sent commissioners to propose a neutrality on their part during the remainder of the war. This advantageous proposal, he was impolitic enough to decline, and made preparations to attack the town, which was tolerably well fortified. Whilst he had been wasting time in negotiations. General Lincoln had been hastening from Georgia to the relief of the place ; and on his approach, Prevost, fearing to be exposed to two fires, withdrew his forces across Ashley river, and en- camped on some small islands bordering on the sea-coast. Here, on the 20th of June, he was attacked by General Lin- coln, with about 1,200 men, but succeeded in giving him a repulse with the loss of 150 men, in consequence of the failure of a part of the American general's combinations. Notwithstanding this success General Prevost did not think it advisable to maintain his position, but retreated to Port Royal, and thence to Savannah. The Americans, under the command of Lincoln, soon after- wards retired to Sheldon, a healthy situation in the vicinity of Beaufort, about half way between Charleston and Savannah. Both armies now remained in their respective encampment* in a state of tranquillity until the beginning of September, when tie arrival of a French fleet on the coast roused the whole country to immediate activity. Count d'Estaing had proceeded, towards the close of the preceding year, from Boston to the West Indies, whence, after capturing St. Vincents and Grenada, he had returned to %ne assistance of the Americans. At the sight of this arma IV hither did Lincoln march ? What advantage did Prevost take of t)»»« movement ? \S liO retired before him ? Whd* the garrison at Charleston WtL, iuc oiler accepted ? What occasioned Prevost ^ retreat ? What happened on the 20th of Jim© i Whither did Prevost retire after J» feating Lincoln? Whither did the Americans retire ? What news roused them to action f What is said of d'£»t ling ? 262 Sl£OB OF SAVANNA.H. menl, which consisted of 20 sail of the line, and 13 frigatci, the republicans exulted in the sanguine hope of capturing iheii enemies, or of expelling them from the country. Tlie militia poured in from the surrounding region in great numbers, and uniting with the regular force, under General Lincoln, march- ed for the vicinity of Savannah. Before their arrival d'Estaing had summoned the town to surrender, and had granted General Prevost a suspension of hostilities for 24 hours, for the purpose of settling the terms ef a capitulation. But during this interval, a reinforcement (j{ several hundred men had forced their way from Beaufort for his relief. Encouraged by this seasonable aid, Prevost determined to hold out to the last extremity. The allied forces, therefore, commenced the siege of Sa vannah in form. On the 4th of October the besiegers opened with 9 mortars, and 37 pieces of cannon, from the land side, and 15 from the water. On a report from the French engi- neers, that a considerable time would be consumed in con- ducting the siege by regular approaches, d'Estaing, who was apprehensive of injury to his fleet from hurricanes at that season of the year, determined on an assault. In conjunction with Lincoln, he led his troops to the attack with great gallantry ; but a heavy and well directed fire from the batteries, and a cross fire from the British galleys, threw their front columns into confusion. Two standards were planted on the enemy's batteries, but after 55 minutes of hai-d fighting it was found necessary to order a retreat. Count d'Estaing, and Count Pulaski, were both wounded ; the former slightly, the latter mortally. Six hundred and thirty-seven of the French, and upwards of 200 of the continentals and militia, were killed or wounded. The damage sustained by the British was trifling. Immediately after this unsuccessful assault, the militia retired to their homes ; Count d'Estaing reembarkedhis troops and artillery, and sailed from Savannah; and General Lincoln, recrossi^ig the Savannah river, returned to South Carolina. The visit of the French fleet to the coast of America, fyi though unsuccessful in its chief object, was not altogetnei useless to the United States. It disconcerted the measure* of What is said of the mi)iHa ? What blunder did d'Estaing make ? ^Vhat saved Prevost ? Describe the siege. The assault. Who were wounded ? What was the loss ? AVho deserted the Americans ? Why ? What was Lincoln obliged to do ? Of what use was the visit of the French fleet to the Americans ? ACHlEVEMENtS OF PAUL JONES. tne British^ and caused a considerable waste of time in digest- ing their plans of operation. It also occasioned the evacuation of .Ihode Island, which, however, was of little importance to the cause, as the 6,000 men who were stationed there for two years and eight months, were thus effectually kept out of active service. The paper money system adopted by the contmental con- gress, had now begun to produce its legitimate effects of ruin and distress. The bills were depreciated to about one- thirtieth of their nominal value. The pay of the officers and soldier* was insufficient to procure them clothing. Con- gress finding its funds and credit exhausted, made a requisi- tion on the several states for provisions and forage. Private capitalists, of whom Robert Morris, Esq., of Philadelphia, was among the most liberal, made loans to the government, and loans were solicited in Europe. Notwithstanding these expedients, the army was wretchedly supplied ; and it re- quired all the patriotic exertions of their officers to restrain the men from desertion or open revolt. The example o their leaders, in cheerfully submitting to severe hardships and making sport of privations which were any thing but light, had its effect in retaining the troops in the service, and making them bear, and do their utmost for the cause of their country. This year was signalised by the most celebrated of the achievements of Paul Jones. In August he sailed from France in the Bon Homme Richard, with six other vessels, the whole squadron being under his command. Having cruised success- fully off the coast of Ireland for some time, he sailed with the Pallas, of 32 guns, and the Vengeance, of 16 guns, to the coast of Scotland, captured several arm^d vessels in sight of the port of Leith, and after threatening to lay the town under contribution, which threat he was only prevented from executing by a violent gale of wind coming on, he again put to sea. A few days after this he fought his famous battle with the British frigate Serapis. On the 23d of September, 1779, at /even o'clock in the evening, the encounter took place off ^^imborough-head, on the coast of England, and the moon '^'hining brightly at the time, the action was witnessed by inousands of spectators assembled on the shoro. The Serapis What is said of the paper money I Of the patriotic behaviour of capi- system ? I talists, officers, and men ? ^64 CAPTURE OF THE SERAP18. was a new ship, with 44 guns, and a select crew. In ever} respect she was far superior to the Bon Homme Richard The action commenced with a broadside from the Serapis, and raged with unremitting fury till the bowsprit of the British vessel coming over the poop of the Bon Homme Richard by her mizen mast, Jones himself seized the ropes that hung from the bowsprit, and made them fast to his own ship The Serapis now swung round, so as to lie alongside the Ame- hcan vessel, with the stern of one close to the bow of the other. The battle was then renewed with increasing fury, and lasted till half past ten o'clock, when the enemy's main- mast going by the board, he struck his colours. The details of the battle surpass any thing in the records of naval warfare for determined bravery and perseverance. The Bon Homme Richard v/as actually in a sinking state when the battle ended ; and there was hardly time allowed to take out the wounded men, before she went down. When the Serapis first hove in sight, she, in company with the Countess of Scarborough, a ship of 20 guns, was convoying a large fleet of merchantmen ; and while the action with the Bon Homme Richard was going on, the Pallas er- gaged and captured the Countess of Scarborough. Jones was honoured with the most unlimited confidence by congress, and received many marks of favour from tha body, as well as from the king of France. The campaign of 1779, was productive of no decisive events. The Americans seem to have counted too much on the aid of their new allies, and to have exerted themselves but feebly in endeavouring to rid the country of its enemies ; and yet they were bitterly disappointed, when at the' end of the season it was found that little or nothing had been ac- complished towards bringing the war to a close. The army was dispirited by defeat ; and many of the citizens began to despair of the fortunes of the country. But the hardier spirits, the leaders in council and in the field, took heart when they recollected that the enemy had effected little except the over-running and plundering an extensive tract^ of territory ; and that after all their battles, and maraud- ing expeditions, they had been compelled to return to as narrow encampments as they had occupied before the campaign commenced. What is said of Paul Jones's vie- I What is said of the campaign of tory? I 177.0^ Desci-ibe the battle. ♦ illBOS OF CHARlRrrOfl CHAPTER XXX CAMPAIGN OF 1780. Recent events in the southern country had convinced Sir Henry Clinton of the weakness of that portion of the Union and had pointed it out as the proper theatre of war. Leaving therefore, the command of the royal army in New York, to General Knipbausen, on the 26th of December, 1779, he sailed from that city with a considerable force, and after a stormy passage, on the 11th of the ensuing month he arrived at Tybee in Georgia, at the mouth of the Savannah river. Hence he proceeded to Ashley river, and encamped opposite to Charleston. On his arrival, the assembly of the state of South Carolina broke up its sitting, after having once more delegated a dic- tatorial authority to governor Rutledge, who immediately issued his orders for the assembling of the militia. Thes^e orders were not promptly obeyed. The disasters of ihe las< campaign had damped the ardour of patriotism, and each man seemed to look to his neighbours for those exertions which might have been justly expected from himself. On reconnoitering the works of Charleston, however. Sir Henry Clinton did not deem it expedient to attack them till lie had received reinforcements from New York and Sa- vannah. These soon arrived, and he proceeded to open the siege in form. Charleston is situated on a tongue of land, bounded on the ^est by Ashley, and on the east by Cooper river. The ap proach to Ashley river was defended by Fort Moultrie, erect* ed on Sullivan's island ; and the passage up Cooper river was impeded by a number of vessels sunk in the channel, Dpposite the town. On the land side, the place was defended by a citadel and strong lines, extending from river to river Before these lines Clinton broke ground on the 29th of When did Sir Henry Clinton arrive in Savannah ? Where did he soon after encamp ? What measure was taken by the as- sembly of South Carolina ? By governor Rutledge ? By the people ? What was now done by Clinton f Describe the situation and defenetf Of Charleston. Describe the opening and progross vd the siege. 266 CAPITUtAtlON OF CHARLESION. Marcn, and on the 10th ol April, he completed his first parallel. On the preceding day, Admiral Arbuthnot, who commanded the British fleet, had passed Fort Moultrie with httle loss, and had anchored near the town. About the 20th of April the British commander received a second reinforce- ment of 3,000 men ; and the place was soon completely in* vested by sea and by land — his third parallel being advanced to the very edge of the American works General Lincoln, who commanded the American garrison in Charleston, would not have shut himself up in the town, if he had not confidently expected reLef from the militia, who had been called out by governor Rutledge, and by whose assistance he had hoped if reduced to extremity, to have effected a retreat across Cooper river. But the few who, in this hour of difficulty, advanced to his aid, were cut off or kept in check ; and the river was possessed by the enemy. In these distressful circumstances, after sustaining a bom- bardment which set the town on fire in different places, on the 12th of May he surrendered on a capitulation, the prin- cipal terms of which were, that ' the militia were to be per- mitted to return to their respective homes, as prisoners on parole, and while they adhered to their parole, were not to be molested in their persons or property.' The same condi- tions were also imposed on all the inhabitants of the town, civil as well as military. Sir Henry Clinton now addressed himself to the business of re-establishing the royal authority in the province, as a pre- liminary step to which, on the first of June he issued a pro- clamation, offering to the inhabitants, on condition of their submission, pardon for their past offences, a reinstatement in their rights, and what was remarkable, a^ indicating the low- ered tone of the ministry, exemption from taxation except by their own legislature. This proclamation was followed up by the posting of gar risons in different parts of the country, to protect the tories And overawe the patriots, and by the march of 2,000 men towards North Carolina. On their advance, the American troops, who had marched from that province too late for the relief of Charleston, retreated with the loss of a party of near What IS said of Teneral Lincoln ? What was his situation ? On what terms did he surrender the tx)wn f What was now done by Sir Heniy Clinton ? What terms did he offer Ut the pM< pie of South Carolma ? What followed the pixKlamatiOB f CONDITION OF SOUTH CAROLiNA. 261 4(0 men who were barbarously massacred, after surrendering io Colonel Tarleion at the Waxhaws.* Thus completely successful, Clinton, early in June, em- barked with the principal part of his forces, for New York, aaving delegated the completion of the subjugation of South Carolina to Lord Cornwallis, with whom he left for that purpose an army of 4,000 men. When Lord Cornwallis assumed the command in South Carolina, the Americans had no army in the field within 400 miles of that province, and the principal part of the inhabit- ants had submitted either as prisoners or as subjects. Had they been suffered to remain in this state of quiet neutrality they would have adhered to their parole of honour, ano awaited the issue of the contest in the northern states. But his lordship's instructions did not permit him to be contented with this passive obedience, and he proceeded to take measures to compel the South Carolinians to take up arms against their countrymen. For this purpose, he issued a proclamation, absolving from their parole, all the inhabitants who had bound themselves by that obligation, and restoring them * to all the rights and duties belonging to citizens.' What was meant by the ominous word ' duties^ was ex- plained by another part of the proclamation, whereby it was declared, ' that it was proper for all persons to take an active part in settling and securing his majesty's government, and that whoever should not do so, should be treated as rebels.' The Carolinians were highly indignant at the treacherous and unprincipled violation of the terms of their submission. Many of them justly considering the contract to be broken by this proceeding of the British commander, instantly re- sumed their arms ; and though more, under the impression of fear, enrolled themselves as subjects, they brought to the cause a hollow-hearted allegiance which could not be trusted in the day of trial. Large numbers quitted the province, and hastened to join the army which congress was raising for the purpose of recovering South Carolina, and others forming Ihemselves into small bands, commenced a system of partisan Whither did Clinton then go ? Who succeeded him at Charleston ? What was now the condition of South Carolina ? What did Cornwallis declare in his proclamation ? What did he require ? What was the consequence of tott treachery ? What kind of warfare was low cotti- menced in the South ? • This massacre gave a much more sanguinar} turn to the war in the loiitlv Tarleton 'a quarters' became proverbial, and in the subsequent hattlef, venge gave a keener edge to the just resentment of tne patriots. 268 GATES^S MARCH lO THE SOUTH. M'arfare whicn, for a long time, spread terror and desolation through the southern country. This partisan war commenced on the 12th of July, two months after the fall of Charleston, when 133 of Colonel Sumter's corps attacked and routed a detachment of the royal forces and militia at Williamson's plantation. This succesi brought in new volunteers, and Sumter soon found himself at llie head of 600 men. With this increase of force he ma^e a sjiirited attack on a party of the British at Rocky Mount, but as they were entrenched, and ne had no artillery, he was obliged to retreat. Determined to keep his militia employed, he next attacked another royal detachment consisting of the Prince of Wales's regiment, and a large body of tories, posted at Hanging Rock. The Prince of Wales's regiment was nearly annihilated, being reduced from 278 to 9. The tories were dispersed. A body of Maryland and Delaware troops sent forward in March for the relief of Charleston, under the command of Baron de Kalb, had been delayed and had only reached Peters- burg on the 16th of April. General Gates, whose victory at Saratoga had given him a brilliant reputation, was ordered by congress to take command of this force, and the chief direc- tion of the southern campaign. On joining the army, in North Carolina, Gates was advised by De Kalb to proceed by a circuitous route, to the southward, where he would find plenty of provisions ; but conceiving it to be his duty to hasten with all speed to the scene of action, he preferred the straight forward road to Camden, which led through a desert pine barren. In traversing this dreary tract of country, his forces were exhausted with fatigue and hunger. The few cattle which his commissariat had provided having been consumed, his only resource for meat was the lean beasts which were acci* dentally picked up in the woods. Meal and grain were also very scarce ; and as substitutes for bread, the soldiers were obliged to have recourse to the green corn and fruits which they met with on their line of march. The consequence of unwonted diet was, that the army was thinned by dysentery and other diseases usually caused by the heat of the weather and by unwholesome food. What was the commencement of this new kind of war ? What was the efl'ect of Surr cer's first success ? What was his next movement ? His next success ? Who now took command of tbt southern army ? What hardships were endured by thi soldiers in their march southward < OPERATIONS OF GENERAL GATES 969 The soldiers at first bore these hardships with imj-atience, and symptoms of dissatisfaction and even of mutiny begar to appear amongst them. But by the conciliatory exertions of the officers, who shared in all the privations of the common men, the spirit of murmuring was repressed, and the troops pursued their weary march with patience and even with cheer- fulness. On their arrival at the place called Deep creek, their dis- tresses were alleviated by a supply of good beef, accompanied by a distribution of half a pound of Indian corn meal to each man. Invigorated by this welcome refreshment, they pro- ceeded to the cross roads, where they were joined by a re- •pectable body of militia under the command of General Caswell. Though Gates was aware that another body of militia was hastening to his assistance from Virginia, he was prevented from waiting for their arrival by want of provisions, and, after staying for one day only at the cross roads, finding that the enemy intended to dispute his passage at Lynch's creek, he marched to the right towards Clermont, where the British had established a defensible post. On his approach to the latter place, however. Lord Rawdon, who commanded the advance of the British, concentrated all his forces at Camden, whilst Gates mustered the whole of his army at Clermont, which is distant from Camden about 13 miles. These events occurred on the 13th of August, and on the next day the American troops were reinforced by a body of 700 of the Virginia militia under General Stevens. At the same time Gates received an express from Colonel Sumter, who reported that he had been joined by a number of the outh Carolina militia, at his encampment on the west side jf the Wateree, and that an escort of clothing, ammunition, and other stores belonging to the British was proceeding from Charleston to Camden, and must of necessity, on its way to its destination, cross the Wateree at a ferry about a mile from that place. On receiving this intelligence. Gates sent forward a det-ach inent of the Maryland line, consisting of 100 regular infantry How were the soldiers reconciled to these hardshii)S ? Where were they relieved, and where reinforced ? Where did Lord Rawdon concentrate bis forces f 23* Where did General 6ate» mustei hif army ? What further reiiforcement did ha receive ? What intelligence did he receive from Sumter ? What use did he make of it ? 270 BATTLE OF CAMDEN. and a company of artillery, with two brass fieldj ieces, and 300 North Carolina militia, all under the command of Lieu- tenant Colonel Woodford, who was instructed to join Sumter, and assist him in intercepting the convoy. At the same time, Gates made preparations for advancing Btill nearer to Camden, in the expectation that, if Lord Raw- don did not abandon that post as he had done that of Cler- mont, his supplies would be cut off by the body of militia that were expected to pour forth from the upper counties, and he would thus be compelled to a surrender. On reaching the frontiers of South Carolina, Gates had issued a proclamation, inviting the inhabitants to join his standard, and offering an amnesty to such of them as, under the pressure of circumstances, had promised allegiance to the British government. Though this proclamation had not been without effect, it had not called forth the numbers upon which the American general had been led to calculate, and after the departure of Woodford's detachment, Gates could muster no more than between 4,000 and 5,000 disposable men. Determined, nevertheless, to persevere in his plan of offen- sive operations, he marched, about 10 at night, on the 15th of August, to within half a mile of Sander's creek, about half- way between his encampment and Camden. Lord Cornwal- lis, who, the day before, had repaired to his head quarters a' Camden, and had taken command of the British army, was also resolved, though his forces amounted to only 2,000 men, of whom 1,700 were infantry, and 300 cavalry, to attack the enemy in their camp, and, advancing for that purpose at half past two in the morning, encountered their advanced parties near Sander's creek. Here some firing took place, with various success ; but on the whole, the British had the advan- tage in this night encounter, and the militia were not a little dispirited at this result. Early on the ensuing morning both armies prepared for battle. On the side of the Americans, the second Maryland brigade occupied the right, v/hich was flanked by a morass; the Virginia militia and the North Carolina infantry, also covered by some boggy ground, were posted on the left, What did he expect ? What had he offered to the people ? Did they come i:. as freely as he had anticipated ? Wha^ was his whole force after send- ing off Woodford's detachment ? Wlao wived at Camden August 15th ? What was his force f What did ht icsolve ? What then took place ? What was the result of the night eit counter ? How were the Americans arranged for commencing the battle of Cann den ? BATTLE OF CAMDEN. 271 whilst General Caswell, with the North Carolina division and ihe artillery, appeared in the centre. A corps de reserve, under the orders of General Smallwood, was posted abou. 300 yards in the rear of the An erican line. In arranging the British forces, Lord Cornwallis gave the command of the right to Lieutenant Colonel Webster, with the 23d and 33d regiments of foot. The left was guarded b} some Irish volunteers, the infantry of the legion, and part ot Hamilton's regiment, under the command of Lord Rawdon, The cavalry of the legion was stationed in the rear, where dso the 7Ist regiment was stationed as a reserve. The respective armies being thus disposed, the action began by the advance of 200 of the British in front of the American artillery, who received them with a steady fire. Gates then ordered the Virginia militia to advance under the command of Colonel Stevens, who cheerfully obeyed the orders of his commander in chief, and when he had led his men within firing distance, urged them to charge the enemy with their bayonets. This portion of the army, however, did not emu- late the gallantry of their leader. Lord Cornwallis, observing their movement, ordered Colo- nel Webster to attack them. This order was obeyed with a loud cheer. Intimidated by this indication of determined daring, the militia were panic-struck, and the Virginians and Carolinians threw down their arms and hastened from the field. Deserted by the centre and left wing of the army, the continental troops of the right wing, with the Baron de Kalb at their head, maintained their position with great firmness. They were charged by Lord Rawdon, the bayonet was re- sorted to by both parties, anH the conflict continued for three- quarters of an hour. During this time the regiment on the left of the second Maryland brigade gained ground and made prisoners. The reserve, having its left exposed, was attacked by the British left wing, under Webster, and thrown into some dis- order. The soldiers, however, soon rallied, and renewed the action with unimpaired spirit. A second time, overpowered by numbers, they were broken, and a second time rallied, so as to cover the flank of the second brigade, who were stili valiantly fighting, in hopes of obtaining the victory The fire of the whole British army was now directed The British ? How did tile action begin ? What was ordered by Gates ? Who obeyed the order ? What caused the panic of the militia \ What is said of the Amencan right wing? The reserve ? 272 DEATH OF BARON DE KALB. against these two brigades. They had not yielded an 'nch of ground, when Cornwallis, observing that they were with out cavalry, pushed his dragoons upon them, and at the same instant charged with the bayonet. This charge broke theii line : and as they iid not give way until they were intermin gled with the enemy, they dispersed and fled in confusion. Before they were reduced to this last extremity, the Baron de Kalb, who fought on foot with the Maryland brigade, fell under eleven wounds. His aid-de-camp, Lieutenant du Buys- son, received him in his arms, announced his rank and nation to the surrounding foe, and begged that ihey would spare his life. While thus generously exposing himself to save his friend, he received several wounds, and, with his general, was taken prisoner. The baron expired in a few hours, and spent his last breath in dictating a letter, expressing the warmest affection for the officers and men of his division, and the most exalted admiration of their courage and good con- duct.* The whole of the baggage and artillery of the Americans fell into the hands of the enemy, and the fugitives were pur- sued by the British cavalry for the space of 20 miles. So complete was this defeat, that, on the second day after the engagement, General Gates could only muster 150 of his soldiers at Charleston, a town in the south of North Carolina, whence he retreated farther north to Salisbury, and afterwards to Hillsborough. To add to the misfortunes of the Americans, the defeat of Gates was immediately followed by the surprise and disper- sion of Sumter's partisan corps. This brave officer had suc- ceeded in capturing the convoy with the British stores, al- ready mentioned ; but hearing of Gates's defeat, he began to retreat with his prisoners and stores. Tarleton, with his legion and a detachment of infantry, pursued with such cele- rity as to overtake and surprise him at Fishing creek. All the artillery and stores fell into the hands of the British, and the whole detachment was either killed, captured, or dis- persed. Their prisoners were, of course, all retaken. The sickliness of the season prevented Lord Cornwallis from attempting to pursue the remains of General Gates h array ; but he employed the leisure now afforded him ifl How did Cornwallis proceed ? WTiat was the result ? What is said of de Kalb ? What followed the battle ? What prevented Cornwallis from foV lowing up his victory ? Uow.did he employ his leisure ? Marshall. gUMMARY PROCEEDINGS OP CORNWALLIS. 278 inflicting vengeance on such of the inhabitants of South Ca- rolina as had been induced to join the American standard. The militia men he doomed to the gallows. The property of the fugitives and of the declared friends of independence he confiscated ; and he seized a number of the most re- spectable citizens of Charleston, and most of the militaiy oflicers residing there under the faith of the late capitulatioa^ and sent them to St. Augustine. Reduced to desperation by these injudicious severities, the bold and active anh^ng the patriots formed themselves anew into partisan bands under different chieftains, among whom Marion and Sumter were most distinguished by their spirit and enterprise. These bands harassed the scattered parties of the British, several of which they cut off ; and by their movements kept in check the tories to the north of the Ca- rol inas. Eight of these leaders of partisan bands, having collected their forces to the amount of 1,600, made an attack on Major Ferguson with his detachment of tories, and regulars on the top of King's mountain, October 7th. The Americans formed three parties: Colonel Lacy of South Carolina led one, which attacked on the west. The two others were commanded by Colonels Campbell and Cleveland ; one of which attacked on the east, and the other in the centre. On this occasion, Colonel Cleveland addressed his party in a harangue, which we copy from Dr. Ramsay's history, on account of the perfect idea it affords of the tactics of par- tisan warfare. It comprises the whole art of war of a bush fighter. ' My brave fellows ! We have beat the tories, and we can beat them. They are all cowards. If they had the spirit of men, they would join with their fellow citizens, in sup- porting the independence of their country. When engaged you are not to wait the word of command from me. I will show you by my example h( w to fight. I can undertake no more. Every man must consider himself as an officer, ana act from his own judgment. Fire as quick as you can, and gtand as long as you can. When you can do no better, get behind trees, or retreat ; but I beg of you not to run quite off. If we be repulsed, let us make a point to return and renew the fight. Perhaps we may have better luck in the Crive the particulars. How ditl the Americans attack ? How were these measures revenged ? What was the substance of Colone' Where did Major Ferj^uson suffer a Cleveland's speech to the men ? defeat from tlie partisan troops ? j GENERAL GATES SUPERSEDED. second attenpt than in the first. If any of you be afraid such have leave to retire ; and they are requested immediately to take themselves off.' These directions were literally followed in thie battle. Fer- guson attacked them wil-h fixed bayonets, and compelled one party after another to retire ; but they only retreated to a short distance and getting behind trees and rocks renewed their fire in almost every direction. The British being un- covered were securely shot down by the assailants Fergu- son himself was killed and his men were compelled to sur render. Eight hundred became prisoners and 225 were killed or wounded. This success was followed by important results Lord Cornwallis had marched into North Carolina in the direction of Salisbury ; but when he heard of the defeat and death of Ferguson, he retreated to Winnsborough in the southern province, being severely harassed in his retreat by the militia and the inhabitants ; and when he retired into winter quar- ters, Sumter still kept the field. In the mean time General Gates had collected another army, with which he advanced to Charlotte. Here he received in- telligence that congress had resolved to supersede him, and to submit his conduct to a court of inquiry. This was the consequence of his defeat at Camden and of the general unsuccessful conduct of the campaign in the south. Mor- tified as he was by the withdrawal of his country's confi- dence, on receiving the notification of this resolve of the supreme power, he dutifully resigned his command. But on his way home from Carolina, his feelings were soothed by an address from the legislature of Virginia, assuring him that * the remembrance of his former glorious services could not be obliterated by any reverse of fortune.' While these events were occurring in the southern states. General Washington was obliged to confine himself to the irksome and inglorious task of watching from his encamp- ment at Morristown, the motions of the British on New "York island, and of restraining their incursions into the adjacent country. Though the army opposed to him was lessened by the detachment which Sir Henry Clinton led into South Describe the battle. How many of the British were taken P How many killed or wounded ? What was the consequence of this battle to Cornwallis and Sumter P Woskt is - of rank, he could not obtain ; and was told that he must eithc; Where did the British finally concen- What is said of Greene's campaign trate and await Greene's attack ? in the south ? Describe the battle of Eutaw Springs. What had he accomplished? Whither were the British finally What is said of liord Rawdon ? Their loss, inclusive of pri- driven ? Relate the affair of Colonel Hayne. 25 190 rORNWALLIS IN VIRUfNIA. take the oath of allegiance to his Biitannic mij esty, or submit to close confinement. In an evil hour, induced by family considerations, he chose the former alternative, and signed a declaration of fealty to George III, protesting, however, against the clause which re- quired him to support the royal government with arms ; which clause the officer who received his submission, assured him it was not mtended to enforce. The officer in question, no doubt, in this assurance exceeded his authority, and Haync was some time after summoned to join the royal standard Regarding this as a breach of the contract into which he hid entered with the British, he again took up arms on the side cf independence, and having been taken prisoner in a skirmish with part of the royal forces, he was, without the formality o a trial, ordered for execution by Lord Rawdon. To the peti- tion of this unfortunate officer's family, as well as those of the inhabitants of Charleston, his lordship turned a deaf ear, and Hayne suffered as a rebel and a traitor. The death of this gallant soldier has left an eternal stigma on the character of Lord Rawdon. It was a measure dictated by savage cruel- ty and revenge and founded on no principle either of justice or policy. It has already been related, that after the battle of Guildford^ L®rd Cornvvaliis marched to Petersburg, in Viiginia. His lordship did not take this step without hesitation. He well knew the enterprising character of his opponent, and was aware of the probability of his making an incursion into South Caro- lina. He flattered himself, however, that the forces which he had left in that state, under the command of Lord Rawdon, would suffice to keep the Americans in check. In this idea he was confirmed by the result of the battle of Camden, and by the receipt of intelligence that three British regiments, which had sailed from Cork, might be expected speedily io arrive at Charleston. No longer anxious therefore, for the fate of South Carolina, he determined to march forwards, in the confident hope of increasing his military renown by the conquest of Virginia He accordingly advanced with rapidity from Petersburg to Manchester, on James River, with a view of crossing ove/ frorn that place to Richmond, for the purpose of seizing a »arge quantity of stores and provisions, which had been de- thcr had Comwallis marched ? did he not pursue Greene P did he expect to accomplish ? Whither did he march f For what purpoie f CORNWALLIS OCCrPIES YORKTOWN. posited there by thewVmericans. But on his arrival at Man* Chester, he liad the mortification to find that, on the day before this depot had been removed by the Marquis de la Fayette who, at the command of congress, had hastened from the head of the Elk to oppose him. Having crossed James River at Westow, his lordship marched through Hanover county to the South Anna River, followed at a guarded distance by the marquis, who, in thii critical contingency, finding his forces inferior to those of the enemy, wisely restrained the vivacity which is the usual cha- racteristic of his age and country. But having effected a junc- tion with General Wayne, which brought his numbers nearly to an equality with those of the British, and having once more, by a skilful manoeuvre, saved his stores, which had been re- moved to Albemarle old Court-house, he displayed so bold a front, that the British commander fell back to Richmond, and thence to Williamsburgh, On his arrival at the latter place. Lord Cornwallis received despatches from Sir Henry Clinton, requiring him to send in- stantly from his army a detachment to the relief of New York, which was threatened with a combined attack by the French and the Americans, The consequent diminution of his force induced his lordship to cross James River, and to march in the direction of Portsmouth. Before, however, the reinforce- ments destined for New York had sailed, he received counter orders and instructions from Sir Henry Clinton, in pursuance of -which he conveyed his army, amounting to 7,000 men, to Yorktown, which place he proceeded to fortify with the ut- most skill and industry. The object of Lord Cornwallis in thus post.'rg himself at Yorktown, was to co-operate in the subjugation of Virginia with a fleet which he was led to expect would about this time proceed from the West Ind'es to the Chesapeake. Whilst his lordship was anxiously If oking for the British pennants, he had the mortification, on the 30th of August, to see the Count de Grasse sailing up the bay with 28 sail of the line three of which, accompanied by a proper number of frigates, were immediately despatched to block up York river. WTio disappointed him, and in what manner ? Whither did he then march ? Who followed him ? What compelled Cornwallis lo retreat, in his turn ? What orders did he receive fron Sn Henry Clinton ? Whither did he p roceed when these orders were countermanded ? What was his object ? Whom did he expect to assist him t Who sailed up the river Au^st 30t]|/ 292 PREPARATIONS FOR tHE SltUE OF NEW YORK. The French vessels had no sooneiv anchored, than the^ landed a force of 3,200 men, who, under the command ol the •Marquis of St. Simon, effected a junction with the army of La Fayette, and took post at Williamsburgh. Soon after thi« operation, the hopes of the British were revived by the ap pearance off the capes of Virginia, of Admiral Graves, with 20 sail of the line, a force which seemed to be competent tc extricate Lord Cornwallis from his difficult position. These hopes, however, proved delusive. On the 7th of September, M. de Grasse encountered tne British fleet, and a distant fight took place, in which the French seemed to rely more on their manoeuvring than on their valour. The reason of this was soon apparent. In the course of the night that followed the action, a squadron of 8 line of battle ships, safely passed the British, and joined De Grasse, in consequence of which accession of strength to his antagonist. Admiral Graves thought it prudent to quit that part of the coast, and retire to New York. This impediment tc their operations having been removed, the Americans and French directed the whole of their united efforts to the capture of Yorktown. This had not, however, been the original design of General Washington at the commencement of the campaign. Early in the spring, he had agreed with Count Rochambeau to lay siege to New York, in concert with aF'rench fleet which was expected to leach the neighbourhood of Staten Island in the month of August. He had accordingly issued orders for con- siderable reinforcements, especially of militia, to join his army in proper time to commence the projected operations. The French troops under Rochambeau having arrived punc^ tually at his encampment near Peekskill, General Washing- ton advanced to King's Bridge, and hemmed in the British on York Island. Every preparation seemed now to be ia forwardnesis for the commenc ^ment of the siege ; but the militia came in tardily. The aujacent states were dilatory in sending in their quotas of troops ; and whilst he was im patiently awaiting their arrival, Washington had the mortifica- tion to leceive intelligence thai Clinton had received a re- u *'">'*cement of 3,000 Germans. What force did the French land? Who attempted to relieve the Eng- lish? What Naval operations prevented this? What were the Americans and French then enabled to do? I receive? What had Washington originally I intended to? J Who was to assist him? What progress was made towards beginning the siege of New York? What hindered AVashington's oper- ations? What reinforcements did Clinton ! i ARNOLD VIEWING THE DESTRUCTION OF TSMW LONDON. WASHINGTON Marches sotJTH. Whilst his mind was agitated by this disappointment, and chagrined by that want of zeal on the part of the middle states which he apprehended could not but bring discredit on his country in the estimation of his allies, he was relieved from his distresses by the news of the success of Greene in driving Lord Cornwallis into Yorktown; and at the same time learn- ing that the destination of Count de Grasse was the Chesa- peake, and not Staten Island, he resolved to transfer his operations to the state of Virginia. Still, however, he kept p an appearance of persevering in his original intention of Biaking an attack upon New York, and in this feint he was aided by the circumstance, that when this was in reality hie design, a letter in which he detailed his plans for its prosecu- tion, had been intercepted and read by Sir Henry Clinton. When, therefore, in the latter end of August, he broke up his encampment at Peekskill, and directed his march to the south, the British commander, imagining that this movement was only a stratagem calculated to throw him off his guard, and that the A.T.sricans and French would speedily return to take advantage of his expected negligence, remained in his quarters, and nnloubled his exertions to strengthen his posi- tion. In consiujuence of this error he lost the opportunity of impeding tin; march of the allied army, and of availing himself of the c»ccasions which might have presented them- selves of bringing it to action before it could effect a junc- tion with the troops already assembled in the vicinity of Yorktown. As soon, however, as !55ir Henry Clinton was convinced of General Washington's intention of proceeding to the south ward, with a view of bringing him back, he employed Arnold, with a sufficient naval and military force, on an expedition against New London. Arnold passed from Long Island, and on the forenoon of the 6th of September landed his troops on both sides ot the harbour ; those on the New London side being under his own immediate orders, and those on the Groton side under Lieutenant Colonel Eyre. As the works at New London were very imperfect, no vigorous resistance was there made, and the place was taken possession of with little loss. But Fort Griswold, on the Groton side, was in a more finished state, and the' small gar How was Washington relieved from How did Clinton endeavour to bnng his distress ? Washington back ? What did he resolve to do ? Describe Arnold's operations in New How was Clinton deceived P London. 'Vhat was tJie copsequence ' 294 CAPTURE OP FORT GR1SW0LJ>. nson made a most spirittx resistance. It was finally carrieo at the point of the bayonet; when, though opposition haJ ceased, a most cruel and murderous carnage ensued. A British officer inquired who commanded the fort. Colonel Ledyard answered, ' I did, but you do now,' at the same time surrendering his sword. The officer seized it and instantly plunged it in the bosom of the brave patriot. His troops were not backward in following this atrocious example. Of the 160 men composing the garrison, but forty were spared The loss of the British w^as considerable. The town of New London and a large amount of valuable property were then •destroyed. After this characteristic proceeding, the traitoi Arnold returned with his troops to New York. This predatory excursion had no effect in diverting Ge neral Washington from his purpose, or in retarding his pro- gress southward. He marched on without molestation and reached Williamsburgh on the 14ih of September, and im- mediately on his arrival with General Knox, Count Rocham- beau and other officers visited the Count de Grasse on board his flag ship, the Ville de Paris, and settled with him the plan of their future operations. In pursuance of this arrangement, the combined forces, to the amount of 12,000 men, assembled at Williamsburgh, on the 25th of September ; and on the 30th of the same month marched forward to invest Yorktown, whilst the French fleet, moving to the mouth of York river, cut off Lord Cornwallis from any communication with a friendly force by water. His lordship's garrison amounted to 7,000 men, and the place was strongly fortified. On the right it was secured by a marshy ravine, extending to such a distance along the front of the defences as to leave them accessible only to the extent of about 1,500 yards. This space was defended by strong lines, beyond which, on the extreme left, were advanced two redoubts, which enfiladed their approach to Gloucester Point, on the other side of York river, the channel of which is here narrowed to the breadth of a mile, which post was also sufli ciently garri&oned, and strongly fortified. Thus secured in his position. Lord Cornwallis beheld the approach of the enemy with firmness, especially as he had received de» spatehes from Sir Henry Clinton, announcing his intention What took place at Grotoii ? Vv'hither did Arnold return ? Did Washington return f Give an account of his proceedings. How did the allied forces prepare t« invest Yorktown ? How was it fortified and garrisoned What relief did Corr wallis exoeot ^ SIEGE OF YORKTOWN. 295 of sending a reinforcement of five thousand men on a fleet of twenty-three ships of the line to his relief. This was a grand promise, but it availed nothing, for it proved in the end more ineflScient even than the attempt made under Graves. Meanwhile, on the 28th of September, the united armies marched to invest Yorktown. The fortifications, which were merely earthworks freshly thrown up, consisted on the right of redoubts and batteries, with a stockade in the rear. Over a marshy ravine in front of the right, a large redoubt was placed. A morass ran along the centre, which was defended by a stockade and batteries. The French troops, with their usual gallantry, wished to storm the outer works, but this was unnecessary. During the night Cornwallis abandoned them all. Gloucester was also invested. There T^leton attempted to give battle, but the French dragoons rode his troopers down. On the 6th of October the siege works were begun and pushed rapidly so that their batteries opened on the enemy. On the 10th the French batteries destroyed an Eng- lish frigate and three large ships. On that day, too. Lord Cornwallis received a communication from Sir Henry Clinton, conveying to him the unwelcome intelligence that he doubted whether it would be in his power to send him the aid which he had promised. On the following morning the allied army commenced their second parallel, and finding themselves in this advanced posi- tion, severely annoyed by the two redoubts which have been mentioned above, they resolved to storm them. In order to render available the spirit of emulation which existed be- tween tae troops of the allied nations, and to avoid any causes of jealousy to either, the attack of the one was committed U the French, and that of the other to the Americans. The latter were commanded by the Marquis de la Fayette, and the former by the Baron Viominel. On the evening of the 14th, as soon as it was dark, the parties marched to the assault with unloaded arms. The redoubt which the Americans attacked was defended by a major, some inferior ofiicers, and 45 privates. The assailants advanced with such rapidity, without returning a shot to the Mow was the siege commenced ? | What was done on the morning df WTiat intelligence did JornwaUis re- I October 11th ? ceive from Clinton ? ^ What were the allies oDlifod It I ftorm P 206 DISTRESS OF THE GARRISON. h^avy fire with which th-ey were received, that in a (efi minutes they were in possession of the work, having hau ^ight men killed and 28 wounded in the attack Eight British privates were killed, the major, some other officers, and 17 privates were mad^ prisoners, and the rest escaped. Although tlie Americans , were highly exasperated by the recent mas- sacre of their countrymen in Fort Griswold by Arnold's detachment, yet not a man of the British was injured after resistance had ceased. Retaliation had been talked of, but was not exercised. The French party advanced with equal courage and ra- pidity, and were successful ; but as the fortification which tiiey attacked was occupied by a greater force, the defence was more vigorous, and the loss of the assailants more severe. There were 120 men in the redoubt, of whom 18 were killed and 42 taken prisoners ; the rest made their escape. The French lost nearly 100 men killed or wounded. During the night these two redoubts were included in the second pa- rallel ; and in the course of the next day, some howitzers were placed on them, which in the afternoon opened on the besieged. On the 16th of October, a sally was made from the gar- rison, out with indifferent success ; and Lord Cornwallis was now convinced that he could only avoid surrender by effect- ing his escape by Gloucester Point. Seeing himself, therefore reduced to the necessity of trying this desperate expedient he prepared as many boats as he could procure, and on the night of the 16th of October attempted to convey his army over York river to the opposite promontory. But the ele- ments were adverse to his operations. The first division of his troops was disembarked in safety ; but when the second was on its passage, a storm of wind and rain arose, and drove it down the river. Though this second embarkation worked its way back to Yorktown on the morning of the 17th, Lord Cornwallis was convinced, however unwillingly, that protracted resistance was vain. No aid appeared from New York — his worlw were ruined — the fire from the besiegers' batteries swept the town ; and sickness had diminished his effective force. describe the taking of the first re- doubt. flow did the Americans sb 3W their clemency f Oescribe the taking of the secc nd re- dovbt. What took place on the 16th of Oc- tober ? What in the succeeding night f On the 17th ? What was now the situatioo it Lord Cornwallis / SUERENDER OF TORKTOWN. 297 On the 17th, seeing that he could neither hold out any longer where he was, nor escape into the country, by the advice of a council of war. Lord Cornwallis proposed to sur- render. The next day Colonel Laurens of the American army and the Viscount de Noailles of the French, as com- missioners on the side of the Americans, met the British commissioners, Lieut. -Col. Dundas and Major Ross, Wash- ington declining to allow any long suspension of hostilities, though Cornwallis sought delay hoping to the last for relief. Terms were soon arranged and submitted to the consider- ation of Cornwallis. Washington declined any further ne- gotiation. He had the rough articles fairly transcribed, and sent them to the English general with a request that they be signed by eleven o'clock, and that the garrison should march out by two in the afternoon. Cornwallis having by these articles agreed to give up his troops as prisoners of war to Congress, and the naval force to France, he on the 19th of October, marched out of hi^> lines with folded colours ; and proceeding to a field at a short dis- tance from the town, he surrendered to General Lincoln, with the same formalities which had been prescribed to thai officer at Charleston, eighteen months before. Another comcidence was remarked on this occasion. The capitulation under which Lord Cornwallis surrendered was drawn up by Lieutenant Colonel Laurens, whose father had fiUea the office of president of congress, and having been taken prisoner when on his voyage to Holland, in quality of ambassador from the United States to the Dutch Republic had been consigned, under a charge of high treason, to a ri- gorous custody in the tower of London, of which fortress his lordship was constable. Had Lord Cornwallis been able to hold out five days longer than he did, he might possibly have been relieved ; for on the 24th of October a Biitish fleet, conveying an army of 7,000 men, arrived ofi* the Chesapeake ; but finding that his lord- ship had already surrendered, this armament returned to New York and Sandy Hook. It was with reason that congress passed a vote of thanks to the captors of Yorktown, and that they went in procession on the 24th of October, to celebrate the triumph of their armsi by expressing, in the solemnities of a religious service, theif Wliat was he compeUed to do ? | What coinciden e was remaiked f Wliat were the terms of the surren- I What is said of Comw.*Ilis f der ? I Of congress ? 498 EFFECTS OF CORNWALLIs's SURRENDER. gratitude to Almighty God for this signal success The sur- render of Lord Cornwallis was the virtual termination of thf war* From this- time forward, to the signature of the treaty oi peace, the British were cooped up in New York, Charleston and Savannah. From these posts they now and then, indeed^ made excursions for the purpose of foraging and plunder^ but being utterly unable to appear in force in the interior of the country, they found themselves incompetent to carry OD any operations calculated to promote the main object of the war — the subjugation of the United States. Perseverance, however, still seemed a virtue to the British cabinet. Imme- diately after the arrival of intelligence of the capture by the Americans of a second British army, George III declared, in a speech to parliament, * that he should not answer the trust committed to the sovereign of a free people, if he consented to sacrifice, either to his own desire of peace, or to their tem- porary ease and relief, those essential rights and permanent interests, upon the maintenance and preservation of which the future strength and security of the country must for ever depend.* When called upon in the house of commons for an expla- nation of this vague and assuming language, Lord North avowed that it was the intention of ministers to carry on in North America ' a war of posts ;' and such was, at that mo- ment, the state of the house, that, in despite of the eloquence of Mr. Fox, who laboured to demonstrate the absurdity of this new plan, a majority of 218 to 129 concurred in an ad- dress, which was an echo of the king's speech. But the loud murmurs of the people, groaning beneath the weight of taxation, and indignant under a sense of national misrule, at length penetrated the walls of the senate-house. Early in the year 1782, motion after motion was made in the house of commons, expressive of the general wish for the termination of hostilities with the United States. The minis- ter held out with obstinacy, though, on each renewal of the debate, he saw his majority diminish ; till at length, on the 27th of February, on a motion of General Conway, expressly directed against the further prosecution of offensive war on the continent of North America, he was left in a minority c f nineteen. Of the surrender of Cornwallis ? I What was declared by George III f How were the British situated after What was done in parliament f the surrender of Cornwallis ? | Which party at length prevaUcd } RETIREMENT Of LORD NORTH. 299 Tnis "ilctory was followed up by an address from thf liouse to his majesty, in favour of peace. To this address so equivo- cal an answer was returned by the crown, that the friends of pacification deemed it necessary to speak in still plainer terms ; Hnd, on the 4th of March, the house of commons declared, that whosoever should advise his majesty to any further pro- secution of offensive war against the colonies of North Ame- rica, should be considered as a public enemy. This was the death blow of Lord North's administralioiu His lordship retired from office early in the month of March, and was succeeded by the Marquis of Rockingham, the efforts of whose ministry were as much and as cordially di- rected to peace as those of Lord Shelburne's. On' the death of the marquis, which took place soon after he had assumecv the reins of government, the Earl of Shelburne was called on to preside over his majesty's councils, which, under his aus- pices, were directed to the great object of pacification. To thi-s all the parties interested were well inclined. The English nation was weary of a civil war in which it had ex- perienced so many discomfitures. The king of France, who had reluctantly consented to aid the infant republic of North America, was mortified by the destruction of the fleet of De Grasse, in the West Indies, whither he had sailed after the fall of York town, and been defeated by Rodney. The Spa- aiards were disheartened by the failure of their efforts to repossess themselves of Gibraltar ; and the Dutch were im- patient under the suspension of their commerce. Such being the feelings of the belligerents, the negotiations for a treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States were opened at Paris, by Mr. Fitzherbert and Mr Oswald, on the part of the former power, and by John Adams, Doctor Franklin, John Jay, iand Henry Laurens, on behali of the latter. After a tedious and intricate negotiation, in which the firmr ness, judgment, and penetration of the American commission- ers were fully exercised, preliminary articles of peace were signed on the 30th of November, 1782 ; and news of the What kind of address fonowed the victory of the whigs ? Vhat did the house of commons de- clare ? When did Lord North retire ? What was the object of the Marquis of Rockingham ? Of the Earl of Shelburne ? What was the disposition of the Eng- lish ? The king of France ? The Spaniards ? Who were appointed connnissionerf to make a treaty ? When were the pieliminary artkles signed? TREATY OF PEACE conclusion of a general peace reached the United States eailv next April. By this provisional treaty the independence of the thirteen United States was unreservedly acknovi^ledged by his Britan- nic majesty, who, moreover, conceded to them an unlimitea right of fishing on the banks of Newfoundland, and the river St. Lawrence, and all other places where they had been ac- -ustomed to fish. All that the British plenipotentaries could obtain for the American loyalists was, a provision that con- gress should earnestly recommend to the legislatures of theii respective states the most lenient consideration of tlieir cases and a restitution of their confiscated property. The independence of the United States was acknowledged, and peace with Great Britain had been concluded; but the dangers of America were not at an end. She had succeeded in repelling foreign aggression, but was threatened with ruin by internal dissension. In the interval between the cessation of hostilities and the jisbanding of the troops, congress found itself in a trying and perilous situation. The army was in a state of high dissatis- faction and irritation. In October, 1780, a season of dangei and alarm, congress promised half pay to the officers on the conclusion of peace. The resolution to this effect not having been ratified by the requisite number of states, was in dangei of remaining a dead letter. In the month of December, 1782, soon after going into winter quarters, the officers had present- ed a memorial and petition to congress, and deputed a. com- mittee of their number to call its attention to the subject Their request was, that all arrears due to them might be paid and that, instead of granting them half pay for life, congress would allow them five years of full pay when the army should be disbanded. The unwarrantable delay of congress in granting this very reasonable request of those who had shed their blood, and spent their fortunes and the best portion of their lives in de- fending the country, excited a serious commotion in that part of the army which was stationed at Newburg. In March, 1783, an ably written address, appealing strongly to their in- dignant feelings, and recommending an appeal to the fears of congress, was privately distributed among the officers ; and at What were the terms of the treaty ? A^'hat was done for the torics ? What source of diliiculty remained ? Whai had Deen done in October, 1780? What was done in December, 1782 ? What was the request of the officers f What was the consequence of con* gress delaying to grant it ? What was done in March, 1783 } DISCONTENT OF THE ARMY. 80i the same time a meeting of the officers was proposed, for the puipose of considering the means of obtaining redress. The sensation caused by the injustice of congress was increased to an alarming degree by this eloquent address, and it is dif- ficult to say what might have been the result of the proposed meeting, had not the commander in chief fortunately been on the spot. Washington clearly saw the danger, and prohibited th meeting ; but deeming it safer to direct and weaken the cur- rent, than immediately to oppose it, he appointed a similai meeting on a subsequent day. General Gates, as the senior officer of rank, presided. General Washington, who had been diligent in preparing the minds of the officers for the occasion, addressed the assembly, strongly combated the address, and% by his sound reasoning and high influential character, suc- ceeded in dissipating the storm. These proceedings of the officers induced congress to pay some regard to its promises, and to grant their request for a commutation of half pay for a sum equal to five years' full pay. The disbanding of the army, which was still in a state of irri- tation, from having large arrears of pay, and many of them not money enough to supply their most pressing wants, was a dangerous experiment. Other armies disbanded under such circumstances had often formed themselves into companies of free-booters, and ravaged the country they had previously de- fended. But congress understood the true character of their patriot army, and boldly ran the risk of dismissing it unpaid. No convulsion followed. The soldiers quietly returned to their homes, and resumed the arts of peace, content with the humblest lot in the land, which they had just freed from foreign enemies, and placed among the most highly favoured nations of the earth. Previous to this event, however, on the 19th oi April, 1783, the day which completed the eighth year of thi' war, the cessation of hostilities with Great Britain was, b^ order of General Washington, proclaimed in the American camp. The American forces still remained at their posts, awaiting the entire removal of the enemy's troops from the country On the 25th of November, the British troops evacuated New What is said of Washington > When was the cessation ot hostilines What was the tenor of his addresr to proclaimed ? the oflBcers ^ When was New York evacuated bj VPb>\{ wad done hy congress ? the British ? Was the army disbanded without d';s- tnrbance? 20 302 RETIREMENT OF WASHINGTON. York, and an American detachment, under General Knox, took possession ol the town. General Washington and governoi Clinton, accompanied by a number of civil and military officera and respectable citizens, soon afterwards entered the oily ; and the Americans, after a struggle which had lasted eight years^, thus gained full and undisputed possession of the entire tern tory of the United States. General Washington's military career was now about to close ; and on the 4th of December, 1783, he met the prin^i* pal officers of the army at Francis' tavern, in New York. The officers assembled at noon, and their revered and beloved (Sommander soon entered the room. His emotions were too strong to be concealed ; filling a glass, and addressing the of- ficers, he said, ' With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you, and devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been honourable.' Having drank, he added, *I cannot come to take each of you by the hand, but shall be obliged to you if each of you will come and take me by the hand.' In the midst of profound silence, and with the liveliest sensibility and tenderness, each of the officers took him by the hand ; and at the close of the affecting ceremony, they all accom- panied him to Whitehall, where a barge was in readiness to carry him across the river. Having embarked. General Washington turned round to his late companions in arms, took ofT his hat, respectfully bowed to them, and bade them a silent farewell. They returned the compliment, and went back in mute procession to the place where they had assem- bled. Congress was then sitting at Annapolis, in Maryland, and thither General Washington proceeded, for the purpose of re- signing that power which he had so successfully exercised. He remained a few days in Philadelphia, in order to settle his accounts with the treasury ; and on the 19th of December arrived at Annapolis. At noon on the 23d, in presence of a numerous compuiy of spectators, he resigned his commission into the hands of congress, and afterwards retired to his mansion at MounI Vernon. 'In the course of the revolution,' says a foreign writer, • a number of men of no mean abilities arose, both in the military Pcscribe the scene of the 4th of De- cember, 1783. P\;t what purpose did Washingtoa proo^d *o ^jinapolw r Whither did he retire after bis mijg< nation ? CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 3 and civil departments ; but General Washington appears with pre-eminent lustre among them all ; not by the brilliancy of hia genius, but by the soundness of his understanding, and the moral dignity of his character. His courage was unquestion- able, but it was governed by discretion. He was not remark able for quickness of perception or apprehension ; but, when he had time to deliberate, he was judicious in his decision His glory, however, lies in the moral excellence of his cha- racter, his spotless integrity, disinterested patriotism, genera) humanity, invincible fortitude, and inflexible perseverance. In trying times, he occupied the most difficult situation in which a man can be placed. At the head of a turbulent sol- diery, unaccustomed to military subordination, he was exposed on the one side to the clamours and calumnies of an ignorant and fluctuating populace, who were forward to condemn the wisdom which they had not the capacity to comprehend, and to reprobate plans which did not suit their little interests and feeble judgments. On the other side he was fettered by the presumption of rulers, who were forward to decide on what they did not understand, to enjoin measures the consequences of which they did not foresee, and to dictate on subjects of which they had but a very imperfect knowledge. He was unmoved by the clamours of the former; and he bore, with invincible patience, the aberrations of the latter ; he remon- strated and reasoned with them, a 'jd often succeeded in setting them right. With a steady hard he steered the vessel amidst the terrors of the storm, and through fearful breakers brought it safe into port. America owes him much, and seems not in- sensible of the obligation. She has done honour to him and to herself, by calling her capital by his name ; but it would be still far more honourable and advantageous to her, were all her people to imitate his virtues, and the character of every Ame- rican to reflect the moral image of General Washington.' The American revolutionary war, says a British historian, might have been prevented by the timely concession of free- dom from internal taxation, as imposed by the British parlia- ment, and by an abstinence, on the part of the crown, from a riolation of this important particular of chartered rights. The confidential letters of Doctor Franklin evince that it was with extreme reluctance the American patriots adopted the measure of Bevering the colonies from the mother country. But whcM What character is ascribed to Wash- | What proves the reluctance of tM ington by a foreign writer ? I Americans to commepre h.ostiU'' H^w is it supposiKi that the revolu- | tie« ? Hon might hav^e been pre reol^ ? 304 CHARACTER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. they had taken this decisive step, by the declaration of inde- pendence, they firmly resolved to abide by the consequences of their own act : and with the single exception of Georgia never, even in the most distressful contingences of the war did any public body of the provinces, show any dispositiar to renew their allegiance to the king of Great Britain. Still, It has been doubted, considering the conduct of the inhabitants of the Jerseys, when Washington was^ retreating before Ge- neral Howe, whether, had the British commanders restrained their troops, with the sf'r'tness of discipline, and exercised toward the American people the conciliatory spirit evinced in Canada by Sir Guy Carleton, the fervour of resistance might not have been considerably abated. But for their own discomfiture and our good, the British generally conducted the war with cruelty and rancour. Our patriotic citizens were treated by their soldiery not as ene- mies entitled to the courtesies of war, but as rebels whose lives and property lay at the mercy of the victors. Hence devastation marked the track of the invading forces, while the inhabitants found their truest safety in resistance, and their best shelter in the republican camp. Nor will he who reads the minute details of the eventful contest be surprised, thai the British ministry persevered in the war when success might have appeared to be hopeless. It is now well known, as we have already had occasion to remark, that George HI revolted from the idea of concession to his disobedient subjects, and was determined to put all to the hazard, rather than acknow- ledge their independence. Lord North, at an early period of the war, had misgivings as to its ultimate success, but he had not firmness enough to give his sovereign unwelcome advice; whilst Lord George Germain and the other ministers fully sympathised with the royal feelings, and entered heartily into the views of their master. They were apprised, from time to time, of the destitute condition of the American army, but living as they were, with the selfishness and venality of courts and political par- ties, they could not conceive the idea of men sacrificing health, property, and life, for their country's good. When Wash mgton su fleered reverses in the field, such men imagined that the affairs of the congress were desperate, and flattered then*- What was their disposition after the declaration of independence ? llcw did the British conduct the war Wh^i was the ettect of their cruelty ? What was the disposition of Georga III? Of his ministers ? What was the opinion of the Brilifih concerning the AmericaDs ? fikllORS Of THE LOYALIStS. selves that the great body of the colonists, weariea and dis- heartened bv successive defeats, would be glad to accept the royal mercy, and return to their allegiance. In these notions they were confirmed by the loyalists, who, giving utterance to their wishes rather than stating the truth, afforded the most incorrect representations of the feelings and temper of their countrymen. Some of these going over to England, were received with favour in high circles, and by their insinuations kept up to the last the delusion of the go- vernment. These individuals at length fell the victims of theii own error. Traitors to their country, they lost their property by acts of confiscation, and while they lived on the bounty of the British crown, they had the mortification to see the coun- try which they had deserted, rise to an exalted rank among the nations of the earth. CHAPTER XXXII. FORMATION OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION. It was natural that the severe struggle of the Revolution should be followed by a season of comparative exhaustion and weakness. This effect was felt by the people of the United States for a considerable period after peace as well as inde- pendence had been secured. The enthusiasm of a popular contest terminating in victory, began to subside, and the pacrifices of the Revolution soon became known and felt. The claims of those who had toiled, fought and suffered in the arduous conflict, were strongly urged, and the govern- ment had neither resources nor power to satisfy them. The general government had no separate and exclusive fund ; but was under the necessity of making requisitions on ♦he state governments for all money required for national purposes. When called upon for the funds to pay the ar- rears due to the army, and the interest on the public debt, the itate legislatures were neither willing, nor indeed able to meet the demand. The wealth of the country had been ex- Who confirmed them in this error ? States at the close of *he revoln- WY^t wai the consequence tc the tionary war ? loyalists ? What was the financial condition at What wai the condition of the United the general government f Of the state governments f 26* ^06 iNSURRteCtlONS. hausted by the war ; and the proper method of drawing on iU future rei^ources, so well understood and so extensively em- ployed at present, had not been yet discovered and applied by the general or the state governments. Taxes could not be collected, because there was no money to represent the value of the little personal property which had not been, and the land which could not be, destroyed; and commerce, though preparing lO burst from its thraldom, had not yet had time to restore to the annual produce of the country its exchangeable value. The states owed each a heavy debt for local services rendered during the Revolution for which it was bound to provide, and each had its own do* mestic government to support. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that each state was anxious to retain for its own benefit, the small but rising revenue derived from foreign commerce ; and that the custom-houses in each commercial city were considered as the most valuable sources of income which the states pos- sessed. Each state therefore made its own regulations, its tariff, and tonnage duties, and as a natural consequence, the different states clashed with each other ; one foreign nation became more favoured than another under the same circum- stances ; and one state pursued a system injurious to the interests of others. Hence the confidence of foreign countries was destroyed, and they could not enter into treaties of commerce, with the general government, since they were not likely to be carried into effect. A general decay of trade, the rise of imported merchandise, the fall of produce, and an uncommon decrease in the value of lands ensued. In Massachusetts where several laws were passed for the collection of taxes and debts, the discontent was so great thai *t led to open rebellion against the state government. In A^ugust, 1784, a large body of insurgents assembled and took possession of the court house, in order to prevent the deci- sion of causes and the consequent issue of executions. A similar mob compelled the court at Worcester to adjourn in September. The same spirit of disaffection was manifested in New Hampshire, and the legislature itself was menaci^ What was the condition of com- merce ? What regulations of the states embar- rassed commerce ? What prevented foreign treaties of eommerce/ What was the consequence ? What took place in Massachusettf f How did the insurgents proceed ? What took place in New Hampsbirt f 8HAY;S REBELLION 807 by an assemblage of the populace. This insurreimun, now ever, was speedily quelled by the decisive measures of thf government. In Massachusetts the spirit of insurrection held out longer The leader of the malcontents, Daniel Sliays, raised a body of 300 men, proceeded to Springfield, where the supreme court was sitting, and surrounding the court house, com polled the judges to adjourn. After this success his adhe rents increased so considerably, that it became necessary to order out an army of 4,000 men to put a stop to their pro ceedings. This force was placed under the direction of Ge neral Lincoln, who, having first afforded sufficient protection to the court at Worcester to enable the judges to resume their functions, marched to Springfield where the insurgents were on the point of seizing the state arsenal. A single wei directed fire of artillery served to disperse the rebels and re- store public order. The chief insurgents were afterwards tried, and fourteen of them sentenced to death. But all were ultimately pardoned. The time at length came when the public mind gave tokens of being prepared for a change in the constitution of the general government — an occurrence the necessity of which had been long foreseen by Washington, Adams, and other distinguished patriots of that period. The evils result- mg from the weakness and inefficiency of the old confedera- tion had become so intolerable that the voice of the nation cried out for relief. The first decisive measures proceeded from the merchants^ who came forward simultaneously in all parts of the country, with representations of the utter prostration of the mercantile mterests, and petitions for a speedy and efficient remedy. It was shown, that the advantages of this most important source of national prosperity, were flowing into the hands of foreigners, and that the native merchants were suffering for the want of a just protection, and a uniform system of trade. The wise and reflecting were convinced that some decided efforts were necessary to strengthen the general government, or iLat a dissolution of the union, and perhaps a devastating anarchy, would be inevitable. Who led the rebellion in Massachu- setts ? What success had he ? What force was sent against the in- surgents ? How did Greneral Lincoln proceed ? What was the result ? What change in the goyeinment l» came necessary ? Who had foreseen its necessity f What was done ly the merchants ' 308 CONVENTION AT ALEXANDRIA The first step towards the formation of a new constitution was rather accidental than premeditated. Certain citizens ol Virg'nia and Maryland had formed a scheme for promoting the navigation of the Potomac river and Chesapeake bay, aud commissioners were appointed by those two slates to meet at Alexandria, in March, 1785, and devise some plan of opera- tion. These persons made a visit to Mount Vernon, and, while there, it was proposed among themselves that more important objects should be connected with the purpose at first in view, and that the state governments should be soli- cited to appoint other commissioners with more enlarged powers, instructed to form a plan for maintaining a naval force in the Chesapeake, and also to fix upon some system of duties, upon exports and imports, in which both states should agree, and that in the end, congress should be peti- tioned to allow these privileges. This project was approved by the legislature of Virginia, and commissioners were accordingly appointed. The same legislature passed a resolution, recommending the design to other states, and inviting them to unite, by their commis sioners, in an attempt to establish such a system of com* mercial relations as would promote general harmony and prosperity. Five states, in addition to Virginia, acceded it this proposition, namely, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania New Jersey, and New York. From these states, commis sioners assembled at Annapolis, in September, 1786, but they had hardly entered into a discussion of the topics which na turally forced themselves into view, before they discovered the powers with which they were entrusted, to be so limited as to tie up their hands from effecting any purpose that could be of essential utility. On this account, as well as from thi circumstance, that so few states were represented, they wisely declined deciding on any important measures in re ference to the particular subjects for which they had comt together. This convention is memorable, however, as having been the prelude to the one which followed. Before the commissioners adjourned, a report was agreed upon, in which the necessity of a revision and reform of the articles of the old federal compact was strongly urged, and which contained a recommendation to ail the state legisla l^hat was the first step taken to- | What was accomplished by the cow wards the foimation of a new con- I missioners at Alexandria ? stitution ? I By the assembly at ADnapoUi / r THK FEDERAL CONVENTION. 309 nires, for the appointment of deputies, lu meet at Philadel- phia, with more ample powers and instructions. This report was laid before congress, and a resolution was passed by thai body, recommending a convention for the purpose of re- vising the articles of confederation, and giving a more sub stantial and efficient form to the constitution of the general government. In conformity with these recommendations, a convention of delegates from the several states met at Philadelphia, in May, 1787. Of this body of eminent statesmen, George Washington was unanimously elected president. He hnd Deen early solicited to add the weight of his influence to the convention by Mr. Madison, one of its strongest advocates, but had with characteristic modesty declined. No denial, however, would be taken either by the legislature of Vir- ginia, who elected him a delegate, or by the august body itself, who chose that the chief of the revolution should pre- side over its deliberations, while forming the constitution of the country which he had saved from oppression and anarchy. The convention was composed of some of the most illus- trious men, whose names adorn our national history. Be- sides Washington himself, there were Adams, Jefl^erson, Ma dison, Patrick Henry, Franklin, Hamiltcni, Jay, Kandolph the Lees, and a host of others. The discussion and arrange- ment of the several articles, was carried on with closed doors, and lasted four months. At length, on the 17th of September, the proposed constitution was made public. It was presenter to congress, and by that body submitted to the sev>3ial states for acceptance. This constitution is essentially different from the old articles of confederation. The most important point of dif- ference, consists in giving to the general government the con- Iroul of the revenue, and the regulation of commerce and thus enabling the congress to raise money directly from the people, instead of resorting to the old system of requisitions on the state governments, which had been found totally in- efficient. By the constitution of the United States, the government is made to consist of three departments, the legislative, ex Wliere did they recommend a con- vention to be held ? What was done by congress ? Wlien did the convention assemble ? Who was chosen president ? Who was one of its strongest atdvo- li Who were distinguished members of the convention ? When was the pro^wwied constitutiiii made public ? What were its pih. \) features f SlO THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION. ecutive and judicial. The legislative or law-making depart- ment, consists of a senate and house of representatives, col- lectively styled the congress. The members of the house of representatives are chosen by the people, in districts con- taining a certain number of inhabitants ; and they hold the office for two years. The senators are chosen by the state legislature, two from ach state, to hold ofHce for six years, one-third of the senate being renewed every two years. Besides assisting in the making of laws, this body confirms the appointments of ex ecutive officers made by the president, and ratifies treaties. The executive department consists of the president, and the officers appointed by him, to execute the laws. The president is appointed by electors, who are chosen by the people ; or by the representatives, when there is no choice by a majority of the electors. He is elected for four years but may be elected again. The command of the army ana navy, the appointment of all civil, military and naval officers, acting by authority of the United States, and the ratification of treaties are vested in him, the two latter powers being sub- ject, however, to the confirmation or rejection of the senate. Another important power of the president is, that of put- isig ^ negative, or veto, on such acts of congress as he may Jisnppro A majority of two-thirds of both houses is then necessary, in order to give the act the authority of a law. without the sanction of the president. By the constitution, congress is authorised to declare war, rnise and support armies, maintain a navy, collect revenue, lay direct laxes, regulate commerce, coin money, and provide in general for the security and welfare of the nation. The judicial department of the government consists of a supreme court, and such district courts as congress may esta- blish. The judges in these courts have jurisdiction of all cases arising under the laws of the United States, and under treaties, as well as the cases between individuals of difTerenl states, and between foreigners and citizens. The constitution no sooner appeared, than it was attacked with great earnestness by a powerful party. Various objec- fions were made to its several provisions, and a discussion What are the uiree departments of j friends ? By Genet himself ? Of what did he complain } What was asserted by Jetferson f What was Genet's threat ? Wba*^ iva* the conse8* RELATIONS WITH FRANCE. almost to a declaration of war. The tone assumed, v/as hal of an appeal from the government to the people of the United States; and the minister of France in America had adopted the same tone and conduct in endeavouring to influence th« late elections. Whatever were the previous opinions of the new president, he now displayed himself as sensitive to these insults on the part of France as any of the federalists. His speech to con- gress was couched in warmer and more spirited terms than even Washington would have used. The drawing up an answer to this, occasioned a full fortnight's debate in the house of representatives ; but at length a reply correspondent to the president's tone and views was carried by 51 or 52 voices against 48. This showed the balance of parties ; proved that Adams still kept the ascendency, by a small majority, that Washing- ton had done ; and that the dread of French influence pre- /ailed over the suspicion endeavoured to be raised of mo- narchism and an arbitrary executive. France, however, was a formidable enemy. Tidings of her victories poured in, whilst those from England told of bank payments suspended, a mutiny in the fleet, and the abandonment of her best conti- nental ally. Three envoys, Messrs. Pinckney, Marshall, and Gerry were appointed to proceed to France, and attempt once more to avert a war, if it could be done consistently with the na- tional interest and honour. All important business wis at a stand in America during the latter end of 1797, and beginning of 1798, owing to uncertainty as to the result of this mission. On its arrival, the envoys were informed by M. Talleyrand, the minister for foreign affairs, that they could not be received by the directory. They had permission to remain in Paris, however, and the agents of Talleyrand were employed to negotiate with them. The true difliculty in the way of accom- modation, in addition to the impertinent arrogance of the di- rectory, seemed to be that the leaders of that immaculate body received a great part of the gains accruing from American Drizes made by the French. A treaty would have cut off this resource. In order to make up for the anticipated defi How were these insults regarded by the president ? V^'hat is said of his speech to congress ? W the debate and answer ? Whsii did the division of the house 8how ^ What news came from France ? From England ? What envoys were sent tc FriBM i How were they treated ^ PBEPARATIONS FOR WAR WITH FRANCE. 331 ciency, Talleyrand demanded a douceur of $250,000 for himself and the other leaders of the directory, besides a loan to be afterwards made from America to France. To exact these conditions, every argument that meanness could suggest was employed by Talleyrand: he demanded to be feed as a lawyer, or bribed as a friend. But the American envoys were inexorable ; and two of their number returned to announce to their countrymen the terms on which peace was offered. The cupidity of the French government com pletely turned against it the tide of popular feeling in America. * Millions for defence, not a cent for tribute,' was instantly the general cry ; and the president felt his hands strengthened by the demands of the French. Certainly never minister showed himself less sagacious than did M. Talleyrand in this affair, or more ignorant of the spirit and manners of a nation amongst whom he had resided. Congress voted an army of twelve new regiments, with engineers and artillery corps. Washington was appointed its commander in chief, an office which he accepted with un- feigned reluctance, although he approved of the course of the government. A naval armament, too, was decided upon, and a new department — that of the navy — erected into a ministe- rial office, giving a seat in the cabinet. A land tax passed congress. An alien law was passed for getting rid of Volney, Collot, and other French emissaries ; and a sedition bill fol- lowed it, which was loudly complained of by the republicans. Communication with France was prohibited ; orders issued for capturing any of her vessels that might appear off the coasts, and all treaties with that country were declared to be void. These successive steps were not taken without the opposition of a strong minority in congress, of whom the vice-president, Mr. Jefferson, may be considered the leader. A great part, however, of this animosity against France, proceeded from an apprehension that she meant to invade America, and to interfere under the pretext of giving her some larger share of liberty, such ys she had forcibly imposed upon Switzerland. When, however, it waf» seen that France had no such ideas of offensive war, and when Talleyrand ex- What terms were privately offered by Talleyrand ? How were they received by the en- Toys ? By the American nation ? What was done by congress ? Who wa^ appointed commander in Mitt the armjr ? What new department was created f What tax P What is said of the alien and sedition laws ? Of the orders issued ? Of the opposition and of Jefferson ? What mistake led to these prepajrt tio&s ^ J32 DEATH OF WASHINGTON. plained away his former arrogance by more recent deelar* lions to Mr. Gerry, the envoy who had latest left France, and still later by overtures made through Piehon, the French charge de affaires at the Hague, to Mr. Murray, there was somewhat of a reaction. This became evident in 1799, when the weight of the ad ditional taxes and restrictions had begun to be felt. Several states petitioned for the repeal of the alien and sedition laws ; whilst in others there was a general resistance to the officers employed in taking the valuation preparatory to the land lax. This last spirit showed itself chiefly in the western part of Pennsylvania. The president had, however, anticipated this reaction in favour of peace, by appointing Mr. Murray pleni- potentiary to the French republic, with a proviso, however, that he was not to enter their territories before he was assured of an honourable reception. The directory had fallen ere that took place ; and Bonaparte, who as first consul succeeded to their power, had no merce- nary interest in prolonging the state of hostility. This was, accordingly, discontinued, and a final treaty of peace was signed betwixt France and America in the course of the year 1800. The war, while it lasted, had given rise to some encounters at sea, which afi'orded a promise of the future glories of the American navy. One of these was a very severe action be- tween the American frigate Constellation, of 38 guns, com- manded by Commodore Truxton, and the French frigate rinsurgente, of 40 guns, which terminated in the capture of the latter. Truxton, in a subsequent engagement, compelled another French frigate, mounting no less than 50 guns, to strike her colours, but she afterwards made her escape in the night. Before this war had terminated, Washington was removed from the scene of his earthly glories. He died after an illness of only a few hours, occasioned by cold and consequent in flammation of the throat, at Mount Vernon, on the 14ih ot December, 1799. Neither congress nor the nation were wanting in that universal tribute of mourning and veneration due to the illustrious founder of their common freedom Perhaps the most sensible mark of this veneration was the removal of the seat of government to the federal city, ol What produced a reaction ? How was this manifested } What was done by the president ? Rf the Frei.ch under Bonaparte ? What naval encounters had take place ? When did Wishington die ? COLONEL BURR. which the site was selected by Washington, and which was dignified with his name. In November, 1800, congress opened its sittings at Washington for the first time. A new trial of strength was r ow about to take place between the federal and republican parties, as the four years' term of Mr. Adams's government was about to expire. That states- man, it has been seen, was elected by the predominance of federal principles, in the north-eastern states, as well as by an opinion that his own political feelings were moderate. No ooner, however, was he possessed of the sovereign functions, than he entered with zeal into anti-Gallican measures, and Doth congress and the country were borne full sail along with him. Adams was thus carried on in a kind of triumph, and at a speed that left him little master of his course, or of pru- dent management. Although jealous of Hamilton, and anx- ious not to tread in his footsteps, the president had flung himself among the Hamiltonian party ; and they, as well as his own heat, led him into a series of acts, which displayed all the unpopular tendencies of the federalists. Fleets and armies, judicial offices, taxes and places, were increased ; and such strong acts passed, for the restraint of sedition and foreign agents, as were evidently dangerous to civil liberty. This became more clear, as the martial ardour and indignation of the country cooled ; and the strong reaction, which we have noticed, took place against Adams and the federalists. In vain did the former try to shake off* this party, and show himself distinct from them, in the appointment of fresh envoys to France, and in the terms of the treaty con- cluded. It was too late ; the tide of popular feeling ebbed from the federalists towards the republicans, and Adams was of course included amongst the former. On the important question of the presidential election, h was the populous state of New York that held the balance. Hitherto its elections had been federal, but now from the causes already enumerated, this state began to incline towards the democratic party. There was a personage at this time in New York, most active in canvassing for republican votes, and turning the tide against the federalists. This was Colonel Burr, a man whose subsequent career furnished an enigma which history has hitherto failed to solve. His talents were of a high order; his service in the revolution commenced .vith Arnold's famous march to Quebec, and ended duriui Ni en did congress first sit in the city 01 Washington p What was now about to take place P WhAt had bepn Mr. Adams*« cmiise ' How did he lose his p j^nUuify f Who was put or? the r ipii4>lieais tieka with Jetrersop. ' Wfiat waf> Biirr'^: eh gggtm ' 334 ELECTION OF JEFFERSON. the war; and he had lately been active as a party politician; so that it is not surprising he should have been put in nomi- nation throughout all the states, in common with Jefferson, on the republican interest. When the votes were counted, Adams, supported by the federalists, was found completely in the minority. Jefferson and Burr were the names foremost upon the list; and by a singular fatality, they had an equal number of votes. As the constitution had provided that the candidate having the great- est number ofvotes should be president, and the one having the second number, should be vice-president, it now became a question who was entitled to the highest office. The cir- cumstance of equality in the number ofvotes of two candi- dates, gave the power of election to the house of representa- tives; and hither, accordingly, all the efforts of party and intrigue were directed. Some of the federalists proposed appointing a temporary executive, and proceeding to a new election by the people. But the republicans, knowing that it had been the intention of the people to elect Jefferson president, would listen to no terms of compromise. Thirty- five ballotings took place in the house, before a decision was obtained ; and then Jefferson prevailed over his opponent, and was declared president. Burr becoming vice-president. The question was decided in February, 1801. The unqualified disapprobation, and extensive desertion of the people from the administration to the opposition party, occasioned by some of the anti-republican measures of Mr. Adams's administration, evince a determination which has ever been inflexible in the Americans, to adhere to the essential principles of liberty, even though it should require the sacri- fice of men distinguished by the highest talents, politics' experience, and public services. * Principles, not men' is their motto. CHAPTER XXXV. Jefferson's administration. As the ever large body of the politically timid, who inrari- ably desert the unsuccessful, now passed over to the side of Wh at appearcQ on counting tnevores r I tiow was uie eiecnon imaUjr om^ Give an account of wnat foUowed this I ed ? disroverv , I JEFFERSON S ADMINISTRATION. Tefferson, their accession, together with the popular support of his own party, gave him a stronger power than had been wielded since the first year of Washington. He now nro ceeded to redeem his promises of retrenchment and reform. He reduced the army, the navy, the supreme judicial coun, and the taxes, more especially the odious excise. What he called the levees of the president, were done away with ; and as the appearance of the first magistrate in person, to address congress, savoured too much, in his opinion, of the regal custom of Great Britain, this was to be discontinued, and uture communications from the executive to the legislature were to be made in writing. He removed from office some of the most violent of his opponents, professing to make a distinction, however, between the monarchical and the re- publican federalists. The judges were irremoveable by law, and into the judi- ciary the ' federals retired as into a strong hold.' It was in the treasury department that Jefferson chiefly, and with most alacrity, plied the pruning knife of reform. The abolition of internal taxes enabled him to do away with a great number of offices ; and by taking measures for gradually paying the debt, he led the way towards undermining that great patronage and influence of this department, which the democrats of thai period pronounced the most criminal and anti-republican work of the federalists. It is undoubtedly true that the influence of the treasury is dangerous to the purity and integrity of republican institutions; and this is equally true, whether the nation be deeply in debt, or free from debt, with an over flowing treasury. Jefferson was right, therefore, not only in aiming at the payment of the public debt, but in reducing the receipts of the treasury to the absolute wants of the govern- ment. He has thus described his first year's work, in a letter to Kosciusko. ' The session of the first congress, convened since republi- canism has recovered its ascendancy, is now drawing to a dose. They will pretty completely fulfil all the desires of the people. They have reduced the army and navy to what is barely necessary. They are disarming executive patronage and preponderance, by putting down one half the offices of the United States, which are no longer necessary. The«6 What were the first measures of Jef- ferson's administration ? What is said of the levies ? Of the removals from offic

encounter with the British f CRUEL WARFARE ON THE BORDER. 307 On the lllh, General Wilkinson with the main body, arrived at St. Regis, where General Hampton, with an ad- ditional force, had been ordered to meet him for the purpose of co-operating in the proposed descent on Montreal. Instead of obeying the order, Hampton sent a communication to his commander, informing him that in consequence of the sickly gtate of his troops, the want of provisions, next exploits - AFFAIR OF THE HORKSt ANt) PEACOCK. 3^8 bay and threatened Annapolis and Baltimore ; I:ut not deem ing it prudent to attack those places, he proceeded to the south, pursuing his system of plunder and devastation on the •oast of the Carolinas and Georgia. These outrages, which were intended to render the war unpopular with the Americans, had a directly contrary effect, infusing new spirit and energy into their subsequent opera- dons, and giving a tone to- the public feeling, which was the only requisite hitherto wanting towards the successful con- duct of the war. The blockade of the northern ports fell into better hands Commodore Hardy, who commanded the squadron, which blockaded New London, and held the frigates United States and Macedonian in a state of inaction there during the latter period of the war, conducted hi€ operations in a spirit of com- parative forbearance and humanity. His chivalry, however, was not so generous as to permit his acceptance of the chal- lenge from the commanders of those frigates, offering to meet the Endymion and Statira, ships of the blockading squadron, of equal force. The uniform result of previous meetings of this kind was too ominous of disgrace to the British arms. The success of the Americans in their naval encounters with the enemy was not less remarkable than it had been during the preceding year. On the 24th of February, Cap- tain Lawrence, in the sloop of war Hornet, fell in with the brig of war Peacock, and after a close action of fifteen minutes, compelled her to strike her colours and hoist a signal of dis- tress. The firing of the Hornet instantly ceased, and the boats were hoisted out for the purpose of saving the British crew, as the vessel was in a sinking state. In spite of the most active exertions on the part of their generous enemies, thirteen of the British went down with the ship, and four of the Hornet's crew, who were rendering assistance, suffered the same fate.* On his return to the United States, Captain Lawrence wa» promoted to the command of the frigate Chesapeake- then lying in Boston harbour. Soon after taking command of his What was the effect of these outrages ? j Describe the affair of the Hornet and 'iVbat is said of Commodore Hardy ? | Peacock. • The alacrity of the Americans in sinking ships seems to have occasioned considerable surprise and vexation on the part of the British. The Halilax papers remark in relation to this action, If a vessel had been moored for the •ole purpose of expermient, it is not probable that she could have been sunV (B to fbort a time. It will not for our vessels to fight theirs sin^^le handed 370 CAPTAIN aLLEV. ^hip, Lawrence received a challenge from Captain Brooke, oi the British frigate Shannon, to meet him in single combat, ghip to ship, engaging thai the Tenedos, which was then blockading Boston, in company with the Shannon, should be out of the way during the action. The challenge was promptly accepted. The ships met; the Chesapeake waa taken, and the gallant Lawrence, with his lieutenant, Ludlow, fell in the action. These frigates were nearly equal in weighi of metal, the Shannon mounting fifty-two guns and the Chesa- peake forty-eight; but the latter undoubtedly laboured under great disadvantages in the undisciplined and half intoxicated state of the crew, just out of port. Her capture, however, was a source of unbounded exultation to the British. In May, 1813, Captain Allen, in the brig Argus, having conveyed Mr. Crawford, the American ambassador to France, began a cruise in the British channel, during which he cap- tured and destroyed British vessels and cargoes to the amount of two millions of dollars. He was then assailed by the Pelican sloop of war, of twenty guns, and sustained a severe action of forty-ihree minutes, when the British frigate Sea Horse heaving in sight, the Argus struck. Captain Allen 'Was mortally wounded during the engagement. In September, the United States brig Enterprise encoun- tered the British brig Boxer off the coast of Maine, and after an action of forty-five minutes compelled her to surrender Both the commanders fell in the action, and were burip together, with military honours, in Portland. The Boxer was superior to her antagonist in tonnage, men and guns. She lost twenty -five killed, and fourteen wounded ; while the Enterprise lost four killed, and eleven wounded. The British had employed the Indians as allies from the commencement of the war, and had rather encouraged than repressed their propensity to use their prisoners in the most barbarous manner. It was not till the summer of this year that the Six Nations declared war against England, and united their arms with those of the United States. In accepting their aid, it was made a strict condition, that they should treat their :iptives according to the usage of civilised nations, and when a party of them, assisted by the militia, routed the enemy near fort George, the prisoners being committed to their charge, were treated with the greatest humanity ; thus If the Chesapeake and Shannon. What is said of the Ar^s's cruise ? t>e8cribe the action of the En|erprise and Boxer. Who became aUies of the Unitvtf States ? How did they Dehave ? DEFENLIE OF FOPT STEPHEIVSON. 371 eompletely exploding the apology set iip by the British officers, that they could not controul their allies. The events on the north-western frontier were now assuming an interesting character. Both the British and Americans were strenuously engaged in preparing a naval force to be employed on Lake Erie ; and at the same time an attempt was made on Forts Stephenson and Meigs, by General Proc- tor, with a large force of British and Indians. Towards the ast of July, the enemy appeared in the neighbourhood of Fort Meigs, and endeavoured by a variety of stratagems to withdraw the Americans from their works into the open field. Not succeeding in this, on the 1st of August, Proctor laid siege to Fort Stephenson on the Sandusky river, with a force of five hundred regulars and eight hundred Indians. The gar- rison consisted of only a hundred and sixty men, with a single piece of cannon ; but they were commanded by Major Crog- han, a young officer, distinguished by the gallantry suited to his age, and the firmness and judgment of a veteran. He had been directed to abandon the fort on the approach of a supe- rior force, but confiding in his own resources and the courage of his men, he dared to assume the responsibility of defend- mg it. Having poured into the fort a galling cannonade of shot and shells for two days, the British advanced at two diflferent points to assault the works. One of the advancing parties, consisting of three hundred and fifty men, commanded by Colonel Short, was received with a heavy fire, and eighty of them, having leaped over the pickets into the ditch, were all killed or captured. Short nimself being among the slain. The remainder were repulsed. The other party marched up a ravine towards the fort, and were received with a discharge of slugs and balls from the six pounder which had been masked and reserved for their reception, and now mowed them down with prodigious slaughter. This spirited resistance so com pletely dismayed the enemy, that Proctor abandoned his dead and wounded and fled for safety. The Indians were so dis- appointed at missing the plunder and scalps of the garrison, that they forthwith began to abandon their allies in grea numbers. Major Croghan, for his brilliant services in this afTair, re What forts were threatened by Ge- neral Proctor ? How was he foiled by Harrison ? W)^ OJvaa^nM Fo^ Stephenson ? With what force was it attacked ^ With what force defended i Describe the affair. 372 BATILE ON LAKE ERIE. <'eived the appointment of lieutenant colonel by brevet in tn< regular army ; and the ladies of Chilicothe presented him with a splendid sword. The repulse which he had given tiic British and Indians saved Fort Meigs from an asssmlt, and completely relieved the frontier to the south of the strait at Detroit, from its most troublesome enemy. General Harrison, who had the chief command on th« north-western frontier, was now occupied in preparing his droops for a descent upon the enemy's territory, as soon as the squadron in preparation on Lake Erie should be ready to afford him the facilities of transportation. Early in September Commodore Perry, who had in a few months succeeded in constructing from the trees of the neighbouring forests, a re- spectable squadron, sailed from Erie in pursuit of the enemy, who had hitherto commanded the lake. His fleet consisted of nine small vessels mounting in all fifty-six guns. That of the British, under Commodore Barclay, consisted of six larger vessels mounting sixty-nine guns. His complement of men was also greater than that of Perry. On the 10th of September the fleets met off Put-in-bay, At the commencement of the action the Lawrence, the flag ship, was attacked by the Detroit and Queen Charlotte, and as the wind was too light to allow the remainder of the squadron to come up to the commodore's support, he had to sustain their fire for two hours, w^hen the Lawrence being reduced to a sinking condition, he committed her to the charge of Lieutenant Yarnall, and descending into a boat, passed through a shower of cannon balls and bullets, and transferred his flag to the Niagara. The wind now freshen- ing, the remainder of the American vessels were brought into action, and soon compelled the surrender of the whole British fleet. This victory being the first obtained over a squadron, and bringing with it the most important advantages, occasioned greater rejoicing among the Americans than any which had preceded it. The gallant Perry was loaded with honours and distinctions, and his victory w^as proudly recorded in the annals and celebrated in the songs of his countrymen. On receiving intelligence of Perry's success. General Haiw rison, who had been reinforced by a strong body of Kentucky How was Major Croghan rewarded ? For wha* was General Harrison pre- paring ? 9ow large a fleet had Coffimodore Penj built ? What was the British naval lorc« f When did the squadrons meet / Describe the battle. Who conquered i BATTLE OF THE THAMES. 373 militia under Governor Shelby, embarked in the small vessels of the Lake squadron, and landing nenr Amheistburg, marched at once on Maiden. General Proctor, the English commander, retreated rapidly, first to Sandwich and then to the river Thames, rapidly pursued by General Harrison. Proctor at last drew up his army of British regulars, Cana- dians, and Indians near Moravian town, on the Thames, in a strong position. As the mounted Kentucky rifles under Colonel James Johnson advanced, the English met them with a heavy fire, but the Kentuckians dashed through their first line, routed the second, and opened a galling fire on the rear of the disorganized ti'oops. At the same time the British right, composed of Indians under the famous chief Tecumseh, was attacked by Colonel Richard M. Johnson. The Indians fought bravely, and the Americans lost heavily. Dismounting, they engaged the enemy in genuine border fashion. The Indians kept up the contest long after Proctor and his troops had fled, but when their chief Tecumseh fell, they too gave way. Proctor saved himself by flight, leaving his camp equipage and papers. Six hundred of the British were made prisoners. The Indians are said to have borne the brunt of the battle, and fallen in great numbers. Their great chief, Tecumseh, was among the slain in the battle of the Thames, having been shot by Colonel Johnson. This victory restored to the Ame- ricans all the posts which had been surrendered by General Hull. The British had been no less successful in exciting the hostility of the Indians at the southern extremity of the Union than at the north; and a visit of Tecumseh at the commence- ment of the war had stirred up among them a spirit of blind fanaticism which manifested itself by a series of hostilities, carried on by the Creeks and Seminoles against the frontier Inhabitants of Georgia. This was repressed, however, for the time, by an im^ursion of 2,500 Tennessee volunteers led by General Jackson in the fall of 1812. Their hostility now 6urst forth with fresh violence. At Fort Mimms, in the Tensaw settlement, a party of 300 inhabitants who had fled thither for safety, were surprised on .he 30th of August, by 600 Indians, who broke into ihe fort What was now done by General Harrison ? Where did he overtake the British ? Describe the battle of the Thames What did this victopv restore to the Americuis ? What excited the hostility of thi Indians in the south ? Who repressed their attempts in th9 fan of 1812 ? What was done ai Fort Mimmfl f THE CREEK WAR. diove the people into the houses which it inclosed, and sei them on fire Only seventeen escaped the general massacre. An army of 3,500 militia principally from Tennessee wai speedily assembled and placed under the command of Genera\ Jackson for the purpose of chr.stising the authors of this un provoked outrage. On the 2d of November a detachment of this force under General Coffee attacked the Creeks, at Tal luschatches, destroyed 200 of their warriors, burnt their town, and captured 86 prisoners. On the 8th, General Jackson attacked a large body of the Creeks, who were assembled at Tal? ' ^a, and defeated them ; the Indians leaving 290 of their w— .ors on the field, and retreating to the mountains. On the 18th of November, General White was equally successful at the Hillibee village, where, after a bloody en- counter, he defeated the Creeks, 60 of their warriors being killed, and 256 made prisoners without the loss of a single man on the side of the Americans. General Floyd inflicted a simdar defeat on the Indians at Autosse, on the 29th of November. On the 22d of January, 1814, General Jackson, with aboui 1,400 men, was attacked by a large body of the Creeks near the bend of the Tallapoosa. The Indians were repulsed with considerable loss, and the general, having effected his object, a diversion in favour of General Floyd, retired to Fort Stro- ther. A furious night attack, made upon General Floyd's detachment on the 27th, was successfully resisted ; and the Indians were compelled, after a seve'-e loss, to fly for shelter into the Caulibee swamp. The last signal stroke of vengeance was inflicted on the Creeks at the Horse Shoe Bend, called by the Indians To- hopeka, on the Tallapoosa, March 27th, 1814. Here, by the judicious arrangements of General Jackson, they were com- pletely surrounded, and after a most sanguinary battle, tlj^ greatei part of them were destroyed Six hundred warriow fell in the battle, and but 300 escaped. This may be considered the closing scene of the Creek war, since the subsequent march of General Jackson to ^be Hickory Ground only terminated in the formal submission the chiefs. Who now maiched against the In- dians ? What was done by General Ui ffee ? By General Jackson f By General Whitp ? 9/ General Floyd / What was done by General Jacktos on the 22d of Jcnuarr ? By General Floyt^ on *he 2''th ? ^y Genera] Jackson «>q the S7tb «i March ? EUSSIAN MEDIATION. 375 General Jackson after the battle of Tohopeka scoured the country on the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers. Some of the Creeks, seeing how they had been deluded into hostilities by the English for their own destruction, fled to Pensacola. Others, including many chiefs and prophets, submitted to the Carolina militia under Colonel Pearson Finally the In- dians, utterly humiliated, with their bravest warriors gone, gave up the contest. They were completely at the mercy of the conquerors, and found themselves abandoned by the English. Accordingly, when in August a treaty of peace was dictated by General Jackson, the Creeks signed it, yield- ing up a part of their territory, and agreeing to hold no inter- course with any British or Spanish post. * The interference of Great Britain,' says an American his- torian,* ' in the relations that subsisted between the United States and the Creek Indians, was, as will be presently seen, finally retaliated upon her, with four-fold vengeance. The war with those deluded savages was the school in which Generals Jackson, Coffee, and Carroll became adepts m the tactics that made a Tennessee rifleman superior to a " Wei lington invincible," and qualified an army of citizen soldiers to defeat an army of veterans, of superior numbers. The ways of Providence are indeed inscrutable to man. When the Creek war broke out, the United States were completely 6egirt with enemies ; and short-sighted man would have con- sidered the addition of an infuriated and warlike race to the .ist of their foes as an event much to be deplored. But this circumstance, more than any other, favoured the defence of New Orleans. The oflicers and soldiers who defeated the legions of Packenham, Gibbs, Keane, and Lambert, were formed in the contest with the unfortunate victims to British iafluence.' CHAPTER XXXIX. CAMPAIGN OF 1814. Early in the spring of 1813 an offer was made by the emperor of Russia of his mediation as the common frieml of VT'iat remarks are made on the con- duct of the British ? What offer was made by the enapeioi of Russia in 1813 ? * Ramfay'i History of the United States. 376 ACTION AT LA COLE MILL. the United States and Great Britain, for the purpose of facilr tating a peace between them. The president, having accepted this offer, commissioned John Quincy Adams, then ministei of the United States at St. Petersburg, Albert Gallatin, and James A. Bayard, with the requisite powers to conclude a treaty of peace with persons clothed with similar powers, on the part of Great Britain. During the session of congress, which commenced in De- cember, 1813, a communication was received from the British government, declining to treat under the mediation of Russia, and proposing a direct negotiation in London or Gottenburg. This proposition was accepted, and the latter place appointed for the meeting, which was afterwards transferred to Ghent and Henry Clay and Jonathan Russell were added to the commissioners who had already gone to Europe. For the purpose of increasing the force of the regular army, several acts of congress were passed, offering large bounties to recruits, and providing liberally for the pay, rations, and clothing of the troops. A loan of twenty-five millions of dollars, and the issue of treasury notes for five millions, were also authorised. Provision was also made for the increase and better organisation of the navy, and for the defence of the seaboard. An embargo, which had been laid to prevent the trade under British licenses, was repealed in April, 1814. The fall of Napoleon, having left Great Britain at peace with all nations except the United States, enabled that power to direct the whole of her disposable force against the Ameri- cans. This circumstance, increasing the perils of the cam- paign, rendered it necessary to make greater exertions and sacrifices for the defence of the country. The spring passed away without any important operations on either side. The army which had wintered at French Mills left that station in the early part of the spring, ore divi- sion, under General Wilkinson, proceeding to Plattsburg, and the remainder, under General Brown, returning to Sackeit's Harbour. In March, General Wilkinson entered Canada, and made an attack on a party of the British stationed in a large stone building called La Cole Mill. He was defeated with a heavy loss ; and being soon afterwards superseded, his command was given to General Izard. What was the answer of ths United States ? Of the British government ? Who were ad led to the commis- What was ione to increase the foiet of the army ? What was the effect of the fall oi Napoleon ? What is said of the armr at FiwfiM BATTLE OF CHIPPEWA. 377 On the 5th of May, the British made a descent on Oswego and succeeded in capturing anc destroying the fort and mill tary stores at that place ; after which they returned to King ston. Early in July, General Brown crossed the Niagara river and invested Fort Erie, which was surrendered without oppo sition, and the prisoners, 137 in number, were sent to Buffalo The army then advanced to Chippewa, where a large body of the Britisli were posted ; and, on the 5th of July, a severe engagement took place, in which the British lost upwards of three hundred killed and wounded, two hundred being lef dead on the field. The American loss was 60 killed, and 268 wounded and missing. The British then retired to Fort George, and General Brown took post at Queenstown to await reinforcements from Sackett's Harbour. The expected reinforcements, however, being blockaded by a British fleet off the harbour, did not arrive. Detachments from the army were occupied with unimportant skirmishes until July 25th, when the battle of Bridgewater, near the cataract of Niagara, took place. The British advanced to the attack under General Drum- mond. The first brigade, under General Scott, with Towson's artillery and a body of cavalry, composed the advance of the Americans, and, engaging the enemy at six o'clock in the evenmg, sustained the attack without support for an hour. General Ripley, with fresh troops, then arriving, relieved General Scott, and his exhausted brigade formed a reserve on the rear. The British artillery had taken post on an emi- nence at the head of Lundy's Lane, and poured a most deadly fire on the Americans. It became necessary to dislodge them or retreat. * Will you advance and capture that battery V said the commanding general to Colonel Miller. ' I will try, sir,' was the modest reply of the colonel, which afterwards became the motto of his regiment. He advanced coolly and steadily to his object, amidst a tremendous fire of artillery, and at the point of the bayonet carried the artillery and the height. The guns were turned upon the enemy. Several attempts were made to regain them without success. The principal force of both parties were directed to this point, and a most sanguinary contest took place, which resulted in the defeat of the British. The loss on each side was about 800 Of the capture of Oswego ? Of the battle of Bridgewater. Jf Fort Erie ? What is said of Colonel MUler ? fii^e an account of the battle of What was the loss on each side t Chippewa. W^here did General Riplejr take poi 32* W7S 81EOE OF rOTLX fCRlR. Generals Brown and Scott being both severely wounded in the battle, the command devolved upon General Ripley, who took post at Fort Erie. General Gaines having arrived soon alter and taken the command, was attacked by General Drum- mond, at the head of 5,000 troops, who formally invested the place on the 4th of August. Having advanced their lines to within 400 yards of the fort, the enemy commenced a brisk cannonade on the 13th, which continued the whole of that and the next day. The fire was steadily returned by the Americans. On the night of the 14th an assault was made by the British, which resulted in their repulse, with the loss of 900 men ; the Americans losing but 84. On the 2d of September, General Brown had so far reco- vered from his wounds as to be able to resume the command The British main body, under General Drummond, was en- camped two miles from Fort Erie, while his works were advanced to within 400 yards of the American lines. One of his brigades, with a detachment of artillery, was stationed at this advance. On the 17th, Generals Porter, Miller, and Brown, with large detachments, made a sortie, with a view to cut off the British advanced posts from the main body. Within thirty minutes the whole line of the enemy's entrench- ments were in possession of the Americans. The works were destroyed, and, strong reinforcements of the enemy coming up, the Americans retired within their lines. The American loss was 79 killed, and 432 wounded and missing. The British lost 500 killed and wounded, and 385 captured. The result of this gallant sortie completely discouraged the enemy, who, on the night of the 21st, raised the siege, which had continued 49 days, and retired to his entrenchments behind the Chippewa. On the 9th of October General Izard arrived with reinforce- ments from Plattsburg, and took the command. General Brown retiring to Sackett's Harbour. General Izard, deeming ii inexpedient to attempt any further offensive operations in this quarter, demolished the works at Fort Erie, and removed the troops to Buffalo. The next attempt of the British was a descent upon Platts- burg. This was the principal military and naval dep6t for &e army of the north and the flotilla on Lake Champlain invested Fort Erie ? iVTiat took place on the 13th of Au- gust ? On the 2d of September t Od the 17th? When was the siege raised ? How long had it lasted ? What was done by Geneial Izard f What was the next point of attack the British ^ battlk on lake champlaw. 379 ita defence was entrusted to General Macomb, with 1,500 reg-ulars, and the neighbouring militia, to be called in a« occasion might require. On the 1st of September, Genera] Prevost, with 14,000 men, advanced to Champlain, within 15 miles of the American lines. Having called in the militia who flocked to his standard from the neighbouring country in great numbers, General Macomb made every exertion to impede the approach, and prepare for the attack of the enemy The bridges on his line of march were broken up, and every possible impediment thrown in the way of his passage, and the fortifications at Plattsburg were strengthened by additional breastworks and batteries. On the 6th of September the British advance was met at Batemantown, six miles from Plattsburg, by a corps of 700 militia, under General Mooers. After some slight skirmish- ing, the militia discovered the New York state dragoons in red uniform, reconnoitering the heights on their rear, and mistaking them for British troops in the act of surrounding their party, they broke and fled in every direction. On the same day the British, commanded by Sir George Prevost in person, entered Plattsburg. The Americans retired to the south side of the Saranac river, tore up the bridges and made breastworks of them, and guarded the ford-ways ; while the British strength- ened their works, and prepared for the attack. While these operations were going forward on land, the American squadron on Lake Champlain lay at anchor in a bay 'wo miles distant, awaiting the arrival of the British fleet, which was to assist in the simultaneous attack about to take place on land and water. On the morning of the 11th, the enemy's ships appeared, bearing down upon the Americans under easy sail, and the action immediately commenced. It was a hard fought battle, and it terminated in a manner highly honourable to the courage and resolution of Commodore M'Donough and his brave associates. The fleets were en- gaged two hours and twenty minutes. Nearly all the British ships were sunk or taken ; and when the action closed, there was not a mast standing in either squadron to which a sail could be attached. When the flag ship of the British, having lost its commander. Commodore Downie, struck her colours, the shores resounded with the acclamations of the American How was Plattsburg defended ? What was the force of General Pre- vost? What took place on the 6th of Sep* teraber ? Describe the nava? battle of the lltli 980 FLIGHT OF GENERAL PREVOST. troops and citizens. The British, seeing their fleet com pletely conquered, were dispirited and dismayed.* At the moment when the naval action had commenced, the British from their works on shore, had opened a heavy fire of shot, shells and rockets upon the American lines. Undei cover of this fire, three desperate efl'orts were made to crosi the Saranac, for the purpose of carrying the American lines by assault, all which were met and successfully resisted. One ford, guarded by militia, was passed, and a body of the British being drawn into the woods, were so severely han'^' <^ that they were compelled to recross the river with consid*^.- able loss. At six o'clock in the evening, the British batteries were silenced ; and during the night the whole army decamped with precipitation, leaving their sick and wounded, and most of their camp equipage, entrenching tools and provisions, behind them. This retreat was so sudden and unexpected, that it was not discovered by the American general till the British were eight miles from the late scene of action. Indeed he had little reason to suppose that a disciplined and well appointed army, * Wellington's veterans,' numbering some fourteen thousand, would have fled so incontinently from 1,500 American regulars, and 3,000 militia. The hard fighting on the lake must have had what it is the fashion to call a * moral efl^ect.' In the phrase of Monsieur De Bour- rienne, it * demoralised' them. Their commander was dis missed and disgraced by his government. This battle terminated the active warfare on the Canada border, the general result of which conveys to Americans the important lesson that the genius of their institutions, and the character of the people, are as uncongenial to all schemes of foreign conquest as they are favourable to the resolute and unflinching defence of their own soil. The militia who dis- played so much bravery near their own fire-sides, could never be brought tG enter heartily into the scheme of invad- What was the result ? What was the comparative force of the fleets? What was the effect of M'Donoueh'i victory on the land operations r What remarks are made on the Canadt war ? * The American force consisted of the Saratoga 26 guns ; Eagle 20 1 Ticonderoga 17 ; Preble 7 ; 6 galleys of 2 guns ; and 4 of 1 — in all 86 guns^ and 820 men. The British had the Confiance 39 guns; Linnet 16; Chenib |2 ; Finch 1 1 ; 5 galleys of 2 guns each ; and 8 of 1 gun each — making in aJl #6 guns, and 1,020 men. American loss 52 killed, 58 wounded. British lc€3 84 killed, 110 wounded. The old story ! The result was always about in thf #amf roportion when the fighting was d^ne cu the water. CAPTAIN porter's CRUISE. 381 mg the British territory. All efforts in that quarter resulted m the same * lame and mpotent conclusion.' Even the splendid achievements at Chippewa, Bridgewater, and Fort Erie, produced nothing in the way of conquest ; while the defence of Fori Sandusky and Plattsburg brought the solid advantages of immunity from foreign oppression and savage warfare. The naval events of this campaign on the ocean were not less brilliant than those with which the war had commenced. The cruise of Captain Porter in the frigate Essex, chiefly in the Pacific Ocean, had commenced in 1812. He had captured a large number of British vessels, and had succeeded in com- pletely destroying the enemy's commerce within the range of his cruise. One of the captured vessels had been converted into a vessel of war mounting 20 guns, which he named the Essex Junior. The intelligence of Captain Porter's exploits in the Pacific had at length occasioned a force of the enemy to be sent in pursuit of him. While the Essex and Essex Junior were lying in the harbour of Valparaiso, the Phoebe, a British frigate of 38 guns, and a sloop of war. appeared oflf the port. Having entered the harbour and obtained provi- sions, they cruised off the port for six weeks. Their united force was much greater than Captain Porter's. On the 28th of March, the Essex attempted to escape to sea, but in round- ing the point she was struck by a squall which carried away her main top mast, and unable to regain the harbour. Captain Porter ran into a small bay and anchored within pistol shot of the «hore. Here, in violation of the rights of neutrality, he wa» attacked in a most unfavourable position by a superior force, consisting of both the British ships above mentioned, and after gallantly maintaining the unequal contest for three hours, was compelled to surrender. The disregard of the British for the rules of warfare relating to an enemy under the pro- tection of a neutral nation, was, subsequently referred to by the Americans in justification of General Jackson's retalia- tory proceedings in Florida. The sloop of war Peacock of 18 guns commanded by Captain Warrington, on the 29th of iipril, fell in with, and after an action of 42 minutes, captured the British brig of war Epervier of 18 guns; the Peacock and her prize, with 120,000 dollars in specie, arrived safely in the United States The sloop of war Wasp, of 18 guns, commanded by Captain Blakely, encountered, on the 28th of June, the British brig of What other naval actions took place this year ? 382 NAfAL AC1I0N8. urar Reiiideei, of 19 guns, and after a spirited action ol twc hours compelled her to surrender. The British vessel was BO much disabled that it was found necessary to set her on fire. In September, Captain Blakely fell in with and captured tlie British sloop of war Avon of 20 guns. The appearance of a British squadron compelled Captain Blakely to abandon nis prize, which sunk Foon after the removal of her crew In February, 18 » 5, Captain Stewart in the Constitution fell in with the British frigate Cyane, of 34 guns, and the sloop of war Levant, of 21 guns, and notwithstanding their great Buperiority of force, engaged them both and soon compelled their surrender. The British loss in both their ships was 77 dlled and wounded ; the American, 3 killed and 12 wounded The frigate Pr^^sident, commanded by Captain Decatur on the morning after sailing from New York, was chased by .he British blockading squadron, consisting of the Majestic, mounting 70 guns, and the Endymion, Pomona and Tenedos, of 50 guns each. Being overtaken first by the Endymion, she was engaged, completely dismantled, and her guns silenced; but the squadron soon after coming up, the grallant Decatur was compelled strike his colours. A very spirited naval action was that of the Hornet of 18 guns, commanded by Captain Biddle, and the Penguin, of 19 guns, fought in January, 1815, and terminated by the capture and destruction of the British vessel. The achieve ments of the navy had rendered this species of force highlji Dopular with the nation ; and its encouragement and gradua) increase has ever since been the settled policy of the govern ment. The withdrawal of the British arms from the continent of Europe, and their embarkation for this country, rendered it a matter of necessity to fortify every important point on the sea- board, as it could not be known where the anticipated inva- sion was to take place. The people of the great commercial cities, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore, em- ployed themselves with great activity in strengthening their respective fortifications, and the militia were mustered, and large bodies of them drafted for camp duty. The military district in the neighbourhood of Washington, was assigned to General Winder, and 1,000 regular troops were placed a1 his disposal, with authority to call out 15,000 militia, if theii services should be required. What measures of defence were taken I Who conmian^ at Alexandria ? What was the next point of attaek t What was said by Ross ? W^hat measures were taken for tbi defence of Baltimore ? THE BRTTISH FOILED AT BALTIMORE. ass ral Smith. The approach to the city by water was defended by Fort McHenry, which was held by Major Armistead with about a thousand men, while on the Patapsco, Fort Coving- ton and the City Battery completed the defences. The re- cent defeat of Sir Peter Parker at Moor's Fields, where he was mortally wounded, had inspirited the Americans, who were now eager to avenge the burning of the national ar- chives and the destruction of Washington by Ross, and tht» piratical acts of Gordon at Alexandria. While vigorous preparations were thus made to save Baltimore, Admiral Cochrane with a British fleet of fifty sail, carrying six thousand regular troops on board, was advancing up the Chesapeake, sanguine of an easy victory and rich plunder from the great commercial centre of Mary- land. On the 11th of September the English forces, with these •lating prospects, entered the mouth of the Patapsco River, ami on the morning of the 12th commenced landing at North Pomt, fourteen miles below the city. General Strieker was detacned with three thousand five hundred militia to oppose their advance. General Ross, having preceded the main body of his army with a small reconnoitering party, was shot through the breast by a rifleman, fell into the arms of his aid* de-Camp, and died in a few minutes. The command devolved on Culonel Brook, who led on the attack, which was com- menced by a discharge of rockets from the British, and was succeeded by grape, canister, and small arms on both sides. After maintaining his position for an hour and a half against a great supwiority of numbers. General Strieker was at length obliged to retire to Worthington Mills, half a mile in advance of the main body. On the night of the 12th, the British bivouacked in advance of the battle ground, and on the 13th commenced their march towards tne city. When within two miles of the American lines they halted to await the result of the attack on Fort M*Henrj. This fortress defends the narrow passage from the Patapsco into Baltimore harbour, two miles below the city, and its command had been entrusted to Major Armistead, witfi one thousand men. Fort Covington, on the i^^ht of Foii M'Henry, was commanded by Lieutenant Newcojnb On i 16 12th, a British squadron of sixteen ships drew up ii Wlien aii the British arrive at the mouUi the Patapsco ? With ^k'iit force? Who im MaelMd to aiMt them ? What followed ? What was done on the 13tl^ What forts were bombarded t Who commanded them / HBH CONNECTICUT AND MAINE INVADfcO. line of battle within two mil s and a half of the forts, and h sunrise on the /3th, commenced an attack on them witk bombs and rockets. Twelve hundred men were detached ti storm the works on the succeeding night, and the battle raged with great fury till the morning of the 14th, when the assail- ants, being completely foiled, were compelled to retire, and the squ-adron sailed down the river. Their example wa8 speedily followed by the army, who had sanguinely anticipa- ted the capture ami plunder of Baltimore. The whole fleet soon after left Chesapeake bay for the south. While the central parts of the American seaboard weie guffering these attacks from the British, the towns on the coast of New England were not spared. On the 7th of April a detachment from the blockading squadron in Long Island Sound ascended the Connecticut river to Pettipaug Point, and burned twenty-two vessels which had been moored there aa a place of safety. The village was set on fire in several places, but the flames were extinguished by the inhabitants. On the 9th of August, another detachment from the same squadron appeared ofi" Stonington Point and commenced bombardment of the village. The militia of the neighbour hood, having assembled in considerable numbers with artil- lery, made so gallant a defence that the British were compelled on the 11th to give up the contest and retire. The extensive seaboard of the state of Maine, by its de fenceless state and its vicinity to the British provinces, oflered an easy conquest to the enemy. On the 11th of July a squadron under Commodore Hardy, with twelve hundred troops, took possession of Eastport, on Moose Island, erected fortifications, and required the people to take the oath of alle- giance to his Britannic majesty, or quit the island. Having accomplished this object, the commodore returned to his station oflf New London On the 1st of September an expedition under Sir John Sherbrooke, governor of Nova Scotia, and Admiral Griffith, with 40 sail and several thousand troops, entered the Penoh- «cot river and took possession of Castine. They next sent a detachment of 600 men to Belfast, and having received the surrender of that place, proceeded 35 miles up the river io Hampden, to which place the American frigate Adams hhd VThen was an assault made on them ? W^ith what success ? What followed ? What was done bj the British on the 7thof AprU? On the 9th of August ? On the 11th of July? When was Maine invaded bj %if John Sherbrooke f What place did he first take f Relate the affair of the Adaai# HARTFORD CONVENTiON. 3«7 retired on their approach. The militia had assembled in considerable numbers, but fled on the approacii of the enemy Captain Morris was therefore compelled to blow up this ship, destroy his stores, and retire with his crew to Portsmouth. The British commanders having taken possession of the prin- cipal towns on the coast, published their proclamation Castine, declaring the conquest of all the country east of the Penobscot to Passamaquoddy Bay, and requiring the submis won of the people to the British government. The territory thus occupied comprehends 42 flourishing towns — nearly one- kalf of the state of Maine. The ravages of the British extended to the coast of Massa- chusetts. The people of Cape Cod were reduced to great distress, being prohibited from fishing on the banks ; the in- habitants of Nantucket were compelled to promise neutrality during the remainder of the war, and the other islands on the seaboard being entirely unprotected, were under the necessity of submitting to such terms as the British naval commanders chose to dictate. The opposition to the measures of government in New England became more decided than ever at this period of the war. In Massachusetts it was even proposed to withhold the -evenue of the state from the national treasury, and apply it to the purposes of local defence. A convention of delegates was assembled at Hartford for the purpose of taking into eonsideration the measures which might be deemed necessary "or self defence, and the redress of their alleged grievances. To compose this assembly members were appointed by the legislatures of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island; and two from New Hampshire, and one from Vermont, re- ceived their appointment from county meetings. The session commenced December 15th, 1814, and lasted three weeks heir deliberations being conducted with closed doors. On adjourning, the convention put forth an address, charging the general government with pursuing a system of measures un- friendly to the interests of New England, and recommending amendments to the federal constitution. A committee was despatched to Washington to confer with the national govern- ment on the subject of applying the revenue of New England to its defence ; but the arrival of the news of peace arrested all further proceedings. What portion of Maine was occupied by the British ? W^hat was done on the c mst of Mas- sarhuscttj ? What is said of Cape Cod * Of Nantucket and the other islands ? What is said of the Hartford coDven- tion f 99S THE BRITISH EXPELLED FROM FLORIDA. The Spanish authorities at Pensacola, who had encouraged ne Indians in their hostilities since the commencement of the war, now afforded the same encouragement to the British On the 25th of August three British ships of war arrived there, and landed military stores and provisions, and 300 troops, which were conducted to the Spanish fort. Colonel Nicholls, the commander, then published an address to the Dative inhabitants of Louisiana, calling on them to unite with the British in expelling the Americans from the south. This address, however, had very little effect. The enemy's army at Penspcola was supplied with provisions from New Orleans by a direct commerce. General Jackson, who had the com- mand of the military district including Tennessee, Louisiana, and the Mississippi territory, immediately arrested the inter- course between Pensacola and New Orleans, and prohibited all commerce between the two places. On the island of Barrataria near the mouth of the Missis- sippi, a horde of pirates had established themselves, and were committing depredations on the commerce of all nations. As their force was considerable, the British commander at Pensacola endeavoured to engage them in the service of the British, but his offers were declined. The Americans took a more summary course with the pirates. Commodore Patter- son commandant of the American squadron at New Orleans, attacked them with gun boats, and other small craft on the 16th of September, and compelling them to seek safety in flight, captured their whole fleet of cruisers and prizes, and conducted them safely to New Orleans. On the 15th of September, the British sent an expedition from Pensacola against Fort Boyer on Mobile Point at the entrance of the bay ; which was defeated with the loss of a ship of war, and a considerable number of killed and wounded. The whole armament then returned to Pensacola* The establishment of the British at this post was so inju- rious to the United States, that General Jackson determined on his own responsibility to dislodge them. Accordingly, on on the 6th of November, he appeared before Pensacola with three regiments of regular infantry and a large body of militia, and sent a flag to the governor, which was fired upon and com- Where did the British find shelter and encouragement P Whence did they draw supplies ? Who put a «tip to this intercourse ? Who offered alliance to the pirates ? Who conquered ajd expelled them ? Relate the affair of Fort B03 er. Why did General Jackson determini to dislodge the British from Penia cola ? Give an accouD^- of hit procetdinict OBN£KAL JACKSON ARRIVES AT NEW ORLEANS. 389 pelled to return. General Jackson then attacked the foitand carried it after a smart action, and compelled the British to retreat to their shipping ; their escape being effected only by the blowing up of Barancas^ a valuable fortress belonging to the Spaniards. The British had for some time been preparing for an ex^ pedition against New Orles^ns. The fleet lately employed in the Chesapeake, and the whole British for^e which could he •pared from the Atlantic coast, had been assembled at Jamaica and at Bermuda, to prepare for thiS grand attempt. Large re- inforcements had been ordered from England, under General Packenham, furnished not only with the means of war, but with printing presses, and custom-house and civil officers, and every thing incident to a permanent establishment. Indeed, so certain were the enemy of accomplishing their object, that there were merchants on board the fleet who went out for the purpose of buying the cotton which was to compose a part of the coveted plunder. On the 20th of November, this formidable armament, con- sisting of sixty vessels with eight thousand troops, sailed from the West Indies, and on the 18th of November arrived at the entrance of Lake Borgne. On the 2d of December, General Jackson with the regular troops from the Mobile and Missis- sippi territory, arrived at New Orleans, and immediately com- menced a system of efficient measures for its defence. The militia of Louisiana and Mississippi were ordered out en masse, and large detachments from Tennessee and Kentucky. From Governor Claiborne of Louisiana, General Jackson had previously learnt that the city corps had for the most part re fused to turn out on the requisition of General Flournc^, that the legislature of the state, then in session, had encouraged khem in their disobedience, and that among the citizens there were many disaffected to the government of the United States and friendly to the British. Finding on his arrival in the city that this information wai correct, and that the most imminent danger was threatened by the presence and influence of the disaffected. General Jackson after consulting with the governor and other leading citizens, on the 16th of December, issued an order, declaring the city and environs of New Orleans to be under strict martial law The rigid police which this measure enabled him to exert. What preparations were made ft r an I Who took the command at NeT? attack on New Orleans ? I Orleans ? When did the British arrive ^ | Why did he declare martial law # 83* 890 CAPTURE OF THE FLOTILLA. »oou freed lue city from the spies and traitors with which il had abounded ; and the citizens addressed themselves earnestly to the business of preparing for the vigorous defence of the city The fortifications were strengthened, and every man who could bear arms was required to take a part in the mill tary operations on which the safety of all depended. . Fort St. Philip, which guarded the passage of the river a Detour la Plaquemine was strengthened and placed under the command of Major Overton. An extensive line of works wa erected four miles below the city, on the east bank of the Mississippi, the right resting on the river, and the left reach- ing to an impenetrable cypress swamp. A ditch which had been dug for agricultural objects, between the river and the swamp, was now made use of for an important military pur- pose. On its northern bank entrenchments were thrown up, and large quantities of cotton bales were so arranged as to protect the troops effectually from the enemy's fire. These works were well mounted with artillery. Opposite this posi- tion, on the west bank of the river. General Morgan with a body of militia was stationed, and near him Commodore Pat- terson with the crews and guns of part of his squadron ; en- filading the approach of the enemy against the principal works. A detachment was stationed above the town to guard the pass of the Bayou St. John. These dispositions having been made for the defence of the city, the approach of the enemy was firmly awaited. To clear the way for the transportation of their troops by boats, the British first sent forward forty launches filled with men, who attacked, and after a desperate resistance, captured and destroyed, the American flotilla stationed on lakes Borgnc and Pontchartrain, consisting of five gun boats and a small sloop and schooner. Having thus obtained possession of the lakes, on the 22d of December a detachment was sent from their rendezvous, at Ship Island, to the Bayou Bienvenue, and having effected a landing unobserved, were marching towards the city. General Jackson having been apprised of their approach, marched out and attacked them on the night of the 23d, while they lay in absolute security, seeing no one to oppose them or prevent their marching into the city. He sent two armed schooners to operate against them on the What was the effect of this measure ? What preparations were made for the defence of the city at Fort St. Philip ? On the east bank of the Mississippi ? On the west bank ? Above the city ? Eelate the aflair of the gunboats. The action of the 23d of December. BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS. 391 flank, and late in the afternoon of the day he moved down to attack the enemy with a force of about fifteen hundred men. As his advance approached the camp of General Keane, the guns of the schooner Carolina startled the British from their security. Keane made the best disposition of his troops in the darkness ; but his left was driven in by the New Orleans militia, and Coffee with his Tennesseeans not only routed his left, but drove back his reserve. For two hours the battle raged till all order and discipline were lost on the British side. Had not reinforcements reached them from the fleet, the whole force might have been captured. Learning caution from this lesson, the British forces entrenched at Bien venue, four miles from the American camp. The armed schooners Caroline and Louisiana, drop- ped down the river from the city, and opened a fire on the British lines. On the 27th, the Caroline got aground, and was set on fire and destroyed by the hot shot of the enemy The Louisiana succeeded in getting out of the reach of theii batteries. On the 28th the British advanced within half a mile of the ALmerican lines, and opened a fire of shells and rockets, bu were repulsed by the artillery. On the night of the 3 1st, they came within 600 yards of the works, erected three batteries and opened a heavy fire. Under cover of these batteries they attempted three times to storm the works, but were repulsed and their batteries being silenced they returned to their former position. The final assault was reserved for the 8th of January. To ensure its success it was deemed necessary to order a simul- taneous attack to be made on the main works, and on the position of General Morgan and Commodore Patterson west of the river. Colonel Thornion v/as detached for the latter service, with 500 men, and soon eifected a landing. Colonel Davis, with 300 Kentucky militia, being ordered to the water's edge to oppose them, was soon put to flight, and the Loui» siana militia, under General Morgan, also fled, deserting theii oattery. Commodore Patterson's battery being thus left un- supported, his crews were obliged to yield to a superior force i but the resistance which they were able to make, detained the British until the contest on the other side of the river was nearly over. What took place on the 27th ? On the 28th ? On the 31st ? What wa? the plan of operations for tLeSth? What was the Biitish plan of attack How did they succeoi ou tht wm bank ? 193 BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS. Willie these operations were going forward 3ii the weai bank of the river, the decisive action was fought on the oppo- site side. At daybreak on the 8th, the main body of the British, unler General Packenham, advanced from their en- campment to storm the American lines. A battery which they had erected the evening before, within 800 yards, opened a jfire to protect their advance. They came on in two columns, ihe left column along the levee against the American right, and the right column advancing to the swamp for the purpose of turning General Jackson's left. When they had approached within 300 yards of the lines, forty pieces of artillery from the American works, opened upon them a destructive fire of grape shot and musket balls, and mowed them down by hundreds, while the riflemen taking deliberate aim, made nearly every shot take effect. Through this destructive fire the British left column rushed on with their fascines and scaling ladders, and carried the advanced bastion of the Ame- rican right; but being unsupported, and assailed by the bat- tery planted in the rear, and a regiment of riflemen brought up for the purpose, they were driven from the ground with immense loss of lives. The right column of the British having attempted to pass into the swamp for the purpose of turning the American left, were prevented from effecting their object by the nature of the ground, and being exposed to the fire from the batteries, were compelled to retire. The assaull continued an hour and a quarter, during which the British were exposed to the destructive fire from the American artillery and musketry, while the breast- works of cotton bales, which no balls could penetrate, afforded a perfect protec- tion to their opponents. General Packenham was mortally wounded ; General Gibbs, the second in command, also received a mortal wound ; and General Keane, the third in 35ommand, was wounded so severely as to be incapable of performing his duties of commander. At 8 o'clock the British retreated to theii works. Th^ militia were anxious to pursue them, but General Jackson prudently determined not to risk the loss of the city by so rash a proceeding. Of the troops which the British had brought into the field, 700 were killed, 1 ,400 wounded, and 500 captured, making a total loss of 2,600. The Americans Describe the opening of the miin I How long did the assault last f battle of the 8th of January. | Who feU ? The operations on Jacks .>ci's left ? ! What was the result t On his rigat f t PEACE OF GHENT. 393 lost 6 killed, and 7 wounded. Of General Morgan's detach' ment on the west bank, and of a party sent on a sortie on the British lines, 49 were killed, and 178 wounded. The British kept up the appearance of renewing the attack, and on the 9th commenced a bombardment of Fort St. Philip, which was continued till the 17th, and sustained by Major Overton and his garrison with but trifling loss. This, how- ever, was merely a feint to cover their final retreat, which took place on the 16th of January under the direction of General Lambert. While the whole country was electrified with the news of this important victory, intelligence was received from Europe of the conclusion of a treaty of peace by the commissioners assembled at Ghent. The treaty had been signed on the 24th of December, and ratified by the Prince Regent of England on the 27th. It was received in the United States on the 11th, and ratified on the 17th of February by the President and senate. Tne pacification of Europe in 1814 had removed all the real grounds of war between Great Britain and the United States, by rendering the interruption of American commerce and the impressment of seamen unnecessary for promoting the objects of the British government. The conquests on both sides were restored ; and provision was made for settling the boundaries between the United States and Canada, which have ever since been a subject o tiation. A treaty to regulate the com uerce between the two coun- tries was signed at London on the 3d of July, and ratified by the President on the 22d ot December The Algerines having taken the opportunity, cfforded by the war with Great Britain, to make depredations on American commerce, war was declared against them in March, 1815^ and a squadron under the command of Commodore Bain- bridge was sent out to chastise them. The squadron in the Mediterranean under Commodore Decatur, after capturing some of their ships, appeared before Algiers and speedily compelled the Dey to sign a treaty relinquishing all future claims for tribute from the United States. On the arrival of Commodore Bainbridge, arrangements were made with thf regencies of Tunis and Tripoli which afforded security tf The loss on each side ? How long did the British remain after the battle of the 8th ? What intelligence came from Europe ? V hen was the treaty ratified ? ^^hat were some ef its prjvisions i When was a commercial treats signed ? What is said of the Algerines ? When was war declared a^jainit tlieUL How was the aflair fermina a new tariff passed ? What was its chaiacter ? ^0 were dissatisfied with it ? What course was adopted by Soutli Carolina ? What is said of the president's pnr clamatioD ? 84» 402 OPPOSITION rO THK TARIFF. merce and imposts, he exhorted ^"le people of South Carolina *o desist from their opposition, and called upon the citizen! of the United States to support him in the* execution of the &W8. The immediate effect of this proclamation was to unite all the friends of the Union in support of the president. Many of his warmest political opponents declared their determina tion to give him their aid in preserving the integrity of the Union, and asserting the supremacy of the laws. The government and people of South Carolina, however, were by no means intimidated by this array of power. They still presented a bold front; and Mr. Calhoun, one of their leading statesmen, having resigned the office of vice-president, and been elected to the United States senate, took his seat among the members of that body, to defend the position assumed by his native state. In this crisis, congress deemed it prudent to blend concilia- tion with menace, and to alleviate the grievances of which the nullifiers complained. With this view, towards the close of December, 1832, a bill was introduced into the house of re- presentatives, substituting for the obnoxious tariff'a new and lower rate of duties, from and after the 3d of March, 1833. This bill gave satisfaction to neither party ; and while it was under discussion, another bill was introduced into the senate for enforcing the collection of the duties, which effectually armed the executive for the support of the revenue laws. This bill was ultimately passed. When a considerable portion of the session had gone by without any satisfactory adjustment of this alarming dispute, Mr. Clay, the same statesman who had effected the reconcilia- tion of northern and southern interests in the Missouri affair, brought forward, in the senate, by way of compromise, a new tariff bill, which met with the support of Mr. Calhoun, and *f the other senators from the southern section of the Union. It provided for agradua. reduction of the duties; thus enabling the manufacturers to prepare for the change, and assuring their opponents of ultimate redress. This being a money bill could not originate in the senate ; but having been favourably received there as a pledge of peace, was introduced, by way of amendment, into the tariff bill in the other house, and being there agreed to, it was ?ent back to the senate, and finally What ^as its effect ? What was done by c^riCTess towards soMliatiD^ ^ cuUmers ^ What was done towards enforcinf the obnoxious laws ? What was proposed by Htfnry Clay Y What was the character of hii bill i COMPROMISE BILL. 40i passed. The danger of disunion and civil war was thus com- pletely removed. The session of congress was closed on the 3d of Marchy 1833, and on the 4th, General Jackson, who had been a second time elected to the office of president, in the autumn of 1832, delivered his inaugural address in the hall of repre- sentatives. It was chiefly occupied in recommending union to the states, and in pointing out the dangers they would incur by separation from, or disagreement with, each other. The office of vice-president had been conferred by the people on Martin Van Buren. The next important measure of General Jackson's admi nistration was the removal of the government deposites from the bank of the United States to the local banks. In justifi- cation of this measure, the president, on the 18th of Septem- ber, addressed to the cabinet a long and argumentative paper His principal charges agafnst the bank were, that its officers had employed means to retard the redemption of part of the public debt, retaining in their own hands the money which should have been applied to that redemption, and that they had exerted their influence, and misapplied their funds in controuling the press of the country. The commercial embarrassment and distress occasioned by this measure arrayed a strong party in opposition to the pre- sident; and the subsequent session of congress was chiefly occupied with discussions connected with the ' Bank question.' The president was sustained in his course by the house of representatives ; but the senate were resolute in their oppo- sition. Matters were even carried so far that a vote censuring the conduct of the president, and pronouncing it unconstitu- tional, was passed in that body. The alarm occasioned throughout the country by the derangement of the currency caused a temporary suspension of commercial business in many places, and a great number of petitions from citizens in various parts of the Union were addressed to the president, praying for the restoration of the deposites to the bank. Bui with his usual firmness of purpose, he maintained the position which he had taken, and the deposites were not restored. When the temporary panic had passed away, however, busi ness speedily recovered its usual activity. What was the next important aie** j-ure of the administration ? What were the reasons assigned the president for this measure ? What was its effect in congrctf i On buiinau^ What was its effect ? When did General Jackson enter up- on his second term of office ? What is said of his inaugural ad- dress f Who wai ehoeen vk^-presideat I 404 CLAIItfS UN FRANCE ADJUSTED. In his message to congress at the opening of thq session of 1834-5, the president adverted to certain claims on the French government for spoliations on our commerce, committed under the Berlin and Milan decrees of Napoleon which had been ad- justed by a treaty fixing the amount to 25,000,000 francs, but had never been paid. A suggestion was thrown out in the message as to the propriety of making reprisals on French property in case of further delay. The French government of course took fire at this intimation, and assumed an attitude which seemed to threaten war. Neither nation, however, was in a situation to render this desirable ; and the president, having in his message of 1835, without compromising his own dignity or that of his country, given such explanatioms of his previous declarations as he thought consistent with truth and propriety, the French ministry gladly availed themselves of the oppor- tunity thus afforded of satisfying the American claims without delay. In the winter of 1836, the Seminole Indians recommenced hostilities in Florida, ravaging the plantations and killing great numbers of the inhabitants. A considerable force of regular troops and volunteers was sent against them without success, and it soon became necessary tc ©rder the greater part of the regular army to the defence of the southern border. The Creeks and several other tribes united with the Seminoles, but were soon reduced to submission, and transported beyond the Mississippi. The Seminoles, however, still continued hostili- ties with the people of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Missis- sippi, and though from time to time numbers were destroyed or captured, yet the nature of the country afforded them so many opportunities for retreat and concealment, that during the whole of President Jackson's administration, nothing ef- fectual was done toward the final adjustment of difficulties. Their entire removal was not effected until the year 1840, aearly eight years after the commencement of hostilities. After the bank of the United States ceased to be a national institution, the different state legislatures chartered numerous •mall corporations, to supply the supposed want of banking What occasioned an apprehension of war with France t How w^is it averted I What took place in the winter oi 1836? What efforts were made to reduce the Seminoles ? What other tribes assisted them t With what tueo^ss ? Were the efforts to conquer th* Seminoles successful t Why? When was the war brought to ■ close ? What measures were taken by the states to supply the supposed wta* Oi bank ing capital ? £L£CTIOM FOR PRESIDENT 405 capital. The U. S. Bank was chartered by Pennsylvania in 1836, with the same amount of capital as it previously had '$35,000,000.) The panic occasioned by the removal of the deposits having subsided, and the stale baiJvs being without the check of a national regulator to prevent excessive issues of paper circulation, the facilities of bank accomodations oc casioned a scene of speculation which extended far and wide over the whole Union, and all classes of citizens became more or less entangled in the operations which ensued. Extensive purchases of the public lands, by individuals and companies were among the most active schemes of the day for the em ploymeni of the abundance of bank capital. President Jack- son's second term being about to expire, an election for his successor was held in the fall of 1836. The friends of the ad- ministration supported Martin Van Buren of New York for president, and Richard M. Johnson of Kentucky for vice- president. The opposition proposed several candidates with the hope of ultimately throwing the election to the house of representatives. In this they were disappointed. Van Buren was elected by a de-cided majority, and the house subsequently decided upon the choice of R. M. Johnson for the secon*^ office of the nation. The twenty-fourth congress met in second session, De- cember 5th, 1836. Few measures of general interest were adopted. Michigan was admitted into the Union as a state, c nd some appropriations voted for harbours, roads, and other pubi c improvements. The expunging resolution of Mr. Benton created for a time much sensation, but was ultimately adopted. It provided for drawing black lines around a previous resolu- tion of Mr. Clay, censuring the president for his conduct in regard to the public revenue. On the 3d of March, 1837, the public services of General Jackson closed, and after witnessing the inauguration of his successor on the following day, he retired to his private resi- dence at the Hermitage in Tennessee. What became of the U. S. bank ? What was the immediate effect of a maltipiication of small banks ? When did Jackson's second tsTfii expire? Who succeeded him f Whftt was done by coii|(ress t 106 fJiS BUR£N*8 ADMlNISTkATIOH CHAPTER XLIII. ADMINISTRATION OF MARTIN VAN BUREN. The inaugural address of the new president convinced both parties, that his views and measures would be but a continua- tion of those of his predecessor. The old cabinet was con* tinned, and a few changes made among the occupants of officiau stations. One of the earliest events, during this administration, and by far the most deeply interesting to the community, was the great money pressure of 1837. The specie circular of 1836» which required all payments of public lands to be made in specie, had been powerful in its operations upon the banks Large drafts for gold and silver, continually made upon ihenv not only prevented the extension of their line of discount, bu compelled them to commence calling in their circulating notes. Besides this difficulty, the large drafts made upon the banks where the public moneys were distributed among the states, and the drains caused by the excessive importation of mer- chandise from Europe, caused a state of the most perplexing embarrassment. On the 10th of May, 1837, every bank in New York city s' .spended specie payments ; and in a few days, the state legis- iature authorized a suspension of all the state banks. Imme- diately after, the banks of Boston, Providence, Albany, Balti- more, Philadelphia, and many other places followed the example of New York. All confidence was lost ; and a period of embarrassment and distress ensued, unparalleled in the history of our country In a short time failures took place in New York to the amount of many millions of dollars ; and in two days houses in New Orleans stopped payment, owing an aggregate of twenty-seven millions. In order to change this condition of affairs, a committee froia New York waited upon the president, praying him to rescind the specie circular, and to call an extra session of congress. What is said of the inaugural ad- drees I What calamitous event commenced in 1837 ? What was the first cause of this f How did it operate m the banks t What effect had large drafts and ex- cessive importation on the banki \ What took place in May, 1837 ? What banks followed the example f What were the consequences t Who waited on ths 9re«idMtt EXTRA SESSION OF CONGRESS. 407 The facts disclosed by these gentlemen, were of the mosi alarming nature, and display a condition in our community at that time, rarely equalled in the history of nations. For some time the president declined acting upon the pe- titions, but at length consented to call an extra session of con- gress. It met on the 4th of September, and continued forty- three days. The message of the president promised little relief to the people, disclaiming all interference with the moneyed concerns of the community, but at the same time recommend- ing the celebrated sub-treasury scheme, instead of a national bank. A bill for the establishment of the project, was intro- duced to the senate by Silas Wright, and passed ; but the house of representatives laid it on the table. Congress passed a few other bills, one of which was the appropriation of $1,600,000, for the suppression of Indian hostilities in Florida. The session closed on the 16th of October, without carrying out the wishes, either of the people or the government. The regular session commenced December 4th. The most exciting topic was the renewed effort to pass the sub-treasury bill. The measure was warmly sustained by senators Wright, Benton, Calhoun, and others ; and opposed by Messrs. Clay, Webster, and the whig members generally. It passed the senate, but was rejected by a decided vote in the house. Mr. Preston of South Carolina introduced resolutions into the senate, favourable to the annexation of Texas to the United Slates, but they were unfavourably received at that time. Some small bills were passed, before the termination of the session, but altogether this was one of the most unimportant periods in our whole congressional history. The state elections of 1837-8 showed great revolutions in political opinion, and convinced both the friends and oppo- nents of the administration that its measures were unpopular with the mass of the people. During this year the difSculties with the Florida Indians bad still continued. Some of the ablest officers in the ser- When did congress meet f What is said of the president's mes- sage 7 What celebrated scheme did it re- commend T What was effected by congress ? What is remarked of this session? Was the effort to pass the sub-trea- sury renewed at the regular a0Mionf Who were some oi its adTOcmtet f Its opponents ? What was its fate f What resolutions were offered by Mr. Preston ? What is said of the elections t What is said of the Floridt dilE cultiet t 408 BATTLE OF OKEE-CHOBEE. vice were sent to direct the operations against this single tribe — men like Scott, Jesup, Taylor, and Worth — and a long series of battles followed. But led by chiefs of great ability — Osceola, Jumper, and Tiger Tail — the Seniinoles, with a country abounding in swamps and marshes and almost fatal to whites, bafl&ed all attempts to subdue them. In 1836 General Jesup announced the war ended, and soon after was negotiating a treaty, and several chiefs capitulated at Fort Dade on the 6th of March. But in June Osceola renewed the war. Even the capture of Emathla or King Philip and of Osceola did not dishearten the Seminoles. The war went on, and in 1837, battles were fought at Hatcheeluskie Creek, Camp Monroe, Clear River, and Musquito Inlet, The most important battle of the year was that of Okee- Chobee Lake, fought by General Taylor, who had acquired experience by long service in the State. On the 25th of De- cember he succeeded in bringing a large body of Indians to an engagement near Okee-Chobee lake. They were posted in swamps and forests close to the water, and fired upon the Americans as they approached. Although the latter were fatigued by long marches, the colonel ordered an immediate charge, which was gallandy performed, through water knee deep, and in face of a galling fire. On reaching the opposite bank a desperate battle ensued, which lasted three hours with heavy loss on both sides. It resulted in the total overthrow of the Indians, who were driven from their position by the bayonet, and pursued for some miles. The Americans lost twenty-six killed, and one hundred and twelve wounded, in- cluding many valuable officers. The Indians were almost annihilated ; and this battle was the last in which they appeared in any considerable number. In the year 1838, serious disturbances took place in Canada, between the inhabitants and colonial government. Numbers from our own country enlisted in what they considered the patriotic struggle of an oppressed people ; and for some time the tone of Great Britain toward our government threatened a war between the two countries. President Van Buren, there* fore, issued a proclamation, calling upon all our citizens in Canada to abandon their designs, and cutting them off froio Where did Colonel Taylor fight a battle with the Indians f Describe the battle ot Okee-Chobee. Its result. Wluit was tlM AjMrissa liM f The Indian f What if remarked of this battle f , Of the disturbances in Canada f Of the president's nroclaouMioiil aiNERAL HARRISON ELECTED PRESIDENT. 409 ill protection by our government should they be captured by the English. A more exciting subject soon after engaged the attention of the two countries — this was the north-eastern boundary line. This had unfortunately been left unsettled by the treaty of Ghent ; and now Great Britain claimed much more than the United States was disposed to grant. In several instances the border settlements were claimed by both nations, and tumults ensued which were occasionally serious. In order to meet the threatened hostilities, should they actually occur, congress, at the next session, passed an act, giving to the president additional powers for the defence ot the United States. Congress also passed an act for preventing and suppressing Indian hostilities, particularly those with the Seminoles of Florida. The war with these Indians had now continued several years, and cost the government immense sums of money. Nothing very important was done during this session. During the summer of 1839, President Van Buren visited New York, his native state. In all places on his route he was received with public honours, and followed by processions of citizens civil and military. The twenty-sixth congress met on the 2d of December, 1839. Leaving out five whig members from New Jersey, whose seats were contested, the two great parties in the house of representatives were nearly balanced. The contested can- didates had certificates of election from the governor of New Jersey, but after a most animated debate they were refusec iheir seats, and consequently the opposing candidates obtained iheir seats. In 1840 the presidential contest of the two great parties took place. It was the most exciting and arduous ever witnessed in the United States. Three parties were in the field. The administration supported Martin Van Buren for president, Colonel Johnson for vice-president ; the whigs, General Harri- son and John Tyler; the abolitionists, James G. Birney. The result, both of the popular and electoral vote, was a very Urge majority for Harrison and Tyler. The second session of the 24th congress commenced on th What other subjects of dispute arose? iVhat preparatory measures were taken by congress T What other act was passed ? What is said of the Seminole war f Of the president's visit f When did congress meet f What exciting topic arose ? How was it adjusted ? Who were the candidates for tht W)resideacy in 1840? hat was tLe result of thm * ■ 41C Harrison's administration, and death. 7lh of December, 1840, and continued until the 3d of the suc- ceeding March. Their acts were few and unimportant. Ai the expiration of his term of office, Mr. Van Buren retired lo hi« private residence at Kinderhook, New York. CHAPTER XLIV. ADMIN\«TRATI0NS of HARRISON AND TYLER. General William Henry Harrison was inaugurated pr^ sident of the United States, March 4th, 1841. The ceremony was one of the most imposing ever witnessed at Washiagton and when the new chief magistrate had delivered his inaugu- ral address, the prolonged shouts from assembled thousands^ with the pealing of heavy cannon announced the joy and con- fidence of the people in their new ruler. Immediately after the inauguration, the president appointed his cabinet, together with several other officers, all of which were confirmed by the senate. In conoequence of the alarming condition of the country, President Harrison issued a proclamation on the 17th of March, calling an extra session of congress on the 31st of May fol- lowing. The political views of General Harrison had been expressed in his inaugural address ; and great and radical changes of policy were now confidently expected. But He who rules the destinies of nations, had determined that Harri- son should never see the consummation of the long cherished designs for the benefit of the people ; for in the short space of one month from the day of inauguration, the chief magis- trate of the United States expired. Several days previous he had contracted a cold, with some degree of fever ; this brought on a disease which baffled all medical skill, and terminated his virtuous and useful life on the 4th of April, in the 68th year of his age. His last words were — " Sir, I wish you to understand the principles of the government. I wish them arried out, I ask nothing more." What is said of the second session of ihe 24th congress f Of President Van Buren t When was General Harrison inaugu- rated! Dworibn tke o^remoax. What proclamation did he issue f What melancholy dispensation en sued ? How old was President Hamionf What were his last words f TRIAL OF NCLEOD. The deepest sorrow pervaded the country at this raelaih eholy dispensation. All party feeling was abandoned, and every class of individuals united in paying solemn honours to the illustrious dead. His funeral took place on Wednesday, the 7th of April. The procession was of immense length. According to a clause in the constitution providing for such an emergency, Mr. Tyler now became president of the United States. The cabinet was retained, and it was generally sup- posed that he would carry out the measures recommended by his lamented predecessor. His message to the extra session confirmed these hopes, and sanguine expectations were in- dulged that the credit and business of the country would soon be placed upon a firm basis. The first act of importance passed by congress, was ,to esta- blish a fiscal bank in the District of Columbia, similar to the old United States Bank. When this bill was presented to the president, he kept it ten days, and then returned it with his veto. A second bill, understood to have previously met with his approval, shared the same fate. These proceedings of the president bewildered congress, and caused apprehension and dismay throughout the country. All the cabinet except Mr, Webster, secretary of state, resigned ; and the chief magistrate and his former^party were severed for ever. Meanwhile congress had passed several other bills, which became laws — one repealing the sub-treasury, a second esta- blishing a uniform system of bankruptcy, another to appro- priate the proceeds of the public lands. The duties of the session were many and laborious, and the members showed a full determination to meet the wishes of the people, as far a* lay in their power. During this year the trial of Alexander McLeod took place in New York, and created much excitement throughout the United States. He had been a sheriff' in Upper Canada, an(? was charged with having murdered an American named Amos Durfee, on the 29th of December, 1837, at which time the American steamboat Caroline was set on fire by some Cana- dians, and sent over the Falls. As this party acted undei Who became president ? What was the first ac. of congress ? Its fate ? Wliat was done with the second bank bill? What effect had the pre«ident*s course on congress f Oa the country t On the cabinet t Mention the other bills passed b| congress. What is said of this session f What trial came on this year ? Who was McLeod « For what was he tried ^ 12 ▲NNKXATION OF TEZiS. government authority, the United States claimed McLeod A national prisoner, but the governor of New York refused to give him up. Great Britain threatened war unless he was liberated, but her threats were disregarded. Happily the prisoner was acquitted. The vwenty-seventh congress assembled in second sessioi or the 6th of December, 1841, This session is noted as thi ongest ever held, and as transacting more important businesf than any one since the formation of the federal constitution. Its leading measure was a new tariff law. It also apportioned the ratio of representation, and provided for publishing the ac- count of Lieutenant Wilkes's exploring expedition to the South Seas. In 1842, Mr. Webster, secretary of state, and Lord Ash- burton, English plenipotentiary, negotiated a treaty by which the north-eastern boundary question was definitely settled in a manner satisfactory to Maine and Massachusetts, the states most interested therein. Beside its great object, the treaty provided for the final suppression of the African slave trade, and the giving up of fugitive criminals in certain cases. Mr. Webster then resigned his office in the cabinet, and was suc- ceeded by Abel P. Upshur, of Virginia. Soon after, b^ the bursting of a gun on the steamer Princeton, Mr. Upshur, ^nd the secretary of war, Mr. Gilmer, lost their lives, and J C. Calhoun was appointed in place of the former. In 1843, a valuable treaty was concluded with the Chir ese government ; and in the following year Mr. Calhoun sign^ a treaty of annexation between the United States and Texas. The senate, however, rejected this instrument by a deciJ-Bd vote. In the fall of 1844, the presidential election took plai»«, which resulted in the success of the democratic candidates Polk and Dallas, over the whigs. Clay and Frelinghuyseu. In the following session of congress, Texas was annexed m the Union, and Florida and Iowa admitted as states. Before what tribunal was McLeod tried ? Did Great Britain interfere t What was the rusult f ll'or what is the congress of Decem- ber 1841, noted ? What was its leading measure f Mention some of the others, What important treaty waa conclud- •4 in 1842 f What is said of Webster's resig qation f Of the Princeton? The Chinese government t Of Mr. Calhoun's treaty f Who was elected president in 1844 j When was Texas annexed ? What states were admitted abov the same tine e ff MOB FIRING CANNON BErORE THE COURT HOUSE. SETTLEMENT OT THE OF BOON ai^ESTION, President Tyler s administration closed on the 3d of March 1S45 ; and on the following day, James K, Polk of Tenner* •re was inaugurated. CHAPTER XLV. ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES K. POLK. The first act of the president elect was to organize a new cabinet ; this was followed by radical changes in many of the offices depending on his authority, which were filled with friends of the administration. The views of Mr. Polk were fully developed m his inaugural message. He approved of the annexation of Texas, claimed the whole of Oregon territory (to 54° 40' N. L.) in opposi- tion to the assumptions of Great Britain, and was opposed to the tariff act of 1842. His declarations upon the two former subjects roused the pride both of Mexico and Great Britain ; and for awhile war with these countries was confidently an- ticipated. A treaty, however, was soon concluded with England, by which she received all of Oregon north of 49° 50', with the free navigation of the Columbia river. Mego- tiations were then commenced with Mexico, with a view of inducing her to yield Texas without an appeal to arms. The most important measure of congress during the wintei of 1845-6, was the repeal of the tariff law of 1842, and the substitution of a much lower rate of duties. This caused an immense sensation in the northern states, and was generally condemned both by whigs and democrats. Meanwhile negotiations were going on for a treaty with Mexico, which would fix a permanent boundary to Texas, and remove all other subjects of dispute with that power. Unhappily these negotiations were unsuccessful — President When did the administration of President Tyler close ? What were some of the views of the new president ? How Were they regarded by foreign countries ? How was the Ores^on question Mttled? What was done in regard to Mexico • What bill was passed by congrcM in the session of 1845-6 f What is said of it ♦ What is said of the negotiation! witi Mexico t S5* 414 TAYLOR RKACHES TRK KiO ORAMDS. Paredes refused to yield any part of the disputed territory, ac- cused the Uniteil States of dismembering a sister republic, and appealed to fore'gn nations for redress and assistance. In consequence of this hostile attitude, the president thoughl proper to place a corps of observation at Corpus Christi, in order to resist any invasion on the part of Mexico. The com- mand of this force was given to General Zachary Taylor, who had highly distinguished himself in the Seminole war On the 11th of March, the troops moved from Corpus Christi by order of the president, and advanced toward the Rio Grande, the disputed boundary between Texas and Mexico Two separate delegations protested against their march, and an attempt was made to fire the village at Point Isabel, in order to prevent its capture by the Americans. The conflagration was arrested, and after taking possession of the Point, General Taylor built a fort there, and made it his main depot. He then proceeded to the Rio Grande, and established himself or the east bank, opposite Matamoras. Here he built a fort which subsequently received the name of Fort Brown. Considering these movements of the United States as equiva- lent to a declaration of war, the Mexican government stationed large bodies of troops in Matamoras, to act as circumstances might require. For awhile both armies acted with extreme caution, but in April the murder of Colonel Cross, and capture of Thornton's party, evinced that a heavy storm was soon to succeed the apparent calm. In the latter part of the same month, the Mexicans crossed the river, spread themselves between Point Isabel and the station occupied by General Taylor, and cut off all communication from the latter. Aware of the absolute necessity of free access to his depot, General Taylor determined to force his way to Point Isabel. Accordingly, on the 1st of May, 1847, leaving the river fori in care of Major Brown, he set out with the main body of his army, and after two days' march, reached his destination, without having encountered a single Mexican. On his returs. What is said of President Paredes ? What was done bv President Polk ? Who commanded the corps of ob- servation ? When did it move from Corpus Christi ? Who protested against the march ? What was done at Point Isabel ? Where did General Taylor establish himself? What was done by the Mexicu government ? What took place in April f What was done by Taylor, May 1st ? Who was left to command the rivei fort? Was his msrch to Point Isabel op* posed f BATTLC or RB8ACA DK LA PALM A. 415 however, he met (May Sth") a force of nearly six thousand troops, drawn up in battle array, directly across the road. This was at a place called Palo Alto. The American ordef of battle was formed at one o'clock, and soon after the firs action between the forces of Mexico and the United States commenced. Although our troops numbered only ope half of the enemy, they retained their ground, repulsed every charge of cavalry, and drove tke opposing infantry completely from its position. So violent was the action, that the prairie between the armies was fired, and continued to burn for nearly an hour. During this time the action was suspended, and a new Hne of battle jormed. It then recommenced and con- tinued with great fury until night, when the Mexicans with- drew. The manner in which the Americans managed their light artillery in this engagement gave them the victory, and has ever been the theme of admiration. Major Ringgold, who had been mainly instrumental in bringing it to perfection, was mortally wounded during the action, and died two days after The loss of the Americans in this battle was nine killed, forty-four wounded, and two missing; that of the Mexicans was not less than two hundred killed, and four hundred wounded. On the following day General Taylor again came up with the Mexicans, who were strongly posted at a ravine called Resaca de la Palma. At four o'clock in the afternoon another engagement took place, more obstinate and bloody than that of the day before. The Mexican artillery were planted in the ravine, so as fully to command the road, rendering it almost impossible for an army to cross the ravine without being cut to pieces. The action commenced by advance parties of the Ameri- cans, who penetrated deep into the chaparral, and came in contact with the Mexican infantry. They were soon seconded by the artillery, which was managed by Lieutenant Ridgely, with the precision of a rifle corps. On this powerful engine tke Americans principally relied for victory, and during the When and where did he meet the Mexican Army ? What was the force of each army ? Describe the battle. What is said of the American light artillery? Of Majo Ringgold ! What was the American losaf The Mexican ? Where and when did the two armief again meet ? How were the Mexicans posted ? How was the action commenced f What is said of the artiilenr f 416 may's charge. wnoie battje, the artillerists fought amid an moessant sbowej of iron hail. In a few minutes after the first fire, the action oecame general ; long lines of infantry were wrapped 4n an uninterrupted blaze, and masses of horsemen, flung forward on our guns, then rolled back in \v \ld confusion. Nine thou- sand men were struggling for victory in the path of death. At length the American infantry were ordered to charge the chaparral with the bayonet. They swept on amid a withering file, drove back the advance, marched into the thicket with fixed bayonets, and scattered the enemy in all directions. The Americans then attempted to pursue them across the ravine, hu\ were met by the batteries posted there, and mowed down ii crowds. Every eflfort was made to dismantle these guns; bu though blocked up by the dead and dying, the Mexican vete rans stood to their dangerous posts, and dealt destruction upon their assailants. Feeling that nothing decisive could be effected until these guns were silenced, General Taylor ordered Gnptain May to charge them with his dragoons. This he performed in the face of a shower of grape shot, drove the artillerists from their stations, and captured General La Vega. The veterans of Mexico fought with desperate valour to regain their pieces, but were defeated with immense loss, and soon after the whole army commenced a disorderly retreat. The Americans rapidly pursued, until the enemy, overcome by fear, threw aside every weight, and rushed in crowds towards the Rio Grande. Num bers were drowned in attempting to cross ; and many moit trampled under foot by the flying cavalry. The victory of General Taylor was complete. In this battle the Americans numbered about seventeen hun- dred, of whom they lost three oflficers and thirty-six men killed, twelve oflicers and seventy-one men wounded. The Mexican force was about six thousand ; but their loss has never been correctly ascertained. In the absence of General Taylor, the Mexicans had bom- barded the fort on the river for four days, during which time the labours and sufferings of the garrison were of the most trying nature. On the 6th, its gallant commandan was killed by a shell, and in honour of him the work afterwards received the name of Fort Brown. Describe the general battle. The charge of infantry. Whit obstructed the passage oi the rayiiie? What orders were given to CaptAtt May ? Describe May's charge ? What general waa captmdlf PREPARING FOR ACTIVE OPERATIONS. 417 The army of the United States had thus driven the Mexi- cans from the territory claimed by Texas, but over which Mexico liad maintained jurisdiction. Virtually the object of the United States was accomplished. The Mexican General Arista then proposed an armistice, so as to leave the settlement of ilm boundary to negotiations between the two republics. This, however, was peremptorily declined by General Taylor, and he prepared for an invasion of the acknowledged territory of Mexico. The little town of Barita, near the mouth of the river, was occupied by a small Ameri- can force, and on the 18th Taylor entered Matamoras. The Mexican troops made no opposition, but evacuated the place, after spiking and sinking in the river the heavy cannon that they were unable to move, and fell back to Linares, where General Mejia superseded Arista. A revolution in Mexico displaced Paredes, the president of the republic, and Santa Anna, who had professed strong in- clinations for arranging matters amicably with the United States, and had been allowed to enter the country, was raised to power. War had been declared on both sides, but neither of the belligerents was ready for active operations. Many had supposed that any military demonstration on the frontier would bring the Mexicans to terms, and no steps had been taken to raise such an army as would be needed by a series of operations on Mexican soil. When, however. Congress authorized it, regiments of volunteers were raised in the various States. Meanwhile, instead of negotiating, Santa Anna raised an army, and promised to drive the invaders from the soil of Mexico. General Taylor in the meantime continued to hold the city of Matamoras, being in no condition to advance into the interior of Mexico in pursuit of the army on the northern frontier. The force at his command was totally inadequate for a cam- paign in a hostile country, and he was deficient in supplies and transportation even for the little army already on Mexican soil. He consequently remained in Matamoras the greater part of the summer, and the time thus afforded the Mexicans was What liad the United States accom- T)lished ? what did Gen. Arista proj)ose ? What town was occupied by General Taylor? When did he enter Matamorai ? Who succeeded Arista ? What had meanwhile taken place In Mexico ? What had Santa Anna professed ? How did he act when he became dic- tator ? What were raised in several States? Why did Taylor remain inactive ? 418 REDOUBTS CARRIED BY WORTH* employed by the them in reorganizing their army, and pre paring for a vigorous prosecution of the war. Before the end of June, General Taylor was strongly re- inforced by numerous volunteer companies from various parts of the Union, but his means of transportation were still so deficient, that he was unable to commence his march for Monterey, until the latter part of August. In the mean time, however, the Mexican ports of Miei, Reynosa, and Camargo, had been occupied by the Americans without opposition. On the 5th of September, General Taylor received infor mation that Ampudia had lately arrived at Monterey with large reinforcements, and was fortifying that place with the greatest care. He immediately pushed forward his troops toward that city, and on the 19th, encamped at the Walnut Springs, three miles south of it. The fortifications were found to be of immense strength, defended by redoubts and stone walls and having each street commanded by heavy artillery. In addi- tion to this, the hill Independence, without the walls, was guarded by several forts, among which one called the Bishop's Palace was considered impregnable. ' On the 20th, General Worth, with the division under his command, was ordered to gain, by a circuitous route, the Sal- tillo road, west of the town, and storm the heights above the Bishop's Palace. He reached the intended position on the 21st, after defeating a portion of the Mexican cavalry encamped so as to cover the passage of the Saltillo road. To divert the attention of the enemy from Worth's move- ment. Generals Twiggs and Butler were ordered to make a demonstratipn against the centre and left of the town. They were fired upon by the Mexican batteries, and experienced heavy loss. During the day. Worth stormed the two principal redoubts in rear of the town, carried them, and immediately turned the captured guns upon the Bishop's Palace. He los^ but two or three men ; but the division which had entered the city to favour his movement and capture one of the works, suffered very severely, although they attained both objects What places were occupied ? What information was received on the 5th of September I When did Taylor reach the Walnut Sprngs ? Describe Monterey. Describe the hill Independence. What orders were given to General Worth ? To Twiggs and Butler ? What was done by Worth on the I 2Ut? CAPTURE OF MONTEREY. 419 The battle of the 21st began with a cavalry affair at tlie western extremity of the town near the Sahillo road ; the object of this was to cut off Monterey from all comnmnica- tion with the interior and all hope of speedy relief. When this had proved successful, General Worth determined to carry the fortress on the Loma de Federacion, a fortified hill south of the San Juan, which commanded the lower road to Saltillo, and these were the redoubts which after a severe contest he succeeded in carrying. Opposite to this was another fortified hill, the Loma de Independencia, where the bishop's palace, a strong stone building had been turned into a defensive work. This was called the key of Monterey. During the night Ampudia tried to recover the first hill, but failed. Next morning (22d) at dawn of day, the two remaining heights above the Bishop's Palace were stormed and carried by General Worth's division, and early in the afternoon the Palace itself was taken. During the night of the 22d, the enemy evacuated nearly all their outer defences, and retired to the cathedral and other central works, near the principal plaza. In these last strong- holds they defended themselves witli the obstinacy of despair, placing their artillery in such positions as to command all the advances to their stations. The Americans entered the houses, dug through the side walls, advancing in this manner from street to street, until they came within one square of the prin- cipal plaza. Here, for awhile, the battle was dreadful ; but deeming it imprudent to advance further. General Taylor with- drew to the evacuated forts, to concert with General Worth for a combined attack upon all the enemy's positions. Early on the 24th, General Taylor received a communica- tion from Ampudia, proposing to evacuate the town upon cer- tain conditions, to be agreed upon by both commanders. These were in substance — That the Mexican forces should evacuate the city, which was to be delivered up to the Americans ; that the Mexicans should march out with their muskets, and twenty rounds of cartridges, and six pieces of cannon. That during tn armistice of eight weeks, neither army should advance beyond a certain line. The force of the Americans in this siege was 6645 meo, What was done by Worth on the 33df By the enemy at night f Describe the subsequent battle. What ensued on the 24^h f On what terms did Monteroj capi- tulate f 420 TROOPS DETACHED FROM TAYLOR. including officers ; and they had but one piece of artillery fit for service. The Mexicans numbered nearly 10,000, with forty-two pieces of artillery, and fortifications of immense strength. Our army lost in killed and woundcfl about fiv« hundred ; the enemy rather more. General Taylor now established his head-quarters at Mon terey ; Brigadier-General Worth, with twelve hundred men and eight pieces of artillery, was detached to Saltillo, (seventy miles distant,) and Brigadier-General Wool, with twenty-four hundred men and six pieces, advanced to Parras. While these events were transpiring, Paredes had been driven from the supreme command in Mexico, and General Santa Anna, formerly commander-in-chief, recalled from exile m Cuba, and placed at the head of affairs. This officer promptly took the field, and commenced the most active measures for raising an army sufficient to recover all the national losses. By forced loans on the clergy, he obtained large sums of money, and before the close of the year had suc- ceeded in raising twenty thousand men, and concentrating ihem at San Luis Potosi, which place he strongly fortified and filled with military stores. In the latter part of December, General Taylor left Mon- terey, and marched toward the interior, in order to meet the Mexican general upon his own ground ; but on arriving at Victoria he received a demand from General Scott for a portion of his troops, to assist in the intended assault of that officer upon Vera Cruz. Scott had been appointed by government to supersede General Taylor in the command of the army of occupation ; and finding his force inadequate to fulfil the objects he had in view, he was obliged to make this draft upon the army of his brother officer. Nearly all the regular troops, including the gallant Worth, were detached from General Taylor, obliging him to fall back and resume his old station at Monterey. In February, 1847, large reinforcements of volunteers arrived ; and anticipating &n attack b) Santa Anna on the posts between himself and Matamoras, he determined to advance and fight a pitched What was the force of each army ? The loss ? Where did General Taylor establish his head-quarters ? General Worth ? Where did General Wool statton himself ? Meanwhile what hac transpired in Mexico? How did Santa Anna raise an nrmj f What place did he fortify ? When did Taylor march to me* him ? What did he receive at Victoria ? What is said of General Scott? Whither did General Taylor retire f When was he reinforced ? Did he again advance to the intenor I TAYLOR SUMMONED TO SURRENDBR. 421 battle with him. Accordingly he left Monterey, and on th« 20th of February, encamped at Agua Nueva, eighteen miles south of Saltillo ; but learning that Santa Anna was rapidly approaching him with twenty thousand men, he fell back to a strong position at the pass of Angostura, near Buena Vista, and seven miles from Saltillo. This had not been the original design of the Mexican com mander. During the armistice following the fall of Monterey he stationed himself near San Luis Potosi, for the purpose of drilling the army with which he intended to meet and oppose the progress of General Taylor to the capital. Before the eight weeks had expired, however, he received notice that the American government disapproved of the truce, and that con- sequently hostilities would immediately recommence. His government was now clamorous for active operations, and compelled him to abandon his wise resolution of acting on the defensive, until attacked by the Americans. He, therefore, reluctantly broke up his encampment, and commenced a march, which for suffering and fidelity to the leader, has no parallel in Mexican annals. Almost all the troops were destitute of shoes, and many had but one article of clothing. During two days they subsisted on a biscuit and slice of meat for each man ; and so great was the scarcity of water, that it was accurately measured to the men, and the time of drinking, as well as the quantity, defined in general orders. Part cf the journey lay over an utter wilderness, and the remainder over crags and mountains, barren, solitary, and wrapped in the hor- rors of winter. No man in Mexico, except Santa Anna, could have condveted that march a single day. On the morning of the 22d, the Mexicans were seen ap- proaching in immense numbers across the neighbouring hills ; and about noon, Santa Anna sent a summons to General Tay- lor to surrender at discretion. Although the force of the Americans was only about forty-five hundred, their general declined acceding to the request. In the afternoon, a portion the enemy commenced an attack upon the American left, ind a heavy cannonade was maintained till dark, during which Where was he on the 20th of Feb- ruary ? What position did he finally occupy ? Had this been the original design ot Santa Anna? How had he been employed during the armistice ? What forced him to abandon this policy t Describe the condition of his ami> during his march. What is said of it ? When were the Mexicans seen ap- proaching ? What is said of the summons to siur- render ? What is said of the skirmidb tt evening ? 422 BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. the Mexican guns on the upper plateau, sixty or seventy feet jibove the smaller one, were turned on the American army, though without producing any impression, Taylor's artillery replying steadily and with better effect. Meanwhile, the Mexican light troops under General Ampudia crept up the slope of the mountains, and began a rapid fire on the Ameri- can left. This, too, was returned with spirit. During the remainder of the day the skirmishing of the light troops on the side and at the foot of the mountain continued, till as night set in a shell was sent up by the Mexicans, and at this signal the firing ceased, both forces bivouacking on the field, and preparing for the decisive action of the next day. Santa Anna had the advantage of numbers, but his troops were ill-equipped, poorly fed, and undisciplined. During the night he reinforced his right, and made prepara- tions for turning it and gaining the rear of the American forces, to compel them to fall back. At sunrise of the 23d, the battle began in earnest. The dark lines of Mexican infantry were drawn out as far as the eye could reach, and their cavalry seemp'i to cover the whole plain with interminable lines. After the dispositions for battle had been completed, both armies opened their artillery on the left, and at the same moment the Mexican infantry commenced a rapid fire of musketry. Meanwhile, a part of the enemy's cavalry wound along the mountain defiles, and although en- countering great opposition, gained a position favourable for attacking the American rear. To prevent this, the artillery was advanced against them, and after several discharges, com- pietely dispersed them with heavy loss. They rallied twicb, orut were as often driven back, taking refuge after the last charge among the mountains, on the opposite side of the valley. At this important moment, when their capture seemed almost certain, Santa Anna sent a white flag to General Taylor, desiring to know what he wanted. The delay occasioned in answering this, gave opportunity for the cavalry to escape from their perilous position and effect a junction with the maia body. The Mexicans now came on in dense masses, and for a long while the slaughter on both sides was dreadful. A superioi Describe the appearance of the army on the 23d ? How did the battle commence f Describe the movementa of the cavalry. How did Santa Annii my th« mr tiryf BATTLE OP BXJBNA V^A. RESULT OF TVIE BATTLE. 423 h*rt9 of the enftiny routed one regiment, and drove back two others, compelling Captain O'Brien, who with two pieces of artillery had sustained their heavy charge, until every one of his men was killed or wounded, to leave his guns and fall back. At this critical period, the commander ordered Captain Bragg to advance with his artillery, which he did, overthrowing the masses of the enemy when they were within a few yards of his guns. In their retreat, the enemy encountered the second Kentucky regiment, and a severe conflict took place in a ravine ; here the loss of the Americans was very severe, especially in oflicers, although they succeeded in repulsing the Mexicans. At night the Americans slept on the battle field, and the enemy retired to Agua Nueva. The American force actually engaged in this battle was about 4500 men ; their loss was 267 killed, 456 wounded, and 23 missing ; that of the enemy was nearly 2000. Of all the battles fought during the present war with Mexico this is perhaps the most remarkable. It was the test, the criterion of national valour. Both countries had anticipated it with painful forebodings ; for it was known to form a crisis, which in its causes, nature, and consequences, would never rise again. Hitherto victories had been gained over generals but little distinguished in war's great drama ; now their con- queror was met by one on whom rested the experience of campaigns, revolutions, and counter-revolutions, and whose popularity was such, that at a nod, he gathered around him a host of twenty thousand men, and conducted them successfully through all that soldiers can endure. Fame announced his coming long before his columns appeared in sight; and when he stood on the heights of Angostura, and saw sweeping before him his innumerable legions, victory seemed already within his grasp. And to oppose this general and his army were a little troop, less in number than their opposer's cavalry, and apparently inferior in every thing save strength of position. But energy, terrible and resistless, slept among that iron band ; could one be found capable of routing it, of uniting its powers, and hurling it against an enemy, opposing thousands would yield to its overwhelming force. That one they nad among them* Describe the charge of the Mcxi« cans. The bravery of Captain Bragg. The fight wiih ♦he Kentucky regi- ment. The final reBuii. What was the American force in thip Dattle ? Their loss ? The loss of the Mexicans ? Give the remarks on the battk of Buena Vista. HOMAAftDlttlNT OF VttiA CtlDt. It was Gei.eral Taylor. Some had followed him ihroujil excitement and danger, on the plains of Texas, and amid the volcanic blaze of Monterey ; but the greater part were thosa whose hope was soon to be led by him, to their nrst bloody field. A command, a nod from him would have driven them, like a hurricane, on a forest of bayonets, or up to the cannon'i blast. In the darkest moments of that gloomy day, when long- loved camp-mates were piled in bleeding masses, in every ravine, his voice kept the shattered regiments to their posts, and was heard by the dying soldier, with a thrill that eased his final agonies. No doubt many battled there for glory; many through patriotism, and many in the wild sweepings of passion; but all fought for General Taylor. With him iia command, each soldier became a host, and supplied in eflH- ciency the lack of numbers. When, in the lancers' final charge. Captain Bragg stood almost alone, few generals would have stood as Taylor did, and watched with his piercing eye, the foe's advance ; and when the huge host was hurled back, and the last triumphant shout of our army went up, it was for General Taylor more than for victory. This has been the last important feat of General Taylor ; a jruitless pursuit of Urrea followed ; but that officer managed to escape with all his cavalry, beyond the mountains. Gene- ral Taylor then encamped near Monterey, where he is at present. Soon after the termination to Taylor's brilliant career. Gene- ral Scott commenced one no less splendid, in the southern part of Mexico. He reached the Rio Grande on the first of January, and on the 9th of March, with the assistance of Commodore Conner, of the Gulf squadron, disembarked hie troops near Vera Cruz, and the castle of San Juan de UUoa, From this time to the 22d, the Americans were busily employe^J in landing shells and shot, planting batteries, and prepari..g for the contemplated siege. The city was then summonea t-} surrender, and on receiving a negative answer. General Scon opened his heavy mortars, and the bombardment commenced It was continued with immense destruction of life and property to the Mexicans until the 27th, when General Landero, com mandant of the city and castle, commenced negotiations iot their surrender. Wha'. was don« by Taylor after the From the 9th to the 22d t battle ? On the 22d ? When did Scott reach Mexico ? How long did the 8ieg« iMf What ensued on the 9lh of March ? StTRRENDEft OF VlCRA CRUZ. Several of the foreign consuls in Vera Crnz had addressee^ a note to General Scott, asking a suspension of hostilities sufficiently long to enable the subjects of the powers whom they represented to leave the city with their women and children, as well as the Mexican women and children. This, however. General Scott declined to permit, as neutrals had sufficient time to withdraw before the bombardment. Twenty-five hundred shot and shell were thrown into the city, killing and wounding six hundred of the soldiery and destroying four or five hundred of the inhabitants. Much of the town was laid io ruins. From La Merced Gate to the parish church, nearly every house was in ruins. Finding themselves unable to save Vera Cruz, the Mexi- cans finally proposed to surrender the city and castle. When negotiations began, commissioners were appointed by both trmies, who finally agreed on terras of which the following the substance. — The whole garrison or garrisons to lay down their arms and surrender themselves prisoners of war. The Mexican officers to retain their arms and private effects, and to be allowed five days to retire to their respective homes on parole. The public property of every description to be de- livered up to the United States, on condition that it would be restored to Mexico, by a definite treaty of peace. On the 29th, the Mexicans marched out of the city and castle, and halting between the American lines, stacked their arms, laid down their colours and equipments, and then marched toward the interior. Immediately after, the American flag was hoisted over the castle and saluted by its guns and those of the fleet. Worth was appointed military governor of the city, Colonel Belton of the castle; and Major Scott of Fort San- tiago. During the siege, our army lost seventeen killed and twenty- eight wounded. The Mexican loss was very great — beside soldiers, upwards of five hundred women, men and children, were killed by bombs or falling houses. The spoils taken by the Americans were immense. The enemy laid down more than four thousand stsnd of arras, and one thousanu mare were found in the city. Four hundred pieces of ordnance, a large quantity of ordnance stores^ includ* ing a vast amount of powder, balls, shells, and Paixhan shot, were also surrendered. Iraraediately after the departure of the Mexicans, Lieutenant Smt tne terms of capitulation. 1 What was the loss on each ade t When was the city evacuated ? | What spoils were taken bf tkm Who was appointed governor t Americans f 426 BATTLE OF CK.RRO OORM Hunter, of the navy, captured the towns of Alvarado and Tlacotalpain, without firing a gun. Early in April, General Scott commenced his march foi the interior of Mexico, and on the 16th, arrived at the strong mountain pass of Cerro Gordo, where Santa Anna was securely intrenched, with more than eleven thousand men. Although the American force numbered but about seven thousand, it was determined to storm the fortifications. On the afternoon of the 17th, a reconnoissance of the enemy's position took place, and a new road was opened behind the fort which com manded the Sierra. In the evening some skirmishing took place between General Twiggs's command, and one of the Mexican forts ; the fort was captured, but nothing serious WaS eflJected until the following morning. Early on the 18th, Twiggs was ordered against the main works. Shields and Worth against the fortifications on the left, and Pillow against the strong forts and diflficult ascents on the right of the enemy's position. Notwithstanding the dreadful fire to which the troops were exposed, all these attacks were successful except that by General Pillow. After fighting most gallantly, he was obliged to withdraw his men ; but the fort (commanded by General La Vega) subsequently surrendered to him on learning the capture of the other places. The victory was complete. Five Mexican generals and nearly six thousand men surrendered themselves prisoners ol war. The loss on each side was between four and five hun- dred killed and wounded. A large quantity of fixed ammuni- tion, thirty pieces of brass cannon, together with the private oaggage and money-chest of Santa Anna, were some of the trophies of victory. Santa Anna, Ampudia, and Canalizo, with about half the Mexican army, eflfected a rapid retreat ^nto the interior. On the same day, a portion of the American fleet under command of Commodore Perry entered the harbour of Tus- pan, attacked the town, and finally obtained possession of it, with the loss of but seventeen men killed and wounded. This victory placed the gulf coast completely in the hands of the Americans. Whut was done by Lieutenant Hun- ter of the navy ? When did General Scott reach Cer- ro Gordo? What was done on the 17th f Describe the order of battle. The battle itself. Mention the trophies of this victory. What generals escaped ? On the same day, what was dene by the fleet ? What was the consequence of this victory t BATTLE OF SACHAMENTO. 42? During these operations of the main armies under Scott and Taylor, two small forces under General Kearny, and Lieu* tenant-Colonel Fremont, assisted by the squadron of Commo- doie Stockton, took possession of the provinces of California and New Mexico, a territory equal in extent to the thirteen original states of the American Union. These conquests, however, were not obtained without con* siderable battle aud bloodshed. On the 11th of June, a few men of Fremont's company captured about two hundred horses, destined for the Mexican General Castro's camp ; and on the 15th, the colonel, after a short resistance, captured the military pass at Sanoma, together with nine brass cannon, two hundred and fifty muskets, and some prisoners. On the 25th, another skirmish took place with ninety dragoons, of whom five were killed. On the 25th of December an engagement took place at El Paso de Bracito, between six hundred Americans under Colonel Doniphan, and eleven hundred Mexicans. After an obstinate conriict the latter were defeated, with a loss of thirty killed and about the same number wounded. The Americans had but seven slightly wounded. This battle was followed by another (Jan. 24th) ne^r the vil* lage of Jja Canada, in which Colonel Price, with two hun- dred and ninety Aniericans defeated a body of Mexicans with a loss of thirty-six killed and forty-five wounded. Five days after this. Colonel Price fought another battle at El Embudo, defeating the enemy with a loss of twenty killed and sixty wounded. On the 3d of February he commenced an attack upon the village of Pueblo de Taos, which continued for three days, when it capitulated. This ended the campaign in New Mexico. On the 28th, Colonel Dcniphan, with nine hundred men, fought the battle of Sacramento, with twelve hundred Mexican cavalry, twelve hundred infantry, three hundred artillerists, and fourteen hundred rancheros. The enemy were intrenched m one of the strongest mountain passes of Mexico, and pro- vided with sixteen pieces of artillery. The whole was com- manded by General Hendea. What other military operations were going on at the same time ? Describe the skirmish of June 1 1 th. Describe the battle of the 15th ? The battle of Bracito. What was the loss on each side f When wus .he action at La Canada Describe it. Give an account of the battlo at EI Embudo. At Pueblo de Taos. Describe the position and force of the armies at Sacramento 428 BATTLE OF CONTRERA.9 The action commenced at three o'clock, P. M., and continued until night. Our troops made charge after charge, moving among drizzling fires with a coolness and precision astonish- ing even to the leaders. The Mexicans were repulsed at every point, and completely scattered, leaving six hundred on the field, half of whom were killed, and forty prisoners. The Americans captured all the artillery, ten wagons, and immense stores of provisions. Their loss was two killed and sever wounded. Next day formal possession was taken of tht capital of Chihuahua, in the name of the United States. On the 19th of April, General Twiggs took possession of the town of Jalapa ; and General Worth, on the 22d, entered ihe town and castle of Perote, one of the strongest in Mexico. On the 15th of May, after a slight resistance from a party of cavalry, the same enterprising officer received the surrender of Puebla, which contains eighty thousand inhabitants. The main army encamped at Puebla until the 8th of Au* gust, when General Scott commenced his march for the capital of Mexico. On the 18th, the troops reached San Augustin, after having opened a road around Lake Chalco, in order to avoid passing the fortification of Penon. They passed the night near this place, and on the following morning General Worth advanced toward the enemy with a small reconnoiter- ing party in advance. The latter were fired on near the forti- fication of San Antonio, Captain Thornton killed, and a guide wounded. About one o'clock, after a most fatiguing march of five hours. Generals Pillow and Twiggs arrived before the forti- fication of Contreras, which the enemy had garrisoned and strengthened with the greatest care. General Smith and Colonel Riley commenced the attack, and during the whole afternoon, the assault continued with the utmost fury. Night found the fort still in possession of the Mexicans, and deeming farther effort useless until morning. General Scott ordered the firing to cease. The troops bivouacked on the open plain without fire or blankets, although exposed to violent storms of rain. Before daylight on the 20th, Smith and Riley carried th Give an account of the action at Sac- ramento. What was the result? The loss on each side ? What was done by Twiggs on the 19th of April ? By Worth on the 22d ? On the 15tb of May ? When did General Scott march from Puebla ? How and when did he reach Saa Augustin ? What took place on the mormng ol the 19ih? Describe the attack on Cohtreraa How did the army pass the night i AS ARMISTICE. Works amid a fire from twenty-two large cannon ; au ^nersi Twiggs, arri^ing soon after, commenced a pursu of the enemy, which was continued to the gates of tK^i capital. About the same time, General Worth captured ^•an Antonio and soon afterward the last strong hold of th*^ >3aemy, Churu- busco. In this place every public edifice "^y^s scaffolded fcr infantry, who also lined the windows, roc 'a, and battleme«its. The strength of the enemy at these battles was about fifteen thousand men, all fresh troops, and intrenched with works of uncommon strength. Opposed to them were about six thou- sand Americans, jaded by marches and countermarches. The aggregate loss of the former in killed and wounded, was four thousand men, including five ex-presideni» and thirteen gene- rals ; that of the latter, eleven hundred. General Scott was slightly wounded in the knee. On the 21st, the offer of an armistice was made to the Mexicans by General Scott, and gladly accepted. The terms were, that neither army should be reinforced, nor erect any for- tifications, while it lasted — which depended upon the pleasure of each commander; and that full privilege should be given to merchants and dealers in provisions, to pass to and from each camp. Meanwhile negotiations for a permanent treaty were commenced by Mr. Trist, the American plenipotentiary and Mexican commissioners appointed by Santa Anna. These, however, could not agree upon the boundary line of Texas, and closed their conference. On the 6th of September, General Scott accused Santa Anna of violating the terms of the armistice, by repeatedly preventing the transportation of supplies to the American army, and threatened a recommencement of hostilities at noon of the following day, unless satisfaction were given. The Mexican general replied by laying a similar charge to the Americans, and accordingly the truce was declared at an end On the morning of the 8th, Worth's division assisted by the brigade of General Cadwalader, was detached against some buildings near the Molina del Rey, where the Mexicans were engaged in casting cannon balls, shells, &c. The buildings called Casa Mata, are situated west of Chapultepec, and within six pound range of the fort. West of these, and the breast- What was done on the 20th before daylight ? By General Worth at the same time ? How was Churubusco defended ? Describe the comparative strength of the .wo armies in these battles. When was an armistice offered 7 What were its terms ? What was the result of the snbM quent negotiations ? What took place September 6tb f What took place on the 8th? Describe the Casa Mata. 430 itOllMiNO OF MOLINO DEI. REY. works around ihem is a large open plain, gradually descend- ing to the J osition occupied by the Americans, and surrounded oy a deep ravine, which runs to within about two hundred yards of the building upon which rested the enemy's right flank. Two twenty-four-pounders belonging to Captain Huger's siege train were placed in a position to batter down the breastworks and buildings, should they be found occupied by a large force. About the same time General Worth ad- vanced his infantry down the plain, and attacked the enemy'* works in the front and centre. A galling fire was now opened from the Mexican centre and flanks, which swept away the American columns by whole companies. OflScers and men were piled upon each other in bleeding heaps, and for awhile the troops paused. At this moment, a body of four thousand lancers came dash- ing down from the enemy's right, so as to charge the infantry while in confusion. But Colonel Duncan and Captain Drum rapidly brought their batteries into action, and Major Sumner with two squadrons of dragoons assisted by Captain Ruff's company of mounted rifles, passed down under fire from the works, charged the head of the column, and put it to rout. They rallied twice, but were as often repulsed by the Ameri- cans with great loss. After this signal victory, the cavalry and infantry charged the works, carried the buildings and fortifications, driving back the enemy, and capturing seven pieces of artillery, a large quantity of ammunition and small arms, together with six hundred prisoners. The artillery was turned upon the enemy during their flight, and did considerable execution. Some of the buildings were blown up, and after bringing off the killed and wounded the Americans evacuated the place. In this assault nothing was more conspicuous than the skill and intrepidity of the engineers. In the performance of their laborious and dangerous duties, they encountered and over- came difliiculties of the most appalling magnitude. During the reconnoissance preparatory to attack they were frequently exj^osed to the most galling cross fires or the enemy ; and throughout the whole struggle, bore the heaviest weight of battle. The loss of the Americans in killed and wounded was very Describe the arrangements for at- tack. Describe the battle. What facts show th« destructiveness ot th» Mexican fire * Describe the charge of cavalry. The final assault. What were the trophies of thia vio tory ? What is said of the engineers f STORMING OF CHAPULTEPEC. 431 heavy, including some of the best officers of the army. In charging the column of lancers, the cavaliy passed within range of the fort, and though not more than ten seconds under its fire, they had six officers wounded, thirty-two privaten killed and wounded, and a loss of one hundred and five horses But two horses escaped uninjured. The total loss of our army was about eight hundred; that of the Mexicans was trifling, until they became exposed to the artillery in retreat. The two following days were occupied by the army in re- moving the wounded to a place of safety, reconnoitering the approaches to the city, and preparing for an attack upon Cha- pultepec. These duties were actively performed by Generals Pillow, Quitman, and Twiggs, without any annoyance from the enemy. The artillery and cavalry had some skirmishes with the Mexicans who continued to make demonstrations on diflierent points. On the 11th, a small reconnoitering party under Captain Hardee, was attacked by a large body of cavalry, which it repulsed, with the loss of six killed and several wounded. About sundtwn General Twiggs arrived at Piedad, and General Pillow moved with his division to the south of Tacu- baya, taking a position on the west side of Chapultepec, Gene- ral Worth remained at Tacubaya, while General Quitman with his division occupied the road leading from that place to the city of Mexico. During the night heavy batteries were planted at difl!*erent stations around Chapultepec, and every arrange- ment completed for an early attack on the following morning. At daylight on the 12th, the batteries opened, and in a very little time began to take eflfect on the works. The fire was returned from the castle with earnestness, and the assault raged with great fury throughout the day. On the ensumg morning Pillow's division, assisted by General Worth's, was ordered to storm the works. They advanced over rocks, and through dense woods, driving the enemy out before them, until they came within range of the works, bristling with bayonets and artillery. The troops then swept on in the face of a mur- derous fire, and reached the outer fort. A soldier leaped forward with a standard, and accompanied by a few others planted some ladders against the works and rushed over the walls Give the loss on each side. How were the two following; days occupied ? What skirra shes took place f How were the American generals Describe the operations of the 12th. What diviaionfl stormed ChapuUt pec? Describe their march. The attack 432 /IMERICAN ARMY ENTERS THE CITY OF MEXICO. The Wiiole army followed with loud shouts, sweeping afl before them Ake a whirlwind, and turning the guns upon their ^ormer owners. A large number of prisoners was taken in the fort, among whom was General Bravo. The interior presented a melan- choly spectacle. A great quantity of the works were a masn of ruins, among which the dead and dying were strewed in all directions ; the large building occupied as a military school, was completely riddled ; while the well selected and valuable library, together with furniture and ornaments, was in utter confusion. Meanwhile, General Quitman had attacked the enemy on the south and west, where they had posted them- selves by the aqueduct, and thrown defences across the road. All their works were carried ; and after leaving a small garri- son m Chapultepec, the army marched toward the capital, General Quitman moving by the Tacubaya road, and General Worth by the San Cosme The Mexicans resisted at every step, having erected works across the road at different places, from which they harassed every part of the American columns One station after another was carried, till at night the enemy had been driven within the gates of Mexico. On arriving at the Tacubaya gate, Quitman came in range of the citadel, from which a shower of iron hail was incessantly poured upon his ranks. The struggle at this place was tremendous, and ended only with the close of day. At midnight, commissioners from the city, bearing a flag of truce, visited General Scott, stating that Santa Anna had evacu- ated it with his army, and that it was now at his disposal. On the following morning, (September 14th,) Generals Quitman and Smith entered the Mational Plaza; and at eight o'clock, were followed by General Scott and staff fti full uniform. The stars and stripes were hoisted over the halls of Montezuma, and the long wild cheers of the army announced that the anxiously desired goal had been reached. Before leaving the city Santa Anna had liberated all the cri^ninals of the different prisons, and armed them for the purpose of murdering the Americans as they entered. Ac- cordingly when the heads of columns approached the centre of the city, they were fired upon from windows, scaffolds, The appearance of the fort. What was done by Quitman ? Whither did the Americans advance? Did the Mexicans oppose tk eir fro- What took place at midnight t When was the capital entered I By what generals ? What had been done by Santa Annaf How were the Americans annoyad i REVOLT OF SANTA ANNA*S TROOPS. 4SZ and the ops of houses, and showers of stones di^char^ea upon them. The artillery and rifle companies were detachea against them, with considerable eflfect ; yet the firing continued not only all day, but was renewed next morning. General Scott then informed the civil authorities that unless they would interfere, to prevent such outrages, he would blow up all the houses from which guns had been fired. This had the desired 3frect, and toward evening every thing was quiet. Soon after this the stores and churches were opened, and he city once more assumed a cheerful appearance* General Quitman was appointed military governor, and by prompt and energetic measures restored order and confidence among sol- diers and citizens. Captain Charles Naylor received the superintendence of the National Palace, and ha* contributed largely to the good order of the city. On the 25th of September, Santa Anna appeared before Puebla, and in a summons stating his force to oe eight thou- sand, ordered Colonel Childs, the commandant of the city, to surrender. Having received a refusal to his demand, he pre- pared to cannonade the works. Accordingly, on the evening of the 27th, the points of San Juan, Santa Rosa, and Santa xMonica, opened their batteries upon the Americans. They stopped during the night, but were renewed on the following morning, and continued through the day. By order of Santa A.nna, four hundred cotton bales were piled into a breastwork, along which the action raged with great fury. On the 1st of October, Santa Anna, with two thousand cavalry and infantry, and three pieces of artillery, left Puebla, in order to attack the American train from Jalapa. He reached Perote on the 4th, but was prevented from carrying on the expedition, by a mutiny which deprived him of all the troops except one hundred and thirty-three hussars. The troops attributed the unfortunate events of the war to his incapacity and unsuccessfulness, and denounced him as a traitor. On the 1st of October, Brigadier-General Lane, witn a considerable force, left Jalapa, and advanced toward Puebla Arriving at Perote he was reinforced by the 1st Pennsylvania regiment, swelling his army to three thousand men, with which he marched to within thirty-five miles of Puebla. Here he How was quietness restored ? Who was appointed military gover- nor ? What is said of Captain Naylor ? What took place on the 25th ? pMcribd the connonade of Puebla. 37 What expedition was undertaken by Santa Anna on the 1st of October Why was it abandoned ? What took place October Istf IVhere was General Lane nm forced ? 134 BATTLE OF HUAMANTLA. received information that Santa Anna was still in command of the Mexican army at the town of Huamantla. His force was four thousand men and several pieces of artillery. Leaving his baggage and a portion of artillery at the hacienda of Taman's, General Lane pushed forward (Oct. 9th) toward Huamantla. Two hundred mounted men under Captain Walker were in advance, with instructions to act as circum- stances might require. Unapprized of General Lane's move- ment, Santa Anna had left Huamanda during the night at the head of the army, leaving at the town five hundred men and the artillerists to bring up the cannon. As the Mexican cavalry advanced, they unexpectedly encountered Walker's men and believing it to be the American army, they hurwed back to ihe town in order to save their artillery. On arriving at Hua- manda, Walker, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers ordered a charge, drove away the five hundred men, and cap- tured four guns. He then suffered his troops to disperse, not imagining that the cavalry of Santa Anna were hurrying toward the town, in overwhelming numbers. Suddenly a rush was made into the plaza where Walker was standing with about sixty men. The latter were soon rallied and took a position m front of a church, where they received the enemy's fierce charge. A murderous battle took place, in which Walker was killed. Captain Lewis then rallied the few remaining men, and with the aid of a captured cannon maintained his position until the arrival of the American infantry. A scattering fire then took place, after which the Mexicans withdrew. In this affair the American loss was thirteen killed and eleven wounded ; that of the Mexicans exceeded one hundred. On the 19th, General Lane left Perote, and marched toward Atlisco, about ten leagues distance, where he had been informed that General Rea was posted with a considerable force. A four P. M. he arrived in sight of the enemy, and halted to await the arrival of his cavalry. A charge was then ordered, which resulted in a running fight of an hour's duration. On arriving at a small hill the Mexicans halted, and fought severely until the arrival of Lane's infantry. The retreat was then resumed, and after pursuing for about four miles the Ameri cans suddenly found themselves in front of the enemy s mam What information reached General Lane f Did he still advance % Give an iiccount of the capture of Huamantla. Ot the detth of Captain Walker What was the loss f What took place on the 19th f Who commanded at Atlisco? Describe the skirmish with th9 Mexi- cad advance. The battle with the main bodf. TREATY WITH MEXICO. 435 body, who were stationed on a side hill, behind rows of chapar ral. Although the Americans were worn down with fatigue, they vigorously charged the position, driving out the enemy, and pursuing them towards Atlisco. Night had now set in ; but a brilliant full moon enabled the victors to pursue their advantage. The ground was so rough that the artillery could not advance faster than at a walking pace, which exposed them considerably while approaching the town. As General Lane was totally unacquainted with Atlisco, he did not consider it prudent to enter ; but, posting his artil- lery on a neighboring hill, commenced a bombardment. By moonlight, the spectacle was grand and impressive. Every gun was served with the utmost rapidity; and, mingled with the loud, solemn roar, was the crashing of walls and the falling of buildings. In three-quarters of an hour, the authorities waited upon General Lane, requesting that it might be spared. He accordingly took possession that night. The Mexican loss in this affair, as stated by General Lane was two hundred and nineteen killed, and three hundred wounded. He reports his own at one killed, one wounded. On the follow- ing morning, he returned to Puebla. About the time of the struggle at Atlisco, Captain Lavalette, with part of the American squadron, bombarded, and finally captured, the town of Guaymas, situated on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Another portion of the United States' fleet had, meanwhile, taken possession of the city of Mazatlan, also on the Mexican Gulf For several months after the capture of Mexico, the AmeA- can forces who kept up the communication between that city and the sea-coast, had to encounter almost daily perils from the attacks of marauding bands of guerrillas. Led on by an ecclesiastic named Jarauta, they exhibited a spirit of daring and ferocity that rendered them far more troublesome than the forces of Santa Anna had been. Their frequent momentary successes greatly encouraged the Mexican authorities, and long delayed the completion of the treaty of peace then being negotiated by Mr. Trist. This gentleman's efforts, however, at length suc- ceeded; and, in the spring of 1848, amicable terms were once more established between the United States and Mexico. By this treaty, commonly known as that of Gudalupe Hidalgo, our government obtained the extensive territories of New Mexico and Alta California. The news of its ratification was almost Describe the capture of Atlisco. What followed? The capture of Quaymas. What was the state of things ia Mexico ? What was done by Triitt 436 ELECTION OP GEN. TAYLOE. generally received with satisfaction by the people of both cou»» tries. Texas, to the Rio Grande, was secured to the United States. At the same time, the American government agreed to pay $15,000,000 for the ceded territories, and to assume debts amounting to $3,500,000, due by Mexico to persons in the United States. Alta, or Upper, California, a portion of the territory thua obtained, presently proved to be an acquisition of the highest importance. In May, 1848, while a mill-race was being exca- vated, near Sutter's Fort, on a branch of the Sacramento river, gold in wonderful quantities was discovered. Tidings of this discovery having been conveyed to the Atlantic States, a new impetus was given to the tide of emigration; and, in a few months, San Francisco, the chief port of California, became an extensive city. Under the enchantment of gold, what had but lately been supposed to be a mere grazing country, sprang into existence as a populous territory, with numerous cities and towns, to which the attention of the whole world of commerce was drawn. In November, 1848, the Presidential election was held. Three different candidates were in the field. The Whig party took up General Zachary Taylor for President, and Millard Fillmore, of New York, for Vice-President. The Democratic candidates for the same offices were General Lewis Cass and General William 0. Butler. The third party, composed of those in favor of prohibiting the extension of slavery, and generally known as the Free SoiF' party, supported Martin Van Buren for President, and Charles F. Adams for Vice-Presi- dent. Taylor and Fillmore were elected j and, on the 4th of March, 1849, entered upon the duties of their respective offices. CHAPTER XLVI. ADMINISTRATION OP GENERAL TAYLOR. The inaugural a?ddress of President Taylor was brief, but plain and explicit. John M. Clayton, of Delaware, was ap* pointed Secretary of State ; and William M. Meredith, of Penn- sylvania, Secretary of the Treasury. During the recent session Terms of the treaty ? What transpired in California ? What took place in Nov. 1848? Who were among the cabinet ofl}' cers of President Tayloy? HIS DEATH 487 tt Gougres8^ a new department, called the Home DepartmeDt^ and intended to lighten the labors of the Secretary of the Treasury, had been created. To fulfil the duties of this new branch of our government, the President selected Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, with the oflScial title of Secretary of the Interior. During the following year, the discussion of the slavery ques- tion was the source of much excitement. The people of Cali- fornia met in convention and formed a State Constitution, by which slavery was forever prohibited. This prohibition, on th^ inchoate State's application for admission into the Union, occa- sioned no little asperity in the debates of Congress. Other questions, as those respecting the claims put forth by Texas the Territory of New Mexico, and the abolition of the slave^* trade in the District of Columbia, helped to fan the flames of sectional animosity; and it soon became apparent that, unless the moderate men, both of the North and South, united upon conciliatory measures, Congress would be unable to transact any business. On the 19th of April, 1850, a select committee of thirteen, having Henry Clay for its chairman, was appointed by the Senate, to prepare a bill for the restoration of harmony to the national councils. This bill, known as the ^* Omnibus Bill," provided for the admission of California ; for territorial govern- ments in Utah and New Mexico ; for paying Texas to relinquish her claim upon the latter Territory ; and for the abolition of the slave-trade in the District of Columbia. Its discussion lasted about two months; and elicited in Congress a display of elo- quence and statesmanship never before exhibited there. But the bill, by successive amendments, was reduced to an act for the formation of a territorial government in Utah. On the 19th of May, an expedition, fitted out, at New Orleans, with the design of revolutionizing Cuba, landed at Cardenas, on that island. The invading force, consisting of about 600 men, commanded by General Lopez, after a brief struggle took possession of the place ; but, disappointed in their expectations of receiving the assistance of the Cuban people, they re-embarked the same evening, and sailed to Key West. Their loss in killed and wounded was about forty : that of the Cubans was much greater. Lopez's vessel was seized by the United States authorities ; and he himself, together with several distinguished persons, was arrested, and tried for violating the What caused excitement? i What is said of the Onmibua Bill! What was discussed in Congress T | Describe Lopez's ezpeditioxL 488 SECOND INVASION OF CUBA. neutrality laws of our government. For want of ftvidence; however, thoy were acquitted. On the 9th of July, the whole country was thrown into mourning by intelligence of the death of President Taylor, after an illness of but five days' duration. His dying vfoid^ were truly characteristic : " I have endeavored to do my dv^y CHAPTER XLVII. ADMINISTRATION OP MR. FILLMORE. By virtue of his oflBce, Vice-President Fillmore became the successor of General Taylor, as an occupant of the executive chair. The old cabinet having resigned, a new one was formed, with Daniel Webster, of Massachusetts, at its head, as Secretary of State. The compromise measures which had been embodied m the Omnibus Bill," were now brought forward separately^ and happily received the sanction of Congress and the President. Meanwhile, difficulties had arisen between the United States and several foreign governments. They were, however, ami- cably arranged ; but not until the public mind had been consi- derably agitated by apprehensions of a warlike termination to them. During the spring of 1851, a second invasion of Cuba was projected, in our southern ports. Rumors of the intended expedition becoming rife, the President issued a proclamation, declaring that those engaged in it were violating the neutrality laws, and would thereby place themselves beyoud the protection of the United States government. Nevertheless, a party of about 460 men, und^r the command of General Lopez, sailed from New Orleans, in August, on board the steamer Pampero, and landed on the coast of Cuta. Leaving Colonel Crittenden in charge of the baggage, Lopc«, with the main body of his troops, marched inland. The inhabitants fled before him, neither joining his standard nor furnishing him with provisions, as he had expected they would do. During his absence. Colonel Crittenden was attacked by a greatly superior force ; and, after a sanguinary and desperate resistance, compelled to fly to his boats. He and his party — now numbering fifty-ong What happened on the 9th of July, 1850? Who succeeded President Taylor ? Wliat is said of the Omnibus Bill? Of foreign aflFairs f Of Cuba ? Give an account of th9 iQTMd^ of Cuba? HIJIOTION OF PRESIDENT PTEROB. 439 persons — were, however, speedily captured by a Spanish steamer, and taken to Havana, where they were tried, condemned, and shot. Meanwhile, General Lopez had been attacked by the Spanish troops. Fighting with the energy of despair, the Americans for a period held their ground ; but, having lost over fifty men, they fled to the mountains. Nearly all were killed or captured. Lopez, their leader, was taken, and carried to Havana, where he was executed by the yarrott^ nn instrument of death in common use among the Spaniards. The intelligence of these proceedings caused an intense ex- citement throughout the country, and especially in the Southern States. At New Orleans, a mob destro^^^d the office of a Spanish newspaper, and even sacked the house th3 Spanish consul. Large meetings were also held in our chiet cities, denouncing the Cuban authorities; and active preparations were made for sending fresh reinforcements to the invaders. Subsequent accounts, however, and the interference of our government, prevented the execution of this design, and quitted the passion- ate feeling that had originated it. Of the American prisoners remaining in the possession of the Spanish government^ ninety were presently released, and, on the 13th of March, 1852, reached New York. On the 29th of June, 1852, Henry Clay died at Washing- ton. His departure was mourned as a national calamity. His public services had been of the most important kind, and they were duly appreciated by the nation. No statesman has ever exerted so great an influence, and for so long a period, over the intellectual and reflecting portion of the community, as Henry Clay. In June, the Democratic Convention at Baltimore, nomi- nated Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire, for the Presidency, and William R. King, of Alabama, for the Vice-Presidency. The Whig candidates were General Winfield Scott and William A. Graham; and the Free Soil party nominated John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, and George W. Julian, of Indiana. At the ensuing election, held in November, the Democratic candi- dates received majorities in all but four States. Franklin Pierce and William R. King were consequently elected. But a few days previous, the country was thrown into mourning by intelligence of the death of Daniel Webster, our distinguished Secretary of State. What transpired at New Orleans ? | W^at w«a tb« resali of th« tl*^ What ooourred in Jane ? | tion ? 440 tHS KOSZTA AJVAIE. CHAPTER XLVIIL pieroe's administration. Thi new President selected William L. Marcy, of New York, fts the chief ofl&cer of his cabinet. Previously, however, th« Vice-President elect, Wm. E. King, had fallen a victim to con- sumption. His death was much mourned. Mr. Atchison, of Missouri, by virtue of his office as Speaker of the Senate, suc- ceeded him. In the fall of 1853, quite an excitement was caused through- out the country by the publication of a correspondence which had taken place between Secretary Marcy and the Chevalier Hulsemann, Minister from Austria. It seems that one Martin Koszta, a Hungarian refugee, who had declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, having visited the Turkish port of Smyrna, was there arrested by the Austrian Consul- General, and confined on board an Austrian vessel of war. His release was immediately demanded by the American Charg^, and enforced by Captain Ingraham, of the United States cor- vette St. Louis. M. Hulsemann complained of this, and called for the repri- manding of Captain Ingraham, and for the fullest satisfaction to Austria. Mr. Marcy replied, stating lucidly the rights claimed by the United States for her citizens abroad. Koszta, having left the country solely on business, was, therefore, none the less an American citizen. Consequently, the United States could tender no satisfaction to Austria; and Captain Ingraham's con- duct, moreover, instead of requiring censure, was perfectly justi- fiable. For his prompt and decided action in this aflfair, Captain Ingraham was afterwards presented by Congress with a medal. While the Koszta question was being discussed, our Mexican relations were seriously disturbed. On the 13th of March, 1853, General Lane, the Governor of New Mexico, took provi- sional possession of a tract of country known as the Mesilla Valley. This had been claimed by both Mexico and the United States; but a joint boundary commission assigned it to the former country. The ground for Governor Lane's action was, According to his statement, the expressed desire of the peopLa Who was Secretary of State I What was done by M. HulsemaimT Who died ! Mr. Marcy ? Relate ih« ff irciift (Mftrir | What took place ^'^T tREATY WITH JAPAN. 441 of the Y alley to come under the protection of the United States Troops were sent by both governments into the disputed terri tory, and affairs began to assume a hostile aspect. But happily the diflBculty was adjusted to the satisfaction of all parties; Mexico yielding the Mesilla Valley, and granting to the United States the right to build a railroad across the isthmus of Tehuan- fcepec, on condition of receiving from our government the sum of 810,000,000. In the spring of 1854, much ill-feeling was excited in th United States against the Spanish authorities of Cuba, by the seizure at Havana of the steamer Black Warrior. Certain in- formalities with regard to the vessel's manifest were urged by the port oflScials, who declared the cargo confiscated; upon which the American captain hauled down his flag, surrendered the steamer, and appealed to his country for protection. Reso- lutions were immediately introduced into Congress, proposing a repeal of the neutrality laws, in respect to Spain. Instructions were, at the same time, forwarded to our minister at Madrid, to demand the sum of $300,000, as indemnity for the seizure of the Black Warrior. Many of our citizens, meanwhile, were making preparations to invade Cuba. A stop was put to their designs, however, by an official proclamation from the President; and, in June, 1855, intelligence was made public that an ami- cable arrangement of the difficulty had been effected. During the year 1854, several highly important treaties were concluded between the United States and other powers. Com- modore Perry, who, in 1852, had been despatched, with an American fleet, to Japan, to attempt the establishment of a friendly intercourse with the government of that country, finally succeeded, though not until after much delay and difficulty, in arranging a treaty of peace and amity between Japan and the United States. It was signed March 31, 1854. The Japanese ports of Simoda and Hakodadi were opened to American vessels, to obtain wood, water, provisions, and coal; safety and protec- tion were guaranteed to all American seamen cast by shipwreck upon the Japanese coast; and grounds for a burial-place for Americans were ordered to be set apart, at Kakizaki. About the same time, two other important treaties were negotiated: one providing for commercial reciprocity between the United States and the British North American provinces ; and a second, with Russia, in which that government recognised, as a doctrine of international law, the principle, long contended for by this country, that free ships make free goods, and that the property W>Nitoeoiirred in the spring of 1864? | What treaties were oondudedT 442 THE CLAYTON BULWER TREATY. of neutrals, unless contraband of war, should be respected, eveL if found on board enemies' vessels. July of this same year (1854) was marked by tb^ destruction of San Juan, or Greytown, situated upon the Mosquito shore. The first difficulty that led to this affiiir was a claim made against the authorities of the town, by the Accessory Transit Company, for $24,000, as damages for certain property which they alleged to have been stolen from them, and the whereabouts of which they charged the authorities with being cognizant of. Soon afterwards, a negro captain of a river boat was shot by a person named Smith, an American, and the commander of a steamer running upon the river. An attempt was made to arrest the oflFender; but the officer sent to do so was resisted by the passengers, headed by Mr. Borland, United States Minister to Nicaragua, who stated that his instructions were, not to recog- nise, in any way, the authorities of 'Greytown. Subsequently going on shore, Mr. Borland was ordered to be arrested. In the meUe that resulted, he was struck in the face by a bottle. To demand an apology for this alleged insult to our minister, and indemnity for the Transit Company's property, government, in June, despatched the sloop-of-war Cyane, under Commander Hollins. No compliance being made to his demands, though he had threatened the town with bombardment, Com- mander Hollins, against the protest of Lieutenant J olley, of the British ship Bermuda, on the 13th of July opened his batteries upon the town, which in a few hours was completely destroyed. Lieutenant Jolley, proclaiming martial law, then declared the town under his protection. Though this act of our government was characterized in the bitterest terms by several foreign powers, and was strongly complained of, the apprehensions of war to which it gave rise were speedily allayed. The Clayton-Bulwer treaty, respecting the British settlements in Central America, had, in the meantime, been the subject of quite an exciting discussion. In January, 1854, Mr. Cass stated, in the Senate, that he had voted for confirming the treaty alluded to, solely on the supposition that it excluded the British from all parts of Central America. Such, he found, was not the case : a declaration having been assented to by both governments, to the efiect that the treaty did not apply to the British Protec- torate of the Mosquito Indians. Reply was made by Mr. Clay- ton, substantially asserting that the declaration referred to was not at all intended to modify the treaty, by the express terms of which England was efi^ectually excluded from Central Ame delate the affair of Greytown. | What is said of the Clayton-Biilw«» TROUBLES IN KANSAS. 448 rica. An animated debate ensued; the speeches of most of those engaged in it assuming a decidedly warlike tone. Through- out the United States and Great Britain, the subject became for a time the engrossing topic. The English government pro- posed to submit the proper interpretation of the treaty to some third power ; but the United States having refused to do so, for a while the matter was apparently allowed to rest. CHAPTER XLIX. THE KANSAS DIFFICULTY. In January, 1854, a bill was introduced into the Unitea States Senate, by Mr. Douglass, of Illinois, for the formation of the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, by certain provisions of which the act of 1820, generally called the Missouri Com- promise, was declared null and void. After a series of most violent debates, the bill received the sanction of Congress, and the signature of President Pierce, in May. The passage of this act was the signal for the warmest sec- tional agitation. In the North, a new political organization, having for its objects the restoration of the Missouri Compromise and the non-extension of slavery into the territories, sprang rapidly into power, under the name of the Republican Party. The election in Kansas, in March, 1855, for members of the territorial legislature, resulted in the triumph of those favorable to the introduction there of slavery ; but the Free State'' men insisted that their defeat was due to the interference of illegal voters from Missouri, the western borders of which are con- tiguous to Kansas. The Governor of Kansas, Mr. Reeder, pre- sently visiting the Eastern States, gave confirmation to this statement; and, as he had received his appointment from an administration that sanctioned the Kansas-Nebraska act, his confirmation was much relied upon in the North and East, where it caused the intensest excitement. In Kansas, ihh sectional asperity finally resulted in blood- shed. At a meeting of the citizens of Leavenworth, during an iVhat is said of the Kansas difia- culty I What bill was rejected? What one finally signed ? What followed its passage ? What new party sprang np ? What party triumphed ? What did the " Free State" men do f What did Gov. Reeder do ? What was the result in Kansas T 444 TROUBLES IN KANSAS. angry discussion, Malcolm Clark, a "Free State" mao, was killed by a lawyer of the opposite party, named M^Crea. But for the interference of the military commandant at Fort Leaven- worth, the latter would have been lynched. The first act of the Kansas Legislature, which met in July^ at Pawnee, was to d-eclare its own legality. A bill to removf the seat of government temporarily to Shawnee Mission, wa# next enacted, over Governor Reeder's veto. Adjourning to the place designated, the Legislature passed several acts; one of which rendered infiimous any person found guilty of advocating abolition doctrines. These bills Governor Reeder would not sign, giving as his reason the illegality of the Legislature which had passed them. That body thereupon requested the President to remove him. Meanwhile, charges had been preferred against Mr. Reeder of having made an illegal purchase of lands on the Kansas In- dian reservation. Declaring the untruth of this statement, the Governor said that he had agreed to buy the lands, provided the President approved the bargain. He was, thereupon, in- formed that his conduct was unsatisfactory to the Government, and removed from office. Wilson Shannon, of Ohio, was selected to succeed him. Previously, however, the Territorial Legislature had passed a number of very stringent laws. Among these was one making it death to entice or assist slaves to escape from their masters ; and depriving all persons opposed to the holding of slaves, in Kansas, of the right to act on juries. An intense spirit of animosity between the two parties in the territory now began to exhibit itself. A convention of Free State men, which met at Big Springs, on the 5th of September, after declaring their determination that slavery should not be admitted into Kansas, called upon the people to prepare for armed resistance to the recently enacted laws, and fixed upon the following 9th of October as the day for electing a delegate to Congress. Mean- while, the Territorial Legislature had appointed the 1st of the same month for a like purpose. At that time, Mr. Whitfield, Who was killed T By whom ? What was the first act of the Kansas Legislature ? fVhere did the Legislature meet ? What acts were passed ? What was requested of the Presi- dent? What charges were brought against Mr.Eeed«r? What did he say T What resulted ? What laws were passed by the Tea^ ritorial Legislature ? What did the convention of " Fre€ State" men do ? What had the TerritoriaJ Legisli^ ture done ? Who was elected? TROUBLES IN KANSAS. 441 ihe Pro- Slavery candidate, was elected. The Free State men voted, on the day they had appointed, for Mr. Reeder, and claimed to have a majority; but left the decision of the ques tion to the National House of Representatives. In the mean- time, both from the North and South, numbers of emigrants, armed, and furnished with money, had been sent to Kansas. About the same time, a secret political organization, named the Know-Nothings," the efforts of which were directed against the election to office of citizens not native-born, sprang into quick existence, and obtained the balance of power in the Na- tional House of Representatives. With the Free Soil, or Re- publican, members, with whom some of them were in a certain degree affiliated, they presented a working majority against the administration. The House of Representatives, after a contest of more than two months, finally elected, as its presiding officer, Mr. N. P. Banks, a Republican Know-Nothing. In the House thus or- ganized, Mr. Whitfield took his seat, under protest from Mr. Reeder. A long discussion ensued, as to the right of the re- spective claimants to a place in the National Legislature, as a delegate from Kansas. At length, however, it was decided that neither was entitled to a seat. Meanwhile, affairs in Kansas had begun to present an alarm- ing appearance. On the 27th of October, 1855, the Free State men met in convention, at Topeka, eople to dissolve the political bands which have connected Ihem ^ith another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate ana equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, i\ decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident: — that all men are created equal j that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights j thi-t among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving tneii just powers from the consent of the governed ; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people tc alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such forms, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes : and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains tnem to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation, till his assent should b* obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly nesriccted to attend tj them. He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of repre sentation in the legislature; a right inestimable to them, and formidable tc tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved representative houses repeatedl}', for opposing, with nanly firmness, his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused, for a long time after such dissolutions, to cause others to ected ; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, hav€ oed to the people at large, fcjr their exercise ; the state remainiDg, ir 478 APPENDIX. Am Meaa time, exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and eonvnlftioM within. He liJLs hiideavoured to prevent the population of these states ; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; infusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his &ssent to laws for establishing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of theii offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officer", to harass our people, and to eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to the civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to am constitutions, and unacknowledged by our laws ; giving his assent to theii acts of pretended legislation. For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us : For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murden which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states t For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world : For imposing taxes on us without our consent: For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury: For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences : For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighbouring pro- vince, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging itf boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies : For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering, fundamentally, the forms of our governments : For suspending our own legislatureo, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection, and \raging war against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is, at this time, transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless Indian savages, whose imown rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions. In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress in tiicj aaost humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. Wt have warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity ; and we have conjure interrupt our connexior s and correspondence. They, too, aavi 480 APPENDIX. been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. Wc must, therefoii^ acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation, and hold them, we hold tl e rest of mankind, enemies in war; in peace, friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, h Geaeral Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the worlA for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these TInited Colonies are, and of right ought to be, 1*kee and Independeht States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connexion between them and the state of Great Britain ir*, and ought to be. totally dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract aliiancei, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. Aad for the support of this declaration, with a fiim reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour. JOHN HANCOCK, lEc CONSTITOTION OF THE UNITED STATES. We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of thi United States of America. ARTICLE I. Sect. I. — All legislative powers herein granted, shall be vested in % congress of the United States, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives. Sect. II. — 1. The house of representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year, by the people of the several states; and th« electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors Oi the most numerous branch of the state legislature. 2. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of the state in which he shall be chosen. 3. Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among tha •everal states which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of yearly and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons. The actual enumeratior shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in su^h manner as they shall by law direct. The numoer of representative 3 shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each ctate shall have at leas*^ one representative: and until such enumeration shall be made, iNe state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three Massachusetts f eight; Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, one Cmnecticut^ fiie ; New Yorky six ; New Jersey , four; Pennsylvania, ei|^t| IMaware, one; Maryland, six; Virginia, ten; North Caroling firei 99utk Carolin^^ 6 ; and Georgia ^ three APPENDIX. <3, When racancies happen in the representation from any atate, the e*w- . ative authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill iuch vacancies. 5. The house of repiesentatives shall choose their s];eaker and othet officers and shall have the sole power of impeachment. Sect. III. — 1. The senate of the United States shall he composed of two senators from each state, chosen hy the legislature thereof, for six years i and each senator shall have one vote. 2. Immediately after they shall be assembled, in consequence of the fiiirt election, they shall be divided, as equally as may be, into three classes. The seats of tne senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration jf the second year ; of the second class, at the expiration of the fourth year and of the third class, at the expiration of the sixth year ; so that one-thii^ may be chosen every second year ; and if vacancies happen by resignation or otherwise, during the recess of the legislature of any state, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the le^slature, which shall then fill such vacancies. 3. No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and who •hall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen. 4. The vice-president of the United States shall be president oi thf senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided. 6. The senate shall choose their other officers, and also a president pro tempore, in the absence of the vice-president, or when he shall exercise thi office of president of the United States. 6. The senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When tiitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the president of the United States is tried, the chief justice shall preside ; and BO person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the Members present 7. Judgment, in eases of impeachment, shall cot extend farther thm removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour, trust, or profit, under the United States ; but the party convicted shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law. Sect. IV. — 1. The times, place j, and manner of holding elections foi senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legis- lature thereof; but the congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations, except as to the places of choosing senators. 2. The congress shall assemble at least once in every year; and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day. Sect. V. — 1. Each house shall be judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members ; and a majority of each shall constitute a qvorum to do business ; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, u;d may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in 8uef fotu jrearp, and, together with the ^ ice-president, chosen for the same term, be elected as follows : 2. Each state shall appoint, in such a manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the congress ; but nr senator or representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit imdet the United States, shall be appointed an elector. 3. [Annulled. See Amendments, Art 12.] 4. The congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the diy on which they shall give their votes ; which day shall be the same throughout the United States. 5. No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president ; neither shall any person be tligible to that office who Bhall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been 6)arteen years a resident within the United States. 6. In case of the removal of the president from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to dischaige the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the vice-president ; and the congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the president and vice-president, declaring what officer shall then act as presi- dent ; and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a president shall be elected. 7. The president shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compen- sation which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the pe iod foi which he shall have been elected ; and he shall not receive, witl in that period, any other emolument from the United States, or any of them . 8. Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation : 9. "I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States." Sect. II. — 1. The president shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the ignited States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive depart- ments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices i ftnd he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment 2, He »hall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the nenate, tu ^nake treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur { ftnd he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the ienate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all other officers of the United States^ whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law. But the congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they think proper, in the president alone, in the sourts of law, or in the heads of departments. 3. The president shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may Happen during the recess of the senate, by granting commissions which hall expire at the end of their next session. Sect. III. — He shall from time to time give to the congress information of flie state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures A8 he shall judge necessary and expedient ; he may, on extraordinary occ«»» nons, convene both houses, or either of them ; and in case of disagreemeol Mtween them, with "t^pact to the time of adjouminent, he nugr t4im% APPENDIX. Aem to such time as he shall think proper; he sha.T rece ve ambassadon ind other public ministers ; he shall take care that the laws be faithfullj fxccuted ; and shall commissi'^n all the officers of the United States. Sect. IV. — The president, vice-president, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and convic- tion of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours. ARTICLE m. Sect. I. — The judicial power of the United States shall be vested m aie mpreme court, and in such inferior courts as the congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation which shall net be diminished during their continuance in office. Sect. II. — 1. The judicial power shall extend to all cases in law and equity, msing under this constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority ; to all cases affecting embassadors, other public ministers, and consuls ; to all cases of admiralty &nd maritime jurisdiction ; to controversies to which the United States shaL De a party ; to controversies between two or more states, between a state and citizens of another state, between citizens of different states, between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states, and between a state or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens, or subjects. 2. In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, and those in which a state shall be a party, the supreme court shall have original jurisdiction. In all the other cases before mentioned, the supreme court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations, as the congress shall make. 3. The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury ; and such trial shall be held in the state where the said crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed with any state, the trial 488 dent, as In the case of the death, or other constitutional debility of the preil* dent. 2. The person havino: the greatest number of votes as vice-president shall be the vice-president, if such number be a majority ol' the whole number of electors appointed ; and if no person iiave a majority, then from the two hif^hest num- bers on the list the senate shall choose the vice-president : a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds ol" the whole number of senators, and a majority of the whole number t^hall be necessary to a choice. 3. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice-president of the United States. Art. XIII. Sect. 1. — Neither slavery, nor involuntnry servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Sect. II.— Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appropriate legislation. Art. XIV. Sect. I.— All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein thev reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States ; noi shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due pro- cess of law ; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Sect. II.— Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed ; but when the right to vote at any election for choice of electors for president and vice-president of the United States, representatives in congress, the executive and judicial olflcers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabi- tants of such state (being twenty-one years of age and citizens of the United States^ or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein, shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state. - Sect. III. — No person shall be a senator or representative in congreso, or elector, or president or vice-president, or hold anj^ office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath as a member of congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to sup- port the constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to tlie enemies thereof ; but congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability. Sect. IV. — The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt ()r obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave ; but all such debts, obligations and claims, sliall be held illegal and void. Sect. V. — The congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legisla- tion, the provisions of this Article. Art. XV. Sect. 1.— The right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state, on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Sect. II.— The congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appro- priate legislation. POPULATION OF THE AMERICAN COLONIES. Tota. population in 1701, 262,000. Total population in 1749. 986,000. EXPENSE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. Estimated amount of expenditures from 1775 to 1784, — in specie, — $135,193,703. Emissions of continental money from 1776 to 1781. Old emission, $357,476,541. New emission,- $2,070,485. By comparing this amount of papier money with the preceding estimate of the expense of the war, in specie, it will be seen that the average deprecia- tion of the whole amount issued was nearly two-thirds of its original value. APPJ3NDIX. 48d WHOOPS EMPLOYED DURING THE REVOLUTION. [From Dr. Holmes's Annals.] Land forces employed by Great Britain in America, 1774-1780. 1774 6,884 Died and deserted 19,381 1775 11,219 Prisoners . . 5,336 1776 45,865 1777 48,616 24,717 Lost of the army . 24,717 Los' of the navy . 4,314 29,031 Naval force for the above four years. Men of war and armed vessels ... 83 Complement of men ..... 22,337 Of which were lost by death . . . . 4,314 British corps and recruits sent from Great Britain or Ireland to North America or the West Indies. ms . . . 3,774) 1779 . . . 6,871 >■ Total, 20,882. 1780 . . . 10,237) Men and marines employed by Great Britain during the American war. Raised for his majesty's navy, marines included, from September 29, 1774, to Septemoer 29, 1780 175,990 Of whom, in five years, beginning with 1776, and ending with 1780, ^l?e killed : : : Total, W Deserted .... 42,069 PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, FROM THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION. Term began. Term ended. 1. George Washington, Virginia, April 30, 1789, March 3, 1797. 2. John Adams, Massachusetts, March 4, 1797, 1801. 3. Thomas Jefferson, Virginia, 1801, 1809. 4. James Madison, Virginia, 1809, 1817. 5. James Monroe, Virginia, 1817, 1825. 6. John Qninc}^ Adams, Massachusetts, 1825, 1829. 7. Andrew J ackson. Tennessee, 1829, 1837. 8. Martin Van Buren, New York, 1837, 1841. 9. William Henry Harrison,* Ohio, 1841, April 4, 1841. 10. Johm Tyler, Virginia, April 4, 1841, March 3, 1845. 11. James Knox Polk, Tennessee, March 4, 1845, 1849. 12. Zachary Taylor,* Louisiana, 1849, July 9, 1850. 13. Millard Fillmore, New York, July 9, 1850, March 3. 1853. 14. Franklin Pierce, N. Hampshire, March 4, 1853, 1857. 15. James Buchanan, Pennsylvania, 1857, 1861. 16. Abraham Lincoln,* Illinois, 1861, April 14, 1865. 17. Andrew Johnson, Tennessee, April 15, 1865, March 3, 1869. 18. Ulysses S. Grant, Illinois, March 4, 1869, " 1877. 19. Rutherford B. Hayes, Ohio, 1877, " 1881 iO. James A. Garfield, Ohio, 1881, * Died in oflSce. 490 POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES ACCORDING TO THE TENTH CENSUS. STATES. Total Popula- tion, 1880. DISTRIBUTION BY SEX. Males. Females. Alabania 1,262,794 622,890 639,904 Arizona 40,441 28,202 12,239 A.rkEnsas 802,564 416,383 386,181 Californiii 864^686 518,271 346,415 Colorado 194^649 129,471 65,178 Connecticut 622,683 305,886 316.797 Dakota 135,180 82,302 52,818 Delaware 146'654 74,153 72,501 District of Columbia 177^638 83,594 94,044 Florida 267,351 135,393 131,958 Georgia 1,539,048 761,184 777,864 Idaho 31,611 21,818 10,793 Illinois 3,078,769 1,587,433 1,491,336 Indiana . , 1,978,362 1,010,676 967,686 Iowa 1,624,620 848,234 776,386 Kansas 995,966 536,725 459,241 Kentucky 1,648^708 832,676 816,032 Louisiana 940, 103 468,833 471,270 Maine. . 648,945 324,084 324,861 Maryland 934,632 462,004 472,628 Massachusetts , . , . 1,783,012 858,475 9^. ,537 Michio'an 1,636,331 862,276 774,055 Minnesota '780,'806 419,262 361,544 Mississippi l,13l'592 567,137 564,455 Missouri 2,168^804 1,127,424 1,041,380 Montana 39,157 28,180 10,977 Nebraska 452 433 249,275 203,158 Nevada 62,265 42,013 20,252 New Hampshire 34fi'QS4 170,575 176,409 New Jer"»ey 1 130,983 559,823 571,160 New Mexico 11 8' 430 63,751 54,679 New York 5,083^810 2,506,283 2,577,527 1,400,047 688,203 711,844 Ohio 3,198,239 1,614,165 1,584,074 Oregon 174,767 103,388 71,379 Pennsylvania 4,282,786 2,136,635 2,146,151 Rhode Island 276,528 133,033 143,495 South Carolina 995,622 490,469 505,153 Tennessee 1,542,463 769,374 773,089 Texas 1,592,574 838,719 753,855 Utah 143,906 74,470 69,436 Vermont 332.286 166,888 165,398 Virginia 1,512,806 745.839 766,967 Washington 75,120 45,977 29,143 618,443 314,479 303,964 1,315,480 680,106 635,374 Wyoming 20,788 14,151 6,637 Total 50,152,866 25,520,582 24,632,284 AFPENDIX. 491 POPULATION OF THE PRINCIPAL CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. New York Philadelphia . . . Brooklyn Chicago Boston St. Louis Baltimore Cincinnati San Francisco. . New Orleans . . . Cleveland Pittsburg Buffalo Washington Newark Louisville Jerse;^ City Detroit Milwaukee Providence Albany Rochester Allegheny. Pa. . Indianapolis . . . Richmond New Haven Lowell Worcester Troy Kansas City Cambridge, Mass Syracuse Columbus, Ohio Paterson Toledo Charleston Fall River Minneapolis Scranton Nashville Reading. . , . , Hartford Wilmington. .. . Camden St. Paul Lawrence, Mass Dayton Lynn Denver Oakland, Cal. . . Atlanta Utica Portland, Me . . Memphis Springfield, Mass Manchester, N. H St. Joseph, Mo . Grand Rapids, Mich Wheeling, W. Ya. Mobile Hoboken . . . Harrisburg. . Savannah . . Omaha 33,181 42,520 n90. 18,038 13,503 16,359 96,373 96,664 4,402 32,250 46,555 2,540 17,242 547 4,768 1,508 1,357 10,071 9,356 9,735 5,772 1810. 24,711 ,955 7,169 2,76^ 615 1830. 203,007 167,188 12,042 61,392 50,625 24,831 46,310 1,076 12.542 8,653 18,827 10,593 10,352 2,222 16,832 24,238 9,269 16,060 10,180 6,474 11,401 2,435 5,566 7,074 8,323 12,601 6,784 877 3,194 9V748 1840. 312,710 258,03^ 36,233 4,479 102,313 46,338 102,193 6,071 21,115 18,213 23,364 17,290 21,210 9,102 1,700 23,171 33,721 20,191 20,153 14,890 20,79r 7,49' 19,334 6,502 6,048 29,261 12,793 12,782 15,218 10,985 3,235 12,672 11,214 1850. 515,547 408,762 96,838 29,963 136,881 169,054 115,436 15,000 116,375 17,034 46,601 42,261 40,001 38,894 43,194 21,019 20,061 41,513 50,763 36,403 27,570 20,345 33,383 17,049 28,785 22,271 17, 11,334 10,478 13,555 17,565 20,815 11,766 13,932 20,515 15,312 1860. 805,651 585,529 266,661 109,260 177,812 160,773 212,418 161,044 66,802 168,675 43,417 49,217 81,129 61,122 71,914 68,033 29,226 45,619 45,246 50,666 62,367 48,204 28,702 18,611 '37,910 39,26"^ 36,827 24,960 39,232 •;,<118 26,060 2S,1 1,:,554 19,586 1C,768 40,578 14,026 5,822 9,223 16,988 23,161 29,154 J?l,508 14,358 10,401 17 639 20,081 19,083 1V549 9,554 22.529 26 341 22,623 15,199 20,107 8,932 8,085 14,083 29,2.58 9,1 13,405 22,292 1,J 1870. 942,292 674.022 396;099 ■7 250,526 310,861 267,354 216,S*39 149,473 191,418 92,829 86,076 117,714 109,199 105,059 100,753 82,546 79,577 71,440 68 904 69,422 62,386 53,180 48,244 51,038 50,840 40,928 41,105 46,46L 32,260 39,634 43,051 31,274 33,r79 31,584 48,956 26,766 13,066 35,092 25,865 37,1"- 30,841 20,045 20,030 28,921 30,473 U8,233 4,759 10,500 2i,7r" 28,804 31,413 40,226 2t, 703 23.536 19.565 16,507 19,280 32,034 20,297 23,104 28,235 16,083 1880. ,206,590 846,984 566,689 503,304 362,535 350,522 332,190 255,708 233,956 216,140 160,142 15-,381 155,137 147,307 136,400 123,645 120,728 116,342 11^ ^78 104,850 90,903 8.,363 73,681 75,074 63,803 62,882 59,485 58,295 56,747 55,813 52,740 51,7911 51,665 50,887 50,143 49,999 49,006 46,887 45,850 43,461 43,280 42,553 42,4.9 41 658 41,498 39,178 38,677 38,284 35,6?0 34,556 34,398 33,913 33,810 3o,59C 33,o40 32,630 32,;84 32,0^5 31,^36 31,205 30,999 30,762 30,681 30,518 492 APPENDIX. lyibie of tontemporar y Sovereigns from the period qf the Discovery qf America to the present time. A. D. ENGLAND. FRANCE. GERMANY. PAPAL STi TES. SPAIN. 1 |l492 Henry VII. CharlesVni. Frederick IIL Alexander VI. Catharine, < [Nat, 1493 - •• Maximilian I. 1498 - Louis Xn. 1503 - - * Pius III. Julius IL 1509 Henry VIIL 1513 - - - Leo X. 1515 - Francis L 1516 - - - Charles L 1519 •• Charles Y. Emperor 1522 Charles V. - - Adrian VL 1523 - - Clement VIL 1534 - - • Paul IIL 1547 Edward VL Henry IL 1550 - - - Julius IIL 1553 Mary. ,1555 - - Marcellinus IL 1556 - - - Paul IV, Philip IL 1558 Elizabeth. - Frederick I. 1559 - Francis IL - Pius IV. 1560 Charles IX. 1564 Maximilian IL [1566 - - - Pius V. 1572 - - - Gregory XIIL 1574 I Henry IIL 1576 Rodolph II 1585 •• - Sixtus V. 1589 Henry IV. 1590 Urban VII Gregory XIV. 1591 •» •• Innocent IX. 1592 - •• Clement VIIL 1598 - O. BRITAXK. - PhlUpUL 1603 James L 1605 - Leo XL Paul V. 1610 Lotlis Xm. 1612 - Matthias. 1619 - Frederick IL 1621 - Gregory XV, Piilip IT 1623 - - Urban VHL 1625 Charlef L 1637 - - Frederick III. 1643 - Louis XIV. 1644 - - Innocent X. 1655 Alexander VII. 1658 Leopold L mo Charlei IL ,1665 Charlcf IL 1667 Clement IX. ll€70 Clement X. 't>76 Innocent XL i686 JaaM 0. 1 APPENDIX. 493 C50LA1ID rKAJfCE. A£&MAIfY. PAPAL STATES. sPAin. 1 1^ 1689 William IIL Alex. VIII. 1691 Innocent XIL ' 1694 William III. 1700 Clement XI. Philip V. 1702 Anne* 1706 Joseph L 1711 Charles VL 1714 1716 Louia XV. 1721 Innocent XIIL 1724 - - Benedict XIIL 1727 George IL 1730 Clement XII. 1740 Benedict XIV. 1742 Charles VIL 1746 Francis 1. and Maria Teresa. 1761 Ferdinand VL 1768 Clement XIIL 'l769 Charles IIL 1760 Qt^rgp IIL 1766 Joseph IL 1769 Clement XTV. 1774 Louis XVL 1776 Pius VL 1788 - Charlci «V« 1790 Leopold IL 1792 Republioi Francis IL* 1800 Pius vn. 1804 Napoleon, £mperoi. AUST&IA. 1806 Francis L 1808 - Ferd. VII. J. Napoleon. 1811 Re^ncjT. 1814 Lonii XVUI. Ferd. VIL 1820 G«orv» IV Leo XIL 1823 1824 Charlei X« 1830 Lottis Philip. 1831 William IV - Gregorj XVL 1833 Lwbella IL 1837 Victoria. 1846 PiuiESL 1848 Republic. 1861 L. Napoleon I President. 1862 [j. Napoleon Emperor 1870 /\.IIlsl(.l«fuM JU 1871 A.. Thiers, William T., 1873 President. Emperor Gren. McMa- bon, Pres. 1874 Alfonso \ 1878 Leo Xin. Grdvy, _PreBident. | r CHRONOLOGICAL TABLR l%t fLgure* on the right hand, refer to the page of the history on which cm accoun, qf each event referred to may be found.) leu Piga 1492 Columbus discovers the New World 18 1497 The Cabots discover the Continent of North America 2fl 1499 Vespucci^s voyage with Ojeda 19 1501 Voyage of Cortereal 21 1512 Juan Ponce de Leon discovers Florida 24 1523 Verrazani explores the American coast 21 1526 Narvaez attempts the conquest of Florida 25 1534 Jaques Cartier sails up the St. Lawrence 21 1539 Ferdinand de Soto commences the conquest of Florida. ...... 26 1541 Soto discovers the Mississippi river 27 1562 Ribault leaves a French colony on the coast of Florida 28 1564 Laudonniere begins a French settlement on the river May. ... 29 1565 Laudonniere's colony destroyed by the Spaniards 29 St. Augustine, the oldest town in the United States, founded by Pedro Melendez 2Q 1568 The Spanish colony on the river May destroyed by De Gourgues n 30 1576 Frobisher*8 expedition ..... . 31 1579 Oregon territory visited by Sir Francis Drake ; 31 First voyage of Sir Humphrey Gilbert , . 32 1583 Gilbert takes possession of Newfoundland 32 1584 Rateigh*s first expedition sent to Carolina commanded oy Amidas and Barlow • . 32 1603 Gosnold's voyage to New England 34 1605 First permanent French settlement in North America made at Port Royal 23 1606 First charter of Virginia issued 36 1607 Jamestown in Virginia founded ; the earliest permanent English settlement in North America 38 1608 Quebec settled by Champlain 23 1609 Henry Hudson discovers the Hudson nver . Ill Second charter of Virginia granted 42 1610 The starving time in Virginia. 45 1611 Sir Thomas Dale arrives in Virginia 46 1613 New York settled by the Dutch Ill Expedition of Argall 112 1819 First General Assembly in Virginia 5C 1620 Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth 78 Iftai Charter granted to the Dutch West India Company for settling the territory between the Connecticut and the Delaware. ... 113 1622 Patent granted to Gorges and Mason by the Plymouth Com- pany ^ 88 1623 Portsmouth and Dover settled by Gorges and Mason 83 Albany aettled by tha Dutch. . * - ^ H> APPENDIX. 495 1634 Disso lution of the London CompcJiy 5b 1627 The Swedes settle on the Delaware, and call their colony New Sweden 134 1630 Heath's patent, for Carolina, granted 14!^ ^ 631 Clay borne forms a settlement on Kent island • . • • • 68 1631 Windsor in Connecticut settled 89 1633 Maryland settled by Lord Baltimore 68 The Dutch settle at Hartford , . . . . 89 1 634 Banishment of Roger Williams • • • . • 8C Representative form of government first adopted in New £ng* land 86 1635 Saybrook settled by John Wmthrop 89 1636 Mr. Hooker emigrates from Massachusetts to Connecticut. • • . 89 1637 Pequod war. Antinomian controversy 90 1638 New Haven settled 94 1641 New Hampshire aimexed to Massachusetts 94 1643 Confederation of the New England colonies • 94 1644 Roger Williams obtains a charter for Rhode Island 95 1660 Connecticut abandoned by the Dutch 118 1651 Virginia capitulates to the parliament 60 Risingh takes Fort Casimir from the Dutch 113 1655 Stuyvesant the Dutch governor of New York conquers New Sweden 118 1060 Charles II proclaimed in Virginia 60 Arrival of the regicides Whalley and GofFe in Boston. 38 1863 Lord Clarendon obtains a charter for Carolina 42 1664 Commissioners sent to New England to regulate the colonies. 100 New York taken from the Dutch by the English 114 Charles II grants to the Duke of York a patent for the country from the Delaware to the Connecticut • 1 14 The Duke of York grants New Jersey to Berkeley and Carteret 114 1670 Port Royal in South Carolina settled by Governor Sayle 146 1671 Charleston settled 14S 1673 New York re-conquered by the Dutch 116 1674 New York restored to the English at the treaty of Westminster 115 1675 Commencement of King Philip's war 102 1676 Bacon's rebellion in Virginia •••••• 64 Death of King Philip 102 Maine purchased by Massachusetts 102 1681 First representative assembly in New Jersey 132 Penn receives a charter for Pennsylvania 137 1682 PhUadelphia founded 138 1684 Colonel Dongan and Lord Effingham's treaty with the Five Nations ... 118 168i5 Charles U dies and is succeeded by James II 102 1686 Sir Edmund Andros appointed President of New England. ... 10 1687 Andros attempts to deprive Connecticut of its charter 103 1888 New York and New Jersey added to the jurisdiction of Andros 1 19 Revolution in England, which gives the sovereignty to William and Mary 108 1889 Andros deposed and imprisoned, and William and Mary pro- claimed at Boston 108 Jacob Leifller usurps th« govenunent of New York • . . • • 18C 40* 496 APPENDIX. Ytar fH ,689 War on t\je Canada border. Port Royal in Nova ScotSa taken from the French 104 1691 Colonel Sloughter appointed governor of New York 122 Leisler deposed and executed.. 122 1694 Culture of rice introduced into South Carolina • • 149 1697 Peace of Ryswick. 104 1701 Penn grants a nev^r charter to Pennsylvania 140 Lord Combury appointed governor of New York 127 702 War with France and Spain 104 Expedition against St. Augustine < • • • • 149 War on the Canada border 105 706 Unsuccessful attack of the Spaniards on Charleston 150 1711 Unsuccessful invasion of Canada 105 1712 War in North Carolina with the Tuscarora and Coree Indians 144 1715 War of the Yemassees 150 1729 North and South Carolina separated • 145 1732 General Oglethorpe obtains a charter for Georgia 151 1733 General Oglethorpe colonises Georgia • 151 1740 Oglethorpe besieges St. Augustine 154 1742 Invasion of Georgia by the Spaniards, successfully resisted. . . 155 1744 War between France and England 107 1745 Louisbourg taken 109 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle 110 1752 Charter of Georgia surrendered to the king • 156 1754 Commencement of the Old French War 156 Congress of Delegates from seven colonies meets at Albany.. . 159 1755 Nova Scotia conquered by the British 159 Defeat of General Braddock • • . • . 162 1756 War formally declared between France and England 163 Fort Oswego taken by Montcalm 164 "1757 Fort William Henry taken by Montcalm 165 1758 Forts Du Quesne and Frontignac taken by the English 167 1759 Quebec taken. General Wolf killed 168 1765 Stamp act passed • • 173 First Continental Congress meets at New York. • • • 174 1766 Stamp act repealed • 174 1768 Boston garrisoned by British troops ••• 178 1770 Boston Massacre 180 1772 Affair of the schooner Gaspee 181 1773 Tea destroyed in Boston 184 1774 Boston Port bill passed 184 Continental Congress assembles at Philadelphia 195 1776 April 19 Battle of Lexington and Concord 189 May Ticonderoga and Crown Point taken • • • 194 June 17 Washington appointed commander in chief • 196 Battle of Breed's Hill 196 Not. 19 Montreal taken 201 Dec 31 Attack on Quebec defeated. Montgomery killed. . • 204 1776 March 17 Boston evacuated by the British 199 June 28 Attack on Charleston defeated 211 July 4 Declaration of Independence • •• • • S16 Aug. 26 Americans defeated on Long Island. 220 Sept 15 New York occupied by the BritiBh...... ^. W APPENDIX. 497 1776 Oct 28 Battle of White Plains 322 New, Retreat of Washington through ]\ew Jersey., 223 Dec 26 Battle of Trenton 225 1777 Jan. 2 Battle of Princeton 226 Arrival of La Fayette 230 Arrival of Burgoyne 236 July Ticonderoga taken by Burgoyne's troops 238 Capture of General Prescott 22i General Howe leaves New York and sails with 1600 men for the South 233 Aug. 16 Battle of Bennington 240 11 Battle of Brandy wine 233 18 Congress leaves Philadelphia • • . • 234 19 Battle of Stillwater 243 26 Philadelphia occupied by the British 234 Oct 4 Battle of Germantown 234 7 Second Battle of Stillwater 244 12 Surrender of Burgoyne 245 22 Battle of Redbank 235 Nov 16 Articles of Confederation of the United States ratified 228 Dec 11 Washington retires to Valley Forge 236 1778 Treaty between France and the United States.. .... 248 May Retreat of Barren Hill 261 June 18 The British evacuate Philadelphia 261 28 Battle of Monmouth 252 July Arrival of Count d^Estaing with a French fleet 252 Massacre at Wyoming s^54 Aug, Unsuccessful attempt to recover Rhode Island 253 Dec, 28 The British take Savannah , 255 1779 Feb, Unsuccessful attempt of the British on Port Royal. 259 March 3 Battle of Briar Creek 260 April General Prevost advances towards Charleston 262 May Descent of the British on Virginia 257 June 20 Defeat of General Lincoln at Stono Ferry 261 July Descent of the British on Connecticut 257 16 Storming of Stony Point 258 19 Storming of Paulus Hook 258 26 Defeat of the Americans at Penobscot 258 8ept Arrival of the French fleet at Savannah 261 23 Battle of the Bon Homme Richard and Serapia. . . . 263 Oct 4 Siege of Savannah 262 1780 May 12 Charleston capitulates 268 29 Battle at the Waihaws 267 June 16 Kniphausen's descent on New Jersey 27^ July 12 British defeated at Williamson's Plantation 26fi Aug. 16 Battle of Camden 271 18 Defeat of Sumter at Firling Creek 272 Sept Arnold's treason at West Point 378 Oct 7 Battle of King's Mountain 273 Dec Revolt of the Pennsylvania troops 286 '791 Jan. Descent of Arnold on Virginia 281 17 Battle of Cowpens. • . . • 283 March 15 Battle of Guilford S85 498 APPENDIX. 1781 April 23 Marion takes Fort Watson S8i May Siege of Ninety Six 287 Aug. 4 Death of Colonel Haj ne , 291 Sept. 6 Descent of the British on New London 293 7 Naval Engagement of De Grasse and Graves 292 8 Battle of Eutaw 289 Oct Siege and Surrender of Yorktown 297 1782 Feb. 27 General Conway makes a motion in the British Parliament for discontinuing the American war. . 298 March Lord North retires from the ministry 299 N^v. Treaty of Peace between the United States and Great Britain signed 299 Dec American officers petition Congress for payment of arrears 300 1783 March Meeting of the officers 301 April 19 Cessation of hostilities between the United States and Great Britain, proclaimed by General Wash- ington 301 Dec 4 Washington takes leave of the officers of the army 303 23 Washington resigns his commission 302 1784 Sept Shay's rebellion 306 1785 March Convention at Alexandria 308 1786 Sept Convention at Annapolis 308 1787 May Convention meets at Philadelphia for framing the Federal Constitution 309 Sept 17 Constitution made public 309 1789 March 4 Washington Administration commences 312 1790 National debt funded 317 1790 Aug 7 Creek War terminated by a treaty 319 1791 Nov. Defeat of General St Clair 320 Vermont admitted to the Union 320 1794 Aug. 20 General Wayne defeats the Indians on the Miami. . 323 1797 March 4 CommeAcement of John Adams's Administration. 33:1 1799 Dec 14 Death of General Washington 333 1800 Sept 30 Treaty of peace between the United States and France signed 33^ Nov Congress first sits at Washington 333 1801 March 4 Commencement of Jefferson's Administration 334 1802 July 20 Louisiana ceded to France 336 1803 April 30 Louisiana purchased by the United States 338 War with TripoU 338 1806 May British Orders in Council passed. 342 Berlin decree of Napoleon 343 1807 Jum Affair of the Chesapeake and Leopard 343 Dec Embargo Law passed • .• 344 Burr's conspiracy and trial ; 341 18C9 March 4 Commencement of Madison's Administration 34A Embargo Law repealed 344 April 23 Mr. Erskine engages on behalf of the British government that the Orders in Council shall be rescinded • 346 1811 May 16 Affair of the Little Belt 848 Nov. 7 Battle of Tippecanoe 349 APPENDIX. 499 18 IS Feb. John Henry's disclosure 349 June 18 Declaration of war against Great Britain by the Unitea States 350 1812 Aug. 16 Surrender of General Hull 356 19 Battle of Constitution and Guerriere 368 Oct Battles of Wasp and Frolic and of the United Statea and Macedonian 358 13 Battle of Queenstown. 357 Dec, Battle of Constitution and Java. . . . • 359 1813 Jaii. 7 Defeat of General Winchester at Frenchtown 361 Feb. 24 Battle of Hornet and Peacock 369 April Siege of Fort Meigs 362 27 Capture of York and death of General Pike 364 May 27 Forts George and Erie taken 366 29 Attack on Sackett's Harbour 364 Aug Siege of Fort Stephenson 371 Sept Battle of the Enterprise and Boxer. 370 10 Battle of Lake Erie 372 Oct 6 Battle of the Thames 373 10 Naval action on Lake Ontario 366 Not. 8 Battle of Taladega 374 10 Battle of Chrystler's fields 366 18 Battle of Hillibee 374 1814 Jan. 14 Battle of Tallapoosa 374 March Battle of La Cole Mill 376 April 29 Battle of the Peacock and Epervier , 381 May 5 Descent of the British on Oswego 377 June 28 Battle of Wasp and Reindeer 381 July 6 Battle of Chippewa 377 25 Battle of Bridgwater 377 Sept 1 Castine taken 386 11 Battle of Plattsburg and Lake Champlain. • 379 12 Battle of Baltimore 385 Siege of Fort Erie 378 1814 Sept 15 Attack on Fort Boyer 388 Dec 24 Treaty of Peace between the United States and Great Britain, signed at Ghent 393 27 Traety ratified by the Prince Regent of England.. 393 1 816 Jan. Battle of the Hornet and Penguin. ......... 382 8 Battle of New Orleans. < . 391 Feb. Battle of Constitution, Cyane and Levant 382 17 Treaty of Peace between Great Britain and United States, ratified by the President 393 March War declared against Algiers 394 July 3 Commercial Treaty with Great Britain, ratified in London > 393 1816 Bank of the United States chartered 394 1817 March 4 Commencement of Monroe's Administration 394 1818 Seminole War 396 1821 Florida ceded to the United States 396 1826 March 4 Commencement of John Quincy Adams's Adini* nistration 39€ Aug. 13 Arrival of La Fayette 898 500 APPENDIX. reu ngi 1826 July 4 Deatn of JoIil Adams and Thomas Jefferson 399 1828 Tariff Law 999 1829 March 4 Commencement of Jackson's Administration . 400 1830 New Commercial Treaty with Gfreat Britain 400 Treaty with Turkey signed . . . . 400 1832 Black Hawk's war 401 New Tariff Law enacted 401 ^ 1833 Compromise bill respecting the Tariff passed . . 402 Sept 1 8 Removal of deposits from the United States Bank 403 1836 Dispute with France termmated . . • 404 Creek war 404 Bill for the distribution of the surplus reTcnue pa««ied 404 836 State Bank chartered 404 Deo. Michigan admitted into the Union .... 406 837 March 4 Commencement of Van Buren's Administration . 406 Great commercial embarrassments . • , 406 May 10 Banks of New York suspended specie payments . 406 Sub Treasury scheme defeated .... 407 Dec 25 Battle of Okee-Chobee 408 1838 Disturbances in Canada. Boundary difScuIties . 408 1841 March 4 Commencement of Harrison's Administration . .410 April 4 Death of Harrison. Tyler becomes President • .410 Bank bills vetoed 411 Trial and acquittal of McLeod • • • ^! 1 1842 Congress passes the Tariff Bill . • • .412 Ashburton treaty 412 1844 Treaty of Annexation of Texas rejected . • . 412 1845 March 4 Commencement of Polk's Administration • 413 Oregon treaty 413 General Taylor ordered to Corpus Christi • .413 1846 Repeal of the tariff of 1842 414 March 11 Taylor leaves Corpus Christi for the Rio Grande . 414 24 Pomt Isabel occupied . , . . . .414 30 Fort Brown opposite Matamoras commenced • 414 May 1 Taylor marches to Point Isabel . . . 414 3 Bombardment of Fort Brown commenced, . .414 8 & 9 Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma . 416 15 & 18 Barita and Matamoras taken 417 Sept. 21 Attack on Monterey commenced .... 418 22-4 Bishop's Palace taken. Monterey capitulates • 419 .W" Feb. 22-3 Battle of Buena Vista .... .422 March 29 Vera Cruz capitulates. . • • • . 426 Ap'l 17-18 Battle of Cerro Gordo. Tuspan taken . . 426 California and New Mexico occupied • • . 427 Ap'l 19-22 Jalapa and Perote taken 428 May 15 Pu^bla taken .429 Aug. 20 Contreras, San Pablo, San Antonio, arwl Chuinbusco taken. - 428 8ep. 8 Battle of Molina del Rey 430 12-13 Storming of Chapultepec "... 431 14 City of Mexico taken ^ 432 27 Santa Anna bombards Puebla . • • . 433 Oct 9 Battle of Huamantia . . . 434 19 Battle of Atlisro . . 48ft APPENt>I^. 501 te^Y Page 1848 Treaty with Mexico 435 Nov. • Taylor elected President 436 1849 May 19 Lopez's Expedition to Cuba 437 July 9 Death of General Taylor 438 1851 Lopez's Second Invasion of Cuba. His death. 439 1852 Gen. Pierce elected President 440 1853 Hulseman's Letter 440 1854 Seizure of the Black Warrior 441 Treaty negotiated with Japan, by Com. Perry. 441 Destruction of Greytown 442 May. Passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill 443 1855 Election in Kansas 443 March. Topeka Convention 445 1856 Feb. Pres. Pierce's Proclamation on Kansas 446 Mr. Sumner attacked in the Senate Chamber. . 447 Sept. Mr. Geary appointed Governor of Kansas 448 Indian War in Oregon 449 Disturbance in California 450 Nov. Election of Buchanan President 451 1857 Termination of Walker's Government in Nica- ragua 452 1860 Sept. 12 Walker invades Honduras. Is takeii and shot 453 Nov. Election of Abraham Lincoln as President, . . . 453 " 20 Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisi- ana, and Texas pass ordinances of secession 453 1861 Feb. 4 Convention at Montgomery, Ala., adopts Con- stitution of the Confederate States, and elects Jefferson Davis, President 453 March 4 Abraham Lincoln Inaugurated at Washing- ton 454 April 12 Attack on Fort Sumter by the Confederates . 454 " 15 President Lincoln calls for 75,000 Militia 454 ** May 3 Second call for Troops 454 June 3 Battle of Philippi 455 10 Battle of Big Bethel 455 July 11 Battle of Rich Mountain 455 " 21 Battle of Bull Run, McDowell defeated by Beauregard 455 Aug. 10 Battle of Wilson's Creek, Mo., Gen. Lyon killed 455 29 Hatteras Inlet taken 455 " Sept. 10 Battle of Carnifex Ferry, Confederates defeated by Rosecrans 455 Nov. 7 Port Royal taken by Commodore Dupont 456 8 Mason and Slidell taken from the British Steamer Trent 455 1862 Jan. 19 Battle of Mill Spring 456 Feb. 6 Fort Henry taken by Commodore Foote 457 8 Roanoke Island taken by Burnside 456 16 Fort Donelson taken by Gen. Grant 458 Mar. 8-9 Naval Engagement in Hampton Roads 458 " 14 Island No. 10 taken by Gen. Pope and Com. Foote 457 April 5 Battle of Pittsburg Landing 457 11 Fort Pulaski taken by Gilmore 456 " 28 Forts Jackson and St. Philip taken by JB^arragut 456 502 AiPPENDIX. 1862 May 1 Butler enters New Orleans 456 5 Battle of Williamsburg, Ya 458 " 31 Battle of Fair Oaks 459 " June 26 Battle of Meehanicsville 459 Battle of Gaines' Mills 459 July 1 Battle of Malvern Hill Aug. 30 Second Battle of Bull Run. Pope defeated by Lee 459 Sept. 14 Battle of South Mountain. Lee defeated by MeClellan 459 17 Battle of Antietam 459 Oct. 8 Battle of Perry ville. Bragg defeated by Buell 460 Dec. 11 Battle of Fredericksburg. Burnside defeated by Lee. 460 " 30 Battle of Stone Biver. Bragg defeated by Rose- crans 460 1863 Jan. 1 President Lincoln issues Emancipation Procla- mation 461 March 3 Conscription Act passed 461 May. Battle of Chancellorsville. Hooker defeated by Lee 461 16 Battle of Champion's Hill. Pemberton defeated by Grant 462 19-22 Grant attacks Vicksburg 462 June. Gen. Milroy surprised at Winchester 461 25 Grant attacks Vicksburg 462 July 1-3 Battle of Gettysburg, Pa. Lee defeated by Meade 461 " 4 Pemberton surrenders Vicksburg to Grant 463 8 Port Hudson surrenders to Gen. Banks 463 Sept. 19 Battle of Chicamauga. Rosecrans defeated by Bragg 463 Nov. 25 Battle of Chattanooga. Bragg defeated by Grant 463 1864 May 3 Lieut. -Gen. Grant issues orders for the advance of the Eastern and Western armies 464 8-12 Battles of the Wilderness 464 June 15 Petersburg attacked by Gen. Smith 464 19 Alabama defeated and sunk by the Kearsarge off Cherbourg, France. 465 July 28 Battle of Atlanta 465 30 Mine exploded at Petersburg .... 465 * Aug. 5 Confederate Forts and Fleet at Mobile taken by Farragut 466 " " 15 The Georgia, Confederate, captured by the Ni- agara 466 Sept. 1 Atlanta evacuated by Hood 467 " Oct. 7 The Florida, Confederate, captured by the Wa- chusett 466 " 20 Sheridan defeats Early 465 Nov. 15 Atlanta destroyed by Sherman 467 22 Milledgeville taken by Sherman 467 " Dec. 10 Savannah invested by Sherman 467 1865 Feb. 16 Columbia, S. C, taken by Sherman 468 18 Charleston, S, 0.^ occupied by Gilimore 468 APPENDIX. 605 1865 Mar. 19-21 Battle of Bentonville. Johnston defeated by Sherman 468 " 25 Battle of Fort Stedman 468 April 1-2 Grant carries Confederate lines at Petersburg. 468 Flight of Confederate Government 468 4 Sheridan cuts otf Lee's line of retreat 468 " " 8 Gen. Weitzel enters Richmond 468 9 Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House. . . 469 14 Assassination of President Lincoln by Booth. . 469 15 Andrew Johnson becomes President , 469 26 Gen. Johnston surrenders to Gen. Sherman. . . 470 May 16 Jelierson Davis captured in Georgia 470 * ' May- JunePresident Johnson appoints provisional Govern- ors for several Southern States 470 1866 AprH 9 Civil Rights Bill passed 471 June 13 Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution adopted 471 Fenian attempts on Canada 472 March 1 Nebraska admitted as a State 472 Alaska purchased from Russia 472 1868 March 30 Trial of President Johnson 472 1869 March 4 Ulysses S. Grant Inaugurated President 472 1870 March 30 President Grant issues Proclamation declaring Fifteenth Amendment adopted 473 1871 Treaty of Washington 473 *' July. Corean Forts attacked by Admiral Rogers 474 Oct. Great Fire at Chicago 473 1873 Fighting in New Orleans 474 " April 11 Gen. Canby killed by Modocs 474 Oct. 31 Virginius captured by Spanish War Steamer Tornado 474 1874 Troubles in Louisiana 475 1875 Congress fixes the date for Resumption of Specie Payments 475 Nov. 22 Death of Vice-President AVikon 474 1876 May. Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia opened. 475 June 25 Gen. Custer defeated and killed by Sioux on Little Horn River 475 1877 March 4 Rutherford B. Hayes Inaugurated 475 1878 Yellow Fever at Nev/ Orleans, Yicksburg and Memphis 476 1879 Yellow Fever at Memphis „ 476 1881 March 4 James A. Garfield inaugiiiated President 477 July 2 shot by J. Guiteau, at Washington 477 Sept. 19 James A. Garfield died at Long Branch 477 Sept. 20 Chester A. Arthur inaugurated President 477 1885 March 4 Grover Cleveland *' ** . 477