1775. the town till nine o'clock the next morning, would they confent to fend him off eight fmall arms; which was immediately done. The next morning the committee applied afresh; he concluded to fpare the town till he could hear from the admiral, in case they would fend him off four carriage guns, deliver up all their arms, ammunition, &c. and four gentlemen of the town as hostages. That not being complied with, about half paft nine he began to fire from the four armed vessels, and continued it till after dark. With fhells and carcafes, and about thirty marines whom he landed, he fet the town on fire in feveral places. About a hundred of the worst houses efcaped deftruction, but fuffered damage. The inhabitants got out a very confiderable part of their furniture, and had not a perfon killed or wounded, though the veffels fired into the town about three thousand fhot, befide bombs and carcafes. neral Lee reprobates their cowardice, in admitting fuch a paltry party to land with impunity, and fet their town in flames, when they had at least two hundred fighting men, and powder enough for a battle. In the private letter, wherein he expreffed these fentiments, he made no mention of the failors being repulfed with the loss of a few men; though this might happen in the clofe of the day, and give occafion for its being related by others. The burning of Falmouth fpread an alarm upon the fea-coaft, but produced no difpofition to fubmit to the power and mercy of the armed British agents. The people in common chose rather to abandon the fea-ports that could not be defended, than quit their country's caufe; and therefore removed back, with their effects, to a fafe diftance. Ge The congrefs, the latter end of September, concluded 17750 upon fending a committee of three members to confer with general Washington and the governor of Connec ticut, the lieutenant governor of Rhode Island, the council of Massachusetts, and the prefident of the convention of New Hampshire and others, touching the most effectual method of continuing, fupporting and regulating a continental army. They met and agreed on the measures to be purfued. Dr. Franklin being one of the committee, the Maffachusetts general court embraced that opportunity of ordering the treasurer to pay oa. him 18541. fterling, in full for his late fervices as agent, 23. from October 31, 1770, to March 1, 1775. You may recollect that governor Hutchinfon alway refused figning the grants made him by the house of affembly. The doctor might have liked fpecie at the time fuch grants were made, better than the prefent paper money; but his forefight will undoubtedly transform the latter into some solid substance: he had to pay 100l. of it back into the hands of a committee, appointed to wait upon him within a day or two, being the amount of a fum fent by feveral perfons from England, for the relief of those Americans who were wounded in the battle of Lexington, and of the widows and children of those who were then flain. The old fouth meeting house, a large handsome brick building, well fitted up without and within, was taken poffeffion of and destined for a horse riding school, and the service of the light dragoons. It is faid and believed, that an offer was made of building a complete riding fchool for lefs money than it would coft to remove the pews and the fide galleries (the front remains for 27. 1775 the town till nine o'clock the next morning, would they Ge 17759 The congrefs, the latter end of September, concluded upon fending a committee of three members to confer with general Washington and the governor of Connec ticut, the lieutenant governor of Rhode Island, the council of Maffachusetts, and the prefident of the convention of New Hampshire and others, touching the most effectual method of continuing, fupporting and regulating a continental army. They met and agreed on the measures to be pursued. Dr. Franklin being one of the committee, the Maffachusetts general court embraced that opportunity of ordering the treasurer to pay oa. him 18541. fterling, in full for his late fervices as agent, 23. from October 31, 1770, to March 1, 1775. You may recollect that governor Hutchinfon alway refused figning the grants made him by the house of affembly. The doctor might have liked fpecie at the time fuch grants were made, better than the prefent paper money; but his forefight will undoubtedly transform the latter into fome folid fubftance: he had to pay 100l. of it back into the hands of a committee, appointed to wait upon him within a day or two, being the amount of a fum fent by feveral perfons from England, for the relief of thofe Americans who were wounded in the battle of Lexington, and of the widows and children of those who were then flain. The old fouth meeting house, a large handfome brick building, well fitted up without and within, was taken poffeffion of and destined for a horfe riding fchool, and the fervice of the light dragoons. It is faid and believed, that an offer was made of building a complete riding fchool for lefs money than it would coft to remove the pews and the fide galleries (the front remains for 27. 1775. the accommodation of tea-company and others) and to make a proper flooring for the horfe. In clearing every thing away, a beautiful carved pew, with filk furniture, formerly belonging to a deceased gentleman in high estimation, was taken down and carried to Mr. John Amory's houfe, by the order of an officer, who applied the carved work to the erecting of a hogfty. Had the meeting house and its contents been honored with epifcopal confecration, thefe proceedings would be deemed by multitudes profane and facrilegious. But they, who in the present day hold not with the holinefs of any buildings, will cenfure the infults offered profeffors of whatever denomination, by needlessly demolishing their places of worship, or configning them to despicable and filthy ufes. When Roman virtue and patriotifm were at their height, the Roman officers would not allow the religion or temples of the perfons with whom they fought to be infulted and profaned. They were more politic, than to exafperate men into a ferocious courage for the defence of their altars. But too many of the present British officers act as though they owed a spite to all the meeting houses of the Prefbyterians, by which common name they ftigmatize thofe who diffent from the church of England, without reflecting that it is no ftigma in Scotland, but the reverse. The fouthern colonies, in confequence of accounts tranfmitted to them from the camp, begin to entertain prejudices with refpect to the troops raised in the Maffachusetts. They ought to allow for the precipitation with which the army was neceffarily collected. General oa. Thomas declared, that the regiments at Roxbury were equal, as to the privates, to any with whom he ferved |