Concord the next morning by fun rife, having rode, as he fuppofed, from eleven o'clock of the preceding morning, not lefs than a hundred miles, within the eighteen hours. The militia that followed him, marched with a quick step till they reached the place of deftina

tion.

Mr. Benedict Arnold of New Haven, had been chofen captain of a volunteer company, by the inhabitants, when they began to prepare for whatever might happen. No fooner did the Lexington news reach him, than he called his company together, and afked them whether they would march off with him the next morning for the neighbourhood of Boston, distant 150 miles. They agreed; and at the proper time paraded before the tavern where a committee was fitting. He applied to the gentlemen for powder and ball; they demurred supplying him, as he was not duly authorized. The captain, in hafte to fly to the help of his fuffering brethren, propofed procuring the supply by force if needful, to which the volunteers confented. He then fent to the committee, and informed them what he was determined upon. Colonel Woofter came out, and would have per fuaded him to wait till he had received proper orders; to which capt. Arnold answered, “None but God Almighty

fball prevent my marching." The committee perceiving his fixed refolution, fupplied him; and he marched off inftantly, and with his company reached the American head quarters by the 29th of April.

The news reached New York on the Lord's day. 23. On hearing it, capt. Sears conceived the defign of stopping all veffels going to Quebec, Newfoundland, Georgia and Bofton; feveral were about to fail. He

5.

confulted Mr. Lamb, who joined in the measure. They then wrote a letter to the committee of Philadelphia, affuring them that all veffels would be ftopt at New York, and figned it with their names, that fo the affurance might be relied upon. The exprefs being fent off, they contrived to affemble the people, without its being known upon what, bufinefs; and when they were met, it was concluded upon to fhut up the custom house. The officer was waited on, who, confidering the expediency of a compliance, ordered the keys to be delivered up to capt. Sears. The merchants whofe veffels were cleared out, dared not to admit of their failing. The Philadelphia committee, relying upon the affurance that had been given them, fo managed as that it was -agreed, to shut up their port alfo against all veffels going to the beforementioned places.

1

The hoftilities in the Maffachusetts threw the city of -New York into fuch a state of tumult, that it was judged expedient, with a view of restoring tranquillity and good -order, to appoint a general committee of a hundred for the city and county of New York, which answered. May This committee addreffed a letter to the lord-mayor, aldermen and common-council of the city of London, which was figned by feventy-feven of them. In it they declared, that "The difpofal of their own property with perfect fpontaniety, and in a manner wholly divested of every appearance of conftraint, is their indefeasible birth-right. This exalted bleffing they are refolutely determined to defend with their blood, and to transfer uncontaminated to their posterity." They profeffed their readiness to submit cheerfully to a regulation of commerce, by the legislature of the parent state, excluding,

in its nature, every idea of taxation; but reprobated the minifter's conciliatory plan. They gave affurance, "That America is grown fo irritable by oppreffion, that the least shock in any part is, by the most powerful and fympathetic affection, inftantaneoufly felt through the whole continent-That while the whole continent are ardently wishing for peace on fuch terms as can be acceded to by Englishmen, they are indefatigable in preparing for the laft appeal." Near the close they faid, "We fpeak the real fentiments of the confederated colonies on the continent, from Nova Scotia to Georgia, when we declare, that all the horrors of a civil war will never compel America to fubmit to taxation by authority of parliament." They concluded with expreffing their confidence of the most vigorous exertions of the city of London to restore union and mutual peace to the whole empire.

The next day an affociation was figned by upward of 6. a thousand of the principal inhabitants of the city and county. They in the most folemn manner declared, that they affociated to endeavour carrying into execution whatever measures might be recommended by the continental congrefs, or be refolved upon by their own provincial convention, for the purpose of preferving their. conftitution, and oppofing the execution of the oppreffive acts of the British parliament, until a reconciliation between Great Britain and America, on conftitutional principles, can be obtained; and that they would in all things follow the advice of their general committee, refpecting the purposes aforefaid, the prefervation of peace and good order, and the fafety of individuals and private property.

The inhabitants armed themselves alfo with great diligence and industry. But it is not to be inferred, from these strong appearances, that there is a real and general union in fentiment among the New Yorkers. They are much divided; though each party has thus coalefced with a view of ferving its own particular intereft. The tories have joined, to prevent the violences which might otherwise exist, and to check the progrefs of the fons of liberty. The whigs have joined, in hope of drawing the others into fuch lengths in oppofing minifterial meafures, as are reprobated by them at prefent.

The New Jersey people, on receiving the Lexington news, took poffeffion of the province treafury, in which there was about 20,000l. part of it is appropriated to the payment of the troops they are now raifing for the defence of the liberties of America.

The citizens of Philadelphia, befide ftopping the veffels as before related, were fpirited up to attempt perfecting their preparations for the most ferious and painful contest.

The governor of the province laid before the affembly the minister's conciliatory plan; and obferved to them, that they were the first affembly on the continent to whom it had been communicated. After confidering it, they faid, "If no other objection to the plan proposed occurred to us, we fhould efteem it a dishonorable defertion of fifter colonies, connected by an union, founded on juft motives and mutual faith, and conducted by general councils, for a fingle colony to adopt a measure fo extenfive in confequence, without the advice and confent of thofe colonies engaged with us by folemn ties in the fame common caufe." The complexion of the affembly has been changed. In the choice of deputies

for the approaching congrefs, made laft December, Mr. Galloway was left out; and on the fixth of May, the house added three more to the number of their deputies, and the first on the lift was Dr. Franklin. Thus have they, fince his arrival, expreffed their approbation of his conduct, and their confidence in his abilities. The plan has been fince propofed to other colony-affemblies, but with no better fuccefs than in Pennsylvania.

The account of the action arrived at Baltimore in Maryland, in fix days; the inhabitants immediately seized upon the provincial magazine, containing 1500 stand of arms, &c. They also stopped all exports to the fishing iflands, and thofe colonies which have refufed to unite with their brethren in the common caufe; and all fupplies to the navy and army at Boston.

In Virginia, a provincial congrefs met in March, for want of a legal affembly, and took measures for arraying the militia, the militia laws being expired; and recommended to each county the raising of a volunteer company for the better defence of the country. On the 20th of April the governor employed the captain of an armed veffel to convey by night, on board his ship, from the public magazine, out of about one and twenty, fifteen half barrels of powder, containing 50lb, each. The citizens of Williamsburgh were greatly alarmed, fo that the mayor and corporation addreffed his lordship upon the occafion, who in his anfwer informed them, that hearing of an infurrection in a neighbouring county, he had removed the powder from the magazine to a place of perfect fecurity; and that whenever it was wanted on any infurrection, it fhould be delivered in half an hour. The news of the feizure foon reached Hanover