county, upon which capt. Patrick Henry, and the other volunteers of the county, marched for Williamsburgh, with a view of fecuring the public treasury from the like catastrophe, and of obtaining a return of the powder, or a compenfation for it. More than a hundred and fifty, all well accoutred, and making a martial appearance, advanced within 15 miles of the capital; but a fufficient fum of money being paid by the receivergeneral to compenfate for the powder, and the citizens engaging to guard the public treasury and magazine, they dispersed and returned to their respective homes.

The value of the whole magazine was very inadequate to the alarm and disturbance which the governor's measure excited. Neither powder nor mufkets were fufficient to answer any effential purpose, or even to justify apprehenfion.

His lordship was exceedingly irritated at the behaviour of the people, and threw out threats. Those of fetting up the royal ftandard, of enfranchising the negroes, and arming them against their masters, and of destroying the city, with other expreffions of a fimilar tendency, not only spread a general alarm through the colony, but excited a kind of abhorrence of government, and an incurable fufpicion of its defigns. Mean while, feveral public meetings were held in different counties, in all of which the feizing of the powder, and the governor's threats, were reprobated in the strongest terms. The news of Lexington engagement arriving when the minds of the Virginians were in fuch a ferment, tended to increase their apprehenfions, and of courfe attention to the militia and volunteer companies.

It was not long ere the fame news reached Charlestown in South Carolina. The hopes of the inhabitants, that. the non-importation and non-exportation agreements would induce the parent ftate to recede from her de-. mands, were blasted on the arrival of a packet from London, the 19th of April: but when the Lexington news was received, they concluded that the colonies> were to be dragooned into flavery. The thought ex-: cited the greatest indignation: but they paufed, upon: confidering their fituation. The province, for near two hundred miles coaftways, was acceffible to the Britif. fleets and armies. It had but a few trifling fortifications," and these held by British officers. The western frontiers were exposed to the favages; and the negroes might be prevailed upon, by infinuations, to flay their mafters. The governor had the command of the militia; and all: the officers had their commiffions from him. The inhabitants were quite defenceless, without arms, ammunition, clothing, ships, money, or men skilled in the arts of war. The ftores of the merchants afforded no fupplies of a warlike nature; no exception having been made in the general scheme of non-importation. They could not however brook a mean fubmiffion to the dictates of Britain; and therefore determined upon a manly and virtuous refiftance. Accordingly, on the night after intelligence of actual hoftilities was received, a number of the principal gentlemen of the town poffeffed themfelves of twelve hundred ftand of arms with the accoutrements; removed them directly from the royal arfenal, and afterward diftributed them among the men inlifted. in the public fervice.

Let us return to notice an expedition planned in Con

necticut.

The neceffity of fecuring Tyconderoga, was early attended to by many in New England: but fome Con necticut gentlemen were first in attempting the measure. Secrecy was effential to fuccefs; and delay might be dangerous. There was no waiting to confult the continental congrefs; befide, it would not have been fafe to have communicated the fcheme to that body, as it was known there would be individuals in it, on whose fidelity the Americans could not rely. Meffrs. Deane, Woofter, Parfons and others, undertook the affair. They applied to the affembly for a loan, which was furnifhed, to the amount of about eighteen hundred dollars, and for which they gave bonds to be accountable. General Gage had fet the example of attempting to feize upon military ftores, and by fo doing had commenced hoftilities: fo that retaliation appeared more than warrantable, even an act of felf-defence. The expedition went on with rapidity. Several militia captains pushed forward to Salisbury to acquaint Meffrs. Blagden's (nephews to your former acquaintance, the carpenter, of the fame name) with the defign, and to procure their affiftance. One was ill, the other joined in the proposed manœuvre. After a little deliberation, they concluded upon spending no time in obtaining men; but, having provided a fufficient quantity of pow¬ der and ball, fet off on horfeback for Bennington to engage colonel Allen. They conferred with him upon their arrival; and then tarried with others to bake bread, Afterward a lieutenant colonel in Sheldon's light horse.

and prepare other neceffaries, while the colonel went on to raise the men who were wanting, and who were to meet the managers at Castleton. While thefe were on their way to the place of rendezvous, they were met by a countryman, apparently an undefigning honeft travel ler, but who was either himself well-skilled and a prin cipal, or had been well-tutored by fome one or other, that had either fufpected or gained knowledge of the expedition, and meant to render it abortive. They addreffed him, "From whence came you?-From Ty* left it yesterday, at fuch an hour.-Has the garrifon received any reinforcement ?-Yes; I. faw them; there were a number of artillery men and other foldiers.What are they doing? Are they making fafcines? Don't know what fafcines are. They are tying up sticks and brush in bundles, and putting them where the walls .are down." Mr. Samuel Blagden put many infnaring questions about the drefs and trimmings of the men, &c. The answers tended to confirm the man's story, The company was ftaggered; and it being debated in council, whether they should not return as they had no cannon, it was determined, by a majority of one only, to proceed. At Caftleton they met colonel Allen with his men, and altogether made two hundred and feventy perfons; two hundred and thirty of them were green mountain boys, fo called from their refiding within the limits of the Green Mountains; as the Hampshire Grants are denominated, from the range of green mountains that runs through them. They are a brave hardy generation, chiefly fettlers from New Hampshire, Massa

* So Tyconderoga is frequently called for the fake of brevity, efpecially by the people dwelling in its neighbourhood.

was

chusetts and Connecticut. Sentries were placed immediately on all the roads, to prevent any intelligence being carried to Tyconderoga. After the junction at Castleton, colonel Arnold arrived, with only a fingle fervant. The day after his getting to Cambridge with his volunteer company, he attended on the Massachufetts committee of fafety, and reported that there were at Tyconderoga, 80 pieces of heavy cannon, 20 of brafs from 4 to 18 pounders, 10 or a dozen mortars, a number of fmall arms, and confiderable ftores; and that the fort in a ruinous condition, and as he fuppofed garrifoned by about forty men. Upon this the committee, on the third of May, appointed him a colonel of four hundred men, whom he was to inlift and march for the reduction of Tyconderoga. The colonel was known only to Mr. Blagden. A council was called; his powers were examined; and at length it was agreed, that he fhould be admitted to join and act with them, that fo the public might be benefited. It was fettled, however, that colonel Allen should have the fupreme command, and colonel Arnold was to be his affiftant; with which the latter appeared fatisfied, as he had no right by his commiffion, either to command or interfere with the others, who were not only out of the Maffachusetts line, but the fubjects of another colony. The names of the leaders, befides what have been mentioned, were Meffrs. Motte, Phelps's (two brothers) Biggelow, Bull and Nichols, befide colonels Eafton, Brown and War◄ ner, and captain Dickinson.

After it had been determined in a council to fet off the next morning early for Ty, and fome of the ma

*The territory has now the name of Vermont.