1776. cation to Halifax for a fupply of fhipping to leffen the embarrassments. When the fleet got down to King and Nantafket roads, they remained there feveral days, and during that period, burnt the block-house and barracks on Caftle Inland, blowed up and demolished the fortifications; but they did not undertake to carry off the cannon, and only attempted rendering them unferviceable, which was effected as to feveral.

General Washington was foon acquainted with the evacuation of the town, when meafures were taken to preferve the peace and order of it, by placing guards and giving directions as to the admiffion of perfons into it. The day of evacuating, being the fabbath, was in Mar. favor of regularity. On the Monday his excellency fent 18. off five regiments under gen. Heath. After marching

about a hundred miles, they embarked and went from New London through the Sound to New York by water. The reft, excepting a few which were left in Bofton, took the fame route, when the fleet put to fea. The American army was well fupplied with flour, while in the neighbourhood of Bofton, without any particular interruption, owing to capt. Wallace's having been ordered to cruife about Rhode Island, inftead of off New London. Confequently the flour for the army alway got fafe from New York or elsewhere to New London, from thence to Norwich, and then by land to the place of deftination. About a week after the evacuation, the British fleet failed, as was foon known, for Halifax; but commodore Banks was left with two or three men of war to protect the veffels that should arrive from Great Britain or Ireland; fome of which will undoubtedly be taken notwithstanding fuch precaution. It was but

three

three days before the evacuation, that capt. Manly took 1776. a tranfport of 400 tons burden, laden with peas, potatoes, pork, four crout, and ten packages of medicine.

When admiffion into Bofton was allowed, the American troops were very defirous of feeing the town. Many of them came from inland places, and were never in a fea-port; their curiofity was much excited on a variety of accounts. But the small-pox was in several it; and therefore they only, who were paft the disorder, were to be admitted. Such however was the defire of numbers, that they were guilty of a deception, to obtain

entrance.

parts

of

The thought of being liable to catch the dif temper would have terrified them in the highest degree a little while back; but to gratify a different paffion, they fuppreffed their fears, which might operate for the preventing of their taking the infection. The works of the enemy naturally engaged their attention. Thefe, by judicious perfons who have furveyed them, are acknowledged to be excellent, and every one is convinced, that it would have been a moft hazardous attempt to have endeavoured forcing them.

General Washington appointed perfons to procure an account, and to take care of the articles which the British troops left behind. Befide others, there were at the Castle Island and Bofton, 250 pieces of cannon, great and finall, more than half of which may be rendered serviceable by the aids of ingenuity: the heaviest have been the leaft injured-four thirteen and a half inch mortars, two of them with their beds weighing five tons each-2,500 chaldron of fea coal-25,000 bufhels of wheat-2,300 bushels of barley-600 bufhels of eats—100 jars of oil, containing a barrel each--and 150

horfes.

1776. horfes.

Mar. 28.

Some of the ordnance were thrown into the water; but the Americans will recover them. The joy of the inhabitants, whether fuch as remained in town or withdrew for perfonal fecurity, upon finding themselves restored to the fafe and peaceable enjoyment of their ancient rights, freed from what they deemed an odious tyrannical authority, in a. fituation to triumph over the difgrace of their enemies, and with the profpect of speedy relief from the diftreffes which they had been under for many tedious months-that joy is more eafily conceived than expreffed. They received the commander in chief with every mark of refpect and gratitude, which could be fhown to a deliverer.

At his excellency's request, Dr. Elliot preached a thanksgiving fermon on the opening afresh of the Thurfday's lecture. That you may not be at the trouble of turning to your Bible, take his text in manufcript, "Look upon Zion the city of our folemnities: thine eyes shall fee Jerufalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that fhall not be taken down: not one of the ftakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken." When you are minded to examine the context, look for chap. xxxiii. 20. of Isaiah. The general and a number of officers attended. A dinner was provided for his excellency and other gentlemen in public and private life. The day after the lecture, the 29. Maffachufett's council and house of reprefentatives com

plimented him in a joint addrefs. They took notice, among many other things, of his attention to the civil constitution of the colony; of the regard he had alway fhown for the lives and health of thofe under his command; of his having attended to the prefervation of

their metropolis, in the quiet poffeffion of which they 1776, now were, without that effufion of blood they fo much wifhed to avoid. When they expreffed their good wishes for him at the clofe, they began with, May you still go on, approved by heaven, revered by all good men, and dreaded by those tyrants who claim their fellow men as their property"-and finished with, "May future generations in the peaceful enjoyment of that freedom, the exercise of which your fword fhall have eftablished, raise the richest and moft lafting monuments to the name of a Washington." His answer was proper,. moderate, and becoming his fituation. It will be to his honor to mention, that in private converfation, he expreffed himself to this purpose: "The recovery of Bofton, by the speedy flight of the enemy, is more fatiffactory than a victory gained at the expence of much blood-Thed." When he fent off an exprefs to Lond Stirling at New York, he wrote, "Gen. Howe abandoned Boston without deftroying it. The town is in a much better fituation, and lefs injured than I expected, from the reports I had received; though to be fure, it is much damaged, and many houses defpoiled of their valuable furniture." The following anecdote of the general may be acceptable. A gentleman who had heard the Rev. Mr. Davis relate, that col. Washington had mentioned-he knew of no mufic fo pleafing as the whistling of bullets; being alone in converfation with him at Cambridge, asked him whether it was as had been related; the general anfwered" If I faid fo, it was when I was young." Let us take a tranfient notice of the hardships experienced by the Bofton inhabitants, whether they remained in the town, or withdrew from

1776. it, and refided elsewhere till the evacuation.

Notwithftanding the univerfal profeffion of patriotifm, advantages were too generally taken for oppreffing them, by extravagant charges. A fenfible writer juftly cenfured fuch proceedings in the Connecticut gazette; and complained, that the refugees were obliged to pay far higher fents for houses than ufual, and in some instances double. The greatest fufferings of those who remained, arofe from the want of fuel and fresh provisions, not to mention fuch as refulted from the presence of the British army and navy. Fresh provifions were not alway to be had; and were moftly too dear for the lower clafs to obtain; but at length the rations of the foldiers were fo plentiful, that by the aid of these and arrivals from Europe, they that remained in the town had a tolerable fupply of pork, peas, falt-butter, sweet-oil and bread, at a moderate price. But the intenfe cold of the season rendered the want of fuel extremely grievous. Families, which had been accuftomed to plenty, were obliged to burn with the most sparing hand, and to fave by going to their beds very early, and leaving them as late. Many kept to them in the sharpest weather, other than as they got up to dress their victuals and eat their meals. Numbers, to fupply the want of fuel, pulled up the floors of their houses, the ftairs, and whatever offered. The wooden buildings, taken down by order of gen. Howe, were appropriated to the ufe of the royal refugees. It was as much charity to the poorer inhabitants to admit them to a small fire, as to furnish them with victuals. You must recollect the hard frofts you have in Britain, once in a great number of years, to conceive of what perfons must endure through the want of fuel, from the

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