Brattleborough Williams's Hist. Vt., ii. 478. Doc. Hist. N. Y., iv. 1034. Semi-Weekly Eagle, Thursday Evening, May 2d, 1850, vol. iii. No. 76. 745 The more accessible sources from which the account of the "Westminster Massacre" has been drawn, are named in the annexed list. March 21st, 1775. MS. Council Minutes in office Sec. State N. Y., 1765–1783, xxvi. 425, 426. Doc. Hist. N. Y., iv. 903, 904. 22d, 1775. Depositions of Oliver Church and Joseph Hancock, in Doc. Hist. 28th, 1775. Deposition of John Griffin, in Doc. Hist. N. Y., iv. 910-914. 30th, 1775. Journals of the General Assembly of the Province of New York. American Archives, Fourth Series, 1775, vol. i., cols. 1321-1324. April 3d, 1775. See authorities cited under March 30th, 1775. 5th, 1775. Dispatches of Lieutenant Governor Colden to Lord Dartmouth, in MSS. London Documents in office Sec. State N. Y., xlv. Doc. Hist. N. Y., iv. 914-916. May 5th, 1775. MSS. Council Minutes in office Sec. State N. Y., 1765–1783. xxvi. 435. Doc. Hist. N. Y., iv. 917, 918. Brattleborough (Vt.) Semi-Weekly Eagle, Monday Evening, September 24th, 1849. vol. iii., No. 14. The "State of the Facts" made by the judges of the court, and epitomized on p. 223, is in these words:— "New York County of Cumberland court of common Pleas, And court of General Sessions of the Peace holden at the court House in Westminster this Fourteenth Day of March A. D. 1775. Whereas a very melancholly and unhappy affair Happened at this Place in the evening of yesterday The thirteenth Instant and Whereas it may be that the Same may Be represented very Different From what The same really was We his majesty's Judges and Justices of the said Courts being chiefly there Present have Thought it our Duty thus to relate a true state of the Facts Exactly as they happened. "Many threats having for several Terms past been Thrown out by evil minded persons that they would With Violence break up and Destroy the courts of our Sovereign Lord the king in this county and threats of A more Daring and absolute nature than formerly having been thrown out by certain Evil Minded persons Against the setting of this present Court the Sheriff tho't it Essentially necessary to raise a Posse For the Courts Protection and having Raised about sixty Men armed some With Guns and some with staves he arrived At there head before the Court House about five o'clock In the afternoon of yesterday When to the Great Surprise of the said Sheriff and Posse they found the court house Taken into Possession and the several Doors thereof Guarded By a large number of Rioters (supposed to be about an Hundred in the whole) armed With clubs and some Few fire arms. The Sheriff APPENDIX I. But the Rioters made scoff at 747 then endeavored to Go in at the Door of the court-house, but was prevented by Threats And menaces; whereupon he read the King's Proclamation, with a very loud voice commanding In his Majesty's name all persons unlawfully assembled Immediately to Depart, and thereupon Demanded Entrance again But was again refused and Prevented by threats and menaces as Before. The Sheriff then told the Rioters that he would Leave them a short time to consider of their behaviour And to Disperse, and if they would not afterwards allow Him Entrance into the said courthouse That he would Absolutely Enter it by force. this Measure replying the hardest must fend off. wards wanted to choose committees to Parley but was answered that they could not Parley to consider whether the King's Court Should proceed or not. Judge Chandler informed them that if they had any real grievances to complain of if they would Present a Petition to the court when sitting it should be heard the Sheriff then gave the Posse Liberty To refresh themselves and about two Houers afterward He Brought the said Posse Before the courthouse again and then again Demanded Entrance in his majesty's Name but was again refused in like manner as Before. Whereupon he told them that he would Absolutely enter it Either Quietly or by force and commanded the Posse to follow close to him which they Accordingly Did and getting near The Door he was struck several Blows with clubs, which he had the Goodness in General to fend off so far at least as not to Receive Any very Great Damage but several of their clubs striking Him as he was goeing up the steps, and The Rioters Persisting in maintaining Their Ground, he ordered some of the Posse to fire, which they accordingly did. The Rioters then fought Violently with their clubs and fired some few fire arms at the Posse by which Mr. Justice Butterfield received a slight shot in the arm and another of the Posse received a slight shot in the head with Pistol Bullets: but happily none of the Posse were mortally wounded. Two persons of the Rioters were Dangerously wounded (one of whom is since dead) and several others of the Rioters were also wounded but not Dangerously so. Eight of the Rioters were taken prisoners (including The one which is since Dead) & the wounded were taken care of by Doct. Day, Doct. Hill and Doct. Chase. The latter of which was immediately sent for on Purpose. The rest of the Rioters Dispersed giving out Threats that they would collect all the force Possible and would return as on this Day to revenge themselves on the Sheriff and on several others of the Posse. "This Being a true state of the facts without the least Exaggeration on the one side or Diminution on the other We humbly submit to Every Reasonable Inhabitant whether his majesty's courts of Justice the Grand and only security For the life liberty and property of the publick should Be trampled on and Destroyed whereby said persons and properties of individuals must at all times be exposed to the Rage of a Riotous and Tumultuous assembly or whether it Does not Behove Every of his Majesty's Liege subjects In the said county to assemble themselves forthwith for the Protection of the Laws and maintenance of Justice. "Dated in open Court the Day and Year Aforesaid. "Thomas Chandler, Noah Sabin, Bildad Andross, The following account of the affray was published at Salem, Massachusetts, in the Essex Gazette, under the date of March 14th-21st, 1775: "We hear a body of people armed with clubs and some few fire arms, to the number of about one hundred, assembled at Westminster in the County of Cumberland in the province of New York, on the evening of the 13th day of this instant, being the evening before the day of the sitting of the Court of Common Pleas for said County, for the purpose of preventing the Courts sitting there, and took possession of the Court House. The Sheriff of the County being previously advertised of their design, raised the Posse Comitatus to oppose them, and came up to the Court House a short time after the rioters had seized it and attempted to enter the same, but was opposed by them. He informed the rioters that the Court House was the property of his Majesty, and that he was the keeper of it, and demanded entrance into it, and ordered them to disperse, which they peremptorily refused to do. Several attempts were made oy the Sheriff and the Posse to enter the house without force, which were resisted by the mob. The Sheriff then informed the rioters that he was determined at all events, to have possession of the house; if he could not get it without, he would get it by force. He then read the riot act to them, and ordered them to disperse within one hour, and told them, that if they did not disperse within that time, and cease their opposition to his entrance into the Court House, he would most certainly order the Posse to fire on them; to which they replied, Fire and be damned! If you do, the hardest fend off.' The Sheriff told the rioters he would not have them flatter themselves that he would not fire on them, for he was absolutely determined to do it if they continued obstinate. He then with his Posse, left the house for the space of about three hours, during which time all possible arguments were used to dissuade the rioters from their purpose, which they treated with neglect. They then sent to those of the Judges of the Court then in the town, to know if they would treat with a committee from their body, whether the Court should do business. The Judges returned this answer: That they could not treat with them whether his Majesty's business should be done or not, but that if they thought themselves aggrieved and would apply to them in a proper way, they would give them redress if it was in their power. But this was by no means satisfactory to them. At the expiration of the three hours, the Sheriff and Posse returned to the Court House and again attempted to enter it, but were beat back by the rioters with their clubs. He told them he would most certainly fire on them, if they did not desist. They answered, 'Fire and be damned! Fire and be damned!' The Sheriff then ordered his men to fire upon them, which they did and wounded one mortally (who is since dead) and several others very badly, one of whom is thought to be dangerous. The Sheriff, after a few shots, ordered the fire to cease, and his men to enter the house with clubs, which they did, when a stout resistance was made by the rioters for some time; but they were finally dispossessed and nine or ten of them taken prisoners. The rioters fired once or twice on the Sheriff's party, but did no damage. The next day the rioters were reinforced by a large number, armed with muskets, and being much superior to the Sheriff's party, took him and about twelve others and confined them in close gaol." Another newspaper account was given by John Holt, in his New York Journal or General Advertiser, under date of Thursday, March 23d, 1775. It may be found in the American Archives, Fourth Series, 1775, vol. ii. cols. 214, 215. The following is a copy: "On Monday afternoon, expresses arrived in Town from the County of Cumberland, in this province, who bring accounts from thence of a very extraordinary and alarming nature. On the Monday afternoon preceding, March 13th, the day for holding the Inferiour Courts, several rioters and disorderly persons, to the number of between 80 and 90, assembled at the Court House, of which they took possession, with an avowed intent of preventing the Court from being held the next day; many of them had arms, and those who were unprovided for, were collecting both arms and ammunition with all possible dispatch. Many of the Magistrates having come APPENDIX I. 749 to Town, it was thought advisable that the Sheriff should make the usual proclamation against riotous assemblies, and demand possession of the Court House and Jail; which being refused several times, about 9 o'clock at night a party assembled in order to disperse the rioters. These proceeded with the Sheriff and some magistrates to the Court House where proclamation was again made by the Sheriff for the rioters to disperse, and sundry attempts were made to get in, without using fire arms, but this proving ineffectual, three guns were fired over the door in hopes the rioters would be intimidated and retire; but so determined were they in their undertaking, that the fire was immediately returned from the Court House, by which one of the Magistrates was slightly wounded, and another person shot through his clothes. The Magistrates seeing the imminent danger they were in, so well exerted themselves that they forced the front door, and after a very smart engagement, wherein one of the rioters was killed, and many persons on both sides wounded, the Court House was cleared, and proper measures taken to preserve the peace for that night. The next morning all was tumult and disorder. The Judges, however, opened the Court at the usual hour, and adjourned till 3 o'clock in the afternoon; but by this time, the body of rioters beginning to assemble in large parties from New Hampshire, and places adjacent, and particularly from Bennington, in the neighboring County of Albany, with a hostile appearance, and the Court foreseeing no probability of being able to proceed to business, adjourned till next June term. The body of rioters, which soon amounted to upwards of 500, surrounded the Court House, took the Judges, the Justices, the Sheriff, the Clerk, and as many more of their friends as they could find, into close custody, and sent parties out, who were daily returning with more prisoners. The roads and passages were guarded with armed men, who indiscriminately laid hold of all passengers against whom any of the party intimated the least suspicion; and the mob, stimulated by their leaders to the utmost fury and revenge, breathed nothing but blood and slaughter against the unfortunate persons in their power. The only thing which suspended their fate was a difference of opinion as to the manner of destroying them. And from the violence and inhumanity of the disposition apparent in the rioters, it is greatly to be feared that some of the worthy men in confinement will fall a sacrifice to the brutal fury of a band of ruffians, before timely aid can be brought to their assistance." The annexed extracts from the Journal of the New York Provincial Congress show that strenuous measures would have been adopted by the British, to quell the insurrectionary spirit in Cumberland county, evinced by the events of the 13th of March, had not more important scenes demanded the attention of the Crown. "Tuesday, 9 o'clock, A.M. "September 12th, 1775. 'Ordered, That Samuel Wells, Esq., of Cumberland county, be requested to attend before this Committee of Safety* at five o'clock this afternoon. "Tuesday, 4 ho. P. M. Sept. 12th, 1775. "Samuel Wells, Esq., according to order, attending at the door was called and examined. Says, 'That no arms were sent to Cumberland county by governmentdid hear that Gov. Colden applied to Gen. Gage for arms, and heard the arms camebut the affair at Lexington put an end to it-of the £1,000 granted for Cumberland county, £200 of the money has been received-it was employed to reimburse the sheriff and Mr. Gale, the expense of themselves and the other prisoners and expresses-heard the arms were put on board the King's Fisher-has forgot how he heard it, and does not know how they were disposed of."-i. 144, 145. See also, American Archives, Fourth Series, 1775, vol. iii. col. 890. * A Committee of Safety usually sat during the recess of the Provincial Congress, with temporary powers equal to those of the latter body. |