minutɔ men in particular, to fpare neither time, pains, nor expence, at fo critical a juncture, in perfecting themselves in military difcipline. They paffed other refolutions for the providing and making of fire arms and bayonets, and renewed more ftrictly the prohibition of the former congrefs, concerning not fupplying the troops at Bofton with any of thofe neceffaries which are peculiarly requifite for the military fervice: The markets of Bofton being ftill open for the fupply of provifions. The diftinction that is here made between the militia and the minute men may perhaps not be understood by fome. The meaning of this diftin&tion is, that a felect body of the militia were engaged to hold themselves ready upon all occafions, and at the shorteft notice, for actual fervice. That is, according to the phrafe, to be ready at a minute's warning. On this account they are ftiled minutemen; and they have fhewn, by their readinefs and activity fince, the propriety of their name.

The meetings of the general congrefs, and the conventions of particular provinces, were a dreadful eyefore to the government. The fecretary of flate for the American department, iflued a circular letter, forbidding, in the king's name, and under the pain of his difpleasure, the election of deputies for the enfuing general congrefs; but this letter produced no effect. The elections took place every where, and even in the province of New-York, notwithstanding their late promifing proceedings. Matters continued very quiet at Bolton, which happened on account of the injunctions of the general congrefs, more than from the hips of war that crowded the harbour, or the force that was ftationed in the town. The calm was, however, precarious and fictitious. Abundance of fuel had been gathered on both fides, fufficiently

prepared

prepared to kindle with the fmalleft fpark; more was preparing, and the leaft touch was likely to kindle a general conflagration. Upon the 26th of February, General Gage fent a detachment of troops, under the command of a field officer, to feize fome brass cannon he had been informed were depofited in the town of Salem. These failed a board a transport to Marblehead, which lies four miles fouth of Salem, and about fourteen miles from the town of Bofton; from thence they marched to Salem, where they found no cannon. They were, however, fufpicious that they had been carried away that morning in confequence of the report of their approach, and from this apprehenfion marched farther into the country, in hopes of overtaking them. In this pursuit they arrived at a draw-bridge over a small river, where a number of the country people were affembled, and thofe on the oppofite fide had taken up the bridge to prevent their paffage. The commanding officer order. ed the bridge to be let down, which the people peremptorily refufed to do, faying, that it was a private road, and he had no authority to demand a paffage that way; for both fides ftill profeffed to keep the public peace, though war was in their hearts, and till the fword was drawn all refiftance was carried on upon legal grounds and pretences. If this was actually a private road, the foldiers had no right to commit a trefspafs from a pretence of feeking cannon, where they were not likely to find any, and they people had an undoubted right to difpute the paffage with the military as they were off the king's highway, and not travelling in the common road where fuch travellers were wont to pafs. The officer, who feems to have confidered himself in an enemy's country, and not in a country where he was amenable to the laws, was determined to force his paffage, and perceiving a boat near at hand, determined

determined to make use of it to gain the poffeffion of the bridge. But the country people perceiving his 'defign, feveral of them jumped into it, and with axes cut holes in its bottom, which occafioned a scuffle between them and the foldiers in and about the boat. Things were now tending to extremities, as the commander feemed determined to force his paffage, and the others were as refolutely bent to prevent it. In this fituation were matters, when a clergyman in the neighbourhood, who had attended the whole tranfaction, remonstrated with the officer, who was a lieutenant colonel, upon the fatal confequences that would infue, provided he made use of force; and finding that the officer ftood upon a point of honour in making good his paffage, more than any other thing, for it was then too late to go in fearch of the cannon, he perfuaded the people to let down the bridge, which the troops took poffeffion of. The colonel having fent a detachment a fhort way into the country, in exercife of his right which he affumed, they immediately returned, without moleftation, on board the tranfport. Thus ended this first expedition, without producing any material effect, and without much mischief. But it now appeared how smalla matter would have produced hoftilities, and in what a precarious fituation the peace of the empire now was; and that the least exertion of the military would certainly bring matters to an extremity. There was one thing which greatly exafperated the colonists, and that was, the act for taking away their charters, and for protecting the military from any trial in the province; this made them confider themselves as under a military government. Every motion of the military body became fufpected, and in the eyes of the people was confidered as an exertion of the moft hateful and odious tyranny. This appearance of refiftance greatly offended and irritated the military, who, from this