1736. miles nearer the sea, on an island, which Oglethorpe called Cumberland, was raised a battery, commanding the entrance into Jekyl Sound, through which all ships of force must pass to reach Frederica. To keep small garrisons in these forts, and to help the trustees to defray the expenses of such public works, £10,000 were granted by the parliament of Great Britain.1 Spaniards take um brage. French defeated in a battle with saws. The Spaniards, taking umbrage at these fortifications of the English, sent from Havana a commissioner, who, in a conference with Oglethorpe, demanded that he and his people should immediately evacuate the territories to the southward of St. Helena Sound, as belonging to the king of Spain. Oglethorpe having endeavoured in vain to convince the commissioner of the erroneousness of this claim, and the conference breaking up without any agreement, he embarked, with all possible expedition, for England.2 The Chickasaws had for a long time obstinately opposed the progress of the French up the river Mississippi, and were now the Chicka- the chief obstacle that prevented a regular communication between Louisiana and Canada. A detachment of 200 French and 400 Indians was therefore sent from Canada down the Mississippi, to meet a party from New Orleans, to extirpate that hostile and troublesome nation. The party from the southward not coming up at the time appointed, the Canadians, confident of success, began the war by attacking the Chickasaw towns. Three hundred Chicksaw warriors instantly assembling, gave the French battle in the field, and completely defeated them. Above 40 Frenchmen and 8 of their allied Indians were killed on the spot, and the rest taken prisoners. The captives, after being kept several days almost perishing with hunger in the wilderness, were tied to the stake, tortured, and burnt to death.3 Trade of & Virginia; Maryland employed above 130 sail of ships in its trade. The net product of tobacco, exported from that colony and Virginia, amounted to £210,000; and the annual gain of the mother Pennsylva- country from that trade was above £500,000.4 The entrances at the port of Philadelphia, this year, were 211; and the clearances, 215.5 The entrances at the port of New York were 211, and the clearances, 222.6 nia; N. York. 1 During the two first years of Georgia, the parliament granted upward of £36,000 toward its settlement. 2 Hewatt, ii. 47, 48. Anderson 3 Hewatt, ii. 49, 50. See Charlevoix, Nouv. France, ii. 501. [iii. 215.] says, the French had assembled 2500 white men on Mobile river, on which they built a fort, with an intent to invade Carolina; but the advice of peace between the French and us, obliged them to dissemble that design, and our Chickasaws proved too hard in the end for their Indian allies. 4 Univ. Hist. xl. 474. 5 Ibid. 30. Brit. Emp. ii. 473. 6 Brit. Emp. ii. 395. From March 1735 to 1736. The legislature of Massachusetts granted to the Housatunnuk 1736. Indians a township 6 miles square; which was laid out by a committee of the general court, and afterward called Stock- Township bridge. The number of Indians then residing at that place was the Indians. upwards of 90; of whom Mr. Sergeant had baptized 52.1 granted to A church was built in Lynde street, in the west part of Bos- Church ton.2 built. 1737. ABOUT this time, multitudes of labourers and husbandmen in An Irish Ireland, oppressed by landlords and bishops, and unable to pro- planted in colony cure a comfortable subsistence for their families, embarked for Carolina. Carolina. The first colony of Irish people, receiving a grant of lands near Santee river, formed a settlement, which was called Williamsburgh township.3 lands near To repair the misconduct of New York government in per- Scheme for mitting the French to build a fort at Crown Point, a scheme was settling the projected for settling the lands near Lake George with loyal L. George. protestant Highlanders from Scotland. Captain Laughlin Campbell, encouraged by a proclamation, came over to America, and viewed those lands; and was promised by lieutenant governor Clarke, of New York, the grant of 30,000 acres, free from all charges, but those of the survey and the king's quit rent. Campbell went home to Isla, sold his estate, and shortly after transported, at his own expense, 83 protestant families, consisting of 423 adults, beside a great number of children. Through the sinister views, however, of some persons in power, the project was not carried into effect.4 A heavy shock of an earthquake was felt in New Jersey.5 1738. Earthquake Panama burnt. JAMES OGLETHORPE, having recently been appointed general Oglethorpe and commander in chief of all his majesty's forces in South brings a Carolina and Georgia, was now sent out from England with a Georgia. 1 Hopkins, Memoirs of Housatunnuck Indians, 47-54. The township comprised Wuahktukook, or the Great Meadow. 2 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 263. 3 Hewatt, ii. 63. 4 Smith, N. York, 179, 180. Campbell, after seeking in vain for redress, left his colonists to themselves; and with the poor remains of his broken fortune purchased a small farm in the province of New York. 5 Smith, N. Jersey, 427. It caused doors to fly open, and bricks to fall from the chimnies, and excited great consternation; yet did but little actual injury. 6 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 273. regiment to 1738. regiment of 600 men, for the protection of the southern frontiers of the British dominions in America. On his arrival, he held his head quarters at Frederica; but raised forts on some islands lying nearer the Spaniards, particularly on Jekyl and Cumberland. The maintenance of friendship with the Indian nations was of great importance, that in any emergency he might have their assistance. During his absence, the Spaniards had made several attempts to seduce the Creeks, who were much attached to Oglethorpe; and, at the time of his arrival, some of the Creek chiefs were at St. Augustine. When they returned, they found an invitation from general Oglethorpe to all the chieftains to meet him at Frederica. A number of the head warriors immediately set out to meet him at the place appointed; where the general thanked them for their fidelity, made them many valuable presents, and renewed with them the treaty of friendship and alliance.1 Attempt to assassinate him. Insurrection of negroes in Carolina. No means were neglected by the Spaniards to prevent the establishment of British colonies on the southern frontier. Finding means to corrupt an English soldier, who had been in the Spanish service, a mutiny through his influence was excited in Oglethorpe's camp, and a daring attempt made to assassinate the general; but his life was almost miraculously preserved, and the principal conspirators were shot. Another and more dangerous effort of Spanish policy was, to attempt a seduction of the negroes of South Carolina; who now amounted to the formidable number of 40,000. Liberty and protection had long been promised and proclaimed to them by the Spaniards at St. Augustine; and emissaries had been sent among them, to persuade them to fly from slavery to Florida. The influence of these measures was such as might have been expected. An insurrection of negroes broke out, this year, in the heart of Carolina. A number of them having assembled at Stono, surprised and killed two men in a ware house, from which they took guns and ammunition; chose a captain; and, with colours and drums, began a march toward the southwest, burning every house, and killing every white person in their way, and compelling the negroes to join them. Governor Bull, returning to Charlestown from the southward, and meeting them armed, hastened out of their way, and spread the alarm. It soon reached Wiltown, where a large presbyterian assembly was attending 1 Hewatt, ii. 67, 68. Salmon, Chronol. History. 2 To such negroes, as should desert, lands were allotted near St. Augustine, where above 500 British slaves had already been received. Salmon. Of these negro refugees the governor of Florida had formed a regiment, appointing officers from among themselves, allowing them the same pay, and clothing them in the same uniform with the regular Spanish soldiers. Hewatt. divine service. The men, who, according to a law of the 1738. province, had brought their arms to the place of worship, left the women in the church, and instantly marched in quest of the negroes, who, by this time, had become formidable, and spread desolation above 12 miles. Availing themselves of their superior military skill, and of the intoxication of several of the negroes, they attacked the great body of them in an open field, killed some, and dispersed the rest. Most of the fugitives were taken and tried. They who had been compelled to join the conspirators, were pardoned; but all the chosen leaders and first insurgents suffered death.1 New Inverness, in Georgia, was settled by highlanders, of the New Invercity and province of that name in the north of Scotland. They ness. were conducted to this place by captain William Mackintosh, by order of the procurator of Georgia, captain George Dunbar.2 A college was founded, this year, at Princeton, in New Jersey, College at and called Nassau Hall.3 New Jersey contained 43,388 white Princeton. inhabitants, and 3981 slaves.1 The town of Newport, in Rhode Island, contained 7 worship- Churches in ping assemblies. At Portsmouth there was a large society of R. Island. quakers. In the other 11 towns in the colony there were 25 worshipping assemblies. In the 9 towns on the main land there were 8 baptist churches, 8 quaker meeting houses, 4 episcopal, and 3 congregational churches.5 Winnesimmet, or Romney Marsh, which had hitherto been a Chelsea indistrict or ward of Boston, was incorporated by the name of corporated. Chelsea.6 A workhouse was built in Boston." Work house. Jamaica. The colonists of Jamaica having in vain attempted the subjuga- Treaty with tion of the fugitive negroes, who at length intrenched themselves negroes in in inaccessible places in the mountains; Edward Trelawney, governor of Jamaica, made a treaty with them. It was agreed, that they should remain in a state of freedom; that they should have the property of 1500 acres of land, northeast of Trelawneytown; that they should have liberty to hunt within 3 miles 1 Hewatt, ii. 70, 73. 2 Alcedo, Tr. Art. INVERNESS. This is described by geographers as situated where Darien now is, and as the same town. During a residence of several years in Georgia, I heard nothing of Inverness, but much of Darien, which was at that time in Liberty county, but which now belongs to Mackintosh county, formed at a later period.The name of Mackintosh was still respectably preserved there. 3 Trumbull, Century Sermon. See A. D. 1746. 4 Smith, N. Jersey, p. 489; total, 47,369. 5 Callender, 67. Beside one congregational church on Block Island. 6 Pemberton, MS. Chronology. 7 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 252. A brick building 120 feet long and 2 stories high. 1738. of the English settlements; that they should submit to the orders of the governor, and assist in defence of the island; and that they should deliver up all fugitive negroes.1 Death of Edmund Quincy, agent at London for settling the boundary E. Quincy. line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, died in that city, of the small pox, in the 57th year of his age. The general court of Massachusetts made a donation to his heirs of 1000 acres of land in the town of Lenox, in the county of Berkshire; and caused a monument to be erected to his memory in Bunhill Fields, London.2 War declared against Spain. Scheme for American colonies. 1739. WAR being declared by Great Britain against Spain,3 admiral Vernon was sent to take the command of a squadron on the West India station, with orders to act against the Spanish dominions in that quarter. Sailing with six men of war from Jamaica to Porto Bello, he attacked that fortress on the 21st of November, and the next day the Spanish governor capitulated. The admiral, having blown up the fortifications and castles of the place, returned fo Jamaica.1 During this war with Spain, a scheme for taxing the British taxing the colonies was mentioned to Sir Robert Walpole. "I will leave that," said the minister, "for some of my successors, who may have more courage than I have, and be less a friend to commerce than I am. It has been a maxim with me during my administration, to encourage the trade of the American colonies in the utmost latitude."5 The scheme of taxation was reserved for a bolder minister, and a more eventful period; but the British 1 Salmon, Chron. Hist. Raynal. vi. 345-348; but he says, in 1739. 2 Quincy's Life of Josiah Quincy. The late President Adams told me, that Mr. Quincy, had he not been a Dissenter, would have been interred in Westminster Abbey. 3 The English colonies, but chiefly Jamaica, had carried on a contraband trade with the settlements in America, which custom had long made them consider as lawful. The court of Madrid concerted measures to stop or at least to check this intercourse; and, under the pretence of carrying on a contraband trade, many ships were stopped, which, in reality, had a legal destination. England, incensed to find these hostilities carried to an excess inconsistent with the law of nations, after taking measures for redress, declared war against Spain 23 October, 1739. Raynal, v. 90-95. Hewatt, ii. 69, 75. 4 Univ. Hist. xli. 412, 416. 5 Annual Register for 1765. The minister said more; and the reason assigned for his maxims and measures was recollected, more than twenty years afterward, to his honour. "Nay," proceeded the minister, "it has been necessary to pass over some irregularities in their trade with Europe; for by encouraging them to an extensive growing foreign commerce, if they gain £500,000, I am convinced that in two years afterwards full £250,000 of their gains will be in his majesty's exchequer, by the labour and product of this kingdom; as immense quantities of every kind go thither; and as they increase in their foreign American trade, more of our produce will be wanted. This is taxing them more agreeably to their own constitution and ours." |