BRITISH COLONIES. expedition. To defray the expenses of this projected expedition, 1709. the colonies of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, first issued bills of credit.1 The assembly of New York imposed two shillings a ton on N. York.' every vessel, the one half of which did not belong to the inhabitants of the colony.2 Captain Trondad, a Frenchman, sailed from China to merica.3 Thomas Short set up a printing press in New London. was the first printer in Connecticut.4 Ridgefield, in Connecticut, was incorporated.5 1710. A- Voy. from China. He First printer in Conn. Ridgefield. AFTER the disappointment the last year in the projected expe- Expedition dition against the French, colonel Nicholson went to England, to against Port solicit a force against Canada. A fleet was accordingly destined Royal. for that service; but it being from some cause detained, Port Royal was afterward made the only object. Nicholson, having returned to New England in the spring of this year, and waited until autumn without receiving any auxiliary force from England, sailed on the 18th of September for Port Royal, with a fleet of 36 sail. Arriving in six days at the place of destination, the troops were landed without any opposition. Subercase, the The French threw shells French governor, had but 260 men. and shot from the fort three or four days, while the English were making the necessary preparations; and the bomb ship, in return, plied the French with her shells. On a summons to surrender, the 1st day of October, a cessation of arms was agreed on, and the terms of capitulation were soon settled. The articles tion of Port were signed the next day. Nicholson, leaving a sufficient garrison Royal. 1 Hutchinson, ii. c. 2. Trumbull, i. c. 18. Smith, N. York, i. 119, 121. Smith, N. Jersey, 360. 2 Chalmers, 354. 3 Forster, Voy. 444. Douglass, ii. 285. Bollan's Petitions. "This is the only ship that ever crossed the South Sea in so high a latitude." It reached California 24 July. 4 Trumbull, i. 454. In 1710, he printed the Saybrook Platform, and soon after died. In 1714, Timothy Green, a descendant of Samuel Green of Cambridge, the first printer in North America, went into Connecticut, and fixed his residence at New London. He went upon an application from the government of the colony, and was allowed £50 annually, as printer to the governor and company. His descendants performed the same office for many years. 5 Trumbull, i. 436. In 1708, the purchase was made of Catoonah, the chief sachem, and other Indians, who were the proprietors of that part of the country. 6 Nicholson brought from England 5 frigates and a bomb ketch. These, with 3 fourth rates, 2 fifth rates, the province galley, 14 transports in the pay of Massachusetts, 2 of New Hampshire, 5 of Connecticut, and 3 of Rhode Island composed the fleet; in which embarked a regiment of marines, and 4 regiments raised in New England. 1710. under the command of colonel Vetch, returned with the fleet and army to Boston. In honour of the queen, the name of Port Royal was now exchanged for that of Annapolis.1 Col. Schuyler goes to England, with 5 In In the mean time, colonel Schuyler of New York, impressed with a deep sense of the importance of some vigorous measures against the French, and discontented at the dian chiefs. failure of the last year's expedition, had made a voyage to England, to inculcate on the ministry the absolute necessity of reducing Canada to the crown of Great Britain. The more effectually to accomplish his object, he carried with him five Indian chiefs; who gave assurances to the queen of their fidelity, and solicited her assistance against their common enemies, the French.2 Palatines. Colonel Robert Hunter, appointed governor of New York, arrived at that province in June, bringing with him 2700 Palatines; many of whom settled in the city of New York; others, 1 Hutchinson, ii. 180-184, where the Articles of the Capitulation are inserted. Univ. Hist. xxxix. 257, 258; xl. 169–171. Belknap, N. Hamp. i. 349, 350. Trumbull, i. 438. Charlevoix, Nouv. France, ii. 342–346. The garrison marched out with the honours of war. The inhabitants within three miles of BRITISH COLONIES. on a tract of several thousand acres in the manor of Livingston; while others went into Pennsylvania.1 2 1710. liament The British parliament passed an act for the encouragement Acts of par concerning of the trade to America. An act was also passed by parliament for the preservation of white and other pine trees, growing in America. the colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Province of Maine, Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, the Narraganset Country, or King's Province, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, in America, for the masting her majesty's navy.3 The first post office in America was established by the same parliament. The act was entitled "An Act for establishing a General Post Office for all her majesty's Dominions, and for settling a weekly sum out of the Revenues thereof, for the service of the war, and other her majesty's occasions." It required, that one general Letter Office and Post Office should be erected in London, and other chief Letter Offices in Scotland, Ireland, North America, and the West Indies. The Postmaster General was to be "at liberty to keep one chief Letter Office in New York, and other chief Offices at some convenient place or places in each of her majesty's Provinces or Colonies in America."4 meeting A meeting house of the Quakers, or Friends, was built in Quaker house. Boston.5 1 Smith, N. York, i. 123, 124. Univ. Hist. xxxix. 352. Brit. Emp. ii. 217. They had left Germany the preceding year on account of persecution. Smith says, "the queen's liberality to these people was not more beneficial to them, than serviceable to the colony" [N. York]; but it was the subject of complaint in England. The house of commons, in a representation to the queen, this year, among other strictures on the couduct of the late ministry, take notice of "the squandering away great sums upon the Palatines, who were a useless people, a mixture of all religions, and dangerous to the Constitution;" and say, "they hold, that those, who advised the bringing them over were enemies to the queen and kingdom." Salmon, Chron. Hist. 66 2 English Statutes, iv. 507. By an act 6 Annæ, c. 37, customs and duties had been laid on prize goods and merchandizes, taken in America during the war, as if the same had been imported into any part of Great Britain, and from thence exported." This new act declares, that the subjecting them to such customs and duties had "been very prejudicial to her majesty's Plantations and Colonies, and, in a great measure, prevented the importation thereof into those Plantations and Colonies;" and therefore repeals that part of the old act. 3 English Statutes, iv. 467. This Act was to take effect 24 September, 1711; after which time no person might destroy any pine tree, fit for masts, "not on the penalty of £100 sterling. being the property of any private person,' "This law," says Anderson [iii. 39.], "the first of the kind for masts, has proved extremely useful for masting the royal navy, and has also saved much money formerly sent to Norway for that purpose." 4 Ibid. 434-445. The rate of all letters and packets from London to New York, and thence to London, was fixed thus: single, 18.; double, 28.; treble, 38.; ounce, 4s. The rate of all letters and packets from New York to any place within 60 miles thereof, and thence back to New York, was: single, 4d.; double, 8d.; treble, 1s.; ounce, 18. 4d. For the rates of other postage in the colonies, see the Act. 5 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 260. 1710. Deaths. Sir Henry Ashurst, agent for Massachusetts at ths court of Great Britain, died; and was succeeded in that agency by Jeremy Dummer.1 Robert Treat died in the 89th year of his age.2 James Allen, minister in Boston, died, in the 78th year of his age.3 Expedition against Canada. 1711. AFTER the reduction of Port Royal, colonel Nicholson went again to England, to solicit an expedition against Canada. The ministry acceded to the proposal; and an armament was ordered, proportional to the magnitude of the enterprise. Nicholson arrived at Boston on the 8th of June, with orders for the northern colonies to get ready their quotas of men and provisions, by the time of the arrival of the fleet and army from Europe. Sir Hovenden Walker, with a fleet of 15 ships of war and 40 transports, carrying seven veteran regiments of the duke of Marlborough's army, and a battalion of marines, under the command of brigadier general Hill, arrived at Boston harbour on the 25th of June. Sixteen days, the time which had elapsed since the reception of the orders, did not possibly admit the requisite preparations. Every thing, however, that was practicable, was done. In about five weeks, the colonies raised two considerable armies, and furnished them with provisions. Nicholson, having attended a congress of the governors of the colonies at New London to concert measures relating to the expedition, had proceeded to Albany, where the forces of New York, Connecticut, 1 Hutchinson, i. c. 1. Sir Henry Ashurst was the son of Henry Ashurst, Esq. who had great influence in settling the corporation for propagating the gospel among the Indians in New England and parts adjacent, and who was a member of parliament, and a friend to New England. Sir Henry was agent for Massachusetts colony several years, and his services were acknowledged with gratitude. Eliot, Biog. Art. ASHURST and DUMMER. 2 He had retired from public life; he had been 32 years governor, or deputy governor, of Connecticut. His administration was characterized by wisdom, firmness, and integrity. "Few men have sustained a fairer character, or rendered the public more important services." 3 Mr. Allen was silenced by the act of Uniformity, and came to Boston in 1662. After being an assistant to Mr. Davenport in the First Church 6 years, he was ordained as teacher, 1668. He was strongly attached to "the order of the churches," as defended by Dr. I. Mather, and opposed attempts at innovations. He built the stone house, which was lately standing, and a few years since occupied by his great great grandson, the late sheriff of Suffolk, and thought to have been the oldest in Boston. He had a very handsome estate, and was hospitable and beneficent. His posterity have been very respectable. Calamy, Contin. Eliot. Biog. Emerson, First Church, sect. 11. 4 The soldiers disembarked the next day, and encamped on Noddle's Island. On the 10th of July, they were reviewed there by the general; the governor and a great concourse of people attending the review; "the troops," says admiral Walker, "making a very fine appearance, such as had never before been in these parts of the world." and New Jersey, about 1000 Palatines, and about as many Indians of the Five Nations, collected, to the number of about 4000 men. These forces, commanded by colonels Schuyler, Whiting, and Ingoldsby, under the general command of Nicholson, commenced their march on the 28th of August toward Canada. 1711. Meanwhile the troops at Boston under general Hill, joined by two regiments of New England and New York men under colonels Walton and Vetch, had sailed for the river St. Lawrence. The fleet, consisting of 68 vessels, and having on board 6463 soldiers, sailed on the 30th of July, and arrived at the mouth of the St. Lawrence on the 14th of August. In proceeding up the river, the fleet, through the unskilfulness of the pilots, and by contrary winds, was in imminent danger of entire destruction. On the 22d, about midnight, the seamen discovered that they were driven on the north shore among rocks and islands. Eight or nine It proves of the British transports, on board of which were about 1700 offi- disastrous; cers and soldiers, were there cast away, and nearly 1000 men lost. Upon this disaster, the admiral bore away for Spanish river bay, at Cape Breton, where a council of land and naval officers, in consideration that there was but ten weeks' provision for the fleet and army, and that a seasonable supply from New England could not be expected, judged it expedient to relinquish the design. and is reThe admiral sailed directly for England; and the provincial linquished. troops returned home. General Nicholson, who had advanced to Lake George, hearing of the miscarriage of the expedition on the St. Lawrence, retreated with the land army, and abandoned the enterprise.1 A fire broke out in Boston, near the centre of the town, and Oct. 2. consumed all the houses on each side of the main street, from Fire in School street to the foot of Cornhill.2 1 Hutchinson, ii. 190-198. Trumbull, i. 462-467. Belknap, N. Hamp. i. Boston. |