1776. motion of lord North, that these treaties be referred to the committee of supply, the measure of employing foreign auxiliaries was reprobated by the opposition in parliament; but his lordship's motion was agreed to by a large majority. In the house of lords this measure was also warmly opposed. The duke of Richmond moved, that a humble address be presented to his majesty, praying, that he would be graciously pleased to countermand the march of the troops of Hesse, Hanau, and Brunswick; and likewise give directions for an immediate suspension of hostilities in America, in order to lay a foundation for a happy and permanent reconciliation between the contending parts of this distracted empire. This motion the duke supported with great ability; but the bill, with a motion for the usual address of thanks to the king, and a request that the measures proposed should be approved, passed by a triumphant majority. When information of this measure, together with the king's speech, the parliamentary debates, and the rejection of the late petition of congress, reached America, it decided the question of the expediency of independence. "Protection and allegiance are reciprocal," said the colonists, " and the refusal of the first is a legal ground of justification for withholding the last." To declare themselves independent, was no more than to announce to the world the real political state in which Great Britain had placed them. While the legality of this measure was thus argued, its immediate necessity was proved. "If Great Britain calls in the aid of strangers to crush us, we must seek similar aid for our own preservation." But foreign assistance must be sought in the character of independent states; else the colonists must still be considered as subjects carrying on war against their king, and rely on their own resources. These and similar reasonings were enforced by powerful addresses to the passions. A pamphlet under the signature of Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine, produced great effect. While it demonstrated the necessity, the advantages, and the practicability of independence, it treated kingly government with opprobrium, and hereditary succession with ridicule. The change of the public mind, on this occasion, is without a parallel. "In the short space of two years, nearly three millions of people passed over from the love and duty of loyal subjects, to the hatred and resentment of enemies." Motion for ence. On the 7th of June, a motion was made in congress, by independ- Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, for declaring the colonies free and independent. This motion caused very interesting and animated debates, and gave great scope to genius and eloquence. John Adams and John Dickinson, who took opposite sides of the question, the first for independence, and the other against it, were 1776. ence de preeminently distinguished. After a full discussion, the measure was approved by nearly a unanimous vote. The Declaration of Independence, having briefly stated the rights of men, recites July 4. the injuries and usurpations of the present king of Great Independ Britain;" takes notice of the repeated petitions of the colonies, clared. in every stage of these oppressions, for redress, which had been "answered only by repeated injury;" and concludes in these energetic words: "We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE and INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states ought to do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour." tion of con In consideration of the exclusion of the colonists from the On the reprotection of the crown, the failure of their humble petitions for commendaredress of grievances and reconciliation with Great Britain, the gress, employment of foreign mercenaries against them, and the necessity that the powers of government should be exerted under the authority of the people of these colonies, Congress, 15 May, resolved, "That it be recommended to the respective assemblies and conventions of the United Colonies, where no government sufficient for the exigencies of their affairs hath been already established, to adopt such government as shall, in the opinion of the representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and America in colonial general." The assemblies and conventions of the colonies acted governupon this recommendation; and colonial governments were gen- mablished. erally established. last of 1775 General Washington, on his first arrival in camp, had found State of the "the materials for a good army;" but they were in the crudest army, the state. The troops having been raised by the different colonial and the be governments, no uniformity existed among the regiments. Ani- ginning of mated by the spirit of that very liberty, for which they were. preparing to fight, and unaccustomed to discipline, they neither felt the inclination, nor realized the importance, of subjection to military rules. The difficulty of establishing subordination was 1776. 1776. greatly increased by the shortness of the terms of enlistments, some of which were to expire in November, and none to continue longer than December. The general soon made the alarming discovery, that there was not more powder than sufficient to furnish each man with nine cartridges. Although by great address this dangerous deficiency was concealed from the enemy; yet the want of bayonets, which was very considerable, could not be kept secret. The army was in such need of tents, as to be unavoidably lodged in barracks; a circumstance extremely unfavourable to sudden movements, to health, and discipline. There was no commissary general, and therefore no systematic arrangement for obtaining provisions. A supply of clothes was rendered peculiarly difficult by the non importation agreements. There was a total want of engineers; and an extreme deficiency of working tools. The general, happily qualified at once to meet difficulties, and to remove them, took immediate care to organize the troops, to fit them for actual service, and to make arrangements for the necessary supplies. Next to these objects, he considered the reenlistment of the army the most interesting. To this essential object he had early solicited the attention of congress; assuring that body that he must despair of the liberties of his country, unless he were furnished with an army that should stand by him until the conclusion of their enterprise. A committee had been appointed, with directions to repair to the camp at Cambridge, there to consult with the commander in chief, and with the chief magistrates of New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and the council of Massachusetts, "on the most effectual method of continuing, supporting, and regulating a continental army." Congress at length resolved to raise a standing army to consist of about 75,000 men, to serve for the term of three years, or during the war; and that it should be composed of 88 battalions, to be raised in the colonies, according to their respective abilities.1 Recruiting orders were accordingly issued ; but the progress in raising recruits was by no means proportioned to the public exigencies. On the last day of December, when all the old troops, not engaged on the new establishments, were disbanded, there had been enlisted for the army of 1776 no more than 9650 men. An earnest recommendation of general Washington to congress to try the influence of a bounty was not acceded to until late in January; but during the winter the numbers of new recruits were considerably augmented. "The history of this winter campaign," says the biographer of Washington, "is a history of continuing and successive struggles on the part of the American general, under the vexations and difficulties imposed by the want of arms, ammunition, and permanent troops, on a person in an uncommon degree solicitous to prove himself by some grand and useful achievement, worthy of the high station to which the voice of his country had called him." Hitherto the general had found employment enough within the limits of his own encampment. "It is not in the pages of history perhaps," he observes in a letter to congress, "to furnish a case like ours. To maintain a post within musket shot of the enemy for six months together without ammunition, and at the same time to disband one army and recruit another, within that distance of twenty odd British regiments, is more, probably, than ever was attempted." Dissatisfied, however, with so inactive a service, he had for some time been contemplating an attack on Boston, as soon as he could be justified in attempting the execution of so bold a design. About the middle of February, the severe cold setting in, and the ice becoming sufficiently firm to bear the troops, he was disposed to make that attempt; but a council of war, summoned on the occasion, being almost unanimous against the measure, he reluctantly abandoned it. 1776. The effective regular force of the Americans now amounted to upward of 14,000 men; in addition to which the commander in chief called out about 6000 of the militia of Massachusetts. With these troops he determined to take possession of the heights of Dorchester, whence it would be in his power greatly to annoy the ships in the harbour and the soldiers in the town. By taking this position, from which the enemy would inevitably attempt to drive him, he expected to bring on a general action, during which he intended to cross over from Cambridge side with 4000 chosen men, and attack the town of Boston. To conceal his design, and to divert the attention of the garrison, a heavy bombardment of the town and lines of the enemy was begun on the evening of the 2d of March, and repeated the two succeeding nights. On the night of the 4th, immediately after the firing began, a considerable detachment, under the command of general Americans Thomas, passing from Roxbury, took silent possession of Dor- session of chester heights. The ground was almost impenetrably hard, Dorchester but the night was mild, and by labouring with great diligence, heights. their works were so far advanced by morning, as to cover them in a great measure from the shot of the enemy. When the take pos 1776. British after day break discovered these works, which were magnified to the view by a hazy atmosphere, nothing could exceed their astonishment. Some of their officers afterward acknowledged, that the expedition with which they were thrown up, with their sudden and unexpected appearance, recalled to their minds those wonderful stories of enchantment and invisible agency, which are so frequent in the Eastern romances. Nothing now remained but to abandon the town, or to dislodge the provincials. General Howe, with his usual spirit, chose the latter part of the alternative, and took measures for the embarkation on that very evening of five regiments with the light infantry and grenadiers, on the important but most hazardous service. The transports fell down in the evening toward the castle, with the troops, amounting to about 2000 men; but a tremendous storm at night rendered the execution of the design absolutely impracticable. A council of war was called the next morning, and agreed to evacuate the town as soon as possible. A fortnight elapsed before that measure was effected. Meanwhile the Americans strengthened and extended their works; and on the morning of the 17th of March the British discovered a breastwork, that had been thrown up in the night at Nook's Hill, on Dorchester peninsula, which perfectly commanded Boston neck, and the south part of the town. Delay was no longer safe. By four in evacuated the morning, the king's troops, with those Americans, who were by the attached to the royal cause, began to embark; and before ten all of them were under sail. As the rear embarked, general Washington marched triumphantly into Boston, where he was joyfully received as a deliverer.2 March 17. Boston British. May 5. General Arnold, under all his discouragements, continued the Blockade of blockade of Quebec; but at length in a council of war it was unanimously determined, that the troops were in no condition to Quebec raised. 1 Annual Register. 2 The number of the British who evacuated Boston, exclusive of the staff, was 7575; and the addition of the marines and sailors is supposed to have rendered Howe 10,000 strong. They left their barracks standing, and a number of pieces of cannon spiked, 4 large iron sea mortars, and stores, to the value of £30,000. They demolished the castle, and knocked off the trunnions of the cannon.-A considerable number of the inhabitants of Boston remained in town during its possession by the British. General Gage, soon after the battle of Lexington, agreed with a committee of the town, that, on the inhabitants lodging their arms in Fanueil Hall, or any other convenient place, under the care of the select men, all such inhabitants, as were inclined, might depart from the town, with their families and effects. In five days after the ratification of this agreement, the inhabitants had lodged 1778 fire arms, 634 pistols, 273 bayonets, and 38 blunderbusses. The agreement was well observed at first, but obstructions were thrown in the way of its completion; and it is alleged against general Gage, that" contrary to good faith he detained many, though fairly entitled by agreement to go out, and when he admitted the departure of others, he would not allow them to remove their families and effects." |
