USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Cambridge > History of Massachusetts from July 1775, when general Washington took command of the American Army at Cambridge, to the year 1789, (inclusive) when federal government was established under the present constitution, Vol 2 > Part 12
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The complaints of the people in most of the states had become so loud and so general, on ac- count of the prevalence of extortion and monopo- ly, that in January 1779, Congress was led to in- quire, whether it were not practicable to provide a preventive. They were of opinion that regu- lating statutes were necessary; and divided the thirteen states into two districts ; advising that a convention in each be holden, to fix and regulate the prices of the common articles of living .* A convention of delegates from the northern dis- trict was held at New Haven, who formed a plan for regulating prices, and preventing extortion. The plan was adopted and carried into effect by most of the states composing the district. It was approved also by the legislature of Massachusetts, and a law passed on the subject ; but there were many of her citizens, who considered it their inte- rest to disregard the law ; and there was remissness
* Some gentlemen in Congress, however, were of opinion that trade should be left to regulate itself. Many citizens of Massachusetts entertained similar sentiments.
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in the officers, whose duty it was to see it observed, which favoured the violations of a salutary law with impunity .* The General Assembly, however, were very desirous to prevent the evil, and to save the poorer classes of people from oppression. They directed the law to be published, and to be read at the annual town meetings.
Another subject engaged the attention of the General Assembly at their session in January, which related to the support and comfort of the people. The preceding season had been uncom- monly dry; which, together with a severe blight of the grain, cut off nearly one half of the usual crops. A great number of men, usually employed in cultivating the soil, was engaged in the milita- ry service through the spring and summer. This, also, had served to lessen the customary fruits of harvest : and several thousand prisoners, taken with Bourgoyne had been kept in the state. The scarcity was such as to give great alarm. Added to all other difficulties, there was an embargo laid on all vessels bound from one state to another. The General Court addressed letters to Connec- ticut, New Jersey, and New York, requesting flour and grain for the inhabitants. They voted $200,000,1 and appointed a committee to visit those states to procure provisions. They also re- quested Congress to grant permission for trans-
* Nothing but a strict regard to facts could make it neces- sary to notice the above. As a state, Massachusetts was most patriotic, and made great exertions for the public welfare. But there were some, who sought their own without regard to the general interest. "The Recusants prevented the exe- cution of the law."
t The paper had then greatly depreciated.
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porting flour and corn from the southern states. The towns, particularly those on the sea coast, which suffered most severely for the want of grain, were furnished from the public stock purchased by the state, and in such proportions as their seve- ral necessities demanded.
Such was still the situation of the state and of the country, that great exertions were requisite on the part of the General Court to provide for the protection of the one, and to furnish its proportion of aid for the defence of the other. In Februa- ry, a resolve was passed, as in the two preceding years, providing for men to be stationed at the towns on the sea coasts, liable to be approached by the enemy's ships; with the addition of Fal- mouth in the county of Barnstable, which had suffered from their depredations. Clothing was furnished for the soldiers composing the seven- teen regiments of the Massachusetts line. Their families were provided for, by the selectmen of towns in which they resided, by virtue of particu- lar orders of the legislature. To the officers on the continental establishment, large sums were also paid, or advanced on the credit of the United States ; 300l. to the field officers; and to captains and others, 200l. The treasury of the state did not indeed permit of the immediate payment of the whole sum: and a part was to be paid in three and six months. The assembly wrote to their delegates in Congress, and also to the president, to be laid before that body, informing them of their proceedings to quiet the minds of the soldiers, and praying them to provide some remedy for the evils of depreciation on the public paper, and to do justice to those who were engaged in the mili-
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tary service of the country. The soldiers receiv- ed wages from the continent ; but the bills in which they were paid were so greatly depreciated below the nominal value, that they received not, in fact, one tenth or one twentieth of the amount promis- ed; and the state of Massachusetts had engaged to them a bonafide compensation. The state omitted no possible means of doing justice to the officers and soldiers in the regiments it had raised; but still these brave men and their families suffer- ed extremely, by devoting a long period to the public service. The wants of their families oblig- ed them to part with their notes from the conti- nent and from the state, for the tenth part of the amount due them; and individuals, who were ne- ver exposed to danger or losses, eventually receiv- ed the fruit of their toils.
In February, the legislature was requested by general Gates, then commanding, on the Boston station, to call out the militia to assist in fortifying the harbour, and to collect stores and provisions. As a reason for his request, general Gates stated that he feared an attack from the British. The legislature addressed Congress on the subject, de- siring their advice, and solicting aid from the con- tinental army, if the enemy should invade the state. They had then but recently raised 400 of the militia to serve as a guard at Boston and neighbourhood, in addition to the state battalion which had been sometime in service ; and had re- quired a detachment from Plymouth and Bristol counties to be ready to march for the defence of Rhode Island, at the shortest notice from the com- manding officer in that state.
The General Court adjourned for a few weeks,
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the last of February, after giving authority to the council to call out the militia and provide military stores, if the public welfare should require it ; and assembled again the first of April, when they had a request from general Washington to furnish an additional number of men to reinforce the conti- nental army. His inquiry at this time was how many they could enlist for the campaign, instead of requesting a particular number, as he had usual- ly done. It was voted, after some discussion, that 2,000 could be raised in the state, if the public service should require it, in addition to those al- ready in the continental army, those at Rhode Island, and those at Boston and other towns on the sea coasts. Soon after, it was ordered, that 1500 be raised, for nine months, to fill up the Massachusetts regiments, which at that time were not complete. These were enlisted, in June and July, by calling upon the several towns through the state to furnish their respective quotas* and by offering a large sum as a bounty. Shortly after, 500 militia were ordered to Rhode Island ; and a regiment of light infantry was raised for one year to serve in Massachusetts or in any state in New England. A large quantity of military stores was conveyed from Boston and vicinity to Springfield, in April; to be deposited in the arsenal which had then been just established in that place ; and one hundred teams were employed in transporting them.
* Those towns which furnished the number required by the first of June, were allowed £120.
t By a law of Congress, these men have received the same pension, for several years, as those who engaged at an earlier day for the whole term of the war, and had no bounty.
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In February 1779, the General Court again proposed to the people to form a constitution of civil government, by recommending to them to ex- press their opinion on the subject and to make re- turn to the legislature in June following. The proposition was, that, if the majority of the votes given in and returned to the court in June was in favour of the measure, precepts were to be issued for the people to choose delegates for the conven- tion, to meet in September then next : and such persons were to vote on the subject as were en- titled to elect representatives. By the returns made in June, it appeared that a majority of votes given were in favour of having a convention ; but there was nearly one third of the towns in the state that did not vote or which neglected to re- turn them. Precepts were accordingly issued by the General Court in June, to all the towns for the choice of delegates to meet at Cambridge in Sep- tember. They met at the day appointed, and chose Hon. James Bowdoin for their president. A large committee was appointed to prepare a draft for a constitution; and after a session of several weeks, the convention was adjourned, to meet again in January 1780.
In June, the legislature called out 800 of the militia for six months, for the defence of Rhode Island, agreeably to an agreement made sometime before at Springfield, with committees from the other New England states. The British still had a considerable force at Newport ; and at this par- ticular time, there was again an apprehension of their intending to invade the neighbouring country.
Congress resolved to raise forty-five millions of dollars ; to be paid, however, in bills which they VOL. II. 23
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had previously emitted, and which had become greatly depreciated below the nominal value : and of this Massachusetts was to pay six millions. The General Court soon after requested and obtained a loan of Congress, for 800,000l., on condition of repaying 500,000 into the continental loan office, then established in Boston, within three months. But so great were the demands upon the treasury of the state during the summer, partly owing to the expense of the expedition to Penobscot, that the sum of 300,000 was retained beyond that time. A few weeks after this, the assembly of Massa- chusetts made a request to Congress, that they might retain the six millions, which they had been required to raise, for their own use ; but the calls upon Congress were so pressing, that the request was not granted, although that body acknowledg- ed " the great zeal and exertions of the state of Massachusetts in the common cause." At this pe- riod, Massachusetts had made advances of money for public purposes, it was supposed, much beyond its just proportion. The taxes were very great, though there had been several emissions of paper money, and large sums had been received from the sales of refugees' estates.
An expedition was prepared, in July 1779, by the state, though with the knowledge of Congress, against the British troops at Penobscot, which had not long before fallen into their hands. The force of the enemy was not very great, supposed to be about 1000 : and it was concluded, that no addi- tional troops could be sent there from New York or Newport. This was a popular undertaking ;
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and there was a sanguine hope of success. Some of the first merchants in Newburyport were in fa- vour of the plan ; and offered to provide several vessels to the state. Fifteen hundred men were ordered to be raised for the purpose, in addition to those on board of the public ships: but only about nine hundred* engaged in the expedition. The whole fleet consisted of ten ships, several of them sloops of war, from 16 to 28 guns, one of 32 guns, seven armed brigs, and twenty-four other vessels which served as transports. Some of the militia marched from the lower counties of Maine. Commodore Saltonstal was appointed commander of the fleet ; and generals Lovell and Wadsworth had command of the land forces. The expedition was too much hastened ; and when the troops ar- rived in the vicinity of Penobscot, there was not a perfect agreement between the naval commander and general Lovell, in taking measures for the at- tack. It was determined, however, to make an assault, upon the fort occupied by the enemy, at every hazard. The American troops landed, and had to climb up a cliff almost perpendicular, and of great height; this they effected, amidst a heavy fire from the British, who had every advantage of position ; and drove the advanced troops of the enemy into their entrenchment. They lost many men in this onset ; and not being reinforced by ma- rines from the fleet, as was expected, they were obliged to retire to a distance from the fort. In the mean time, a large naval reinforcement was re- ceived by the British, which rendered further at-
* And some of these were pressed into the service.
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tempts against the place altogether desperate." The Americans destroyed many of their own ves- sels, and others fell into the hands of the enemy. They endured great sufferings, in returning through a large tract of unsettled country : and the affair reflected no honour upon the state, or the indivi- duals who planned and conducted it. A committee of the General Court was appointed to examine into the causes of its failure; who reported that much blame attached to the naval commander, for want of decision and energy; but that Lovell and Wadsworth had shown great activity, intrepidity and courage.
The people continued to complain of the evils arising from depreciation of paper money, the com- mon circulating medium of business, and the prac- tice of monopolizing which still prevailed. A con- vention was held at Concord in July, attended by deputies from more than three fourths of the towns in the state, except Maine and the county of Berkshire. It was a very respectable assembly. Certain prices were fixed for all the products of the country, and a recommendation published for a general effort to prevent the greater deprecia- tion of the public paper. It was also voted to re- quest the citizens in Boston and other sea-ports, who had articles of foreign growth or manufacture to dispose of, to have reasonable prices stated for all such commodities. A meeting was soon after held in Boston, and regulations were adopted con- formably to the advice of the convention. In the
* A regiment of continental troops under colonel H. Jackson, embarked from Boston to aid general Lovell; but they had intelligence of his defeat and returned.
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month of October following, on the suggestion of the legislature of Massachusetts, there was a con- vention at Hartford in Connecticut, attended by delegates from the New England states, to devise a general plan of checking the mischiefs of extor- tion and speculation. Some partial and temporary relief was afforded to the people, by these repeat- ed efforts of the patriotic citizens, who were desi- rous of alleviating the public distresses. But no permanent or general good was effected. The re- spective legislatures of the states and Congress were obliged to allow greater sums to the soldiers and to others engaged in the public service ; and those still suffered ; for when they received their wages or their salaries, the paper had become much less valuable, than when their services com- menced. The clergy, also, suffered exceedingly, on this account for several years. But in several towns, the people discovered a generous disposi- tion towards their ministers, and provided for their relief. Congress, afterwards, negotiated foreign loans and received specie, which was put in circu- lation ; and the legislature of Massachusetts con- cluded rather to raise money by taxes, than to issue more bills, which only increased the depre- ciation: Some of the paper, at this time, was of so little value, as that thirty and even forty dollars were exchanged for one in specie.
The enemy at New York made no attempts to penetrate the country in that quarter, as the Ame- ricans were ready to oppose them with a power- ful force. Reports were often circulated, that they intended to attack the capital of Massachu- setts. It was necessary, therefore, to guard the coast at several points, and to keep a number of
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troops stationed in Boston. From the spring of 1776, when the British left that place, there had constantly been a regular state regiment, and one or more continental battalions, (besides detach- ments of militia for short periods) except when called away, as already stated, on some sudden emergency. In September, though there was then the usual number employed in guarding the metro- polis, 400 of the militia were ordered out, to re- pair and man the forts; and the regiment, com- manded by colonel H. Jackson, who had lately been detached to assist in the expedition at Pe- nobscot, was placed at Castle Island in the har- bour of Boston. The board of war was directed to purchase provisions and military stores, as well as some large ships, to be armed for the service of the state, to supply the place of those destroy- ed at Penobscot. They were allowed 600,000l. for these objects : but this was in the paper cur- rency of the state, at its depreciated value. Mas- sachusetts sustained a great immediate loss in that undertaking. Besides the destruction of several valuable armed ships, it was obliged to pay for a number of vessels, which were the property of in- dividuals.
In the course of this year, taxes were laid by the legislature of Massachusetts to the amount of two millions, in addition to the sums raised agreea- bly to the requisitions of Congress. The payment of their part of the continental army, of the mi- litia called out for the defence of Rhode Island, for Boston and other towns on the sea-coast with- in the state, and the appropriations necessary for military stores of various kinds and in large quanti- ties, and for clothing the men employed in the pub-
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lic service ; all these required immense sums, which the treasury, with many old demands upon it, was not adequate to meet. Nor was this the whole of the expense, to which the state was necessarily sub- jected. The term for which those soldiers en- gaged, who had enlisted for three years, would soon expire. And a great portion in the Massa- chusetts' regiments were engaged for that period ; only a few had enlisted to serve till the close of the war. It was necessary therefore to provide for their reinlistment, or to engage others in their place. The former was desired, as they were ac- customed to martial discipline, and the commander in chief was anxious that the most of them should be retained in the service. A committee was sent on by the General Court, to visit the army, and to prevail with the soldiers to enlist for a further time. They were furnished with $200,000 to en- able them to fulfil the object of their mission : and $300 were to be allowed as a bounty to each man who would again enlist. Shortly after, 500,000 dollars were remitted to general Heath, for a sim- ilar purpose. The same sum was also promised to the officers, as had been offered in February pre- ceding; and the several towns in the state were again required to furnish clothing for the army, ac- cording to their respective wealth and popula- tion.
While efforts were making for the accomplish- ment of these objects, Congress, at the instance of general Washington, called upon Massachusetts for 2,000 men to reinforce the continental army, until others could be engaged for a longer period. An order was issued to raise them in the counties of Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, Worcester, Hampshire
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and Berkshire. The General Court engaged to pay a sum in addition to that promised by Con- gress ; and the towns were required to advance 30l. to every man who should enlist. The board of war was voted 200,000l. besides the sum appro- priated to that department, a short time before ; to be taken from the receipts on sales of the es- tates of refugees.
The General Court had an adjournment in Oc- tober; having been in session more than six months from the first of January, and having given autho- rity to the Council to call the assembly together whenever the public service should render it pro- per; and to order out the militia, not exceeding 4000, if any exigency should occur to require it. They also appointed a public fast, which was unusual at that season of the year. This was evi- dence of the great distresses of the people, and of the apprehension of public calamities. In such circumstances, the pious rulers of Massachusetts had always appointed a day for humiliation and prayer; and the people were ready to acknow- ledge the overruling providence of God, and to unite in seeking his guidance and blessing.
The southern part of the United States was the principal scene of hostilities at this period. Major general Lincoln of Massachusetts had been sent to take the command in South Carolina and Georgia. The enemy had a powerful force in that vicinity, while the continental troops were but few. Lin- coln was obliged to depend much upon the aid of the militia and volunteers. The French fleet arrived from the West Indies, and landed a consi- derable number of men, to cooperate with the Americans. They besieged the city of Savannah
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without success. The French commander would not consent to remain a sufficient time for carrying on the siege in a regular manner. In an unsuc- cessful assault upon the place, the Americans were repulsed, with considerable loss. Among the slain, was the brave Count Polaski, a Polish nobleman. Count d'Estaing also was wounded in this unfortu- nate affair. If he was deficient in judgment, in urging the attack, unprepared as they were, he discovered great personal courage ; and was justly esteemed as an ardent friend to America. General Lincoln retired from before Savannah, and march- ed to Charleston, in South Carolina. The enemy in that quarter were soon after reinforced by a large number of troops from New York, and set down before that city. After a siege of nearly five months, Lincoln was obliged to capitulate. His force was comparatively small, and he was unable longer to hold out against a powerful enemy, dis- tant as he was from all succour that could be afforded by general Washington. He was anxious, also, to save, as far as possible, the lives and pro- perty of the citizens of Charleston .* Lincoln was an intelligent and brave officer ; but his love of glory never overcame his feelings of humanity.
The convention for forming a constitution met again in January, 1780, when they agreed upon one ; and in March, ordered it published and sent to the several towns in the State. The votes of the people on this subject were directed to be returned in June following; when it appeared that more than two thirds of the votes given, were in
* The inhabitants of that city repeatedly and earnestly re- quested general Lincoln to surrender the place to the British, before he was induced to do it.
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favour of adopting it. The convention had assem- bled, at that time, to receive and examine the votes of the people. The vote in Boston was in favour of the constitution as submitted ; but they expressed a desire for several alterations, and in- structed their delegates accordingly. They pro- posed an alteration in the third article of the bill of rights, which provides for religious instruction. They were satisfied of the importance of religious teachers to the welfare of society and the morals of the people ; but they wished also for perfect toleration, and for no degree of compulsion in religious sentiments or worship. They appre- hended that liberty of conscience might be in- fringed ; and they suggested that all should be required to pay ; but that the amount assessed upon such as attended no place of worship should be appropriated to the poor, or to some other useful public purpose. They wished the provi- sion respecting the privilege of habeas corpus to be more accurately defined, and more liberally granted, so that the citizens should not be subject to confinement on suspicion. And they were in favour of a power in the governor, without leave of the legislature, to order the militia to an ad- joining State, in time of danger. But their accept- ance of the Constitution did not depend upon the adoption of these amendments. Nor was it in the power of the Convention to incorporate them into the instrument, without another appeal to the people, which would not have been judicious.
There were also objections made by writers in the public papers, to some parts of the constitu- tion ; chiefly to the third article, which required all classes of people to contribute to the support
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of religious teachers. It was intended by the framers of the constitution, that every citizen should enjoy perfect liberty of conscience ; and it was believed that all really religious persons would acquiesce in that article : for every one was to worship according to such form or mode as his con- science should dictate, and to pay to such teacher as he might attend. It was also provided that no one should be molested on account of his religious opinions ; and that no denomination of Christians should have any exclusive or peculiar privileges. The Baptists were the most inclined to complain, for the teachers of religion were generally of the Congregational order ; and although every one had the liberty, as was his right, to worship with the Baptists, and to join their societies, yet those who had belonged to other churches, and were desirous of becoming members of these, were subjected to the inconveniences (which they considered oppres- sive, and inconsistent with their rights) of applying for license so to do. By impartial men, in other States and countries, that part of the Constitution was, however, generally acknowledged to be wise and liberal. Some writers insisted that the instru- ment should provide absolutely for a convention, in fifteen years, to revise the Constitution, instead of barely allowing for such a revision at the end of that period. But this objection had little weight; for if a general desire should be manifest- ed to have a convention to alter the constitution, it would certainly be called; and, without such desire or conviction, it would be very unwise to make such a meeting necessary. In 1795, when the question was submitted to the people, they declared against calling a convention. Notice was
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