USA > Massachusetts > The journals of each Provincial congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775, and of the Committee of safety, with an appendix, containing the proceedings of the county conventions-narratives of the events of the nineteenth of April, 1775 > Part 21
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Resolved, That Henry Gardner, Esq., receiver general of the pro- vince of the Massachusetts Bay, be, and is hereby directed, to pay to Richard Devens, the sum of eleven pounds, nineteen shillings, and six-
a ||binds.[]
b ||tbe foregoing.||
19
146
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
[April 15,
pence half penny, for sundry accounts by him paid and discharged for services done for the said province.
IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Concord, April 15, 1775.
Resolved, That Henry Gardner, Esq., receiver general of the pro- vince of the Massachusetts Bay, be, and hereby is, directed, to pay unto Jeremiah Hunt, the sum of four pounds, four shillings, for his at- tendance as doorkeeper, for paper and quills, ||ªfor|| the Congress.
Ordered, That Henry Gardner, Esq., Col. Barrett, and Col. Hen- shaw, be a committee to wait on the Rev. Mr. Emerson, and return him the thanks of this Congress for his faithful attendance on and ||b|| officiating as their chaplain during this session.
Ordered, That the same committee be directed to wait on the com- mittee of the proprietors of this house, and return them the thanks of this Congress for the use thereof.
Ordered, That, on the return of the members to their respective towns, they use their interest with the inhabitants thereof, that they immediately pay their public moneys to Henry Gardner, Esq., receiver general of this colony.
Ordered, That the members use their interest to promote the milita- ry discipline.
Resolve for adjournment passed, and is as follows:
Resolved, That this Congress be adjourned from this day, to Wed- nesday, the tenth day of May next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, to meet at Concord, in the county of Middlesex; and, considering the great uncertainty of the present times, and that important unforeseen events may take place, from whence it may be absolutely necessary that this Congress should meet sooner than the day abovesaid, not- withstanding the adjournment aforesaid ;
It is farther Resolved, That the members of this Congress for the towns of Charlestown, Cambridge, Brookline, Roxbury, and Dorches- ter, or the majority of them, be, and they are hereby authorized, in case they should judge it necessary, to give notice to the several mem- bers of this Congress, in such way as they shall think proper, to meet at Concord aforesaid, at any earlier day than the abovesaid tenth day of May, which shall be by them appointed ; and it is further recommend- ed to the members of this Congress, that they conform themselves to such notice.
Ordered, That the thanks of this Congress be ||'given to the presi-
a ||by him furnished for the use of.||
b ||especially for.][
4 c ||presented to the Hon. John Hancock, Esq.||
147
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
dent|| for his constant attendance ||on|| and faithful discharge of his duty as president during the several sessions hereof.
The business being finished, the president declared the Congress adjourned according ||ªto the resolve. ||
CONCORD, [SATURDAY,] April 22, 1775 .!
Mr. Richard Devens |was chosen|| chairman, [and] Mr. John Mur- ray clerk.
Mr. Gerry represented to Congress, that a letter from Mr. Quincy to Mr. Adams,2 had been delivered to him, with a desire that it might be opened by Congress in Mr. Adams's absence : after some debate, Or- dered, That the members present belonging to the committee on the state of the province retire, open, and peruse the said letter, and report to Congress what parts they think proper : the committee returned, and desired that the whole be read in Congress; which being done, Ordered, That the same be sent to Doct. Warren, to be used at his discretion.
Adjourned to Watertown, at 4 o'clock, P. M.
WATERTOWN, [April 22,] 1775, 4 o'clock, P. M.
Congress met according to adjournment.
Ordered, That Mr. Watson notify the committee of safety,3 of the time and place of our adjournment, and request their attendance, with whatever plans they may have in readiness for us, and also notify the
a ||until Wednesday, the tenth day of May next, conformably to the preceding resolve.||
(1) Two days only elapsed after the Provincial Congress had adjourned, and the members, re- turning to their respective homes, were widely separated, before apprehensions of immediate dan- ger arose, and, on the 18th of April, grew so intense, that the committee constituted from Charles- town, Cambridge, Brookline, Roxbury, and Dorchester, met, and issued the following summons to recall cach delegate :
" Sir : Having received certain intelligence of the sailing of a number of troops to reenforce the army under general Gage ; this, with the industrious preparations making in Boston for a speedy march into the country, impresses ud with the absolute necessity of convening the Provincial Con- gress at Concord, as soon as may be, agreeably to a vote of Congress, at the last session. You are therefore requested immediately to repair to Concord, as the closest deliberation, and tho collected wisdom of the people, at this alarming crisis, are indispensably necessary for the salvation of the country."
RICHARD DEVENS, per order.
The notice, although circulated with the utmost speed of express messengers, could not have reached many of the members before the march of the British troops to Concord had roused the laad to arms.
The adjournment of Congress from Concord to Watertown, was undoubtedly made, from the great necessity, that the body holding the executive and legislative powers of government, should be near to the army of the people, already in the field.
(2) Tho letter of Mr. Quincy has not been recovered, nor does any paper on the files of the Con - gress indicate its contents.
(3) The committee of safety had been in constant session during the preceding day and night in Cambridge.
148
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
[April 23,
absent members that are at Cambridge, and request their punctual at- tendance.
Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan, Col. Cushing, and Mr. Crane, be a committee to wait on the selectmen, for liberty ||of the use|| of the meeting-house during the session of Congress here : they returned, and reported that the selectmen readily granted their request.
Ordered, That Mr. Gerry, Col. Cushing, Col. Barrett, Capt. Stone, Doct. Taylor, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Freeman, Mr. Watson, and Esquire Dix, be a committee to take depositions, in perpetuam, from which a full account of the transactions of the troops, under general Gage, in their route to and from Concord, &c., on Wednesday last, may be col- lected, to be sent to England, by the first ship from Salem.
Adjourned to this place, to-morrow, at 7 o'clock, A. M.
[SUNDAY,] April 23, 1775, [A. M.]
Congress met ||ªaccording|| to adjournment, and adjourned to the school-house.
Upon a letter from Gen. Ward1 respecting the New Hampshire troops, Resolved, unanimously, that it is necessary for the defence of the colony, that an army of 30,000 men be immediately raised and es- tablished.
Resolved, That 13,600 men be raised immediately by this province.
Resolved, That the committee of safety be a committee to bring in a plan for the establishment of the officers and soldiers necessary for the army to be |[bimmediately raised, || and [that they] sit immediately.
Voted, That Col. Cushing, Mr. Sullivan, Col. Whitcomb, and Mr. Durant, be added to the committee of safety.
a |conformably .||
b |raised at this time.|
(1) This letter of Gen. Ward, which is lost, probably related to a communication from Col. Green- leaf, dated at Newburyport, April 21, stating, that " we have sent forward the bearer to have your orders, with all possible despatch, by his return, whether the forces that are coming from the pro- vince of New Hampshire and from the eastern parts of our province should be sent back, especial- ly those that live near the sea shore. We are well informed that numbers passed our river yester- day at the upper ferry : besides, four companies went through this town on their way to you. We have a party of men from this town, upwards of one hundred upon their march to you : if they are not wanted, and you think proper, you can order our express to turn them back. We sent off last evening two field pieces to you : if not wanted, they may be of some use here."
" A letter from Gen. Ward, of the date mentioned in the text, is preserved ; it states ; " My situa- tion is such that, if I have not enlisting orders immediately, I shall be left all alone : it is impossi- ble to keep the men here, excepting something be done :" and implores immediate action on the measures necessary for the organization of an army.
The committee of safety write thus to the Provincial Congress of New Hampshire : " Our friends from New Hampshire having shewn their readiness to assist us in this day of distress, we therefore thought it best to give orders for enlisting such as were present in the service of this colony, as many desired something may be done to hold them together, until the resolve of your Congress is known, when we are ready and desirous that they should be discharged from us and put under such command as you shall direct."
149
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
Resolved, That Mr. Sullivan be a committee to wait on the New Hampshire Congress, at Exeter, to inform them of our resolutions, and request their concurrence, [and that ] Major Bliss [go] to Connecticut, and Deacon Rawson to Rhode Island, for the same purpose.
Ordered, That Mr. Sullivan be a committee to inform the committee froin the Congress of New Hampshire, now waiting, of our resolutions immediately.
Resolved, That Mr. Murray, Mr. Gill, and Capt. Stone, be a com- inittee to draught a letter to each of the colonels, to be sent by || the expresses. ||
Adjourned to this place, at two o'clock, P. M.
[Afternoon ]
Two o'clock. Congress met according to adjournment, and ad- journed to the meeting-house.
Being there met, the committee appointed to draught a letter [to the colonels, reported; the report was read,] which was accepted, and or- dered to be copied by Capt. Stone.
Mr. Gerry read in his place a letter from Marblehead, reporting that [the British man of war Lively was lying off the harbor of that town ; representing, that their means of defence were inadequate to repel at- tack; and asking direction and aid :] upon which, Resolved, that the matter subside till further information.
Doct. Warren read a letter from the committee of correspondence of Connecticut ;1 Ordered, that Mr. Gerry, Mr. Gill, and Doct. Tay- lor, be a committee to draught an answer, and report immediately.
Ordered, That Col. Orne, Major Fuller [of Newton,] and Major Fuller [of Middleton,] be a committee to count and sort votes for a president pro tempore.
The committee reported, that the vote was full for Doct. Warren. Col. Palmer was chosen secretary pro tempore.
||The report of the committee|| for an establishment for the army, ||was read. |
a ||express.|| b ||the committee reported a resolve.||
c ||which being read was referred for further consideratien.||
(1) They wrote thus : "Every preparation is making to support your province. Wo have many reports of what is doing with you : the particulars wo cannot yet get with precision: the ardor of our people is such that they cannot be kept back. The colonels are to forward a part of the best men and most ready, as fast as possible : the remainder to bo ready at a moment's warning." The principal object of the letter, which was sent from Lebanon, and subscribed by William Williams, Nathaniel Wales, Jun., and Joseph Trumbull, was, to request correct information of the movements of the British troops, and of the condition of the colony of Massachusetts, " that we may know how to concert the measures proper for us to take." The answer contained a narrative of the ex- pedition to Concord.
150
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS. [April 24,
A report was made of a draught of an answer to the committee of Connecticut, which, after amendment, was accepted.
Voted, That a committee be appointed to draw up a narrative of the massacre on Wednesday last.
[Ordered, That] Doct. Church, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Cushing, be that committee.
Adjourned to eight o'clock to-morrow morning, [to meet] in this . place.
WATERTOWN, [MONDAY,] April 24, 1775, A. M. -
Met according to adjournment.
Rev. Mr. Murray [was] appointed president pro tempore, and Ichabod Goodwin secretary pro tempore : Jonas Dix, Esq., was appointed mon- itor.
Ordered, That Mr. Gerry give the express going to the press, his orders for the enlisting papers.
Ordered, That the enlisting paper going to the press, shall be au- thenticated by the secretary pro tempore.
Resolved, That six hundred of these papers be printed, and that the ||ªexpress|| wait for two hundred of them.
Resolved, That the committee of safety, or committee of supplies, be empowered to impress horses or teams, and direct the owners of them to send their accounts to the committee of supplies : also to empower other persons to impress on special occasions.
Resolved, That the [resolves for the] establishment of the army be printed in handbills, and that a copy of them be sent by the express who is going for the enlisting papers, and that three hundred of them be printed immediately.
Moved, That a member from each county be appointed to attend the committee of safety, and let them know the names of the officers in said counties belonging to the minute men, and such as are most suita- able for officers in the army now raising.
Ordered, That [the following gentlemen be the committee :] Col. Lincoln, for the county of Suffolk : Major Fuller, for Essex : Col. Prescot, for Middlesex : Col. Pomeroy, for Hampshire : Nathan Cush- ing, Esq., for Plymouth : Daniel Davis, Esq., for Barnstable : Col. Dagget, for Bristol : Ichabod Goodwin, Esq., for York : Joseph Mayhew, Esq., for Dukes County : Major Bigelow, for Worcester : Mr. Samuel Freeman, for Cumberland : Rev. Mr. John Murray, for Lincoln : Col. John Patterson, for Berkshire, and [Stephen] Hussey, Esq., for Nan- tucket.
a |Congress.|
151
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
Ordered, That each of these members attend the service according to their appointment, or write to the committee.
Ordered, That Major Fuller of Middletown, give a list of the names of these inembers to the committee of safety.
Resolved, That when this Congress do adjourn, that they adjourn to three o'clock this afternoon, and the members are enjoined to attend punctually at that time.
Adjourned accordingly to three o'clock.
Afternoon, April 24, 1775.
Letters from Hartford,1 directed to the president of this Congress, laid on the table, were ordered to be read, and, after reading, were or- dered to be immediately forwarded to the committee of safety, then sitting at Cambridge.
Moved, That a committee be now appointed to examine the records and report such matters contained therein, as may be made public, and such as shall reinain secret at present.
Ordered, That Major Brooks, Deacon Fisher, and Mr. Freeman, be a committee for that purpose.
||Then the|| Congress adjourned till eight o'clock next morning, at this place.
|TUESDAY, April 25, 1775.|
Eight o'clock, A. M. According to adjournment [the Congress] then met.
Ordered, That the treasurer be inquired of ||by this Congress|| re- specting the state of the treasury.
Answered by said treasurer in a general way, that, for the year 1773, it was supposed that about ££20,000 was due, and that he had received about £5,000.
Moved, That a committee be appointed to bring in a resolve, how we may ||ªget the knowledge|| of the towns and districts, who are de- linquent ; ||but|| passed in the negative.
Moved, for a reconsideration, and passed negatively.
The committee appointed to bring in a report of what they thought might be made public of the resolves, reported, that nothing relative to our proceeding with the indian nations be known, and that other matters be left at discretion with each member.
Moved, That this inatter subside for the present.
a |jascertain the number.ff
(1) These letters, repeating the assurances given by the committee of correspondence, of the readiness of the men of Connecticut to support their brethren of Massachusetts, and desired the direction of Congress, as to the number of troops to be sent to Cambridge.
152
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS. [April 26,
Leave of absence is granted [to Jerathmiel] Bowers, Esq., to return home.
||Then|| adjourned to three o'clock, afternoon.
[Afternoon.]
Three o'clock. According to adjournment met.
The letter from Haverhill1 committed.
Ordered, That Mr. Gill, Col. Gerrish, and Major Fuller of Middle- ton, be a committee for that purpose, and to sit forthwith.
Moved, by the committee of safety, for two gentlemen as engineers, and an establishment for them.
Ordered, That Mr. Gill, [Jonas] Dix, Esq., and Henry Gardner, Esq., be a committee for that purpose to bring in a resolve.
Ordered, That a resolve should be ||ªbrought in|| by the committee of safety to reduce the regiments.
Moved, That the companies in each regiment be reduced from one hundred men each to fifty-nine, including three officers; one captain, two subalterns; and passed unanimously in the affirmative.
Moved, That each regiment be reduced to ten of these companies, and passed in the affirmative.
Ordered, That Col. Orne, Col. Palmer and [Henry] Gardner, Esq., be a committee for regulating the regiments of the army, and to sit forthwith.
A letter from Salem [was] read, setting forth the expediency [that] the depositions we are now taking be forwarded as fast as possible ; the same [was] ordered to be sent to the committee, for that purpose, at Lexington, immediately.
Ordered, That the memorial from Marblehead,2 with the debate thereon, subside for the present.
||Then|| adjourned till eight o'clock next day.
a |submitted.||
(1) The answer prepared by the committee, addressed to the town clerk of Haverhill, will explain the contents of the letter received by the Congress.
"Sir : The Congress have this day received a letter from Nathaniel Peaslee Sargeant, Esq., and Jonathan Webster, Esq., acquainting them that the late dreadful fire in Haverhill, together with some public disturbances in said town, make it necessary that they should be at home at this time. The Congress apprehend that the important business of the colonies requires that every town should be now represented ; and therefore desire that if neither of those gentlemen can attend, others should be elected in their room, that the wisdom of the whole colony may he collected at our hour of need."
(2) Many memorials, of similar purport, were presented to the Congress from the maritime towns, representing that the long line of sea coast was without adequate defence ; that armed vessels were hovering about the ports, ready to turn their cannon upon the villages of the shore ; that the people were exbausted by strenuous exertions in the common cause ; and praying for reenforcements of men, and supplies of arms and ammunition.
153
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 8 o'clock, A. M.
Then met according to adjourninent.
Ordered, That Mr. President, Doct. Taylor, Mr. Freeman, [Henry] Gardner, Esq. and Col. Stone, be a committee to draught a letter to our agent in Great Britain.
||ª Resolved, || That William Burbeck be, and he is hereby appointed an engineer of the forces now raising in this colony for the defence of the rights and liberties of the American continent, and that there be paid to the said William Burbeck, out of the public treasury of this colony, during his continuance in that service, at the rate of one hun- dred and fifty pounds, lawful money, per annum. And it is further Resolved, that from and after the time when the said forces shall be disbanded, during the life of the said Burbeck, there be paid to him out of said treasury, the sum of ninety-seven pounds six shillings and eight pence, lawful money, annually.
Ordered, That Col. Gerrish, Deacon Fisher, Col. Orne, Mr. Batch- elder and Capt. Brown, be a committee to take into consideration the letter laid on the table by the committee of safety from James Sulli- van,1 Esq., and the committee to sit forthwith.
Ordered, That the letter drawn by the committee, to send to Doct. Franklin, as agent, be copied, and authenticated by the president pro tempore. [The letter is as follows :]
[IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Watertown, April 26, 1775.]
[ To the Hon. Benjamin Franklin, Esq., at London. ]
[SIR :- From the entire confidence we repose in your faithfulness and abilities, we consider it the happiness of this colony, that the im- portant trust of agency for it, in this day of unequalled distress, is de- volved on your hands, and we doubt not, your attachment to the cause and liberties of mankind, will make every possible exertion in our be- half a pleasure to you ; although our circumstances will compel us often to interrupt your repose, by matters that will surely give you pain. A singular instance hereof, is the occasion of the present let- ter. The contents of this packet will be our apology for troubling you with it. From these, you will see, how and by whom we are at last plunged into the horrors of a most unnatural war.]
[Our enemies, we are told, have despatched to Great Britain a falla-
a ||Ordered.[]
(1) One letter of Mr. Sullivan was written to ask immediate attention to the relief of the castern towns, the subject of a subsequent resolve.
20
154
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
[April 26,
cious account of the tragedy they have begun; to prevent the opera- tion of which to the public injury, we have engaged the vessel that conveys this to you, as a packet in the service of this colony ; and we request your assistance in supplying Capt. Derby, who commands her, with such necessaries as he shall want, on the credit of your constitu- ents in Massachusetts Bay.]
[But we most ardently wish, that the several papers herewith en- closed, may be immediately printed, and dispersed through every town in England, and especially communicated to the lord mayor, aldermen and council of the city of London, that they may take such or- der thereon as they may think proper ; and we are confident your fidelity will make such improvement of them as shall convince all, who are not determined to be in everlasting blindness, that it is the united efforts of both Englands that can save either. But that what- ever price our brethren in the one, may be pleased to put on their con- stitutional liberties, we are authorized to assure you, that the inhab- itants of the other, with the greatest unanimity, are inflexibly resolved to sell theirs only at the price of their lives.]
[The following address to the people of Great Britain, reported by a committee, was adopted.]
[IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Watertown, April 26, 1775.]
[ To the Inhabitants of Great Britain.]
[FRIENDS AND FELLOW SUBJECTS :- Hostilities are at length com- menced in this colony by the troops under the command of general Gage, and it being of the greatest importance, that an early, true and authentic account of this inhuman proceeding should be known to you, the Congress of this colony have transmitted the same, and from want of a session of the honorable Continental Congress, think it proper to address you on this alarming occasion.]
[By the clearest depositions relative to this transaction, it will ap- pear, that on the night preceding the nineteenth of April instant, a body of the king's troops, under the command of Col. Smith, were secretly landed at Cambridge, with an apparent design to take or de- stroy the military and other stores provided for the defence of this col- ony and deposited at Concord : that some inhabitants of the colony, on the night aforesaid, whilst travelling peaceably on the road between Boston and Concord, were seized and greatly abused by armed men, who appeared to be officers of general Gage's army : that the town of
1
155
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
Lexington, by these means, was alarmed, and a company of the inhab- itants mustered on the occasion : that the regular troops, on their way to Concord, marched into the said town of Lexington, and the said company, on their approach, began to disperse : that notwithstanding this, the regulars ruslied on with great violence ; and first began hos- tilities, by firing on said Lexington company, whereby they killed eight and wounded several others : that the regulars continued their fire, un- til those of said company, who were neither killed nor wounded, had made their escape : that Col. Smith, with the detachment, then marched to Concord, where a number of provincials were again fired on by the troops, and two of them killed and several wounded, before the provincials fired on them: and that these hostile measures of the troops, produced an engagement that lasted through the day, in which many of the provincials, and more of the regular troops, were killed and wounded.]
[To give a particular account of the ravages of the troops, as they retreated from Concord to Charlestown, would be very difficult, if not impracticable. Let it suffice to say, that a great number of the houses on the road were plundered and rendered unfit for use ; several were burnt; women in childbed were driven, by the soldiery, naked into the streets : old men, peaceably in their houses, were shot dead, and- such scenes exhibited as would disgrace the annals of the most unciv- ilized nation.]
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