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 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86
[These, brethren, are marks of ministerial vengeance against this colony, for refusing, with her sister colonies, submission to slavery : but they have not yet detached us from our royal sovereign. We pro- fess to be his loyal and dutiful subjects, and so hardly dealt with as we have been, are still ready, with our lives and fortunes, to defend his person, family, crown and dignity. Nevertheless, to the persecution and tyranny of his cruel ministry, we will not tamely submit. Ap- pealing to Heaven for the justice of our cause, we determine to die or be free.]
[We cannot think that the honor, wisdom and valor of Britons, will suffer them to be longer inactive spectators of measures, in which they themselves are so deeply interested : measures pursued in opposition to the solemn protests of many noble lords, and the expressed sense of conspicuous commoners, whose knowledge and virtue have long char- acterized them as some of the greatest men in the nation : measures executing contrary to the interest, petitions and resolves of many large, respectable and opulent counties, cities and boroughs in Great Britain: measures highly incompatible with justice, but still pursued
156
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
[April 26,
with a specious pretence of easing the nation of its burthens : meas- ures which, if successful, must end in the ruin and slavery of Britain as well as the persecuted American colonies.]
[We sincerely hope, that the Great Sovereign of the Universe, who hath so often appeared for the English nation, will support you in every rational and manly exertion with these colonies, for saving it from ruin, and that, in a constitutional connection with the mother country, we shall be altogether a free and happy people.]1
The depositions taken by the committee for that purpose, were laid on the table, and ordered to be read.2
Ordered, That the committee make duplicates of the same, and Capt. Stone, [Jonas] Dix, Esq., Col. Tyng, Col. Dwight, Capt. Whit- temore, Major Fuller and Mr. Freeman assist as scribes in that business.
And then adjourned till three o'clock.
Afternoon.
||Three o'clock, afternoon. Met according to adjournment. ||
Ordered, That the letters and papers just now received from Rhode Island3 by Doct. Perkins, be sent to the committee of safety, now sit- ting in Cambridge, by him, and that he have leave to go home a few days.
(1) The letter to Doct. Franklin, and the address to the inhabitants of Great Britain, have been restored to their places in the journal of the Provincial Congress, from the copies preserved in the records of the Continental Congress, May 11, 1775.
(2) These depositions, with the narrative prepared by order of the Congress, will be found in the Appendix.
(3) The letters covered the following resolution of the general assembly of Rhode Island, adopt- ed April 25, 1775.
" At this very dangerous crisis of American affairs : at a time when we are surrounded with flects and armies, that threaten our immediate destruction ; at a time when the fears and anxieties of tbe people throw them into the utmost distress, and totally prevent them from attending to the common occupations of life : to prevent the mischievous consequences that must attend such a dis- ordered state, and to restore peace to the minds of the good people of this colony, it is thought ab- solutely necessary, that a number of men be raised and embodied, properly armed and disciplined, to continue in this colony as an army of observation, to repel any insult or violence that may be offered to the inhabitants ; and also, if it be necessary for the safety and preservation of any of the colonies, that they be ordered to march out of this colony, and join and co-operate with the forces of our neighboring colonies."
" It is Voted and Resolved, that fifteen bundred men be enlisted, raised and embodled, as afore- said, with all the expedition and despatch that the nature of the thing will admit of."
In the house of magistrates, on the passage of this resolution, the following protest was entered by the governor, deputy governor and two of the assistants.
" We, the subscribers, professing true allegiance to his majesty, king George the Third, beg leave to dissent from the vote of the house of magistrates for enlisting, raising and embodying an army of observation of fifteen hundred men, to repel any insults or violences that may be offered to the inhabitants : and also, if it be necessary for the safety and preservation of any of the colonies, to march them out of this colony, to join and co-operate with the forces of our neighboring colo-
157
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
Resolved, That Richard Gridley, Esq. be, and he liereby is appoint- ed chief engineer of the forces now raising in this colony, for the de- fence of the rights and liberties of the American continent ; and that there be paid to the said Richard Gridley, out of the public treasury of this colony, during his continuance in that service, at the rate of one hundred and seventy 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 Gridley, there be paid to him, out of the said treasury, the sum of one hundred and twenty- three pounds, lawful money, per annum.
Ordered, That the duplicates lay on the table till the narrative comes in.
Ordered, That Mr. Freeman, Doct. Taylor, Deacon Cheever, Doct. Baylies and Col. Farley, be a committee to consider the state of the eastern parts of this province at large, in regard to supplying them with ammunition, and to sit forthwith. [The committee presented the following report, which was accepted.]
[IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Watertown, April 26, 1775.]
[Whereas, representation has been made to this Congress, that seve- ral of the towns in the eastern parts of the colony are deficient in such supply of ammunition, as it is necessary that they should, at this day, be furnished with, for the safety and defence of the colony in general and that part of it in particular :]
[Therefore, Resolved, That the committee of supplies be, and they · are hereby directed, forthwith, to take some effectual measures to pro- cure such a quantity of powder and ball as will appear to them to be necessary for the use of this colony, under the present alarming situa- tion of our public affairs ; and, in particular, that they immediately send to the colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island for so much powder as they shall think necessary, and when procured, to deliver so much of it, to the order of the selectmen of such deficient towns, and in suchı ·
nies : because, we are of opinion, that such a measure will be attended with the most fatal conse- quences to our charter privileges, involve this colony in all the horrors of a civil war, and, as we conceive, be an open violation of the oath of allegiance, which we have severally taken upon our admission into the respective offices we hold in the colony."
"JOSEPH J. WANTON, THOMAS WICKES, WILLIAM POTTER."
DARIUS SESSIONS,
Michael Bowler, Esq., speaker of the house, writes thus : " Notwithstanding an exception of a few individuals, you may be assured that the colony are firm and determined, and greater unanimity scarce ever prevailed in the lower house than was found on the great questions before them. We pray to God that he would be graciously pleased to bring to nothing the councils and designs of wicked men against our lives and liberties, and grant his hlessing upon our righteous contest."
158
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
[April 26,
quantities as they may think will be proportional to the exigencies of each town respectively, and to the safety and defence of the colony in general : such towns to pay for the supplies which they may receive of said committee, according to the net expense of procuring the same.]1
Ordered, That Col. Cutts, Ichabod Goodwin and Deacon Fisher, be - appointed to proportion the powder that is recommended to be sold to the towns of York, Welles, Biddeford, Boothbay and Sandford, and to sit forthwith. [The committee reported the following resolve which was accepted :]
[Whereas, the towns of York, Welles, Boothbay and Biddeford have applied to this Congress, setting forth the dangerous situation they are in, being sea ports, and thereby exposed to the ravages of the enemy, although but a small force should be sent to attack them by sea; and likewise shewing that they have not ammunition sufficient wherewith to make defence should they be thus attacked; and consid- ering them as they ought to be, part of the whole, and should they suf- fer that the whole must be affected :]
[Therefore, Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is recommended to the selectmen of the towns of Marblehead, Salem and Newburyport, that they forthwith sell out of their town stock four half barrels of powder each, to said towns of York, Welles, Biddeford and Boothbay, to put the inhabitants thereof in some tolerable state of defence ; and should the towns of Marblehead, Salem and Newburyport be under the necessity of having the quantities which they have delivered to the . said towns of York, Welles, Boothbay and Biddeford replaced, in that case, the Congress will give orders for the same as soon as may be : the powder to be apportioned according to the number of inhabitants in the said towns : as also to Sandford, said town having made appli- cation for supplies of the same kind.]
Ordered, That Rev. J. Murray, Major Fuller and Jonas Dix, Esq., be a committee to return the thanks of this Congress to the rev- erend ministers, who have generously offered to supply the army as chaplains each a month in rotation.
Ordered, That three o'clock to-morrow [ªbe assigned] to take into consideration some effectual method of supplying the treasury.
a [this Congress will take.]
(1) This resolve, and that which immediately follows, are copied from the original papers in the office of the secretary of the Commonwealth.
159
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
Ordered, That Deacon How have leave to return home, but ||he is to|| return to his duty immediately.
Ordered, That copies of the order to Hon. Richard Derby, Esq., for fitting out his vessel as a packet, be taken and authenticated by the president pro tempore.1
Ordered, That the Hon Richard Derby, Esq.'s order to the treasu- ry, be also authenticated by the president pro tempore.
Ordered, That the committee of supplies [be directed] to [cause the] draught of the letter to our agent in Great Britain ||"to be sent,|| with the papers now preparing for that purpose.
Ordered, That Doct. Holten, Doct. Baylies, Capt. Whittemore, Col. Dwight and Mr. Kollock, be a committee to take the recommendation of the committee of safety into consideration, with respect ||to armour- ers for || the army now forming.
Moved, That when this Congress do adjourn, that they adjourn till seven o'clock to-morrow morning.
||And then|| adjourned accordingly.
THURSDAY, April 27, [1775, A. M.]
Seven o'clock-met according to adjournment.
Ordered, That Capt. Goodman inquire of the committee of safety, whether any provision is made for a post or posts to ride from the army to Worcester, agreeably to a request from the selectmen of that town, and also to procure a writ for calling a general assembly in May next, issued from general Gage for that purpose.
· Ordered, That the secretary pro tempore take extracts from the minutes of the resolves of this Congress, and authenticate the same, and deliver them to the men now in waiting from York and Welles, for the purpose of obtaining some powder.
Ordered, That Mr. Gerry have leave to bring in a resolve with re- gard to the sea ports in the county of Essex.
[Whereupon, Mr. Gerry offered the following :]
[Whereas, hostilities have been commenced in this colony by Great Britain, and the sword may remain unsheathed for a considerable time:
a land be requested to send the same.]]
(1) The order to Richard Derby, Esq. was as follows :
IN COMMITTEE OF SAFETY, April 27, 1775.
Resolved, That Capt. Derby be directed, and he hereby is directed, to inake for Dublin, or any other good port in Ireland, and from thence to cross to Scotland or England, and hasten to London. This direction is given, that so he inay escape all cruisers that may be in the chops of the channel, to stop the communication of the provincial Intelligence to the agent. He will forthwith dellver his papers to the agent on reaching London. · J. WARREN, Chairman.
P. S .- You are to keep this order a profound seeret from every person on earth.
160
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS. [April 27,
Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is earnestly recommended to the committees of the sea port towns in the county of Essex, that they use their utmost endeavors to have all the effects of the inhabitants of their respective towns removed as soon as possible : that the Congress highly approves of the conduct of said towns in wearing a pacific ap- pearance until their effects shall be secured : that the Congress con- sider it as absolutely necessary for said inhabitants to be in readiness to go into the country on the shortest notice, and to avoid mixing with our enemies, as thereby their own lives will ever be in imminent dan- ger when the colony and the continent shall attack such enemies. And it is also recommended to them that their application to Congress for advice, and this resolve in consequence thereof, be kept a secret, that their effects may more easily be removed.]1
Ordered, That three o'clock next Tuesday be assigned to take up the matter in the resolve brought in by Mr. Gerry.
Ordered, That Mr. President, Col. Orne, Doct. Taylor, Major Ful- ler of Middleton, and Capt. Goodman, be a committee to confer with the officers of the army, relative to the reduction of their pay.
Col. Dwight [was] appointed to wait on the committee of safety, and acquaint them with the naines of the officers in the regiments of minute men in Worcester county.
Mr. Hale ||is|| appointed to the same business ||for|| the county of Hampshire.
Then adjourned till three o'clock.
[Afternoon.] .
||Afternoon, three o'clock- met according to adjournment.||
Ordered, That Capt. Kingsbury, Doct. Holten and Deacon Stone, are appointed to enquire, and endeavor to get an exact account of the men killed, and wounded, and murdered, in the late scene on the 19th instant.
The order of the day was moved for, to take up the matter of sup- plying the treasury.
Ordered, That a committee be appointed for that purpose, to con- sist of five, and to be chosen by written votes.
Ordered, That two be added to this committee.
Ordered, That Doct. Holten, Mr. Bullen and Capt. Batchelder be appointed to count and sort the votes.
Ordered, That nine o'clock be assigned for that purpose.
Ordered, That Mr. Partridge, Capt. Greenleaf and Doct. Baker, be appointed to consider the petition from Gorham, and to sit forthwith.
(1) Mr. Gerry's resolution is transcribed from the original on the files of Congress.
161
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
Ordered, That Capt. Whittemore, Mr. Freeman and Doct. Baylies, assist as scribes, the committees in taking fair copies of the deposi- tions in order for the press; and to sit forthwith.
Ordered, That Jonas Dix, Esq., [William] Stickney, Esq. and Deacon Stone, be appointed to take true copies of the depositions, and have them signed by the deponents, and authenticated by the jus- tices and a notary public.
Ordered, That Mr. Hubbart have leave to go home a few days.
Then adjourned till nine o'clock [to-morrow morning.]
[FRIDAY, April 28, 1775, A. M.]
Nine o'clock-met ||"according|| to adjournment.
Ordered, [That] Mr. President, Col. Gerrish, Mr. Gerry, Doct. Holten and Mr. Gill, be appointed to confer with the gentlemen from New Hampshire, and are desired to lay the letters just received from New York, before them.1
Ordered, At the desire of the secretary pro tempore, that he be excused from that service after another is appointed in that place.
Accordingly Mr. [Samuel] Freeman was appointed to that office pro tempore.
IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, Watertown, April 28, 1775.
Resolved, That the committee appointed to confer with the commit- tee who this day arrived here from the colony of New Hampshire, have leave to report to this Congress a draught of a letter, which they have prepared as an answer to one received from the convention of the said colony of New Hampshire, dated 26th instant. The said draught was accordingly reported, read and unanimously accepted, and ordered to be authenticated by the president, and delivered to Col. Nathaniel Folsom, Col. Josiah Bartlet and Major Samuel Hobart, Esq., the committee from the said convention of New Hampshire, and is as follows, viz. :
"GENTLEMEN :- It is with pleasure we have received your letter abovementioned, and by a committee of this Congress, have had a conference with your respectable committee.
We find the fullest conviction in the minds of the inhabitants of
a ||conformably ||
(1) The letters from New York enclosed communications from London, containing intelligence of the proceedings of parliament, information of the designs of the ministry, and exhortations to union and firmness in resistance.
21
162
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
[April 28,
our sister colonies, as well as of this, that by their immediate and most vigorous exertions, there is the greatest prospect of establishing their liberties and saving their country ; and that without such exertions all must be lost.
It is the opinion of this Congress, as already communicated, that a powerful army on our side, must, at once, cut out such a work for a tyrannical administration, as, under the great opposition which they meet with in England, they cannot accomplish ; and that their system of despotism must soon be shaken to the foundation : but should they still pursue their sanguinary measures, that the colonies will then be able to make a successful stand.
We have the utmost confidence in your patriotic colony, whose in- habitants have signalized themselves in joining their brethren in this ; and hope to see New Hampshire, and every other government which has been exposed to the corruption of a British ministry, soon placed upon such a footing as will be best calculated to promote the true in- terest of the same, and to prevent in future such unhappy disputes as have taken place with the mother country.
We have just received an agreeable account of the conduct of our brethren in New York, and have delivered a copy of the letter to your committee.
We sincerely thank you for your |late|| measures taken ||ªby your|| convention at Exeter, and are fully persuaded that the Congress of your colony, which is to meet on the 17th May, will take such effectual steps as the present exigency of public affairs requires, and the conti- nent of America must necessarily approve.
Ordered, That the secretary authenticate a copy of the letter this day received from governor Hopkins of Rhode Island, and deliver the same to the abovementioned committee from New Hampshire.
Ordered, That Mr. Dickenson, Doct. Holten and Col. Gerrish, be a committee to wait upon the committee from New Hampshire to the committee of safety of this colony, now sitting at Cambridge, to con- sult with them respecting the New Hampshire forces now at Cam- bridge.
Ordered, That the president, Mr. Gerry and Mr. Gardner, be a com- mittee to take into consideration a letter this day received from the Hon. Stephen Hopkins, Esq., dated Providence, April 27th, 1775.1
a ||in.}|
(1) This letter cannot be recovered : it related to the capture of Mr. John Brown : the substance is stated in the note to the journal of April 29.
163
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
1775.]
Ordered, That Mr. Crane, Mr. Grout and Mr. Fisher, be a commit- tee to take into consideration the expediency of establishing post riders between the Massachusetts forces and the town of Worcester.
Ordered, That Mr. Crane, Mr. Grout and Mr. Fisher, be a commit- tee to take into consideration the propriety of recommending to the several towns and districts in this colony, that they take no notice of the precepts lately issued by general Gage, for calling a general as- sembly.
Ordered, That Major Fuller of Newton, Mr. Goodman, Doct. Tay- lor, Doct. Baylies and Major Brooks, be a committee to prepare a form of a commission for the several officers of the ariny now forming in this province.
Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.
Afternoon.
Ordered, That Mr. Fisher, Doct. Taylor and [Benjamin] Aikin, Esq., be a committee to prepare a draught of rules and regulations to be in future observed by the several members of this Congress.
The committee appointed in the forenoon to take into consideration a letter received from the Hon. Stephen Hopkins, Esq., reported.
The report [was] accepted, and ordered to lie on the table for the present.
Ordered, That the committee appointed to introduce the honorable delegates from the convention at Exeter, in New Hampshire, to the committee of safety, apply to said committee for an authentic account of what transactions have certainly taken place, with respect to the liberation of our friends in Boston, and report as soon as may be.
.
Ordered, That Col. Dexter, Major Brooks, Doct. Taylor, Capt. Batchelder and Capt. Greenleaf, be a committee to bring in a resolve empowering the committee of supplies to procure such provisions, military stores, and other stores, as they shall judge necessary for the army, now forming in this colony, during its establishment.
It was Moved, That the sense of this Congress be taken, whether it would be expedient to reduce the pay of the field officers of the army ||now forming in this colony :|| after much debate the question was put, and it passed in the affirmative by a large majority. Whereupon, it was determined, that the pay of the chief colonel be reduced from £15 to £12 : and that the lieutenant colonels and majors be reduced in the same proportion ; ||accordingly, || Ordered, that Major Fuller ||of Newton,|| Col. Dexter and Capt. Little, be a committee to bring in a resolve for that purpose.
||This Congress was then|| adjourned till to-morrow morning, eight o'clock.
.
164
SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS. [April 29,
SATURDAY, April 29, [1775, A. M.]
The committee appointed to wait on the New Hampshire committee to the committee of safety, at Cambridge, and to make inquiry re- specting the liberation of the inhabitants of Boston, reported, that they had attended that business, and had brought from the committee of safety a number of papers, which contain the proceedings of the town of Boston with general Gage, in respect to moving the inhabi- tants and their effects ;
And that the committee of safety, having taken the substance of them into consideration, desired that [the papers] might be returned to them, and that the Congress would not pass any resolve respecting them, till they had come to some resolve concerning ||the subject of || them ;
Therefore, Ordered, That the subject matter of the said papers be referred to the consideration of the said committee of safety, they to make report to this Congress as soon as may be.
On a motion made, ||ª Voted,|| That the day appointed for the first meeting of the county committees, which was the first Wednesday in May next, be postponed to the fourth Wednesday in May next.
'The committee appointed to prepare a draught of rules and regula- tions to be observed by this Congress, reported. The rules were read and severally accepted, and are as follow, viz. :
1. No member shall speak out of his place, nor without standing up, and applying to the president for leave, and shall sit down as soon as he is done speaking.
2. No member, speaking by leave of the president, shall be interrupt- ed by another, but by rising up to speak to order.
3. No member shall speak more than twice to one question, without first obtaining leave of Congress ; nor more than once until others have spoken that shall desire it.
4. Whenever any member shall have liberty from the president to make a motion, and such motion shall be seconded by another, the same shall be received and considered by the Congress, and not other- wise.
5. No member shall declare, or question, whether it be a vote or not.
6. No grant for money or other thing shall be made, unless there be a time before assigned for that purpose.
7. No vote shall be reconsidered when a less number is present in Congress than there was when it passed.
8. No member shall nominate more than one person for a commit- tee, provided the person so nominated be chosen.
a ||Ordered.||
165
1775.] SECOND PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
9. No member shall be obliged to be upon more than two commit- tees at [the same] time, nor chairman of more than one.
10. That no member be permitted to stand up to the interruption of another, while such other member is speaking.
Ordered, That the monitors of this Congress be, and they are here- by directed, to see that the foregoing rules are observed by the several members of this Congress.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.