USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol 3 > Part 22
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They alfo proceeded to choofe a committee of forty-five perfons, chiefly out of the number then
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prefent, who ftile themfelves, "A Committee of Ways and Means." I hear one halt the number refufed to act. The remainder convened together, and prevailed on Mr. Wentworth, an old gentleman of feventy-eight years, and lately extremely impair- ed by frequent epileptic fits, to be their chairman. General Gage having defired me to furnith fome carpenters to build and prepare quarters for his Majetty's troops in Bofton, the carpenters there be- ing withdrawn, and the fervice much diftreffed ; I immediately engaged and fent him a party of able men, which arrived to the General, and are very ufeful. However, this committee confidered it as very obnoxious, and chofe a fub-committee from among their acting members, to draw up refolves relative to this matter, which I am informed they did, and were accordingly publithed in the. inclofed New-Hampfhire Gazette, No. 940, which excited the defigned madnefs through the interior part of the Province, and folely gave rife to the proceed- ings at Rochefter, as publifhed in the Gazette, No. 942, herewith tranfinitted. Indeed, had not the Rochefter committee acted with great prudence, and confented to call Mr. Auftin before them, it is greatly to be apprehended very effential outrages would have been committed on his eflate, and his perfon endangered through the violence of a de- luded populace. From thefe motives only were thofe three gentlemen in Rochefter prevailed on to act in a bufinefs the whole of which they publicly difapproved, but had not power to fupprefs. Dur- ing thefe agitations Captain Holland, by defire of Brigadier General Robinfon, had purchafed fome blankets for the army. The committee forbad him to fhip any, and he immediately fent them all to my houfe for fafety, whence I directly fhipped them for Boiton, and they are fafely delivered. In
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he counties of Hillfborough and Chefhire I have heard there have been feveral reprehenfible violenc- 's committed, under popular pretences of liberty ; neverthelet's I took fuch meafure's, that, I am in- formed by the magiftrates of thofe counties, the difficulties begin to fubfide. But I cannot flatter myfelf with any reafonable hopes of the legal eltablifhment of the powers of government in this Province, until they are effectually reftored in the Mutfachufetts Bay. I have been fuccefsful in pre- vailing on foldiers deferted from the King's troops at Bolton, to return to their duty, through the fpi- rited and prudent activity of Major Thompfon, a militia officer of New-Hampfhire, whofe manage- ment, the General writes me, promifes further fuc- cefs. The town of Exeter have followed the exam- ple of Portfmouth, and granted one hundred pounds to Bofton, and I apprehend many other towns will do the like.
No. XXVI.
Extract of a Letter from Governor WENTWORTH, to the Earl of DART- MOUTH, dated New Hampshire, December 2, 1774.
HE forming a Continental Congrefs was fo univerfally adopted by the other Colonies, that it was impoffible to prevent this Province from joining therein, and accepting the meafures recom- mended, which are received implicitly : So great is the prefent delufion, that moft people receive them as matters of obedience, not of confiderate ex- amination, whereon they may exercife their own judgment. Accordingly on their firft publication, the acting part of the committee mentioned in my difpatch, No. 69, forbad an exportation of fifty fheep, the adventure of a fhip-mafter, bound to the
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Weft-Indies, and caufed him, at fome lofs, to dif- pofe of his fheep, and unlade the provifion made for them.
This day the Provincial committee nominated at Exeter by the electors of the delegates to the Con- grefs, have publifhed their mandate, herewith en- clofed, for a general fubmiffion to the refolves of the Congrefs, figned by their chairman, who was fpeaker in the late General Affembly.
It is much to be wifhed the Colonies had purfu- ed the mode of reprefentation your Lordfhip is pleafed to mention. At prefent, I apprehend, the refpective Affemblies will embrace the firft hour of their meeting, formally to recognife all the procecd- ings of the Congrefs, and if they fhould fuperadd, it will not probably be lefs violent than the exam- ple which will be their foundation.
No. XXVII.
Copy of a Letter from Governor WENTWORTH to Governor GAGE, da !. ed 14th of December, 1774.
Portfmouth, New-Hampfhire. SIR,
I HAVE the honor to receive your Ex- cellency's letter of the 19th inft. with the letter from the Secretary of State, which were both delivered to me on Monday evening laft by Mr. Whiting.
It is with the utmoft concern I am called upon by my duty to the King, to communicate to your Excellency a moft unhappy affair perpetrated here this day.
Yefterday in the afternoon, Paul Revere arrived in this town, exprefs from the committee in Bofton to another committee in this town, and delivered his difpatch to Mr. Samuel Cutts, merchant of this
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town, who immediately convened the committee of which he is one, and, as I. learn, laid it before them. This day before noon, before any fufpicions could be had of their intentions, about four hundred mon were collected together, and immediately procced- ed to his Majefty's Caftle, William and Mary, at the entrance of this harbour, and forcibly took poffef- fion thereof ; notwithftanding the beft defence that could be made by Captain Cochran (whofe conduct has been extremely laudable, as your Excellency will fee by the enclofed letter from him) and by violence carried away upwards of 100 barrels of powder belonging to the King, depofited in the caf- tle. I am informed that expreffes have been circu- lated through the neighbouring towns, to collect a number of people to-morrow, or as foon as poffible, to carry away all the cannon and arms belonging to the caftle, which they will undoubtedly effect, unlefs fome affiftance fhould arrive from Dofton in time to prevent it. This event too plainly proves the imbecility of this government to carry into exe -? cution his Majefty's order in Council, for feizing and detaining arms and ammunition imported into this Province, without fome ftrong fhips of war in this harbour : Neither is the Province or cuftom- houfe-treafury in any degree fafe ; if it fhould come into the mind of the popular leaders to feize upon them.
The principal perfons who took the lead in this enormity are well known. Upon the beft informa- tion I can obtain, this mifchief originates from the publifhing the Secretary of State's letter, and the King's order in Council at Rhode-Ifland, prohib- iting the exportation of military ftores from Great- Britain, and the proceedings in that Colony in confe- quence of it, which have been publifhed here by
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the forementioned Mr. Revere, and the difpatch brought, before which all was perfectly quiet and peaceable here. I am, &c.
(Signed)
J. WENTWORTH.
No. XXVIII.
Copy of a Letter from Captain COCHRAN, Commander of Fort William and Mary, in New-Hampshire, to Governor WENTWORTH, dated the 14th of December, 1774.
May it pleafe your Excellency,.
I RECEIVED your Excellency's favour of yefterday, and in obedience thereto kept a ftrict watch all night, and added two men to my ufual number, being all I could get. Nothing material occurred till this day one o'clock, when I was in- formed, there was a number of people coming to take poffeffion of the Fort, upon which, having only five effective men with me, I prepared to make the beft defence I could, and pointed fome guns to thofe places where I expected they would enter. About three o'clock the Fort was befet on all fides by up- wards of four hundred men. I told them, on their peril, not to enter : They replied they would. I immediately ordered three four pounders to be fir- ed on them, and then the fmall arms, and before we could be ready to fire again, we were ftormed on all quarters, and they immediately fecured both me and my men, and kept us prifoners about one hour and a half, during which time they broke open the pow- der-houfe, and took all the powder away except one barrel, and having put it into boats and fent it off, they releafed me from my confinement. To which
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can only add, that I did all in my power to defend the fort, but all my efforts could not avail againft fo great a number. I am your Excellency's, &c. (Signed) JOHN COCHRAN.
No. XXIX.
Copy of an Extract of a Letter from Governor WENTWORTH, to Gov- erner GAGE, dated Portsmouth, New-Hampshire, the 16th of Decent- ber, 1774.
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ON Wednefday laft after twelve o'clock, an infurrection fuddenly took place in this town, and immediately proceeded to his Majefty's caftle, attacked, overpowered, wounded and confined the Captain, and thence took away all the King's pow- der. Yefterday numbers more affembled, and laft night brought off many cannon, &c. and about fixty mufkets. This day the town is full of armed men, who refufe to difperfe, but appear determined to compleat the difmantling the fortrefs intirely. Hitherto the people abftain from private or perfonal injuries ; how long they will be fo prevailed on, it is impoffible to fay, I moft fincerely lament the pref- ent diftractions which feem to have burft forth by means of a letter from William Cooper to Samuel Cutts, delivered here on Tuefday laft, P. M. by Paul Revere. I have not time to add further on this melancholy fubject.
P. S. The populace threaten to abufe Colonel Fen- ton, becaufe he has to them declared the folly of their conduct, and that he will do his duty as a juf- tice in executing the laws. They will never prevail on him to retract, if all the men in the Province at- tack him. If I had had two hundred fuch men, the caftle and all therein would yet have been fafe. At this moment the heavy cannon are not carried off, but how foon they may be, I cannot fay.
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The publication in the New-Hampshire Gazette referred to in No. XXIIR
. TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE PROVINCE OF NEW- HAMPSHIRE.
Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them that sufer adversity, as bring yourselves also in the body.
Let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works.
MY DEAR BRETHREN,
SUR late Houfe of Deputies, which met at Exeter, having recommended it to the feveral towns in this Province, to confider the diftreffed fit- uation of our poor oppreffed Brethren in Bofton, who are fuffering the rigour of a cruel and unjuft act of Parliament which deprives them of the means of fubfiftence for an indefinite time, and lend them what help we can afford, to fupport them in their fufferings : I beg leave to lay before you fome con- fiderations, which may ferve to thew you not how much they need (for that your own humanity muft inform you) but how much they deferve your affift- ance.
The people of that Town and Colony have ever been remarkable for their humanity and generofity to the diftreffed. Their bounty has been extended to Jamaica, Nevis, Carolina and other places which have fuffered by fires, hurricanes, earthquakes and other calamities, yea, London itfelf has experienced their kindnefs, when by the fire in 1666, great numbers there were reduced to poverty. To their tender and benevolent hand this Province in partic- ular is greatly indebted if not for its exiftence, yet certainly for its protection and fupport, both in mat- ters of civil government and in the furious Indian Wars during thofe forty years we were united to
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that Colony. The fettlements here muft have been broken up had we been left to ftand alone, vexed as we were by inteftine divifions and the want of an orderly government, labouring under poverty, and attacked by a favage enemy whofe tender mercies were cruelty. The fenfe of their kindnefs was moft gratefully expreffed in a letter written by Prefident Cutts and his Council in 1680, to that Colony, up- on the feparation which then took place by the King's Authority. And fince that time, every one that is acquainted with the ftate of this Province, knows that it owes much of its importance to the neighbourhood of the Maffachufetts government.
Though the Town of Bofton have themfelves .fuf- fered greatly by fires, and by the frequent fpread- ing of the fmall pox among them, yet they have al- ways been at a prodigious expenfe in fupporting the poor, moft of whom are not natives of the place, but ftrangers, who have fallen in among them. For feveral years paft, as I have it from the beft author- ty, their annual poor's bill has amounted to about two thoufand pounds fterling ; befides which, there is a voluntary quarterly contribution for the poor at a public evening-lecture in Faneuil-Hall.
Diftreffed perfons of all forts have ever found Bofton the beft place to go to for relief. Prifoners of war have there found the kindeft treatment, and returned captives have been received with the ten- dereft commiferation. Mr. Williams of Deerfield, in the narrative of his captivity, bears them this tef- limony, ' The charity of the whole country of Can- ada, though moved with the doctrine of merit, does not come up to the charity of Bofton alone, where notions of merit are rejected.'
Now, fhall fuch a people as this fuffer unpitied, unaffifted ? He who hath eftablifhed this rule 'The liberal devifeth liberal things, and by liberal things
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" he fhall ftand,' has difpofed the hearts of our breth- ren in the fouthern Colonies to contribute hand- fomely already, and when the crops come in, wc expect they will do much more. And shall not we, though our ability is but fmall in proportion to theirs, do what we can to enable our brethren, who are foremoft in the conflict, to maintain the caufc in which they are engaged, by a firm and manly perfeverance ? Will not fuch communications 'of charity ftrengthen the bonds of fociety, and endear us to each other ? And when a firm union is thus cemented, happy in our mutual affection, in the in- creafed cultivation of our lands, in our frugality and economy, we fhall fecurely bid defiance to all the enemies of our peace, and leave this land of LIBERTY a facred legacy to pofterity.
' Terra-potens armis, atque ubere gleba.'
AMICUS PATRIÆE.
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No. XXXI.
On the migration of Fishes. A letter from the Hon. General LINCOLN (, the Author.
Hingham, Dec. 12, 1791.
Reverend and dear Sir,
SINCE I faw you laft, I have found fome parts of the copy of a letter I wrote to Mr. Little, with a defign to convince him, that the river fifh never for- fake the waters in which they were fpawned, unlefs fome unnatural obftructions are thrown in their way : That when obftructed, they do not feek new fources in which they may lodge their fpawn ; but that they are fo ftrongly allured to the fame rout, that they annually return to their natural river, preffing conftantly for a paffage into their mother
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pond. That the quiet waters of the lake can alone give that nourifhment and protection neceffary to the exiftence of the egg; the prefervation of which is indifpenfible, if an extinction of the fchull is to be prevented.
The practice is not novel in this State, when from fome unnatural obftructions, the fifh have been to- tally expelled from a river, to re-eftablifh them in their former numbers. About fifty years fince, it was known, that at the firft fettlement of this town, the Alewives had a paffage through it, into Accord pond, and were in fuch plenty as to give a full fup- ply to the inhabitants. This induced the people at that time to attempt the re-eftablifhment of them, in which they fucceeded by opening proper fifh ways through the mill dams, and conveying the fifh, in the fpring of the year, in a proper vehicle in- to the pond ; this was done by keeping it near the bank of the river, and frequently fhifting the water in the veffel. After this, the fifh increafed annual- ly until there was a pretty good fupply ; but as there were many fhoal places in the river, which requir- ed very conftant attention, the expenfe of which and the lofs fuftained by ftopping the mills, exceeded, in the opinion of the town, the advantages of the fifh, the bufinefs was neglected ; fo that for a num- ber of years they have been perfectly cut off from the pond. Notwithftanding fome of the fifth annu- ally return to the mouth of the river urging a paff- age up ; but they are decreafed in number and re- duced in fize.
We fhall find on examination, that the fifh though of the fame kind, in one river are much larger and fatter than in any other river in its vicinity. If thefe fifh were fuffered to intermix, the difference now fo very apparent would not exift. If the fifh are not directed by fome laws in nature, to the riv-
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ers in which they were fpawned, how fhall we ac- count for the Salmon being in Connecticut river, and in Merrimack, and the rivers lying between, perfectly deftitute of thofe fifh ? Was there not fomething irrefiftibly enchanting, in the waters in which they refpectively originated, we ihould prob- ably find fome ftraggling falmon in the intermedi- ate rivers.
Whilft I refided in Philadelphia in 1782 and 1783, I difcovered that the Shad brought to market from the Schuylkill were about one third part better than thofe taken in the Delaware. Thefe fith come up the bay together in the fpring, and take, each fchull its proper river, about five miles below the city ; they are caught but a few miles above it, fo that in a few hours after they divide, they fall into the nets of the fifhermen. Were there not fomething in the nature of the waters of thefe rivers, by which the fifth are allured to them refpectively, we certainly fhould find the fifh in the different rivers exactly alike, for we cannot fuppofe that they experience any material change between the time of their fepa- ration and the time of their being caught. As the Shad taken in the Schuylkill are and always have been of a much fuperior quality to thofe taken in the Delaware, we muft fuppofe that there is, in the river firft/ mentioned, food for the fith more nutri- tive than there is in the latter. I cannot think it a very romantic idea, that the waters are fo impregnat- ed with certain particles which fhall be fufficient to allure the fith to thofe rivers in which they were fpawned, or that they are invited to them by the re- turning fry, on which they have been accuftomed to feed. That they do feed differently, fome on food more nutritive than others, cannot be denied ; to this is owing the different fize of the fith. They
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leave the rivers under different circumftances, and fo return to them again.
The fhad and alewife frequent the fame waters in which they drop their fpawns. The fhad, prior to this, work up a little circular fand bank, on which the fpawns are lodged, and are guarded from that de- ftruction to which they would be expofed from the fmall fifh, did not the male conftantly play around the depofit. While the eggs or fpawns of the ale- wife are fecured by being depofited in fhoal water, which prevents their being annoyed by the large fith.
The idea that fifh always return to the fame rivers in which they are fpawned, will not appear improb- able when we confider what are the general laws which feem to controul the whole finny tribe ; and what would be the probable confequences fhould they be thrown down.
On the fhores of the United States we find fith of different kinds, each fupplying a certain proportion of the inhabitants. Thefe are reftrained by fome laws in nature to their own feeding ground ; they do not invade the rights of others, nor are their rights
infringed by any. New-York is in the neighbor- hood of Rhode-Ifland, and that State is in the neigh- bourhood of this, yet each State has a very different fifh-market. So it is with Pennfylvania and the States fouth of it. Notwithftanding this, all are fup- plied, and with kinds of fifh peculiar to each. The Cod-fifh which occupy the banks lying between the latitudes of 41 and 45, are very different on the dif- ferent banks, and are kept fo diftinct, and are fo fimi- lar on the refpective banks, thata man acquainted with the fifhing bufinefs, will feparate thofe caught on one bank from thofe caught on another, with as much eafe as we feparate the apple from the pear.
It will be acknowledged that there can exift but
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a certain number only of fifh in any given fpace ; was not this the cafe, as they are fo prolific in their nature they would, from their natural increafe, foon fo multiply, as that the world, if I may be allowed the expreffion, would not contain them.
On the banks there appears nearly as many fifht as ever, notwithftanding the great numbers annual- ly taken. The grand bank was, three years ago, manifeftly overftocked, there were more fifh on it than could find fupport ; thofe taken were evidently on the decline, they were very thin, the fubftance tender ; it could not be hardened and preferved by falt ; many of them would yield before the knife in fplitting and fall to pieces before they could be con- veyed to the flakes. The caufe is not known, prob- ably the fpawns of that feafon were better preferved than they had ufually been.
Were thofe reftraining laws of nature, which now confine the different fchulls of fifh to their own limits, thrown down, and all could wander without controul there would be the moft iminent danger of a total deftruction of nearly the whole kind, as well in the rivers as on the banks, for, as was faid be- fore, there can but a certain number exift in a given fpace.
Permit me farther to requeft, in fupport of the doctrine advanced, an attention to that fyftem and order fo confpicuous in the operations of nature, and the great regularity preferved among the things of creation, animate and inanimate, by that Wifdom which made and governs the world.
Let us take a view of the different nations difperfed over the face of the earth, by Him who originally fixed bounds to the habitations of men, and as a re- ftraint to them, and that each tribe fhould retain its own limits, he gave to each nation a different lan-
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guage : We find the different nations and tribes, though poffeffing very different climates, and if we were to judge, enjoying the means of different de- grees of happiness, feverally tenacious of the limits affigned them, and where a God is acknowledged, they very fincerely and univerfally thank him that they are favoured above their fellow men.
Was it not for the fuperintending care, and the influence of the Governor of the univerfe, who fcat- ters in the paths of men fuch motives as fall with weight and conviction on their minds, and lead them to prefer their climate above any other, no inhabi- tants would be found in the burning fands under the torrid, nor on the frozen cragged mountains un- der the frigid zones : We find however under each, multitudes of people, who are fo fitted for their re- fpective fituations, that they are not only happy, but are really partial to the place affigned them, and en- vy not the dominion of others, and feldom or never invade them, but from motives of avarice, pride and ambition.
We find that the people who inhabited the Amer- ican fhores on the firft difcovery of them, were di- vided into little kingdoms or tribes, each fpeaking a different language, and were enemies one to the other ; hence they were preferved from famine and want, for they depended principally upon the fpontaneous growth of the earth, and upon fifhing and hunting for their fupport. Whatever kept them afunder was an act of mercy ; with their ideas, they could not have lived compactly, ruin muft have been the necef- fary confequence of the attempt.
What fhort of that influence neceffary to preferve the natural order of things, could have prevented mankind from abandoning the more inhofpitable parts of the globe, running together and uniting in
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climes the moft friendly and pleafant, and much the greater part of them.becoming thereby their own ex- ecutioners. Although from an high cultivation of the earth, food may be drawn for a great multitude of people, yet population cannot exceed certain bounds ; whenever that takes place, the falubrity of the air is deftroyed, contagion rages, the people fick- en and die.
Let me now point you to the birds of paffage, and afk that you would permit your ideas to follow them in their flight from fouth to north, in fpring, and from north to fouth, in autumn, and you will find that they are annually pointed to the fame objects, and are as conftant in their flight and as regular in their courfe as are the feafons. We may, at a particular time of the year, trace the fwallow into its hiding place, and the robin and the lark to the forefts, where they retire for fhelter from the inclemency of an approaching winter, and fee them in the morning of fpring returning to the fame hab- itations and branches, and often to the fame nefts they occupied before, and which from neceffity they had abandoned. Different fowls, natives of differ -: ent climes, are fo fitted to their native air, that ma- ny of them cannot exift out of it.
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