USA > New York > A history of New York, for schools. Vol. I > Part 15
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and was afterward avenged with unrelenting sever- ity on the American prisoners; when, as a reward for his loyalty, he was dignified with the post of provost marshal. A more cruel tyrant could not be found, except in his deputy, Sergeant Keefe, who was one of the most cold-blooded monsters that ever ex- isted." I suppose, sir, this may be depended upon.
Un. Mr. Pintard, in his youth, had an opportu- nity of personally knowing these men, and in his old age he wrote and published this character of. them ..
John. What do you mean by provost marshal ?
Un. The jail was called "the provost," and the keeper was " Provost Cunningham." His cruelties to American prisoners are proverbial, and he was so conscious of the enmity his conduct had produced, that he made an application to Sir Henry Clinton, and was commissioned as a captain of his majesty's ar- my, to protect him, in case he should be kidnapped or otherwise made prisoner by the Americans. I be- lieve that the office of provost marshal and com- mission of captain, were rewards for his adherence to the king of his native country. I shall again mention this man and his treatment of American prisoners.
John. I have heard of this man, sir.
WVm. But, Uncle, had not the war begun in Boston ?
Un. Not quite. I must refer you to books for the transactions there, only mentioning those which are necessary to be known, as accounting for what took place in New York. What was called the Boston Massacre, (an unhappy affair in which the soldiers fired on, and killed, some of the inhab- itants, ) was annually brought to mind by an oration; and about this time, Mr. Rivington endeavoured to turn the people and the orator, the celebrated Doc- tor Warren, into ridicule. The meeting took place
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in the " Old South" on the 5th of March, and the writer represents the Adamses, Hancock, Cooper, and others waiting in the church for Warren; who arrives at " last in a single horse chaise at the apoth- ecary's opposite the meeting, and entering the shop, is followed by a servant with a bundle in which were the Ciceronian Toga, &c." Having robed himself at the apothecary's, he is described by Riv- ington as proceeding "across the street" to the Old South, where he is received, conducted to the pulpit, and announced "by one of the fraternity," as the orator of the day. He goes on to represent him as " applauded by the mob, but groaned at by people of understanding." Adams is represented as getting up and proposing " the nomination of another, to speak next year, on the Bloody Massacre, when some officers cried 'Fy! Fy!' which being mista- ken for a cry of ' fire!' put the whole mob to rout." But it is added, " The 43d regiment, returning ac- cidentally from exercise with drums beating, threw the whole body into the utmost consternation." This and similar passages procured to Mr. Rivington a singular honour, at this time, and the destruction of his types, a year after.
John. Procured him honour, did you say, sir ?
Un. Yes. For on the 8th of March, 1775, in committee chamber, it was ordered " that Philip Liv- ingston and John Jay be a committee to wait on Mr. James Rivington, and request of him to acquaint this committee by whose information or by what author- ity he published the following paragraph in his ga- zette : 'Last Monday the committee of observation met ; it was proposed that they should nominate del- egates to the continental congress for the approba- tion of the city and county, but being opposed, the final determination of the committee was postponed until their next meeting.' The same paragraph
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being entirely and wholly false and groundless. And also to inform Mr. Rivington that in printing the notice of the committee of the 27th of Febru- ary, 1775, respecting the non-consumption of India tea being then soon to take place, it was inserted, non- importation, in capitals, instead of non-consumption, and desire him to correct the mistake in his next paper." Messrs. Livingston and Jay reported that Rivington said, in answer, that he printed from com- mon report ; that he would be more careful in fu- ture, and that he had corrected the last mistake. The committee of observation resolved, that common report was not sufficient authority for misrepre- senting them ; that their sittings were open, and the truth forthcoming. Rivington was bold in the sup- port of the tories, and he replied-that the commit- tee assumed legislative authority; and signed his name to the reply, with the addition, "a persecuted printer."
John. Was the general assembly of New York in session, sir ?
Un. Yes. And I am sorry to say that the ma- jority, at this time, was wavering, tame, and unpa- triotick. In fact they did not respond to the call of the colonies or of the people they represented. When the brave Colonel Woodhull of Long Island, whose name ought ever to be held in honour by us of New York, moved that " the thanks of the house be given to the representatives of the province for their services in the continental congress the previ- ous September," it was denied ; the house being di- vided fifteen to nine.
John. I shall not forget the name of the delegates from our city, Livingston, Jay, and Duane. Who was it, sir, that would not thank the men who had done New York honour ?
Un. We will forget their names. But here is a
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memorandum of the minority. Read it; and re- member their names with gratitude.
John. " George Clinton, Col. Woodhull, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Boerum, Capt. Seaman, of Long Island, Col. Ten Broeck, Mr. De Witt, Col. Philip Schuyler, and Col. Philip Livingston. This mi- nority moved for thanks to the merchants and inhab- itants of New York for their firm and faithful con- duct in adhering to the association recommended by the congress of 1774; and that the sense of the house be taken on appointing delegates to the next continental congress; but both these motions were overruled by the timid, or tory majority. Colonel Schuyler, however, by his eloquence, carried reso- lutions, declaring a number of the acts of parlia- ment to be grievances, and particularly those which were aimed to punish and oppress the province of Massachusetts. In manuscript notes before me, communicated by Chancellor Kent, he says, 'the leading patriots of the day were Col. Schuyler, Col. Woodhull, and Mr. Clinton.' But the tory (or timid) majority carried several resolutions, de- claring that the people of the colony owe obedience to the king of Great Britain ; that they owe obedi- ence to all acts of parliament calculated for the gen- eral weal of the empire; but asserting that they were entitled to the same rights as the other sub- jects of Great Britain, and could only be taxed by their representatives. On the 24th March, 1775, on debating the form of an address to the king, Col. Schuyler, Co .. Woodhull, and Mr. De Witt, moved sundry amendments, but were overruled by the ma- jority. Chancellor Kent, in the manuscript above alluded to, says, 'The addresses to the King, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons, by the general assembly, passed March 25, 1775, were tame, ridiculous, and very loyal ; but they asserted
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the rights and stated the grievances contained in the above resolutions.' That is, the resolutions previ- ously carried. He adds, 'The assembly adjourned on the 3d of April, and I believe never met again.'"
Phil. Brother, I hope you are done reading.
Un. Ah, my little boy, you want to hear of the conflicts which followed this war of words. I must now mention some of the events which took place at a distance from New York, that we may under- stand our story the better.
John. But, sir, you say that the assembly never met again.
Un. Never as dependant upon a foreign nation. But as the representatives of a free and sovereign state, with the patriot George Clinton as its gov- ernor ; and Philip Schuyler a leader of its army, I am sorry to add, not until the brave Colonel Woodhull had been murdered, when a prisoner, by the soldiers of an invading army. Shortly after the dissolution of the provincial assembly of New York, on the 19th of April, hostilities commenced, and the British troops were driven by the despised provin- cials from Concord and Lexington into the town of Boston, where their assembled forces were cooped up; and on the 17th of June was fought the battle of Bunker's hill, ever famous in the annals of America.
Wm. Do, sir, tell us all about that !
Un. The blood shed at Lexington was the signal for thousands to seize their muskets, and the leading spirits, as if by concert, flew to those points at which they could annoy the enemy or best protect the coun- try. An army was raised in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to invest Boston. Connecticut was not backward in sending her sons to the same point. And several bold follows pushed towards Lake Cham-
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plain, knowing the importance of the posts on that quarter.
Wm. But, Uncle, we have come to the time when the brave General Warren commanded, fought, con- quered, and died, at Bunker's hill.
Un. Dr. Warren, a distinguished patriot, fought and died at that place; he had been appointed a gen- eral the day before, but was not commissioned, had no command, and acted as a private volunteer under the veteran Colonel Prescott, who was the provin- cial commander on that glorious day. The suppo- sition that Dr. Warren (a great man and true pa- triot) was the leader in this first trial of the supposed invincibility of English regular soldiers when op. posed to provincials, is not the only misapprehen- sion which has been incorporated with the story of the battle of Bunker hill. But before we go into the details of that transaction, so important in its Effects upon the future events of the war then so se- riously commenced, let us take our usual walk, and reflect upon the moral duty which we owe our fel- low-men. Let us remember that while we strive not to forget any of the occurrences of past times, it is our duty, and a source of happiness to ourselves, sincerely to forgive the authors of the injuries which were inflicted upon our country in a struggle which resulted in the acknowledged right of self-govern- ment.
END OF VOLUME ONE.
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