USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 1 > Part 64
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"I am, with great regard, &c., &c., PHI. DURELL. "To the Governor and Company of Rhode Island."
The result of the attack upon Quebec is familiar to all readers of history. The forces reached there on June 26, but little was accom- plished during July and August. On the morning of September 13 the gallant Wolfe made a landing and met Montcalm in battle, in which both of those brave commanders were slain. Five days later Quebec capitulated. The news of the victory was received in Rhode Island with great joy and the event was celebrated with bonfires, illuminations, orations, and sermons. In England there were similar rejoicings, and a proclamation was issued appointing a day of public thanksgiving throughout the country.
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After the fall of Quebee the government determined to continue the war with vigor and drive the French from every part of the eon- tinent. Further operations were, however, postponed for that season. The following letter was received by Governor Hopkins from Admiral Colvill, at Halifax :
"SIRS :- As I am Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's forces, in North America, the nature of my office, as well as my instructions, points out to me the propriety of corresponding with the several Gov- ernors of His Majesty's Colonies on the Continent. Therefore, I make it my present request to your Exeelleney, that you will, as early as possible, eommunieate to me whatever intelligenee you may receive, relating to the enemy; and, particularly, if any of their ships of war should arrive in your neighborhood, that part of the foree under my eommand may be employed to defeat their purposes.
"I must likewise aequaint you that most of the King's ships with me are short of eomplement, and, by death and siekness, will be still shorter in the Spring. There is no provision made to supply this defieieney from England; because 'tis supposed, there, that it can be done from the Colonies; and, although I am perfeetly sensible, from former experience, how difficult it is to raise men in America, for the sea serviee, yet I am under the necessity of applying to Your Exeel- leney for this purpose; because I have no other prospeet whereby the strength of the squadron ean be kept up.
"I am, &e., &e. COLVILL.
"Northumberland, at Halifax, Nov. 1, 1759.
"To the Governor and Company of Rhode Island."
Under date of December 13, 1759, General Amherst wrote Gov- ernor Hopkins, complimenting the Rhode Island troops for their ser- viees in the Canadian campaign. He adds, "and, as Colonel Babeoek has, throughout the whole eampaign, continually manifested his zeal for the service, and upon all oeeasions promoted it to his utmost, I should do him injustiee were I to omit giving him this publie testimony of it, and begging of you to return him my partieular thanks for the same". On the same oeeasion General Amherst made a requisition on the Colony for a regiment of troops, or rather requested that the regi- ment which had been in the late campaign should be filled and retained in the service during the winter. But the general was too late with this request, for the General Assembly, in its Oetober session, had ordered the disbanding of the regiment upon its return, unless before that time a request for its longer retention should be received. In stating this faet to General Amherst the governor assured him that the Colony had no design of withholding further assistance to his inajesty's serviee, and that his future requisitions for troops would at onee be laid before the Assembly, by which body they would "all be cheerfully and promptly earried into execution".
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Early in the following year a letter was received from Secretary William Pitt, calling for further aid from the Colony, asking for "at least as large a body of men" as were furnished in the last campaign, and "even as many more as the number of inhabitants may allow". The governor laid this letter before the Assembly at its February session, and it was promptly acted upon by the passage of an act for raising one thousand men "to proceed on an expedition against His Majesty's enemies still remaining in Canada, and for supplying the treasury for the necessary charges thereof". Bills of Credit to the amount of £16,000 were ordered to be issued towards carrying out the provisions of the act. The field officers of this regiment were: Chris- topher Harris, colonel; John Whiting, lieutenant-colonel; Thomas Burket, major. Among the company officers are found the names of Slocum, Watson, Peck, Tew, Brown, Shaw, Wilcox, Rodman, Eldred, etc. The Assembly also requested the governor to apply to the home government for the bounty due the troops in the campaign of the previous year. In addition to the £16,000 just mentioned, an addi- tional £10,000 was voted in the following May.
The events connected with the campaign of 1760 against Canada, in which the Rhode Island regiment took part, belong to the history of the country rather than to that of this Colony. The French failed in an attempt to recover Quebec, and the whole British force was con- centrated upon Montreal. The main army under General Amherst, including the Rhode Island troops, descended Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence from Oswego, while General Murray came up from Quebec with four thousand men; Colonel Haviland, with three thou- sand five hundred, approached from Crown Point. Against the over- whelming force Montreal surrendered without a struggle, and the ter- ritory now constituting Michigan, with all of western Canada, soon after submitted, completing the reduction of Canada.
The General Assembly ordered that a proclamation be issued by the governor, disbanding the Rhode Island troops at the end of fifteen days after their discharge by the general, with orders to march home. The Assembly also appointed a day of general thanksgiving for the success of his majesty's arms.
In October, 1761, William Pitt resigned his seat in the Council, and the Earl of Egremont became secretary for the Colonies. He soon afterward wrote requesting that this Colony should raise six hundred and sixty-six men, the same quota furnished the previous year, to be placed under General Amherst; this request was readily complied with. Amherst also made a requisition for one hundred and seventy- eight additional troops to complete the regular corps, and these were also furnished.
In January following Lord Egremont transmitted to Governor Hopkins the king's declaration of war against Spain, with an order
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that it be proclaimed in the Colony. He further announced that his majesty had been pleased to authorize the granting of letters of marque, or commissions to privatcers. This news was particularly gratifying to the colonists, who were always ready to embark in enter- prises on the sea.
Before the regiment referred to was raised a letter from General Amherst requested that the quota of two hundred and seven men, with one field officer and other officers, be sent to him at New York with the utmost dispatch, to be employed in an "expedition of the utmost im- portance". This detachment, which was commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Hargill, proved to be a part of the troops organizing for an expedition to Cuba.
By the scizure of some French papers in New York it was learned that they had made extensive plans for supplying their fleets and their West India colonies with provisions, and that Rhode Island was one of the principal colonies upon which they were relying; also, that some of the merchants of Newport were to be concerned in the "in- iquitous trade". To stop this, General Amherst wrote Governor Hop- kins, directing him to cause an embargo to be placed upon all vessels except those engaged in transporting troops. Samuel Ward, who had . just been clected governor of Rhode Island, replying to Amherst, says that, "although a few persons may have been concerned in the in- jurious traffic referred to, the people of the Colony in general are very far from countenancing any measures which have the least tendency to obstruct His Majesty's service or support his enemies".
From a petition presented to the General Assembly by Capt. Edward Wells, jr., of Hopkinton, it appears that the enemy sometimes took the Colony's vessels. The petitioner represents that "he hath lost large sums of money at sea by the enemy's taking his vessels", and "is likely to be ruined thereby". "That by reason thereof, he cannot pay his just debts without the assistance of the Assembly". He therefore asked and obtained permission to conduct a lottery to enable him to dispose of his goods.
In compliance with the request of General Amherst, before men- tioned, a company of sixty-four men, with two officers, were detailed from the Rhode Island regiment to remain at Fort Stanwix until the following July. The remainder were transported to Providence by water from Albany.
Governor Ward found difficulty in raising men to make up deficiencies in the regular army, as required by the Earl of Egremont, although the colonists were readily enlisted as colonial troops. In his reply to the earl, the governor wrote that there "was a great scarcity of men, which was occasioned by the provincial levies and the spirit of privateering prevailing since the breaking out of the Spanish war". He was, however, able to send to General Amherst a number of recruits
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who had arrived at Newport from the British frigate Hussar, which had been cast away on the Island of Hispaniola.
The taking of Havana was the most brilliant achievement of this war, although it was attended with great loss of life. A fleet under Admiral Sir George Pococke sailed from England in March, and, uniting with the squadron of Lord Rodney, formed a powerful expedi- tion of thirty-seven ships of war, one hundred and fifty transports, and ten thousand troops. Besides these there were the reinforcements from the colonies, which sailed from New York under General Lyman, numbering about two thousand five hundred men, to which must be added about the same number of negroes from the West India islands. The Spanish garrison numbered about four thousand six hundred. The siege of Moro Castle began in June, amid great heat, which caused many fatalities among the soldiers from a more northern climate; but after great hardship and fearful loss of life, a breach was made in the walls of the castle and it was then carried by storm; a fortnight later the city itself capitulated. The amount of treasure captured is stated to have been three millions sterling. The following letter from Gen- eral Amherst announces the victory and states that the Rhode Island troops took part in it :
"NEW YORK, 6th September, 1762.
"SIR: "Tis with the highest joy and satisfaction that I can inform you of the reduction of Havana; having received letters from my Lord Albemarle, by the Enterprise man-of-war, which arrived here at two o'clock.
"His Lordship acquaints me that the Moro fort was taken by storm, on the 30th July, very much to the honor and credit of the troops, and on the 13th August the Havana, with its dependencies, surendered by capitulation, and is now added to His Majesty's con- quests.
"The fatigues the troops have undergone during a long siege are not to be described ; and the spirit and resolution with which they have carried on the different operations in that climate are not to be equalled.
"It gives me particular satisfaction that the troops furnished on this occasion by the Colony of Rhode Island arrived in time to partake of the honors reaped by so noble a conquest.
"I am, with great regard,
"Your most obedient servant, JEFF. AMHERST. "To the Hon. Gov. Ward."
In a letter from Amherst, of September 15, he thanks Governor Ward and the Assembly for their promptness and cheerful compliance with his requisition for troops for Fort Stanwix. On October 13 he apprised the governor of the retaking of St. Johns by the British fleet under Lord Colvill.
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The troops engaged in the expedition against Havana returned to New York late in November, when those from Rhode Island were for- warded by transports to Newport. It appears by General Amherst's dispateh that the loss in men from the unhealthiness of the elimate was very great. Of the two hundred and twelve furnished by Rhode Island, only one hundred and twelve survived the siege. A dispatch from the Earl of Egremont, dated November 27, to Governor Ward, announeed the weleome news that peace had been ratified between Great Britain, France and Spain, whereupon the following proelama- tion was made by him :
"By the Hon. Samuel Ward, Esquire, Governor, Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief of, and over the English colony of Rhode Island and Providenee Plantations, in New England in Ameriea. To all whom these presents shall eome, greeting :
"Be it known, that in pursuanee of His Majesty's orders, signified to me by a letter from the Right Honorable the Earl of Egremont, one of His Majesty's principal Seeretaries of State, eessation of arms between His Britannie Majesty, His Most Christian Majesty, His Catholie Majesty, and His Most Faithful Majesty, and their respeetive vassals and subjeets, as well by sea as land, in all parts of the world, was published on Tuesday, the 8th instant, at Newport, in the Colony aforesaid.
"Given under my hand and the seal of the said Colony this 15th day of February, 1763, and in the third year of the reign of His Most Saered Majesty George the Third, by the Graee of God, King of Great Britain, &e. SAM. WARD.
"By His Honor's eomand, "Henry Ward, Seer'y."
In the ensuing month of June an order was issued from the Com- inissioners of Trade and Plantations, direeting that a day of public thanksgiving should be observed throughout all his majesty's eolonies in America, on the happy eonelusion of peace. The General Assembly aeeordingly appointed August 25, 1763, to be observed in eomplianee with the order, and the governor issued his proelamation "requiring the inhabitants to assemble together on that day, in their respeetive places of worship", and also, "forbidding all servile labor, sports, and pastimes on that day".
In this long nine years war the little Colony of Rhode Island took a most active part, furnishing more than her proportion of men for the army, besides complying with the constant requisitions for seamen for the fleets. She had willingly borne the inereased taxation and submitted to the loss of her foreign eommeree. She had been, however, in a measure remunerated for this loss by the profits which aeerued from her numerous privateers, and it is safe to say that the military spirit which characterized the people of the Colony in its Revolution-
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ary struggle, and which was again manifested by its contributions of men and money towards crushing the rebellion of the Southern States, commenced in the war between Great Britain and France for su- premacy in America.
In the several wars in which Great Britain was engaged previous to the Revolution, it has been shown that she considered the maritime Colony of Rhode Island a nursery for seamen, whence she manned many of her ships; indeed, it was not alone when she was engaged in war that these calls were made upon us, for in peace her fleets were constantly on the lookout for seamen wherever they could be found.
Rhode Island had ever manifested the strongest loyalty for the mother country, as has been amply shown. Now, however, the colonists considered their rights and liberties had been infringed upon by in- creased duties upon articles necessary for her existence, and without which her commerce would be utterly destroyed. The proposed stamp duties and the increased powers to the Courts of Vice-Admiralty were grievances equally serious, and tended to alienate the hitherto loyal colonists.
When Rear-Admiral Lord Colvill, in 1764, sent four armed vessels from Halifax "to spread themselves", as he wrote to England, "in the principal harbors between Casco Bay and Cape Henlopen, in order to raise men", he did not meet with as favorable a reception in Rhode Island as on previous occasions. The vessel which came here was the schooner St. John, Lieutenant Hill. This officer, it appears from the admiral's dispatch, met with very little success, for, writes he, "the merchants having, to all appearance, entered into a combination to distress us, as far as they are able, and by threats and promises, to prevent seamen from entering".
But it was not alone in dissuading seamen from entering the king's service that Admiral Colvill had received a rebuff from the people of Rhode Island. His officer, Lieutenant Hill, having employed his vessel in other duties at Newport, met with resistance which he did not expect. "The behavior of the people at Rhode Island to Lieutenant Hill", wrote the Admiral, "in an affair of his duty as a Custom-house- officer, was so extremely insolent and unprecedented, that I think it my duty to lay before their Lordships an account thereof, under his own hand; and, at the same time to observe that, from his conversa- tion, there is reason to think tlicre are many aggravating circum- stance committed in this account, which would appear upon strict in- quiry into the affair".
This affair was a very serious one in the eyes of Admiral Colvill, and assumed the character of armed resistance to his majesty's gov- ernment; hence he transmitted to England the following full report of his officers regarding it :
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"On the 30th of June, being at Newport, in Rhode Island, I re- eeived information that a brig was unloading in a creek, near How- land's Ferry. I immediately weighed anchor, and went in quest of her. Upon my arrival there, I found the vessel had unloaded her cargo and sailed.
"I forthwith made seizure of the cargo, which consisted of ninety- three hogsheads of sugar; and, at night, sent the boat, manned and armed, in pursuit of the brig, which was taken the next morning, at day-break, and proved to be the Basto, of New York, -- Wingate, Master, from Monte Christo.
"I reloaded the sugar, on board of her; and the owner being ap- prehensive that I intended to carry her to Halifax, had me arrested, and obliged me to find bail that she should be brought to Newport and tried there ; on the 4th July, the Collector of the Customs reseized the brig and eargo, under a pretence that I was not properly qualified ; although I imagined that I had taken all the necessary oaths, at Hali- fax; yet it seems the oath of office had been omitted. I immediately set out, by land, for Boston, to consult the Surveyor-General, on this matter; and, in my absenee, the mob, at Newport, endeavored to destroy the King's vessel. The following is the account which I received of this affair, from my officers, upon my return :
" 'On Monday, the 9th July, 1764, at two o'clock in the afternoon, sent the boat, manned and armed, on shore, to bring off Thomas Moss, a deserter, who had left the vessel, some days before, and was then on the wharf; a large mob assembled and reseued him; and seeing our people in great danger, we fired a swivel, unshotted, as signal for the boat to come on board. The mob took Mr. Doyle, the officer of the boat, prisoner, and wounded most of the boat's erew, with stones, which fell as thick as hail around and in the boat; and they threatened to sacrifice Mr. Doyle, if the Pilot was not immediately sent on shore, and delivered up to their merey; they even threatened to haul the sehooner on shore, and burn her.
"' At five, we sent the boat on board the Squirrel, to acquaint the eommanding officer of our situation. In the meantime, the mob filled a sloop full of men, and bore right down to board us; but seeing us determined to defend the vessel, they thought proper to sheer off and go on shore again.
" 'At six, the boat returned from the Squirrel, with orders to get under way, and anchor elose under her stern. The mob growing more and more tumultuous, we fired a swivel, and made a signal to the Squirrel, for assistance, and got under sail. As soon as the mob saw our design, they sent a sloop and two or three boats full of men, to the battery, on Goat Island, and began to fire on us, notwithstanding the Lieutenant of the Squirrel went on shore and forbade the Gunner to do any such thing. They even knocked him down; and it was with difficulty that he got from them; they fired eight shots at us, one of which went through our mainsail, whilst we were turning out.
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"'At eight, we anchored in ten fathom water, within half a cable's length of the Squirrel, and received one shot more from the battery, which went close under the Squirrel's stern. They threatened to sink us, if we did not immediately weigh and run into the harbor again; but upon the Squirrel's getting a spring upon the cable and bringing her broadside to bear upon the battery, they left off.
"'At eleven, next morning, they set Mr. Doyle at liberty.' "THOMAS HILL".
Upon receipt by the English government of Admiral Colvill's let- ter, transmitting the reports of Lieutenant Hill and Captain Smith, officers commanding the king's ships, St. John and Squirrel, the matter was laid before the king in council. The proceedings were soon com- municated by Secretary Sharpe to the Colony, as follows :
"At the Court of St. James's, the 19th day of March, 1765. Present, the King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
"Whereas, there was this day read at the Board a report from the Right Honorable the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 15th of this instant, upon considering several papers relative to the riotous behavior of the inhabitants of Rhode Island, in opposition to Lieutenant Hill, commanding officer of the schooner St. John, and acting as a Custom house officer, to prevent smuggling and carrying on an illicit trade in those parts;
"His Majesty taking the said report into consideration, is pleased, with the advice of his Privy Council, to approve of what was therein proposed, and doth hereby order, that copies of the said papers (which are hereunto annexed), be transmitted to the Governor and Company of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; who are to return to His Majesty, at this Board, with all possible dispatch, an exact and punctual account of the whole proceeding, authenticated in the best manner, the nature of the case will admit of, together with the names and descriptions of the offenders, and what means were used at the time of the tumult, by the Government and Magistracy of that Colony, for the suppression thereof, and the protection of His Majesty's vessels and their crews ; particularly, whether anything, and what, was done, by the Government of the said Colony, when the populace possessed themselves of the battery, upon Goat Island; and what measures have been since taken, to discover and bring to justice the offenders. W. SHARPE."
"Extract from letter from the Right Honorable Lord Colvill, Com- mander-in-Chief of His Majesty's ships and vessels in North America, to Mr. Stevens, dated on board His Majesty's ship, the Romney, 24 August, 1764.
"In my letter of 26th July, I enclosed you the account which I received from Lieutenant Hill, Commander in Chief of the St. John, schooner, of the treatment he met with from the people of Newport, Rhode Island; since which, I have had a letter from Captain Smith, of
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the Squirrel, relative to the same affair, an extraet of which I now enelose, together with his Lieutenant's aeeount of the transaction.
"'Copy of an extraet of a letter from Captain Smith, to Lord Colvill, dated Squirrel, Rhode Island, 1th July, 1764.
" 'On Monday last, I was ashore, and on my return, received the enelosed aeeount, from my Lieutenant, of a most insolent and ignorant abuse of the power in the Government of this place, on which I imme- diately sent on shore for the Gunner of the fort, to know his authority for firing on the King's colors. He produeed an Order for stopping that vessel, signed by two of the Couneil, the Deputy Governor being absent at that time.
" 'I, in company with my Lieutenant, waited on the Governor and Couneil to demand a proper aeknowledgement of the insult they had committed, in order to inform Your Lordship of it; I found them a set of very ignorant Couneil.
" 'They agreed that the Gunner had aeted by authority, and that they would answer for it, when they thought it necessary.
" 'It appears to me, that they were guided by the mob, whose intentions were to murder the Pilot and destroy the vessel. I am very sorry they eeased firing before we had eonvineed them of their error. But I hope it will, by Your Lordship's representation, be the means of a change of Government in this lieentious republie.'
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