1 such reasonable measures as shall in General Congress, or otherwise, be judged most proper to relieve us from the burthens we now feel, and secure us from greater evils we fear will follow from the principles adopted by the British Parliament respecting the town of Boston. In the war against the French, a woman by the name of Huntly, of Connecticut, had thirteen sons, each of them not less than six feet high, in the service, at the same time. A prolific and heroic family. On the 25th of September, 1775, three wagons from Philadelphia, loaded with cloathing for the American Army passed through Hartford. Anecdote of General Putnam. During the late French war, when Gen. Amherst was marching across the country of Canada, the army coming to one of the lakes, which they were obliged to pass, found the French had a vessel of 12 guns upon it. He was in great distress; his boats were no match for her; and she alone was capable of sinking his whole army in that situation. While he was pondering what should be done, Putnam came up to him and said General that ship must be taken. Aye, says Amherst, I would give the world if she was taken. I'll take her, says Putnam. Amherst smiled and asked how? Give me some wedges, a beetle, and a few men of my own choice. Amherst could not conceive how an armed vessel, was to be taken by four or five men, a beetle and wedges. However, he granted Putnam's request. When night came Putnam with his materials and men, went in a boat under the vessel's stern, and in an instant drove in the wedges behind the rudder in the little cavity between the rudder and ship and left her. In the morning the sails were seen fluttering about; she was adrift in the middle of the lake; and being presently blown ashore, she was easily taken. The return made by Gen. Gage to Lord Dartmouth of the battle of Bunker's Hill, was as follows, viz: 1 Lieutenant Colonel, 2 Majors, 7 Captains, 9 Lieutenants, 15 Sergents, 1 Drummer, 191 Rank and File, killed; 3 Majors, 27 Captains, 32 LieutenVoted, That Capt. Jedediah Huntington, Christopher Leffigwell, Esq., Doct. Theophilus Rodgers, Capt. William Hubbard, and Capt. Joseph Trumbull, be a standing committee for keeping up a correspondence with the towns of this and the neighboring colonies, and that they transmit a copy of these votes to the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston. Voted very unanimously. A true copy. Attest, BENJAMIN HUNTINGTON, Jr., Town Clerk. At a town meeting, legally warned and held on Monday, the 13th day of June, 1774, in the town of Preston. Col. Samuel Coit, Moderator. This meeting, taking into consideration the dangerous situation of the British colonies in North America, from the principles lately adopted by the Parliament of Great Britain, by inflicting pains and penalties on the town of Boston, without a legal trial, or even notice of a fault; and likewise another Act is pending and far advanced for vacating an important part of the ants, 8 Ensigns, 40 Sergents, 12 Drummers, 706 Rank and File wounded. In October several of Paxton Boys, dressed and painted like Indians arrived in Hartford, being a part of a body of 200 volunteers on their way to Gen. Washington's Head-quarters at Cambridge. On the 10th of October, 1775, an armed schooner of the Connecticut colony, took into New London a large ship, Barron, master, which she met near Stonington; the ship had on board 8000 bushels of wheat, taken in at Baltimore and had cleared from New York, for Falmouth in England; she met with a gale of wind, was overset and lost her main-mast, and was putting into Stonington; she was taken to Norwich with her cargo. October, 1775, Wm. Goddard, Esq. was appointed surveyor to the General Post Office of the United colonies, a place similar to the one held by the Hon. Hugh Finly of Quebec; Mr. Goddard came to New London from a tour through the southern colonies; next day went eastward. Massachusetts Charter, without any pretence of its being forfeited. and without trial, &c., and by sending other acts of said Parliament, all which being carried into execution would render the lives, liberties, and estates of all the inhabitants of said colony, precarious and entirely dependent on the arbitrary will and pleasure of a British Minister of State: Therefore, Voted, That the Royal Charters of the colonies ought to be maintained, as the only sacred and indissoluble bond of union between the Crown of Great Britain and her colonies. Voted, That we will join with the towns in this and the neighboring colonies in all reasonable measures as shall be thought best by a General Congress, or other general agreement, to assert and maintain all our rights and privileges, and transmit them inviolate to posterity. Voted, That if it should be thought best by said Congress, &c., to break off all trade with Great Britain, &c., as the best means to attain said end; that (although we are not a sea-port town) yet we will cheerfully deny ourselves of all those advantages that arise to us from said trade. Voted, That Col. Samuel Coit, William Witter, Esq., Mr. John Avery, Jr., John Tyler, Esq., Capt. William Belcher, Samuel Mott, and Benjamin Coit, Esq'rs., be a committee for keeping up a correspondence with the towns in this and the neighboring colonies. A true copy. Attest, ROGER STERRY, Town Clerk. At a town meeting legally warned and held in Groton, on Monday the 20th day of June, 1774. William Williams, Esq. Mode erator. This town taking into serious consideration the dangerous situation of the British colonies in North America, respecting sundry acts of the British Parliament, particularly those for shutting up the port of Boston, the metropolis of the province of Massachusetts Bay, and abridging their charter rights, &c., which, if carried into execution, not only deprive us of all our privileges, but render life and liberty very precarious. And as we esteem the inhabitants of Boston, now suffering under the tyranny of said acts of Parliament, and in the common cause of America. Therefore, Voted, That we will join with the other towns of this colony in such reasonable measures as shall be judged best for the general good, and most likely to obtain redress of our grievances. Voted, That we esteem a General Congress of all the colonies the only probable method to obtain a uniform plan for the preservation of the whole. Voted, That if it shall be judged best by said Congress to stop all exports to Great Britain and the West India Islands, and imports from thence, we will most cheerfully acquiesce in their determination; esteeming the benefits arising therefrom, mere trifles, compared with the rights and privileges of America. Voted, That Messrs. William Ledyard, Thomas Mumford, Benadam Gallup, Esq., Amos Prentice, Charles Eldridge, Jr., Deac. John Hurlburt, and Amos Geer, be a committee to correspond with the committees of the several towns in this and the other British colonies. A copy of record, examined by WILLIAM AVERY, Town Clerk. At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Lyme, in New London county, by legal notice, convened and held in said Lyme the 20th of June, 1774. Eleazer Mather, Esq., was chosen Moderator of said meeting. At the same meeting it was voted and Resolved, That we sincerely profess ourselves to be true and loyal subjects of his sacred majesty King George the Third. Also Voted, &c., That we are heartily concerned for the difficulties attending the town of Boston, in consequence of the late extraordinary measures taken with them by the British Parliament, that affairs appear to us with a threatening aspect on the liberties of all British America. Also Voted, &c., That we will to the utmost of our abilities, assert and defend the liberties and immunities of British America, and that we will co-operate with our brethren in this and the other colonies, in such reasonable measures as shall in General Congress, or otherwise, be judged most proper to relieve us and our brethren in Boston, from the burdens now felt, and secure us from the evils we fear will follow from the principles adopted by the British Parliament respecting the town of Boston. Also Voted, That Eleazer Mather, Esq., Mr. John McCurdy, John Lay, 2d, William Noyes, Esq'rs., and Mr. Samuel Mather, Jr., be a standing committee for the purpose of keeping up a correspondence with the towns of this and the neighboring colonies; and that they transmit a copy of these votes to the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston. A true copy of record, examined by JOHN LAY, 2d, Reg'r. At a town meeting held in New London, Monday, the 27th day of June, A. D. 1774. Richard Law, Esq. chosen Mod erator. This town taking into serious consideration the alarming situation of the North American colonies, with regard to divers acts of the British Parliament, for raising a revenue on the subjects of said colonies without their consent, and also a late act of Parliament for blocking up the port of Boston, the metropolis of the province of Massachusetts Bay, a province that has ever afforded its utmost aid to Great Britain and her American dominions: and being advised that divers other acts of Parliament are probably passed since the last mentioned act, whereby their charter privileges will be utterly destroyed, and the inhabitants of said province reduced to a state of abject vassallage, unless relief can be had in the case. We consider the province of Massachusetts Bay as destined to be the first victim of ministerial tyranny, and after her, the other colonies will share the same fate. It is manifest to us that the design of the British ministry is to reduce North America to slavery, with as much rapidity as possible; and then exert their utmost efforts against the liberties of Great Britain, and thereby reduce the British empire under the nod of an absolute monarch-whereby property and liberty-civil and religious, will be annihilated, and the life of the subject be at the will of a despot. Therefore we hold it an indispensable duty, both to ourselves and posterity, to exert the powers heaven has endowed us with, to contribute every thing in our power, in a constitutional manner, to avert the calamity hanging over this continent. |