than common degree of attention and perfonal regard, to the earl of Dunmore, their Governor. In this ftate of things, however, the want of a legal affembly, feeming to give fome fauction to the holding of a convention, a Provincial Congress was affembled in the month of March,, 1775, who immediately (under the cover of an old law of the year 1738, which they said to be ftill effective) took meafures for arraying the militia; but to fupply in fome degree thofe defects in that law, to remedy which, as they pretended, all fubfequent ones had been paffed, they recommended to each county to raife a volunteer company, for the better defence and protection of the country. This interference in the militia, probably alarmed the Governor, and feems to have been the cause, that rendered the public magazine belonging to the colony in the capital city of Williamsburg, an object of his appreAp. 20, 1775 henfion. However that was, he foon afterwards employed the captain of an armed veffel, which lay at a few miles diftance in James River, with a detachment of marines, to convey the powder, by night, from the magazine on board his fhip. Though this measure was conducted with great privacy, it was by fome means difcovered the enfuing morning, when the apparent fecrecy, and feeming myfterioufnefs of the act, increased the confternation and alarm among the inhabitants, who immediately afas they fembled with fuch arms had at hand, with an intention of demanding, or, perhaps, obtaining, reftitution of the gunpowder. The mayor and corporation, however, prevented their proceeding to any extremities, whilst they prefented an addrefs to the Governor, ftating the injury, reclaiming the powder as a matter of right, and fhewing the dangers to which they were peculiarly liable from the infurrection of their flaves; a calamity, which had for fome time been particularly apprehended, and which the removal of their only means of defence, would at any time have accelerated. His Lordship acknowledged, that the gunpowder had been removed by his order; faid, that as he had heard of an infurrection in a neighbouring county, and did not think it fecure in the magazine, he had it conveyed to a place of perfect fecurity; but gave his word, that whenever an infurrection rendered it neceflary, it fhould be immediately returned. He alfo faid, that it had been removed in the night to prevent giving an alarm; expreffed great furprize at the people's affembling in arms; and obferved, that he could not think it prudent to put powder into their hands in fuch a fituation. Whatever fatisfaction this anfwer might have afforded to the magiftrates, they prevailed on the people to retire quietly to their houses, without any remarkable outrage, that we can learn, having been committed; indeed, it appeared, from depofitions afterwards taken by order of the affembly, that the officers of the men of war, on that ftation, and particularly the gentleman who might be fuppofed to have rendered himself obnoxious by removing the pow der, appeared publicly in the ftreets, during the time of the greatest greatest commotion, without their receiving the fmalleft infult. A report being, however, fpread in the evening, that detachments from the men of war were upon their march to the city, the people again took to their arms, and continued all night upon the watch, as if in expectation of an attack from an enemy. They alfo from this time increased their night patroles, and shewed an evident defign to protect the magazine from any further attempts. The whole value of the powder and arms in the magazine, or any purpose to which they were capable of being converted, either in the hands of friends or enemies, feemed very inadequate to the alarm, fufpicion, and disturbance, which this meafure excited. The quantity of powder removed amounted only to fifteen half barrels, containing fifty pounds each, of a very ordinary fort, and the remaining stock left behind in the magazine, to about fix of the fame kind; neither does it appear that the number of ferviceable mufkets was fufficient to answer any effential purpofe, or even to juftify apprehenfion, and the caution of ftripping thefe of their locks, only marked the fufpicion from which it proceeded. Α confiderable quantity of old arms, and common trading guns, were not med dled with. Upon the whole, this aft derived its only importance, from time, manner, and circumftance. The Governor feems to have been exceedingly irritated at the behaviour of the people in thefe commotions, and perhaps refented too highly, for fuch times, their affembling in arms, not only with out, but with an evident intention to oppofe his authority. In this warmth of temper fome threats were thrown out, which upon a cooler reflection would probably have been avoided. Among thefe, a threat of fetting up the royal ftandard, of enfranchifing the negroes, arming them against their mafters, aad deftroying the city, with other expreffions of a fimilar nature and tendency, not only fpread a general alarm throughout the colony, but excited a kind of abhorrence of government, and an incurable fufpicion of its defigns. In the mean time, feveral public meetings were held in different counties, in all of which, the mea fure of feizing and removing the powder, as well as the Governor's threats, were reprobated in the ftrongest terms. Some of the gentlemen of Hanover, and other of the neighbouring counties, were not, however, fatisfied with fimple declarations. They affembled in arms to a confiderable number, under the conduct of a Mr. Henry, who was one of the provincial Delegates to the General Congrefs, and marched towards Williamfburg, with an avowed defign, not only to obtain reftitution of the gunpowder, but to take fuch ef fectual measures for fecuring the public treafury, as fhould prevent its experiencing a fimilar fate with the magazine. A negociation was, however, entered into with the magiftrates, when they had arrived within a few miles of the city, in which it was finally fettled, that the Receiver-General of the colony's fecurity, for paying the value of the gunpowder, fhould be accepted as reftitution, and [B] 2 that that upon the inhabitants engaging for the future, effectually to guard both the treasury and magazine, the infurgents should return to their habitations. of political, as well as, natural, diforders, fo it appeared now in Virginia, every thing tending to one common center of diftrust," jealoufy, and difcontent. The copies of fome letters from the Governor to the Minifler of the American department, were by fome means procured, and public and fevere cenfures paffed upon them, as containing not only unfavourable, but unfair and unjuft reprefentations, as well of facts, as of the temper and difpofition of the colony. A colony. Thus one diftruft begot another, until all confidence being totally loft on both fides, every falfe report that was circulated, was believed on either, and ferved for its time to keep up the public fever. The alarm of this affair, induced Lady Dunmore, with the Governor's family, to retire on board the Fowey man of war in James River, whilft his Lordship, with the affiftance of a detachment of marines, converted his palace into a little garrifon, fortified it in the best manner he was able, and furrounded it with artillery. A proclamation from the Governor and Council, in which Henry and his followers were charged with rebellious practices, in extorting the value of the powder from the Receiver-General, and the prefent commotions were attributed to dif affection in the people, and a defire of changing the established form of government, ferved only to afford more room for altercation, and to increase the heat and difcontent. Several county meetings were held, Henry's conduct vindi cated and applauded, and refolutions paffed, that at the rifque of every thing dear, he and his followers fhould be indemnified from all fuffering, lofs, and injury, upon that account. The charge of difaffection was peremptorily denied, and thofe of changing the form of government, and caufing the prefent troubles, retorted. They in filled, that they wanted nothing but to preferve their ancient conftitution, and only oppofed innovations, and that all the disturb. ances fprung from the Governor's late conduct. As there are times when all circumstances seem to confpire towards the nourishment and increase 8 The In this ftate of comJune ift. motion and diforder, upon the arrival of difpatches from England, the General Affembly was fuddenly and unexpectedly convened by the Governor. grand motive for this measure, was to procure their approbation and acceptance of the terms, included in Lord North's conciliatory motion, and the parliamentary refolutions founded thereupon. His Lordship, accordingly, in his fpeech, ufed his utmost address to carry this favourite point; he ftated the favourable difpofition of parliament, as well as of government, towards the colonies; the moderation, equity, and tenderness, which induced the prefent advances towards a happy reconciliation; he dwelt upon the justice of their contributing to the common defence, and bearing an equitable proportion of the public burthens, obferved, that as no fpecific fum was demanded, they had an opportunity portunity of giving a free fcope to their juftice and liberality, and that whatever they gave, would be a free gift, in the fulleft fenfe of the terms; that they would thus fhew their reverence for parliament, and manifeft their duty and attachment to the fovereign; and the kindness with which it would be taken, that they met, on their fide, the favourable difpofition hewn on the other, towards bringing the prefent unhappy difputes to a period. He alfo took pains to convince them, from the proceedings and refolutions of parliament, that a full redrefs of all their real grievances, would be the immediate confequence of their compliance. The first act of the affembly was the appointment of a committee to enquire into the caufes of the late disturbances, and particularly to examine the state of the magazine, that neceffary measures might be accordingly taken for its replenishment. Though the magazine was the property of the colony, it was in the cuftody of the Governor, who appointed a keeper, fo that an application to him for admittance was neceffary. During an altercation which arofe upon this fubject, and before the order for admittance was obtained, fome people of the town and neighbourhood broke into the magazine, and carried off fome of the arms; feveral members of the Houfe of Burgefes, however, ufed their per fonal intereft and application in getting as many of them as they could, returned. It appeared by the report of the Committee, that they found most of the remainder of the powder buried in the magazine yard, where it had been de. pofited by the Governor's orders, and fuffered confiderable damage from the rain; the depriving the muskets of their locks was alfo now discovered, as well as the nakedness and infufficiency of the magazine in all refpects. Among other matters which ferved to irritate the people, was the planting of fpring guns in the magazine, (without giving any public notice of fuch a mode of fecurity) and fome effect they had taken at the time of the late depredations. 8th. Whilt the Governor's speech, with the propofitions which it recommended, were yet under the confideration of the affembly, and before their addrefs was determined upon, his lordfhip, with his lady and family, quitted the palace privately, and fuddenly, at night, and retired on board the Fowey man of war, which then lay near Yorktown, on the river of the fame name. He left a meffage for the Houfe of Burgeffes, acquainting them, that he thought it prudent to retire to a place of fafety, as he was fully perfuaded, that both himself and his family were in conftant danger of falling facrifices to the blind and unmeasurable fury of the people; that fo far from intending to interrupt their fitting, he hoped they would fuccefsfully proceed in the great bufinefs before them; that he would render the communication between him and the Houfe as eafy and fafe as poftible; and that he thought it would be more agreeable to them to fend fome of their members to him as occafion fhould require, than to have the trouble of moving their whole body to a nearer place. He affured them, that he should attend as ufual to the duties of his office, and of his good difpofition to reftore that harmony which had been fo unhappily interrupted. This meffage produced a joint addrefs from the Council and House of Burgeffes; declaring their unbelief that any perfons in that province, could meditate fo horrid and atrocious a crime as his lordship apprehended; lamenting that he had not acquainted them with the ground of his uneafinefs before he had adopted this meafure, as they would have used all poffible means to have removed every caufe of his difquietude; they feared that his removal from the feat of government would be a means of increafing the uneafinefs which unhappily prevailed among the people; declared at they would cheerfully concur in any meafure which he should propofe for the fecurity of himself and his family; obferving how impracticable it would be to carry on the bufinefs of the feffion with any degree of propriety and difpatch, whilft he was at fuch a diflance, and fo inconveniently fituated. They concluded by intreating his return, with his lady and family, to the palace, which would afford great public fatisfaction, and be the likelieft means of quieting the minds of the people. Lord Dunmore returned 10th. a written anfwer, in which he juftified his apprehenfions of danger, from the public notoriety of the commotions among the people, as well as of the threats and menaces with which they were attended; befides complaints of the general conduct and difpofition of the House of Burgeffes, he fpecified feveral charges against that body: that they had countenanced the violent and diforderly proceedings of the people, particularly with refpect to the magazine, which was forced and rifled in the prefence of fome of their members; that in-. ftead of the commitment of those perfons who had been guilty of fo daring and heinous an offence, they only endeavoured to procure a reftitution of the arms. That the Houfe, or its Committee, had ventured upon a ftep fraught with the moft alarming confequences, in ap pointing guards, without his approbation or confent, under pretence of protecting the magazine, fhewing thereby a defign of ufurping the executive power, and of fubverting the conftitution. He obferved, that no means could be effectual for affording the fecurity which they promifed to concur in, but, by reinftating him in the full powers of his office, by opening the courts of juftice, and reftoring the energy of the laws; by difarming all independent companies, or other bodies of men, raifed and acting in defiance of legal authority; by obliging the immediate return of the King's arms and ftores; and by, what was not lefs effential than any other matter, their own example, and their endeavours to remove that general delufion which kept the minds of the people in a continual ferment, and thereby to abolish that malice and fpirit of perfecution, which now operated fo dangerously against all those, who from duty and affection to their King and country, oppofed the present measures, and who from principle and conviction differed with the multitude in political opinion. That these were the means to af |