force. They alfo advised them to provide for the worst that might happen, by fecuring places of retreat for the women and children; by removing the arms and ammunition from the magazines; and by keeping a fufficient number of men embodied for the protection of the inhabitants in general. The departure of fuch a number of helpless objects from the places of their habitation, was a very affecting fight, and an unusual fpectacle. That once flourishing and trading city was now almost become a wildernefs. It was by its own inhabitants devoted to the flames. It was one happy circumftance for New-York, that the troops were more wanted at Boston, and did not at this time land at that place. It was probably not in the favour of government that the troops did not arrive at NewYork at this time; for it both gave the town and the province time to form, and to confirm their refolutions, and to drink more deep in the fame fources of difaffection with the reft of the colonies. While Boston was in the poffeffion of the king's troops, and furrounded with the provincial armies, a few private adventurers attempted an enterprize which was astonishing to all Europe. Some perfons belonging to the back parts of Connecticut, Maffachusetts, and New-York, undertook at their own risk, and without any public command or authority, or without communicating their defigns, an expedi tion of the utmost importance, which not only in its confequence moft materially affected the intereft of government in the colonies, but brought the question to a point of critical nicety, whether Britain fhould have a fingle poffeffion left in all North America. This was the furprizing of Ticonderago, CrownPoint, and other forts fituated on the Great Lakes, and which commanded the paffes between the British colonies colonies and Canada. Some of those who had formed this defign, and were fet out upon this expedition with the greatest fecrecy, met others upon their march, who, without any previous concert, were fet out upon the fame defign, and embarked in the fame project. Thefe adventurers, amounting to 240 men of Colonel Eafton and Colonel Ethan Allan's, with great perfeverance and addrefs furprized the small garrifons of Ticonderago and Crown-Point. They took thefe two fortifications without the lofs of a fingle man on either fide. In thefe forts they found a confiderable quantity of artillery, amounting, as was reported, to 200 pieces of cannon, befides fome mortars, howitzers, and quantities of other ftores; they alfo took two veffels, which gave them the command of Lake Champ: lain, and materials provided at Ticonderago for the building and equipping others: This was as daring an act of intrepidity as had been known for a long time, and fhewed that the colonifts were now in earnest in their oppofition. Such an enterprize performed by British forces, would have been accounted an act heroifm, and was no lefs a bold action when per formed by thofe provincials: While these things were tranfacting, the Generals Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, arrived at Bofton from England, together with a reinforcement of marines, and draughts from other regiments, to fupply the vacancies that were in the troops at Boston. Several regiments from Ireland foon followed thefe, fo that the forces at Boston, with refpect to number, the goodness of the troops, and the character of the commanding officers, were become very refpectable, and it was now thought that matters could not remain long in the fituation they were then in. No remarka able achievements had for fome time been performed on either fide; the blockade was continued, but nothing material attempted, except fome small fkirmishes for provifions, which happened in the islands which lye in the bay,in which the king's troops were worsted. In the last fkirmish which happened at Noddleifland, a small ifland which lies eaft from Bofton, they deftroyed a fchooner belonging to government, which had been left by the tide, in fpite of all oppofition. Matters continued still in the fame fituation at Boston, notwithstanding of the new generals, and reinforcement of fresh troops. Both parties appear to have been doubtful of the event of an engagement, and industriously avoided coming to action as long as they could, It is highly probable, that the provincials would have made an attempt to ftorm the town, immediately after the affair of Lexington, had not they been determined to fpare it for the fake of their friends who were in it; this prevailed over every other confideration. It must be granted, that from the number of fhips of war which almost furrounded the peninfula, as well as the vaft artillery by which it was protected, and the goodness of the troops, that fuch an attempt would have been attended with great danger and difficulty, and that the deftruction of the town muft have been the certain confequence. There were other caufes that operated on this occafion, in determining the provincials not to attack the town. pulfe, or even a victory, attended with much bloodfhed in fo arduous a ftruggle, might have been attended with fatal confequences. The people were not yet accustomed to war; their fituation was new and critics; they were entering into a conteft of a Lingular A re fingular nature, untried, unthought of, and unnatural; loaded with the moft fatal confequences, without a precedent to direct them, or experience to guide them: nor had they as yet given up all hopes of an accommo. dation. They were therefore afraid that those who were not fully established in their principles of oppofition, would totally condemn any violent measures which might exclude them from fuch a desirable event. In this ftate of anxious hope and fear much caution was necessary to be used, left any unfuccessful event might fuddenly damp the fpirit and ardour of the people, ftagger their refolution, and diffolve their confederacy. The continental congrefs upon the 8th of June, refolved that the compact between the crown of England, and the people of Maffachusetts Bay was diffolv ed, by the violation of the charter of William and Mary; and recommended to the people of that province, to proceed to the establishment of a new govern. ment, by the electing a governor and affiftants, according to the powers contained in the original char, rer. They paffed another refolution, that no bill of exchange, draught, or order, of any officer in the army or navy, their agents or contractors, should be received or negociated, or any money fupplied to them by any perfon; and prohibited the fupplying of the army or navy, or fhips employed in the tranfport fervice, with provifions or neceffaries of any kind. They at the fame time erected a general poft-office at Philadelphia, which extended through the United Colonies; and fome time after placed Dr Franklin, who had been difgraced and removed from that office. by government, at the head thereof. The congrefs had now, under the foft idea of recommendation and advice, advice, affumed the power of a fupreme govern ment. General Gage, nearly about the fame time, iffued a proclamation, in which was offered, in the king's name, a free pardon to all thofe who fhould forthwith lay down their arms, and return to their refpective occupations and peaceable duties, excepting only from the benefit of the pardon, Samuel Adams, and Joha Hancock, whofe offences were confidered to be fo atrocious as to be beyond the reach of forgivenefs." All fuch as did not accept of this offered mercy, or who fhould protect, affift, conceal, or correfpond with them, were to be treated as rebels and traitors. It was alfo declared, that as a ftop was put to the due courfe of law and juftice, that the martial law fhould take place till the laws were reftored to their former course, and justice executed in its ufual channel. This proclamation produced no effect. Mr Hancock was chofen prefident of the congrefs at the very feafon that this proclamation was intended to operate. Such a proclamation at this time was confidered as a preliminary to immediate action; accordingly, from this time both parties held themselves in readiness for it. The post of Charlestown had been neglected by both parties, though it was a poft of much confequence; for by having the command of the rock which joins the peninfula to the continent, thofe that are in poffeffion thereof, have it in their power to stop the paffages to the north and north-weft, and to prevent the communication between Boston, the weft parts of Maffachufett's-Bay, New Hampshire, and the other parts towards the weft and north-west. The neck of the peninfula is not much above half mile in breadth, and by being properly fortified, may command |