tled places. It became thereby not only more obnoxious to the Indians, but more liable to alarm, and more easily assailed by these aborigines.

Some acts of assembly, made at the last session of、 assembly, indicated considerable uneasiness existing at this period among the colonists, on account of some recent murders and captures committed upon them by the natives. It appears that two of the inhabitants of Kent and Anne Arundel counties had been lately murdered in a most cruel and barbarous manner by certain Indians.

It is most probable, that the Indians who committed the above-mentioned murders, were the Susquehanocks, a powerful and warlike tribe, who inhabited all that part of Maryland which lies between the Patuxent and Susquehanough rivers, on the western shore, and all that portion of country from the Choptank to the Susquehanough, on the Eastern Shore.

This assembly, in addition to this cautionary measure of preventing a repetition of such murders by the Indians, thought it necessary that some more effectual remedy to check such conduct of the natives, should be applied, and accordingly enacted, 'an order providing for a march upon the Indians,' as follows: 'Whereas, certain Indians, this last year, have most wickedly and barbarously murthered an English inhabitant of the county of Kent, and another inhabitant likewise since, in Anne Arundel county, Be it therefore ordered, That the governor, with the advice of the council, or the major part of them, shall have power, in case such Indians, who have committed such barbarous and wicked murthers, shall not be sent in, after demand made of them, to the government here, to re

ceive such punishment as is due for such offence, to press men, and to appoint such allowance for their pay, and to make war upon these nations of Indians refusing to deliver up those offenders as aforesaid, as in his and their best discretion, shall be thought fit; the charge of which war to be laid by an equal assessment on the persons and estates of all the inhabitants of this province.'

It would appear, however, notwithstanding all this preparation for an Indian war, that a considerable trade was still carried on, either with these hostile Indians, or more probably with some other tribe or tribes, who remained in a state of peace with our colonists.

CHAPTER II.

Tranquility of the Province-Governor Stone visits Providence-Appoints Mr. Edward Lloyd commander of Anne Arundel county— Appoints Commissioners-The Puritans at Providence again refuse to send Delegates to the Assembly-Bennett and Claiborne reduce the Colony of Maryland-Governor Stone retained in office by them-Is soon deprived of his office by them-The Colony submits to the Commonwealth of England-Governor Stone reinstated-Cromwell proclaimed in the Province-Governor Stone declares the Puritans at Providence to be enemies of Lord Baltimore-The Province again reduced-Governor Stone rebuked by Lord Baltimore for resigning his Government-Governor Stone re-assumes his office and powers as Governor-Organizes a Military Force-Seizes the Provincial Records-Secures the Arms and Ammunition of the Province-Governor Stone makes preparations to reduce Anne Arundel to submission, and marches towards the Severn-Arrives at Herring Creek-Appears in the River Severn-The Golden Lion-Governor Stone's party land on Horn Point-Captain Fuller, at the head of the Puritans of Providence, marches to meet them-Battle on Horn Point-Governor Stone condemned to Death-The Soldiers refuse to execute him-Others executed--The Property of Governor Stone and his party sequestered-Lord Baltimore restored to his Rights by the Lord Protector-Appoints captain Josiah Fendall Governor-The Puritans acknowledge the authority of Lord Baltimore-Acknowledgement.

AFTER this last session of assembly, the affairs of the province seem to have subsided into apparent peace and quiet. The puritans of Providence appear to have acquiesced in, and submitted to the proprietary government at St. Mary's.

In July of this year, governor Stone visited the settlement at Providence for the purpose of organizing it into a county; and while there, he issued a commission directed 'to Mr. Edward Lloyd, gent.' appointing him 'to be commander of Anne Arundel county until the Lord Proprietary should signify to the contrary,' and to

Mr. James Homewood, Mr. Thomas Meares, Mr. Thomas Marsh, Mr. George Puddington, Mr. Mathew Hawkins, Mr. James Merryman, and Mr. Henry Catlyn, 'to be commissioners of the said county, with Mr. Edward Lloyd, for granting warrants and commissions, and for all other matters of judicature,' &c.

This commission bears date on the 30th of July, 1650, at Providence.

Mr. Puddington had been one of the Delegates at the last session of assembly.

The names of these gentlemen, thus commissioned, are given principally with a view of gratifying the reader, who may be a native of Maryland, that he may know the names of those who were the principal men among the puritans who first settled on the Severn, and from whom many respectable families in this state now deduce their descent.

1651.

Governor Stone, it seems, agreeably to annual usage, had called an assembly, to meet at St. Mary's, in March of this year. But from strong circumstances, it is to be inferred that the puritans of Providence (or Anne Arundel) refused or neglected to send any delegates or members to attend this assembly; and Mr. Lloyd, as it appears, acting most proba, bly in conformity to the wishes of those over whom he presided as commander, returned some message 'to the general assembly then sitting at St. Mary's,' which gave considerable displeasure to the government there, or at least to Lord Baltimore, in England, when he came to be informed of it, who expressed his resentment at the message somewhat warmly in a letter to the assembly.

What this message was, is not now to be exactly

ascertained, no copy of it remaining on record. We are authorized, however, in collecting from what his lordship wrote upon the subject, that the purport of Mr. Lloyd's message was, that the inhabitants of Anne Arundel county, which they themselves called Providence, had come to the resolution of not sending any burgesses or delegates to the general assembly at St. Mary's, notwithstanding the summons for that purpose.

This stand was, without doubt, taken with a view to the expected dissolution of the proprietary government, and was probably meant by them as a prompt manifestation of their willingness and desire, that Maryland should be reduced to the obedience of the common. wealth of England.

1652.

As soon as the triumph of the commonwealth cause was consummated by the death of the king, and the results which followed it in the mother country, the Parliament directed its attention to the subjugation of the American colonies which had been disaffected to that cause.

Governor Stone, having contended against the authority assumed by Bennett and Claiborne, commissioners appointed by the parliament for the reduction of the province of Maryland, but finding any opposition useless, at length effected an arrangement with the commissioners; by which he was permitted to retain and exercise his official powers, which appear to have been administered with fidelity to the commonwealth. Yet, notwithstanding these acts of submission, and professions of allegiance, he was soon after charged by the commissioners above named, with disaffection to the protector's cause.

They demanded of governor Stone the Lord Balti