their arms. The people complied, but when the general had obtained their arms, the perfidious man refused to let the people go.

This breach of faith, and the consequences that attended it, were justly and greatly complained of; and although many, at different times, were permitted to leave the town, they were obliged to leave all their effects behind; so that many who had been used to live in ease and affluence, were at once reduced to extreme indigence and misery. A circumstance peculiarly and wantonly aggravating, and which was the ground of the bitterest complaints of Congress, was, that passports were granted or retained in such a manner, as that families were broken, and the dearest connections separated; part being compelled to quit the town, and part cruelly retained against their inclination.

In the mean time, a small number of men, to the amount of about two hundred and forty, under the command of Colonel Allen, and Colonel Arnold, without any public orders, surprised and took the British garrisons at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, without the loss of a man on either side.

During these transactions, the Generals Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, arrived at Boston from England, with a number of troops. In June following, our troops attempted to fortify Bunker's hill, which lies near Charlestown, and but a mile and a half from Boston. They had, during the night, thrown up a small breast-work, which sheltered them from the fire of the British cannon. But the next morning, the British army was sent to drive them from the hill, and landing under cover of their cannon, they set fire to Charlestown, which was consumed, and marched to attack our troops in the entrenchments. A severe engagement ensued, in which the British, according to the best accounts, had two hundred and twenty-six killed, and eight hundred and twentyeight wounded. They were repulsed at first, and thrown into disorder; but they finally carried the fortification, with the point of the bayonet.

In autumn, a body of troops, under the command of General Montgomery, besieged and took the garrison at St. John's, which commands the entrance into Canada. The prisoners amounted to about seven hundred. General Montgomery pursued his success, and took Montreal; and designed to push his victories to Quebec. A body of troops, commanded by General Arnold, was ordered to march to Canada, by the river Kennebeck, and through the wilderness. After suffering every hardship, and the most distressing hunger, they arrived in Canada, and were joined by General Montgomery, before Quebec. This city, which was commanded by Governor Carleton, was immediately besieged. But there being little hope of taking the town by a

siege, it was determined to storm it. The attack was made on the last day of December, but proved unsuccessful, and fatal to the brave general; who, with his aids, were killed in attempting to scale the walls. Of the three divisions which attacked the town, one only entered, and that was obliged to surrender to superior force. After this defeat, Gen. Arnold, who now commanded the troops, continued some months before Quebec, although his troops suffered incredibly by cold and sickness. But the next spring, the Americans were obliged to retreat from Canada."

The year 1777 was distinguished by several important events in favor of the American cause. Gen. Burgoyne, with a well disciplined and powerful army, advanced from Canada, to invade New York and the New England States. His approach occasioned much alarm, and the militia from all parts of New England, pressed forward to resist the British forces. The progress of Burgoyne was checked, by the defeat of Col. Baum, near Bennington, in which the undisciplined militia of Vermont, under Gen. Stark, defeated and captured nearly the whole of a large detachment of British troops. Burgoyne himself surrendered at Saratoga, Oct. 17th, 1777, with his whole army. This event diffused great joy throughout the American States, and laid the foundation for a treaty with France.

From the first period of the Revolutionary War, to its close, the New England States, rendered the most powerful and efficient aid in the American cause; but this was not done without enduring many sacrifices and privations. During the enfeebled and disorganized state of the country, which followed the war, Massachusetts, in her zeal to comply fully with the requisitions of Congress, and satisfy the demands of her own creditors, laid a heavy tax upon the people. This was the immediate cause of the rebellion in that State, in 1786. But a heavy debt lying on the State, added to burdens of the same nature, upon almost every incorporation within it; a decline, or rather an extinction of public credit; a relaxation and corruption of manners, and a free use of foreign luxuries; a decay of trade and manufactures, with a prevailing scarcity of money; and, above all, individuals involved in debt to each other-these were the real, though more remote causes of the insurrection. It was the tax which the people were required to pay, that caused them to feel the evils which we have enumerated this called forth all their other grievances; and the first act of violence committed, was the burning or destroying of a tax bill. This sedition threw the State into a convulsion which lasted about a year; courts of justice were violently obstructed; the collection of debts was suspended; and a body of armed troops, under the command of general Lincoln, was employed during the winter of 1786, to disperse the insurgents. Yet so numerous

were the latter, in the counties of Worcester, Hampshire, and Berkshire, and so obstinately combined to oppose the execution of law by force, that the governor and council of the State thought proper not to intrust General Lincoln with military powers, except to act on the offensive, and to repel force with force, in case the insurgents should attack him. The leaders of the rebels, however, were not men of talents; they were desperate, but without fortitude; and while they were supported with a superior force, they appeared to be impressed with that consciousness of guilt, which awes the most daring wretch, and makes him shrink from his purpose. This appears by the conduct of a large party of the rebels before the magazine at Springfield; where General Shepard with a small guard, was stationed to protect the continental stores. The insurgents appeared upon the plain, with a superiority of numbers, but a few shot from the artillery, made the multitude retreat in disorder with the loss of four men. This spirited conduct of General Shepard, with the industry, perseverance and prudent firmness of General Lincoln, dispersed the rebels, drove the leaders from the State, and restored tranquillity. An act of indemnity was passed in the legislature for all the insurgents, except a few leaders, on condition they should become peaceable subjects and take the oath of allegiance. The leaders afterwards petitioned for pardon, which, from motives of policy, was granted by the legislature."

Although the efforts of the colonies against their enemies during the French and Revolutionary conflicts, were crowned with entire success, yet the demoralizing effects ever attendant on wars, were felt afterwards. Infidel, and corrupting principles were introduced by the British and French soldiery; particularly by the latter, and their demoralizing influence was felt to some extent. Perhaps the time in the history of New England, in which religion and morality were at their lowest ebb, may be found in the course of twenty or thirty years after the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. Since this period, greater regard has been paid to religion and morality, the habits and manners of the people have been improved; the benefits of education have been more widely diffused, and wealth has been more equally distributed.

OUTLINE HISTORY

OF

NEW YORK.

IN 1609, Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the service of the Dutch East India Company, discovered Long Island, the harbor of New York, and the river to which his name has since been given. "He penetrated this river according to his own account, 53 leagues; which must be as far as where the city of Albany now stands. This discovery gave the Dutch at once an entrance into the heart of the American continent, Arms of New York. where the best furs could be procured, without interruption from the French or English, both which nations claimed this territory. Within four years after this discovery, a company of merchants, who had procured from the States General a patent for an exclusive trade to Hudson's river; built a fort and trading house, where Albany now stands."

In 1613, Capt. Argal, under Sir Thomas Dale, governor of Virginia, visited the Dutch, on Hudson's river, who, being unable to resist him, prudently submitted for the present, to the king of England, and, under him, to the governor of Virginia. Determined upon the settlement of a colony, the States General, in 1621, granted the country to the West India Company; and in the year 1625, Peter Minuet arrived at fort Amsterdam, now New York, as the first governor or director.

In 1615, a fort was built on the southwest point of Manhattan, now York Island; but the first settlers planted themselves about two miles from this fort, and built a church there, the ruins of which, not many years since, were visible, near where the two mile

stone formerly stood. In this situation, finding themselves insecure, during the wars between the English and Dutch, they left this place, and planted their habitations under the guns of the fort, which laid the foundation of the present city of New York.

The first emigrants under Minuet, appear to have been from the river Waal in Guelderland, and under the name of Waaloons, founded the first permanent settlement, beyond the immediate protection of the cannon of fort Amsterdam. They settled at Brooklyn, opposite New York, and were the first who professionally pursued agriculture. In June, 1625, the first child of European parentage was born in New Netherlands. In 1633, Minuet was recalled, and Wouter Van Twiller arrived at fort Amsterdam as governor. His arrival gave fresh impulse to the settlements, and agricultural pursuits. In 1638, Van Twiller was succeeded by William Kieft as governor. Two years after his administration, the English had overspread the eastern part of Long Island and advanced as far as Oyster Bay. In 1647, Kieft was succeeded by Peter Stuyvesant.

In consequence of their discoveries and settlements, the Dutch claimed all the country, extending from Cape Cod to Cape Henlopen, along the sea-coast, and as far back into the country as any of the rivers, within those limits, extend, and named it New NETHERLANDS. But these extravagant and unfounded claims were never allowed to the Dutch. This nation, and after them the province of New York, for a long time, claimed as far east as the western banks of Connecticut river, and this claim was the ground of much altercation, till 1664, when the partition line between New York, and Connecticut was run nearly the same as it is now settled.'

In 1664, Aug. 27, Gov. Stuyvesant surrendered the colony to Col. Nicolls, who had arrived in the bay a few days before, with three or four ships, and about 300 soldiers, having a commission from King Charles II. to reduce the place, which was then called New Amsterdam, afterwards, New York. Very few of the inhabitants removed out of the country; and their respectable descendants are still numerous in many parts of this state, and of New Jersey. A league of friendship was at this time entered into with the Five Indian nations. In 1667, at the peace of Breda, New York was confirmed to the English, who, in exchange, ceded Surinam to the Dutch.

The English kept peaceable possession of the country, until the year 1673, when the Dutch, with whom the English were then at war, sent a small squadron, which arrived at Staten Island on the 30th of July. John Manning, a captain of an independent company, who had at that time command of the fort, sent a messenger down to the commodore, and made his terms with him. On the same day, the ships came up, moored under the fort, landed