CHAPTER X.

THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION,

AFTER the conquest of Canada and the close of the French and Indian wars, the people of the American colonies cherished the hope that they would be permitted to enjoy a long period of peace and prosperity. But they soon began to realize that their hopes were delusive dreams, so long as they were under the dominion of tyrants beyond the seas.

The long war with France had exhausted the British treasury, and various schemes were devised by the ministry and parliament to replenish it. Among these was an act to tax the American colonies, by greatly increasing the duties on tea, sugar, molasses, coffee, and other goods imported from the West Indies and other countries. The Stamp Act, which was passed by Parliament in 1765, providing that no deeds, wills, or other legal papers should be valid unless they bore government stamps, which were brought from England and sold at stipulated prices, was another exercise of tyrannical power. The intelligence of the passage of this act caused great excitement and indignation throughout the colonies, as it had been constantly asserted and maintained that taxation without representation was tyranny.

The duty on tea was the most obnoxious tax, not because of the amount per pound, but because of the claim of the British Government that it had a right to tax their American colonies at all; and the people very generally entered into an agreement that they would not import or use tea while it was subject to a duty. As a consequence, the importation of tea was greatly limited, and the attempt to derive a revenue from this source was a complete failure. The British Government there upon took off the duty, and the East India company was allowed to ship their teas to America, and to pay the Government three pence per pound on its being landed. The three pence per pound was of course added to the cost of the tea to the consumers. The colo65

nists were not so stupid as to be caught by so transparent a trick, and their resistance to the tax became more determined than ever. Public meetings were held in many of the towns in the colonies, and it was resolved that "whoever directly or indirectly aided or assisted in the importation of any of the East Indies company's teas, or any teas whatever, should be deemed an enemy to America."

An attempt to import a quantity of tea at Portsmouth, caused great excitement, and the tea was afterwards reshipped. At about the same time a ship arrived in Boston harbor with a cargo of tea. The vessel was boarded by a resolute company of the colonists, and the tea was taken from the hold and thrown overboard into the sea.

The British Government, finding that the colonists would not submit to their acts of tyranny, resolved to overawe them by making a display of its power. As Boston was the central point of the resistance to the demands of the King and Parliament, a force of 3,000 men, under the command of General Gage, was sent to Boston and quartered among the people of that town. Trade and business of all kinds were suspended, in consequence, and the people suffered from the want of food and the other necessaries of life. In this emergency, the people of the adjacent towns. sent them food, and otherwise contributed to their support.

In the latter part of December, 1774, an order from the King and Council forbidding the exportation of powder and other military stores from England to the American colonies was received at Boston. At the same time, it became known that troops were about to be sent from Boston todisarm Fort William and Mary at the mouth of the Piscataqua river. The information was immediately conveyed to Portsmouth by Paul Revere, whereupon the Committee of Safety of that town collected together three or four hundred men, who belonged to Portsmouth and the surrounding towns, for the purpose of capturing the powder and stores from the fort. The enterprise was successful in every particular, and ninety-seven barrels of powder, sixty stand of arms and sixteen pieces of cannon were taken and removed to a place of safety.

The blow aimed at the people of the Province of Massa

chusetts, the principal place to offer open resistance, to the attempt to deprive them of their rights, was also directed towards the people of all the British colonies in America, and the people of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the other colonies, at once prepared to co-operate with their brethren of New England in the work of defending the rights of all.

In May, 1774, a Congress, consisting of delegates from all the colonies, assembled at Philadelphia for the purpose of forming a confederation of the colonies in opposing the attempts to strip them of their rights and liberties.

New Hampshire joined in this movement with alacrity, and a Provincial Convention of delegates was called to meet at Exeter on January 25, of that year, to choose delegates to attend the first Philadelphia Convention or Continental Congress, as it was called.

At a special town meeting held in Candia, July 11, Abraham Fitts was chosen a delegate to the General Congress at Exeter.

The Provincial Congress at Exeter elected Nathaniel Folsom and John Sullivan delegates to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia.

The Continental Congress in an address to the people, counselled them to maintain peace, harmony and union among themselves, to practice economy, to promote manufactories, avoid law suits, improve themselves in such military arts as would best fit them for real action in engagements.

In response to the address, the military companies in Candia and other towns were frequently drilled in the use of arms.

At a town meeting held January 3, 1775, Moses Baker was chosen a delegate to the Provincial Convention to be held at Exeter, January 25, and it was voted that the selectmen should buy a barrel of powder, flints and lead, answerable thereto as a parish stock. At the same meeting Walter Robie, Nathaniel Emerson, Samuel Mooers, Benjamin Cass and Jacob Wo:then were chosen a committee to inspect all persons, to ascertain their views in regard to the affairs of the present day.

Voted that Nathaniel Emerson, Moses Baker, Ensign Bean be a committee to request ail the males in Candia, from sixteen to sixty years of age, to meet at some convenient time at the meeting house in order to viewing with arms and ammunition.

At a town meeting held February 21, 1775, Nathaniel Burpee, Abraham Fitts, Moses Baker and Ichabod Robie were added to the Committee of Inspection.

BATTLES OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD.

'On the 19th of April, a detachment of troops was sent by General Gage from Boston, to destroy a quantity of provisions and ammunition which had been collected by the Americans, and stored at Concord. On arriving at Lexington, they were ordered to fire upon a company of about seventy Americans, who had assembled upon the common, near the meeting house of the town. The order was obeyed, eight of the Americans fell, and the remainder retreated. The British troops then proceeded to Concord and destroyed a part of the stores collected there, when they were furiously assaulted by the citizens of Concord and the neighboring towns. The British commander ordered a re

The Americans slowly followed, and poured in upon them a most destructive fire along the whole line of march to Lexington. At that point, the retreating troops were re-enforced by a regiment of British infantry, which had been sent to their relief by General Gage, from Boston. The total loss of the British, in this affair, was two hundred and seventy-three, in killed, wounded and missing. The Americans lost eighty-eight men.

The news of this, the first conflict of the war, spread with great rapidity throughout all the surrounding towns. It is said that Colonel Nathaniel Emerson received the news at midnight, and rode up to the meeting house, firing minute guns as he went, to arouse the inhabitants. Nine or more of the most resolute of the able-bodied young men of the town, volunteered to proceed to the scene of conflict. Preparations for departure were hurriedly made, a supply of provisions were placed in their knapsacks, and with their muskets upon their shoulders they were soon on their way

to Lexington. These men from Candia were followed by others in a day or two. When they arrived at Chester, they were probably joined by men from Deerfield, Nottingham and other neighboring towns, who were bound on the same patriotic mission. Finding upon their arrival in Massachusetts there were no indications that hostilities would be resumed immediately, some of the volunteers from Candia returned home, while others enlisted in Massachusetts regiments.

At a special town meeting, held May 11, 1775, Samuel Mooers was chosen a delegate to represent the town in the Provincial Convention to be held at Exeter, May 17, and Moses Baker, Abraham Fitts, Samuel Towle, Stephen Palmer, Nathaniel Emerson, and Jacob Worthen were chosen a committee to give general instructions to Dr. Mooers.

The appointment of this committee shows that the citizens of Candia realized the full responsibilities the colonists were about to assume, and the necessity of proceeding with great caution, in order that nothing should be done in a hasty or indiscreet manner.

At the meeting of the Provincial Congress at Exeter, May 17, 1776, it was voted to raise two thousand men to be organized into three regiments. The commanders of these regiments were John Stark, James Reed, and Enoch Poor. Nathaniel Folsom was elected Major-General. The regiments immediately proceeded to Cambridge, and were placed under the command of General Artemus Ward, the Commander-in-Chief of the Massachusetts forces.

THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.

On the evening of June 16, orders were given to Colonel William Prescott to occupy and fortify the heights of Bunker Hill, with a detachment of one thousand men. By some mistake, Prescott advanced to Breed's Hill, about threefourths of a mile nearer to Boston, and proceeded to construct intrenchments at that point.

At daybreak the next morning, the British General opene a heavy artillery fire upon the works of the Americans, but without much effect. Early in the afternoon, a large body of troops, which were sent over from Boston in boats by