access to his lordship, to which they were entitled by the constitution of the country-that there were several bills of the last importance to the country now ready to be presented to his excellency for his assent. They complain of the inconvenience to which they had been put in sending their members twelve miles to wait on his excellency, on board of one of his majesty's ships of war, to present their addresses—they state that they think it would be highly improper, and too great a departure from the constitutional and accustomed mode of transacting business, to meet his excellency at any other place than the capitol, to present such bills as were ready for his signature-and, therefore, beseech him to return for this purpose. To all this he gave a very short answer; that, as to the arms, he had already declared his intention, and conceived they were meddling with a subject which did not belong to them; he desired to know whom they designed by the term rude invader; that the disorders in Williamsburg and other parts of the country, had driven him from the palace; and that, if any inconvenience had arisen to the assembly on that account, he was not chargeable with it; that they had not been deprived of any necessary or free access to him; that the constitution undoubtedly vested him with the power of calling the assembly to any place in the colony, which exigency might require; that not having been made acquainted with the whole proceedings of the assembly, he knew of no bills of importance, which, if he were inclined to risk his person again among the people, the assembly had to present to him, nor whether they were such as he could assent to. In the course of their correspondence he required the house to attend him on board the Fowey, for the purpose of 15* obtaining his signature to the bills; and some of the members, to prevent an actual dissolution of the government, and to give effect to the many necessary bills which they had passed, proposed to yield to this extraordinary requisition. The project, however, was exploded by a member's rising in his place, and relating the fable of the sick lion and the fox. The governor having thus virtually abdicated his office, government was, in effect, dissolved. The house hereupon resolved, "That his Lordship's message, requiring the house to attend him on board one of his majesty's ships of war, is a high breach of the rights and privileges of this house." "That the unreasonable delays thrown into the proceedings of this house by the governor, and his evasive answers to the sincere and decent addresses of the representatives of the people, give us great reason to fear, that a dangerous attack may be meditated against the unhappy people of this colony." "It is, therefore, our opinion, they say, that they prepare for the preservation of their property, and their inestimable rights and liberties with the greatest care and attention." "That we do and will bear faith and true allegiance to our most gracious sovereign, George the III. our only lawful and rightful king: That we will, at all times, to the utmost of our power, and at the risk of our lives and properties, maintain and defend his government in this colony, as founded on the established laws and principles of the constitution: That it is our most earnest desire to preserve and strengthen those bonds of amity, with all our fellowsubjects in Great Britain, which are so very essential to the prosperity and happiness of both countries." Having adopted these resolutions without a dissenting voice, they adjourn ed themselves to the 12th of October following; and the delegates were summoned to meet in convention at the town of Richmond, on the 17th of July.* Immediately on the adjournment of the house of burgesses, a very full meeting of the citizens of Williamsburg convened. on the call of Peyton Randolph, at the court-house in that city, "to consider of the expediency of stationing a number of men there for the public safety; as well to assist the citizens in their nightly watches, as to guard against any surprise from our enemies;" whereupon it was unanimously agreed (until the general convention should meet) to invite down from a number of counties, to the amount of two hundred and fifty men. Meanwhile, until they arrived, the neighbouring counties, they say, were kind enough to lend them their assistance. On the 29th of June, the Fowey ship, and Magdalen schooner, sailed from York; on board the latter went Lady Dunmore, and the rest of the Governor's family, bound for England; and the colony was for a short time relieved by the report that the Fowey carried Lord Dunmore and Captain Foy on a visit to General Gage, at Boston. This report, however, was unfounded. The Fowey merely escorted the Magdalen to the Capes, and then returned again to her moorings, before York. The Otter sloop of war, commanded by Captain Squire, thereupon fell down to the mouth of York * On this occasion, Richard H. Lee, standing with two of the burgesses in the porch of the capitol, inscribed with his pencil on a pillar of the capitol, these prophetic lines, from Shakspeare: "When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, and in rain; river, with the intention of cruising along the coast, and seizing all provision vessels; and soon became distinguished at least for the malignity of her attempts. The Fowey was relieved by the ship Mercury, of 24 guns, John Macartney, commander, and departed for Boston, carrying with her the now obnoxious Captain Foy. The governor's domestics left the palace, and removed to his farm at Montibello, about six miles below Williamsburg; and the governor himself fixed his station at the town of Portsmouth. In this posture of things, on Monday, the 24th of July, 1775, the colonial convention met at the city of Richmond. The proceedings of this convention were marked by a character of great decision and vigour. One of their first measures was an ordinance for raising and imbodying a sufficient force for the defence and protection of this colony. By this ordinance it was provided, that two regiments of regulars, to consist of one thousand and twenty privates, rank and file, should be forthwith raised and taken into the pay of the colony; and a competent regular force was also provided for the protection of the western frontier. The whole colony was divided into sixteen military districts; with a provision, that a regiment of six hundred and eighty men, rank and file, should be raised on the eastern shore district, and a battalion of five hundred in each of the others; to be forthwith armed, trained, furnished with all military accoutrements, and ready to march at a minute's warning. A committee, called the committee of safety, was also organized, with functions and powers analogous to those of the executive department, and apparently designed to supply the vacancy occasioned by the governor's abdication of that branch of the government. The convention now proceeded to the appointment of officers to command the regular forces. The lofty stand which Mr. Henry had taken in the American cause, his increasing popularity, and the prompt and energetic movement which he had made in the affair of the gunpowder, brought him strongly before the view of the house; and he was elected the colonel of the first regiment, and the commander of all the forces raised, and to be raised, for the defence of the colony. Mr. William Woodford, who is said to have distinguished himself in the French and Indian war, was appointed to the command of the second regiment. The place of rendezvous for the troops was the city of Williamsburg. Mr. Henry was at his post on the 20th of September, examining the grounds adjacent to the city, for the purpose of selecting an encampment; and the place chosen was at the back of William and Mary college. The troops were recruited and poured in with wonderful rapidity. The papers of the day teem with the annunciation of company after company, both regulars and minute men, with the highest encomiums on the appearance and spirit of the troops; and had the purpose been offensive war, Col. Henry was soon in a situation to have annihilated any force that Lord Dunmore could at that time have arrayed against him. But there was, in truth, something extremely singular and embarrassing in the situation of the parties in regard to each other. It was not war, nor was it peace. The very ordinance by which these troops were raised, was filled with professions of allegiance and fidelity to George the III.—professions whose sincerity there is the less reason to doubt, because they are confined to the exercise of his constitutional powers, and stand connected with an expression of their firm determination to resist any attempt on the liberties of the country. The only intelligible purpose, therefore, for which 1 Ꮓ |