Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/401

] was it for the cause to which his life was devoted, that he did not yield to the pressure of difficulties, and lose his confident trust in the superintending care and favor of Divine Providence.

The Provincial Congress having passed a resolution to prevent Tories from carrying off their effects, the inhabitants of Falmouth, in the northeastern part of Massachusetts, now Portland, in Maine, obstructed, accordingly, the loading of a mast-ship. The destruction of the town was, therefore, determined on, as an example of vindictive punishment. Captain Mowat, detached for that purpose, with armed vessels, by Admiral Greaves, arrived off the place on the evening of the 17th off October, and gave notice to the inhabitants that he would allow them two hours "to remove the human species." Upon being solicited to afford some explanation of this extraordinary summons, he replied, that he had orders to set on fire all the seaport towns from Boston to Halifax, and that he supposed New York was already in ashes. He could dispense with his orders, he said, on no terms, but the compliance of the inhabitants to deliver up their arms and ammunition, and their sending on board a supply of provisions, and four of the principal persons in the town, as hostages, that they should engage not to unite with their country in any kind of opposition to Britain; and he assured them, that, on a refusal of these conditions, he should lay the town in ashes within three hours. Unprepared for the attack, the inhabitants, by entreaty, obtained the suspension of an answer till the morning, and employed this interval in removing their families and effects. The next day, Captain Mowat commenced a furious cannonade and bombardment ; and a great number of people, standing on the heights, were spectators of the conflagration, which reduced many of them to penury and despair. More than four hundred houses and stores were burnt. Newport, Rhode Island, being threatened with a similar attack, was compelled to stipulate for a weekly supply to avert it.

Outrages of this kind did but exasperate the feelings of the colonists, and it was not long before their enterprising spirit led them to undertake expeditions against the British on the water. Several vessels were fitted out, and the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, on the 10th of November, passed a law for granting letters of marque and reprisal against the shipping of Great Britain. A court of admiralty was also established by the provincial authorities. The colonies farther south had entered upon similar movements, and five or six armed vessels were fitted out by Washington, to prevent, as far as possible, supplies from reaching Boston by sea. Several captures were made, and particularly a valuable one by Captain Manly, November 29th, consisting of munitions of war, which were especially acceptable in the present emergency. On the whole, however, these enterprises were not particularly successful, for the officers,