The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-05-09

I
/ ton that they might be destined for this
/ Town, thereupon the committee of safety
had wrote to General Washington request
/ ing that regiment with General Officer
might be sent TO this Island: tie Monday
/ following Major General Lee, with his own
guard and about thirty riflemen, attended
by the Providence Cadet Company, came
into this town; ; the Town Council Imme-
dately met and appointed committee TO
wait upon his Excellency to congratulate him
upon his arrival, and to offer every assis-
tance in their power to make his stay agree
able 1; the committee was received with
great politeness, and when informed that he
intended Immediately to baricade the town,
the committee represented to him that il
might bring on cannonading and lombard
ment, which, especially at this season would
involve the inhabitants in the greatest dis
tress; he desired further interview with
them in the evening, and then, with that hui
manity which ever accompanies true cour-
unhappy in dong any thing which might
involve the town in misery, and that he had
laid aside his intentions Of barricade I; but
in the course of conversation, amongst 9TH
er things, informed them that letters had
gone foricard to the Hon'Jle the C0ntincn-
tai Congress, on the subject of supplying
the Ships of War, and that the topn ,yas
PLACED in an untavOrable light. This con-
versation gave rise to this memorial, in
which it seems necessary TO your memorial
lists to state particularly their proceedings
relating to their supplying the Ships of War
in the harbor Of Newport with provisions,
the occurrences that led to it., and their ex-
posed, defenceless situation, in order to JUS
tify their conduct, and to remove any uu-
favorable impressions which may have been
made on the minds OF the Honorable the
Continental Congress, by any misrepre-
sentations. The papers which accompany
our memorial will verify the statement we
have exhibited, and we trust will exculpate
us from any inputation Of misbehavior in
this respect, for from state, and these, pa
pers, it will clearly appear that the town did
not accede to the proposal of supplies, made
by Capt. Wallace, Notwithstanding the dan
gerous and alarming situation they were in,
until the committee Of the honorable the
Continental Congress had given their unan-
imous opinion that the Ships of War here
might be supplied on the conditions speci-
fed.
That afterward by an net of the General
Assembly they were allowed to do it, and
very lately the committee Of safety of this
Colony have, by their vote. permitted the
Town Council TO supply Captain Wallace's
Ships with provisions resably to the said
act of the General Assembly.
Your nemorialists would now crave leave
10 offer to your honors the following rea-
sons which we conceive will evince that the
supplies of the Ships of War here has
been attended with great advantage, not
only to this Colony but to the common
cause, and that the discontinuance thereof
may be attended with fatal consequences
to your memorialists, and with great disad-
vantage to this Colony, aud wound the
common cause in which we are are en-
barked.
In consequence of the Ships Of War be-
ing supplied with provisions they have lain
since that time in quiet, in the harbor, and
thirty vessels have had an opportunity to
pass on the East and West side of the bay,
and to import military stores and provision,
Of every kind, for the use of the Continen-
tai Army in this Colony without any mo-
lestation, or annoyance from these ships,
and it may be fairly inferred that coutin-
I uance of those supplies, upon the same
terms, and under the same regulations, will
still he attended with the same good effects.
Whereas should supplies be withheld from
them, they might net only interrupt the
communication, between the West Indies
and the other Colonies, with This Colony,
but carry devastation and destruction into
almost every part of it, where the depth Of
water in the river and bay would admit
them, a cruel aud shocking instance Of
which, they have recently exhibited to us,
in the confagra,ion Of jamestown.
The town of Newport, the capital of this
Colony, consists Of eleven hundred wooden
dwelling houses and upwards, exclusive Of
stores, warehouses &C., and is situated so
near the shore that the Ships Of War may,
and often do, approach within pistol sbo,
of some Of those buildings, and if this in
| 49,. I'll -, L,,n rro,,ed the ruin