Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-06-10


7 the same horse hundred miles within eigh
teen hours. He brought to the service o
his county courage which, during the war
was never questioned, and heart thar
} which none throbbed wore honestly or warm
: ly for American freedom.
From Weathersfeld, hundred young
volunteers marched for Boston on the TWEEN
ty-second, well-amed and in high pirits.-
From the neighboring towns, men of the
} largest estates and the most esteemed for
character, seized their frelocks and follow
ed. By the second night, several thousands
from the colony were on their way. Some
fixed on their standard and drums the colo
ny arms, and round it in letters of gold, the
motto, that God who broug ght over the faith
ers would sustain the sons.
In New Haven, Benedict Arnold, captain
OF voluntary company, agreed with his
men to march the next morning for Boston,
s'Wait for proper orders" was the ad-
vice of Wooster, but the self-willed COM
mander, brooking no delay, extorted sup
plies from the committee of the town; and
on the twenty-ninth, reached the American
headquarters with his company There
was scarcely town in Connecticut that was
not represented among the besiegers.
The nearest towns of Rhode Island were in
motion before the British had finished their
retreat. At the instance of Hopkins and
others Wanton, the Governor, though him
self inclined to the royal side, called an as
sembly. Its members were all of one mind,
and when Wanton, with several of the coun-
| ci1 Showod hos;tot;on +bo,, ro.oIxvoJ :e..
cessary, to proceed alone The council
yielded, and confirmed the unanimous vote
of the assembly which authorized raising an
army of fifteen hundred men. ssThe colo
ny of Rhode Island" wrote Bowler, the
speaker to the Massachusetts congress, sis
firm and determined; and greater unanim-
lty IN the lower house scarce ever prevail
ed" Companies Of the men of Rhode Is
land preceded this early message.
The conviction of Massachusetts gained
the cheering confidence that springs from
sympathy, now that New Hampshire and
Connecticut and Rhode Island had come to
its support. The New England volenteers
were men ofsubstantial worth, of whom al
The members Of The several companies were
we'll known to each other as to brothers,
kinsmen and townsmen; known to the old
men who remained at home, and to all the
matrons and maidens. They we're sure to
be remembered weekly in the exercises of
the congregations: and morning and evening
in the usual family devotions, they were
commended with fervent piety to the pro-
lection of heaven. Every young soldier
lived and acted, as it were, under the keen
observation of all among whom he had grown
up, and was sure that his conduct would
occupy the tongues of his village companions
while he was in the field, and perhaps be
remembered his life long. The camp of
liberty was gathering in arms of school
mates, neighbors and friends; and Boston
was beleag cured round from Roxbury to
Chelsea by an unorganized fuctuating mass
of men, each with his own musket and his
little store of cartridges and such provisions
as he brought with him, or as were sent af-
ter him or were contributed by the people
round about.
The British officers, from the sense of
their own weakness, and from fear of Amer
ican marksmen, dared not offer a sally
Their confinement was the more irksome,
for it came of sudden before their maga-
zines had been filled; and was followed by
''an immediate stop to supplies of every
kind" The troops, in consequence, suffer-
ed severely from unwholesome diet; and
their commanders fretted with bitter mortl-
fcation. They had scoffed at the Ameri-
cans as towards who would run at their
sight; and they had saved themselves from
destruction only by the rapidity of their re-
treat.
Reinforcements and three new general
officers were already on the Atlantic and
these would have to be received into aight-
ened quarters by defeated army. They
knew that England, and even the ministers.
would condemn the inglorious expedition
which had brought about so sudden and so
fatal change. AS if to brand in their
shame, the officers shrunk from avowing
their own acts; and though no one would say
that he had seen the Americans fire first,
they tried to make it pass current that
handful of countrymen at Lexington had
begun fight with detachment that out
numbered them as twelve to one. ssThey
did not make one gallant attempt during the
action, wrote Smith, who was smarting un-
der his wound, and escaped captivity only
by the opportune arrival of Percy
Men are prone to fail in equity towards
those whom their pride regards as their in
feriors. The Americans, slowly provoked
and long suffering, treated the prisoners with
tenderness and nursed the wounded as though
they had been members of their own families.
They even invited Gage to send out Brit
ish surgeons for their relief. Yet Percy
could degrade himself SO far as to calumni-
ate the countrymen who gave him chase,
and officially lend himself to the falsehood,