The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-06-21

Tor TIE Ofmefl0n Oh flofe Ie kalbr sDa
con wenien. government; A eom ni.tee
OF ore hundred VAS chosen 70 act until
further directed by the Continental
Congress, which was 20 meet within
fifteen day. Nos. Of shi. committee
were loysi subjects Of the king; though
opposssd to the late measures, and many
of them asiheared TO the king through
cut.
Soon il was noised abroad thu. an
order bad come for the removal OF the
New York garrison 20 Boston Tbs
moro ardent spirits vehemsntly urged
the committee 10 mske them prisoners.
hat the majority decided to let them go,
aud they would have even carried on
with them SEVERAL loads Of spare arma
but for the interference OF valiant
Marinus willstt after whom Willett
street WAS named. He and number OF
his friends determined to prevent tho re-
movsl Of the arms
Il proceeded up Broad street." he
has recorded ''ard on discovering several
carts loaded with chests of arms in front
of the troops under = small guard. |
stopped ,he front horse, which o. course
cansed halt in the whole line OF
march"
The troops being thus halted. crowd
Of citizens I'M msdiately gathered about,
and while Colonel Wiilett and the
British commanding officer were dis
cussing the matter. the carts loaded
with arms were turned out Of the line
Of march, and conducted away
From this time forward. the ordinary
business Of the city. with few short
intervals. WAS suspended for more than
eight years; until, in fact, its final
evacuation in 1888. During the siege
Of Boston there was . short period OF
comparative peacs; but, early in Feb
ruary. i716, came fifteen hundred New
England troops to begin preparations
for the defence Of the place, while 1t
the same time there were British men,
Of-war at anchor in the hsrbor. Then
began that movement Of families out of
the city which continued until its sban-
donment by the American troops in
September. General Washington ar
rived in the middle Of June. and was
entertained 1t y grand dinner. with his
staf aud leading officers, when toasts
were given and songs were sung in the
old jovial style. General Potnsn. we
are told. disappointed tho company by
being obliged to leave the table before
he he'd sung song for which hs was
famous. Why he was obliged to leave
the table So early in the rcpast, may Be
guessed by those acquainted with the
habits Of the period.
The tenth of July, l776. was . great
day in New York. for then it wAs that
the Declaration OF Independence was
read at the head of every brigade in
the continental army. In the morning.
As it happened, . regiment Of Connecti-
cut horsemen. composed of the substan-
tisl farmers Of the State and their sons,
reached the city, and psradcd the
streets amid the enthusiastic acclsms-
tions Of soldiers and people. Some Of
them bad on the very uniforms which
they had worn at tho siege Of Louis
burg in the old French war. . dozen
years before. The Declaration was re-
csived with un bounded enthusiasm. In
the evening the equestrian statue Of the
king WAS. To use the language Of jour
ualist. ''lsid PROSTATE in the dirt" and
the lead Of it carried OF ito be run into
bullets. to assimilate with the brains of
our infatuated sdversaries. who. to gain
. peppercorn, have lost an empire" On
the same day all the debtors were re-
leased from prison, and soon after the
kings coat Of arms was taken down
FROM the old City Hall. and solemnly
burnt. The morning after tho over
turning OF the stutus. - read in a
private letter OF the time. the kings
leadsu head was put on . whesibsrrow W
and carried round to Washington head
quarters As = present to the general.
That WAS the end Of rejoicing with
tho New York patriots for many . day.
While the people Of New York were
amusing themselves in this way. st that
very hour. the British fleet was gliding
past Sandy Heck towards the Narrows !;
and, within forty y-eight hours. five Brit
ish vessels sailed up the hsrbor defiant
ly. ran BY the American batteries, and
came TO anchor above the city.
That was the beginning Of it. Be-
SuACos AuO WoS tOFt,
British army occupied il, and there
was % vast q feet of British vessels
anchored in the harbor that 1.-The multi
tude of masts." As . writer Of tho day
has it. carries the appearance of .
wood"
For seven years the city WAS like .
fortress. governed wholly by military
rules. The Tory residents had . pretty
good time, aimee they paid no taxes,
raised their rents 60 four times the pre-
vious average, and had oil sorts Of pro
ftable empioyuents. One drawback TO
their felicity was. that the nscessaries
OF life rose in price eight hundred per
cent Their happiness was Of short
duration. On the twenty fifth of No
vsmbsr. l7s5. they were obliged 70 90
away with the British army. leaving
behind them al their possessions, which
we're confscated by Congress. The very
farm near New Rochelle which New
York gave to Thomas Paiue, in acknowl.
edgmsnt of his revolutionary services.
MAS par. Of the confiscated estate of q
Tory. Hundreds Of New York titles
ars tracssble to the confiscatioo acts. -
Jdsses PaTfoa.