The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-08-29

that this committee, on every Oc'
casion, will support the civil
power in the due execution of
law"
Congress received equally as
steady support. When requested
to have the preparations for the
Flying Camp pushed, the com
mittee unanimously replied that
it would, "and every militia cap
tain and other member of this
district ought TO exert himself for
the immediate equipment" of
these Continental troops with
every necessary" In their zeal,
they voted to pay the way to New
York of several soldiers of the
Third Virginia Regiment who
had been left sick when the regI-
ment passed through the town.
In the great expansion of our
country to the westward we are
apt to forget that Western Mary
land was the frontier in 1775.
The patriots of that time and
place, however, were not fOrgetful
of that fact, and in July, John
Hanson, Jr., wrote to PeytOn Ran
dolph. President of the Cont.
mental Congress: "There is too
much reason to believe that an
expedition will be set on foot by
the British and Indians in Canada
| against the western frontiers OF
this State, Virginia and Pennsyl-
! vania. Agents and allies of the
/ King and Parliament, Of General
Gage and Lord Dunmore, it is be.
lieved in this place, are now oper-
ating with the Delaware and
Shawnese Indians in Ohio and
bands in Kentucky and Canada,
with a view to destroy our frontier
/ towns and deSOlate our homes and
/ fireSideS. We are determined to
keep a vigilani eye on all such
agents and emissaries, but it
would be highly prudent TO take
early measures to supply the ar
senal and barracks at Frederick
town with arms and ammunition,
TO enable the male population to
( defend all the inhabitants, in case
the emergency should arise, in
which it will become our solemn
duty to act.n IlanSon's SurmiSes
were true, but the plans were even
more extensive than he imagined.
Dunmore. driven from the main
part of Virginia and sheltered by
/ the British fleet at Norfolk, had
planned "A joint expedition with
/ DR.. John Connolly, which was in
/ tended to cut the Colonial union
/ III half, along the line of the Po-
tomac. Connolly was native of
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania,
and had been bred to the practice
of phySic, but his ambition 20 be
a soldier led him to serve as a
volunteer to Martinique and
against the Western Indians IN
the Frederick and Indian War.
In narrative of his experience,
written some years after the close
of the Revolution, he states that
after the end Of the former war,
he explored the newly acquired
territory, '.viSited the various
tribes of native Americans, stud
| led their different manners and
customs and undertook the most
! toilSome marches with them
through the extensive wilds of
Canada and depended upon the
precarious chace for my subsis-
tence for Nonths successfully"
This training fitted him for a
BIPARTISAN officer" Settling at
Pittsburgh. which was then
claimed by Virginia as part of
West Augusta county, he became
commander of militia there and
served as major of Colonial troops
in the Indian War, which was de-
cided by the battle of Point
Pleasant in 1774.
Holding rOyalist sentiments. he
tells us he prevented the choice of
IA Committee of Observation in
West Augusta county and en-
gagged "a formidable body of
friends, at the risk of life and
fortune, in support of the consti-
tutional authority" According
to his narrative, he also made
secret loyalist treaties with the
Indian tribes, while inducing the
Virginians to believe that he was
in favor of the Wing measures.
He next planned to consult Dun
more in Norfolk about his future
moves. Though somewhat de-
tanned by local patriots, he sue
ceeded in his purpose and a plan
was concerted to have Connolly
raise a body Of troops in Canada
and West Virginia and an auXil-
larry band of Indians. These
troops were to make a junction at
Alexandria with Dunmore's troops
coming from the coast. During
this time, the attention of the
Colonial army was to be occupied