at present hang over us. We submit to him, and ask your prayers at the throne of grace for us. The sincere thanks of this Committee, in behalf of this greatly distressed and injured Town, are hereby presented to our worthy friends in Tolland, for their kind assistance in this our day of trial. We are, with great esteem, Gentlemen, your friends and fellow-countrymen, tee of Donations. HENRY HILL, Per order the CommitTo the Gentlemen Committee of Correspondence for the Town of Tolland, in Connecticut. will do something handsome, it being absolutely more necessary to assist the inhabitants of that Town, in this last struggle for American liberty, than if it had been laid in ashes." At a town meeting held in Providence August 12, its deputies in the General Assembly were instructed in the following terms:-"Gentlemen: The sufferings and distresses of the people of the Town of Boston, occasioned by a relentless execution of that cruel edict for blocking up the port, awakens our attention and excites our compassion. Their cause is our cause; and unless aid and succor be afforded them, they may be discouraged into a hurtful submission; and ministerial vengeance may next be directed against this Colony, and in the end, alight upon all. You are therefore requested to use your endeavors, at the next session of the General Assembly, to procure a grant, to be made from this Colony, of such sum of money as they may think fit, towards relieving and mitigating the difficulties and distresses which that Town must experience from the operation of that most unrighteous inhibition, the hostile manner of carrying the same into force, and a general arrest of their liberties. Permit us to observe, that in doing this it will be evidenced, that as a community, we shall do unto others as we would that they should do unto us in a like circumstance; and that it will be a greater testimony of unanimity in the general concernments of America, in this day of struggle and danger, than private contributions, and far more equal." The Boston Gazette, of August 22, has a letter dated Newport, August 19, which says: "The tories in this Town, and some other parts of the Colony, are endeavoring to prevent any grant being made by our Assembly, and we are to have a town meeting this day to instruct the Deputies to vote for a grant for the Town of Boston. Our present Assembly, last session, promised they would assist the Town of Boston; and as this Assembly can never exist again, after next week, if they don't do something, they will sink themselves into the lowest degree of contempt." The Essex Gazette, of September 20, has the following, dated Boston, September 19: "We hear that collections are making in the several Towns of the Colony of Rhode Island, for the suffering inhabitants here. It is said fifteen hundred dollars are already raised in the Town of Newport; and that the Hon. Joseph Babcock, of Westerly, had generously subscribed one hundred dollars for the like purpose." At a Town meeting held in Providence, November 21, 1774, it was "Voted, That the Committee of Correspondence of this Town be hereby empowered to receive of the town treasury the sum of one hundred and twenty-five pounds, lawful money, and to transmit the same to the Committee of the Town of Boston for receiving donations for the distressed inhabitants of Boston and Charlestown; and the treasurer is hereby ordered to pay said sum out of the first money shall receive of the tax now ordered."-ED. he LETTER FROM CONCORD. Province of New Hampshire, Concord, Oct. 29th, 1774. SIR, The people of this Town have subscribed a considerable quantity of pease, for our suffering brethren in the Town of Boston, part of which I now send you by the bearer, the remainder I shall forward as soon as possible. You will excuse my giving you this trouble, not being particularly acquainted with any other Gentleman of the Committee. I remain, your most obedient and very humble servant, TIMO. WALKER, JUN. To Mr. Henry Hill. REPLY TO CONCORD. DEAR SIR, Boston, Nov. 11th, 1774. This morning Mr. Samuel Ames delivered me your agreeable favor of 29th October, informing me that the people of the Town of Concord, have generously subscribed a considerable quantity of pease, for their suffering brethren in this Town, part of which you have sent, and the receipt of which I hereby acknowledge, and in behalf of the Town desire you to accept our sincere thanks for this proof of your sympathy with us under our present trials, which, I assure you, are very heavy, and under which we fear we should sink, were it not for the support which, under Providence, we receive from our kind friends and brethren in this, and the neighboring Colonies. I am, Dear Sir, your obliged, humble servant, HENRY HILL. To Mr. Timo. Walker, Jr., in Concord, Province New Hampshire. REPLY TO SMITHFIELD AND JOHNSTON. GENTLEMEN, Boston, Nov. 2d, 1774. By the hands of Capt. Stephen Whipple and Mr. William Potter, the Committee of Donations received your very acceptable present of one hundred and fifty sheep. The Committee, in behalf of the Town, return our grateful acknowledgments to our kind and generous benefactors, the patriotic inhabitants of Smithfield and Johnston. Such bounties greatly refresh our spirits, and encourage us to persevere in the glorious cause of true, constitutional freedom and liberty. We consider the cause as common, and therefore a cause in the defence of which, all North America ought to be united; and it affords us, as it must every true-hearted American, a peculiar pleasure, that such a union prevails at this day, as bodes well to the rights and liberties of North America, civil and religious. What judgment are we to form respecting those who would affect to be calm and unconcerned spectators, in this day of trouble and distress. But what shall we think and say of those who are constantly endeavoring, in a private, and when they dare, in a more open manner, to carry into execution a plan the most detestable, and calculated for the destruction of every thing accounted valuable and dear in the eyes of Americans. Surely, then, Americans must, they will, exert themselves to their utmost at such a day as this. The inhabitants of this Town are called, in providence, to stand, as it were, in the front of the battle. We have reason, in the first place, to be thankful to God, who hath thus far helped us, and nextly, to our generous and kind benefactors, by their affectionate letters, as well as their timely donations. May the Lord reward them. We greatly need wisdom, direction, prudence, zeal, patience and resolution. Our Christian friends may, by their prayers to God, contribute much towards a happy issue of these severe trials, and those mercies which are the fruit of the prayers of faith will prove mercies indeed. But we have not time to enlarge. Inclosed is a printed half sheet respecting the conduct of the Committee on the improvement of the charities of our friends, which we hope will be to their satisfaction. Gentlemen, your much obliged friends and fellow-countrymen, DAVID JEFFRIES, Per order of the Com of Donations. To Mr. Daniel Morey, Jr., Town Clerk of the Town of Smithfield. And to Mr. Caleb Harris, Town Clerk of the Town of Johnston. Acknowledging receipt of 57 sheep. GENTLEMEN, REPLY TO CANDIA. Boston, Nov. 4th, 1774. The Committee of Donations have received your very acceptable and kind present of ten dollars, and fifty-six sheep, from the Town of Chester, and twenty-eight sheep from the parish of Candia, in New Hampshire, and in behalf of the Town, return their grateful acknowledgments to our benevolent and generous benefactors, the inhabitants of Chester and parish of Candia, aforesaid. Such donations greatly relieve us under our great and increasing difficulties, occasioned by the severe Boston Port Bill, and other disagreeable measures now carrying on against us. Inclosed you have a printed account, in which you will see the conduct of the Committee in the improvement of the charities of our friends, which we hope will be satisfactory. We are, Gentlemen, with great esteem, your obliged friends and fellow-countrymen, JOHN SOLEY, per order. To the Selectmen of the Town of Chester, and parish of Candia, New Hampshire. VOTE OF TIVERTON. At a town meeting held in the Town of Tiverton, on Tuesday the 30th August, 1774, Edward Gray, Esq., moderator, it was voted,-That Mr. Benjamin Jenks, Mr. Pardon Gray and Mr. William Durfee, be a Committee to go throughout said Town of Tiverton, to see what the inhabitants of said Town would subscribe towards the relief of the poor of Boston, and to make report to said Town, at their next meeting, &c. This meeting is adjourned to the first Monday in October next, as of record appears. Witness, WALTER COOK, Town Clerk. Received by Benjamin Jenks and Pardon Gray, Nov'r, 72 sheep. Tiverton, Nov. 5th, 1774. At said meeting by adjournment, on the 3d October, 1774, it was voted,-That said Committee was thereby impowered to collect the said subscriptions, and lay out the same, according to their discretion, as they should think most to advantage for said poor of Boston, and to be in readiness to [depart] for Boston with the same, on the 10th day of November next, as of record appears. Having received by the hands of Messrs. Benjamin Jenks, Pardon Gray, and William Durfee, seventy-two sheep, for the relief of the poor, now suffering in this Town by means of the oppressive Boston Port Bill, the Committee of Donations, in behalf of the Town, return their grateful acknowledgments to our kind and generous benefactors, the inhabitants of the Town of Tiverton. Such bounties are a great relief to us under our distressed circumstances, for which we have abundant reason to be thankful to God, for his goodness to us herein, as also to our kind and benevolent friends, for the help and assistance afforded to us in this day of our distress. We send you the inclosed, that you may see the conduct of the Committee in disposing of the charities of our friends, which we hope will be satisfactory. To Mr. Samuel Durfee, President of the Town Council of Tiverton. |