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doth or may concern, That Thadeus Mason, Josiah Johnson, and Simon Tufts, Esqrs. are three of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace (quorum unus) for the County of Middlesex; and that full faith and Credit is, and ought to be given to their Transactions, as such, both in Court and Out. In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my name and seal, this twenty-sixth day of April, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and seventy five.

NATHANIEL GORHAM, Notary Public. (L. S.)

IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, WATERTOWN, April 26th, 1775.

To the Inhabitants of Great Britain.

FRIENDS AND FELLOW SUBJECTS, Hostilities are at length commenced in this Colony by the Troops under the Command of General Gage, and It being of the greatest Importance, that an early, true, and authentic Account of this inhuman proceeding should be known to you, the Congress of this Colony have transmitted the same, and from Want of a Session of the hon continental Congress, think it proper to address you on this alarming Occasion.

By the clearest Depositions, relative to this Transaction, It will appear that, on the Night preceding the nineteenth of April instant, a Body of the King's Troops, under the Command of Colonel Smith, were secretly landed at Cambridge, with an apparent Design to take or destroy the military and other stores, provided for the Defence of this Colony, and deposited at Concord: that some Inhabitants of the Colony, on the Night aforesaid, whilst travelling peaceably on the Road between Boston and Concord, were seized and greatly abused by armed Men, who appeared to be Officers of General Gage's army: that the Town of Lexington, by these Means, was alarmed, and a Company of the Inhabitants mustered on the Occasion: that the regular Troops, on their Way to Concord, marched into the said Town of Lexington, and the said Company, on their Approach, began to disperse: that, notwithstanding this, the Regulars rushed on with great Violence; and first began Hostilities, by firing on said Lexington Company, whereby they killed eight and wounded several others: that the regulars continued their Fire, untill those of said Company, who were neither

killed nor wounded, had made their Escape: that Col Smith, with the Detachment, then marched to Concord, where a Number of provincials were again fired on by the Troops, two of them killed and several wounded, before the provincials fired on them: and that these hostile Measures of the Troops, produced an Engagement that lasted thro' the Day, in which many of the provincials, and more of the regular Troops, were killed and wounded.

To give a particular Account of the Ravages of the Troops, as they retreated from Concord to Charlestown, would be very difficult, if not impracticable. Let it suffice to say, that a great Number of the Houses on the road were plundered, and rendered unfit for Use; several were burnt; Women in child bed were driven, by the Soldiery, naked into the Streets: old Men, peaceably in their Houses, were shot dead; and such Scenes exhibited as would disgrace the annals of the most uncivilized Nation.

These, Brethren, are Marks of ministerial Vengeance against this Colony, for refusing, with her Sister Colonies, a Submission to Slavery: but they have not yet detached us from our royal Sovereign. We profess to be his loyal and dutiful Subjects, and so hardly dealt with as we have been, are still ready, with our Lives and Fortunes, to defend his person, Family, Crown, and Dignity. Nevertheless, to the persecution and Tyranny of his cruel Ministry, we will not tamely submit. Appealing to Heaven for the Justice of our Cause, we determine to die or be free.

We cannot think that the Honour, Wisdom, and Valour of Britons, will suffer them to be longer inactive Spectators of Measures, in which they themselves are so deeply interested: Measures pursued in Opposition to the solemn protests of many noble Lords, and [the] express'd sense of conspicuous Commoners, whose Knowledge and Virtue have long characterized them as some of the greatest Men in the Nation: Measures executing contrary to the Interest, Petitions and Resolves of many large, respectable and opulent Counties, Cities and Boroughs in Great Britain: Measures highly incompatible with Justice, but still pursued with a specious pretence of easing the Nation of its Burthens: Measures which, if successful, must end in the ruin and Slavery of Britain, as well as the persecuted American Colonies.

We sincerely hope, that the great Sovereign of the Universe, who hath so often appeared for the english Nation, will support you in

every rational and manly Exertion with these Colonies, for saving it from ruin, and that, in a constitutional Connection with the Mother Country, we shall soon be altogether a free and happy people. JOSEPH WARREN, President, P. T.1

Per order,

1

Ordered, That the Secretary have the above depositions. and affidavits and the address to the inhabts of G B published in the newspapers.2

Resolved, un. That the Congress will, on Monday next, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the state of America.

Ordered, That the Letter from the pro: Congress of Massachusetts bay be referred to that committee. Adjourned till to Morrow at ten o'clock.

FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1775

The Congress met according to adjournment, and adjourned till to Morrow at 10 o'clock.

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1775

The Congress met according to adjournment. Present, the same as yesterday, and also M J. Jay from New York and Thomas Stone from Maryland.

The Congress being informed that Doct! Lyman Hall attended at the door, as a delegate from the parish of St. John's in the colony of Georgia, and desired to know whether, as such, he may be admitted to this Congress;

3

Agreed unanimously, That he be admitted as a delegate from the parish of St. John's, in the colony of Georgia,

'The original, in the writing of Elbridge Gerry, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 65, I, folio 5.

2 They appear in the Pennsylvania Packet, 15 May, 1775.

* Became Liberty County in 1777. A meeting at Savannah had declined to send any delegates to the Continental Congress, but the Parish of St. John dissented, and Hall was chosen a delegate. See, White, Historical Collections of Georgia, 520.

subject to such regulations as the Congress shall determine, relative to his voting.

M: Lyman Hall being accordingly admitted, produced his credentials, which were read and approved, as follows:

Here insert them.

To the Honourable Gentlemen of the Congress, designed to be held at Philadelphia, on May Anno Domini 1775.

The Address of the Inhabitants of the Parish of St. John's, in the Province of Georgia.

GENTLEMEN,

To give a particular Detail of our many Struggles in the Cause of Liberty, the many Meetings thereby occasioned and held in this Parish, the Endeavours we have used to induce the rest of this Province to concur with us, the Attendance of our Committee on the Provincial Congresses, held at Savannah, in this Province, and particularly that of the 18th of January last, with their Proceedings, and the Reasons of our Dissent from them, we think would be tedious to you; and therefore send a summary Abstract; which, with the Account, that may be given by Lyman Hall, Esq' appointed a Delegate to represent and act for this Parish in the General Continental Congress, to be held on May next, and the Testimonies of the honourable Delegates from South Carolina, we hope will be satisfactory.

Immediately upon our being honoured with an Answer to the Representation of our Case transmitted to the Honourable Congress, which sat at Philadelphia last Year, with a Copy of the Association there entered into, we had a Meeting, and our Proceedings then and since that Time, will, in Brief, appear from the following Abstracts of an Address from this Parish to the Committee of Correspondence in Charles Town, South Carolina, which is as follows:

"GENTLEMEN,

"Herewith will be communicated to you, the several Steps taken by this Parish in their Endeavours to conform, as near as possible, to the Resolutions entered into by the other Colonies: and the particular Measures now adopted, for carrying into Execution the Continental Association, which we embraced the earliest Opportunity of acceding to, by subscribing it; on Condition that Trade and Commerce with

the other Colonies be continued to us the Subscribers; and thereupon, should have immediately sent to you for your Approbation and Indulgence, but were delayed by a Summons to attend a Provincial Congress in Savannah, on the 18th of January last, for the Purpose, as we understood, of a General Association with the other Colonies, and chusing Delegates: At which Time and Place we attended; and acquainted the other Parishes, assembled on that Occasion, that we had already acceded to the General Association, on condition as abovementioned, and earnestly requested them to do the same. Had they acceded fully to the General Association, we should have had no Occasion to trouble you with this Address; but, as they did not, we now apply to you, to admit us, the Subscribers, to an Alliance with you, requesting that you will allow Trade and Commerce to be continued to us, the same to be conducted under such Regulations and Restrictions, as shall be consistent with the Continental Association, and which, on our Part, we engage, with all possible Care, to keep inviolate. As we of this Parish are a Body detached from the Rest (i. e. of this Province) by our Resolutions, and sufficiently distinct by local Situation, large enough for particular Notice, adjoining a particular Port, and in that Respect, capable of conforming to the General Association, if connected with you, with the same Fidelity as a distant Parish of your own Province; we must be considered, as comprehended within the Spirit and equitable Meaning of the Continental Association, and hope you will not contemn the Innocent with the Guilty, especially when a due Separation is made between them.

"Give us Leave to add only, that we wait your Answer, shall be glad of your Advice, and are with Esteem,

"Gentlemen, your &c."

St. John's, 9th February, 1775.

To which we received the following Answer: "GENTLEMEN,

"Your Letter, accompanying sundry Papers, having been laid before a very full Committee of this Colony, and undergone the most mature Deliberation, I am, by their Desire, to acquaint you, that they have the highest Sense of your arduous Struggles in Favour of the common Cause of America; and most sincerely lament your present unhappy Situation; But would recommend a Continuance of your laudable Exertions, and the laying a State of your Case before the

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