duty of continuing the movement in behalf of the People's party. This committee consisted of Vanderpoel, Purdy, Tilden, Moore, Slamm, and others, among whom the most ardent of Dor's supporters were Slamm and Purdy. Editor Slamm, in the New York New Era, immediately began to urge that armed assistance should be given to the Dorr party, in opposition to the national government. "All that is contemplated and all that has been asked," he said, "is to raise men enough to resist" the United States soldiers. An official bulletin appeared in the editorial columns of the New Era, entitled "Enrollment of Volunteers," the latter portion of which read as follows: And, whereas it is apprehended that the President of the United States, unobservant and forgetful of the duties imposed upon him, may, in a false construction of his prerogative, send mercenary soldiers of the Federal Government into the territory of our sister State of Rhode Island for purposes offensive against and dangerous to the liberties of the people; for these reasons, we, citizens of the United States, who hereinafter subscribe their names, appealing to Divine Providence for the purity of our motives, pledge our sacred honor' to hold ourselves in readiness, to be organized into companies of Patriot Volunteers,' under such officers as shall by ourselves be elected, and upon the requisition of Governor Dorr to march at the shortest notice to the aid of our Republican brethren of Rhode Island in the event that any armed interference be made by the Federal Government to the jeopardy of their Inalienable and indefeasible rights. This official bulletin appeared in the New Era on May 20, and must therefore have been prepared for publication not later than the nineteenth. It was in the early morning of the eighteenth that Governor Dorr made the attack upon the arsenal at Providence, which was defended by the Charter authorities without the aid of the federal troops. The attacking force failed to obtain a peaceful surrender, and Governor Dorr ordered that one of his cannons should be fired. The audacity of this order can scarcely be conceived. In a dense fog, with less than two hundred men, with almost no ammunition for their two small cannon, the order is given to fire upon a building, built of stone, stocked with powder and balls, and fully guarded. If a gun had been fired, the cannons in the arsenal would have murderously ploughed down the unprotected attacking force. But the guns did not go off. They were flashed twice, but without result. The attack was a failure. No blood was shed, but the little band was compelled to withdraw from the field. Governor Dorr would have fired upon the arsenal, had he been able. If he had succeeded, he would very possibly have fallen at the first return fire. In any case, doubtless, the sound of the first gun, on that foggy night, would have caused blind attack and countér-attack, and great loss of life might easily have followed. The New York friends of the People's governor are not responsible for the failure to begin a true civil war in Rhode Island. Barely had the "Enrollment of Volunteers" editorial appeared in the New Era when the news of the farcical failure of the attack on the arsenal reached the metropolis. According to all human probability, the "war was ended." Even the enthusiastic New Yorkers now saw that further aid was useless. "Judging from their looks" said the New York Commercial Advertiser, "never did a set of people feel before quite so foolish and forlorn as did the leaders of the Park meeting of insurgent sympathizers on the receipt of the news from Rhode Island yesterday. They tried to whistle their courage up for a while, and even attempted to deceive themselves by the miserable lie that it was Governor King who had fled and not the puissant Dorr. But it was no go. The flag which had been kept flying for several days at Tammany Hall, in honor of Dorr and his proceedings, was struck, and all looked as though 'melancholy had marked them for her own.'" One only of the leaders among the Dorr sympathizers continued to uphold the fortunes of his friend, even after he had fled from the state. Levi Slamm, whose paper had met with a natural death, is reported to have made a trip to Woonsocket, just over the border line from Massachusetts, and to have spent several hours urging further resistance. He was present also, with a small band, at the gathering at Acote's Hill, near the end of June, but hastened home when Dorr a second time became a fugitive. Thus ignominiously ended the great Tammany movement to set up a popular government in Rhode Island, in opposition to the de facto government and the federal authorities. ARTHUR MAY MOWRY. DOCUMENTS 1. Orders of Mercer, Sullivan and Stirling, 1776. By the kindness of Dr. N. P. Dandridge, of Cincinnati, the REVIEW is enabled to print extracts from a manuscript Revolutionary orderly-book in his possession. The volume is an ordinary thick blank-book, 8 inches by 6. About half of it was used as an orderly-book. The remainder was subsequently used for miscellaneous accounts, extending through the remainder of the century, and evidently kept first in New Jersey and afterward in Ohio. Internal evidence shows the book to have belonged originally to some one in Col. Samuel Miles's Pennsylvania Provincial Rifle Regiment. It begins with regimental orders of that body, extending in time from May 16, 1776, to August 13. Up to the latter part of July these alone are given, and the regiment may be traced from Marcus Hook (May 16), through Philadelphia (July 5), Allentown (July 7), Brunswick (July 9), Amboy (July 11-17), and Elizabeth (July 18, 19) to Amboy. Before the close of July brigade orders and general orders begin to be intermixed, and the regimental orders become less frequent. From August 12 to August 23, at which date the military portion of the book ends, one finds interspersed an interesting series of the general orders of Washington, preparatory to the campaign around New York and the battle. of Long Island. But these have already been printed in Force's Archives. We select for present publication a series of orders intermediate in grade between these general orders of the commander-inchief and the regimental orders of Col. Miles. We present, in chronological order, with unimportant omissions, first, the general orders of Gen. Hugh Mercer, commanding the Flying Camp, of which, during these dates (July 29-August 9) Miles's regiment was a part. By Washington's orders of August 12 the Pennsylvania. Rifle Regiment was made a part of Stirling's brigade, and the latter a part of Sullivan's division. The remaining orders here printed are therefore divisional orders of Sullivan (August 13, 14) and brigade orders of Stirling (August 13-22). The documents are too early in date to have much direct value with reference to the battle of Long Island (Howe landed on August 22), and do not cast strong light on any serious fighting. But it is thought that they have their value as showing the state of the American army during these weeks, and the efforts made to prepare it for the approaching conflict. The accounts which fill the portion of the book not used for military purposes indicate that it was, from 1784 on, the property of Jesse Hunt, who migrated from New Jersey to Cincinnati in 1788. From him it passed to his son-in-law Nathaniel Green Pendleton, son of Nathaniel Pendleton of New York, Hamilton's second in the duel with Burr. N. G. Pendleton was the grandfather of Dr. Dandridge. Since ten sergeants in Miles's regiment were reported missing after the battle of August 27, 1776 (Penn. Archives, 2d ser., X. 204-232), it is easy to see why the orders in the book cease with August 23. But as no sergeant or commissioned officer in the regiment was named Hunt, it is not known how the book came into the possession of a New Jersey family of that name. Head Quarters Perth Amboy 29th July 1776. Orders issued by the Honble Hugh Mercer Esq! Commanding Officer of the Flying Camp Parole-York-Countersign Whereas the Honble. Continental Congress have been pleased to Appoint Col Sam! Griffin to be Adjutant General to the Flying Camp, All Orders Issued by the Commanding Officer through him Either written or Verbal are to be Strictly Attended to and punctually Obey'd. Brigade Majors to Attend at the Adjutant Gen': Office between the Hours of 10 in the fornoon and I in the Afternoon. All returns to be made to the Adjutant General. The Commanding Officers of the Battalions are to meet at Gen! Roberdeau's Quarters at 11 0 Clock this forenoon to report to the Commander in Chief the State of the Provisions and whether they are Served out Regularly. The Quarter Master and Q M Serg! to receive the provision from the Commissary and to distribute them. Two men from each full Company and one Man from Each Company not Exceeding forty in Number to be Appointed Camp colour men whose particular Duty it must be to Attend the Q M and Q M Serj! to Sweep the Streets of their Respective Encampments, to fill up Old Necessary houses and make new ones, all Offall and whatever else may tend to Injure the Health of the Troops. The Quarter Masters to be Answerable to their Commanding Officers for a Strict observance of this Order. For the future the Adjutant Gen! will send the Parole and Countersign under a Sealed Cover by the Orderly Adjutant at Head Quarters to the Majors of Brigade they at retreat Beating are to deliver the Parole and Countersign to the Field officer of the day who is to deliver them to the Officers of Guards and to the Adju who are to Communicate them to their Respective Guards. A Fatigue Party Consisting of one Serjeant and 12 Privates to Attend the Q: M General till further Orders. Field Officer for to Morrow Col Miles. d to Visit the Posts at South Amboy Head Q Perth Amboy July 30th 1776 Parole Alexandria-Countersign No The Commanding Officer of Each Regiment to Send in an Exact List of all their Officers down to the Noncommissioned Officers with their Respective Ranks to the deputy Adjutant General tomorrow morning at 10 oClock. The Generall Desires and Orders a full and Compleat return of Each Reg! to be made by the Col? or Commanding Officer to the Deputy Adjutant General Every Saturday morning between the Hours of 10 and II OClock at his office in Order that Copies may be transmitted Regularly Every Week to the Congress and Commander in Chief. return will be received that is not Signed by the Col or Commanding Officer of the Regiments or Corps Specified by the Return and it is Expected that the Commanding Officers of Regiments will not Receive any Returns from their Adjutants unless he at the Same time presents him with a Particular return of each Company of the Regiment Signed by their Respective Captains. Gasper Sizler, John Pendleton and Adam Hoffman of Cap! Millars Company and Col? M: Keans Battalion Penns? Militia are to be employed as armourers and of Course Excused from all Duty until further Orders their Rations to be drawn by the director of the Armoury. The Col? or Commanding Officer of Each Regiment to be answerable to the Generall for any Neglect of Orders. It has been repeatedly in Orders that no Officer or Soldier off Duty is to discharge his piece without leave from the Commanding Officer. The General Expresses his Surprise that those Orders are not attended to, it is the Duty of every Officer to See that all Orders are Obeyed. The Commanding Officers of Battalions will for the future be answerable for deficiency in the Ammunition Served out to the Troops under their Command, and it is Directed that Every Soldier who fires of his piece without Orders Shall be immidiately Confined and tryed by a Court Martial. Parole Head Quarters 31st of July 1776 Field Officer for to Morrow Col Bayard. A General Court Martial to Sit to Morrow morning at 11 0Clock in M. Hicks long room for the tryal of Jacob Babe and Jo: Crimer both of the 4 Battalion Penn Militia for Desertion Col Miles, Col? Atlee, Col. Bayard Col? Brodhead Col Clymer, Major Bird and D! Shippen are requested to meet at Commissary Dunhams Stores At 11 0Clock this Morning to inspect in to the State of |