was taken. The French, in this descent, captivated near- Book I. ly three hundred of the allied Indians, principally women and children. The brave colonel Schuyler, of Albany, at 1693. the head of a party of volunteers, of about two hundred English and Dutch, pursued them. On the 15th of Feb

ruary, he was joined with about three hundred Indians, and, with this force, he fell in with the enemy, whom he found in a fortified camp. They made three successive sallies upon the colonel, and were as often repulsed. He kept his ground, waiting for provisions and a reinforcement from Albany. Meanwhile, the enemy, taking advantage of a severe snow storm, on the night of the 18th, marched off for Canada. The next day, captain Sims, with eighty regular troops, arrived with provisions for the army, and the day following the colonel resumed the pursuit. The French, however, luckily finding a cake of ice across the north branch of Hudson's river, made their escape. Nevertheless, they were so pressed, that they suffered most of their captives to escape. They all, except nine or ten, returned. Colonel Schuyler lost eight of his. party, four christians, and four Indians. He had fourteen

wounded. According to the report of the captives, the enemy lost forty men, three of whom were French officers, and two were Indian leaders; and they had thirty wounded. The Indians found about thirty corpses of the enemy, whom they scalped, and afterwards roasted and ate them, as they were exceedingly pinched for want of provisions.*

While these affairs were transacting, dispatches were sent to Connecticut, acquainting governor Treat, that the French had invaded his majesty's territories, and taken the fortresses of his allies. A demand was made of two hundred men, complete in their arms, to march forthwith to Albany.

A special assembly was called on the 21st of February, Special assembly, 1693, and it was ordered, that one hundred and fifty men Feb. 21st, should be sent immediately to Albany, or any other place where the governor should judge to be most for his majesty's interest. Fifty of the troops marched for Albany the next day.

Scarcely had the assembly dispersed, before another express arrived, from Sir William Phipps, requiring a corps of a hundred English men, and fifty Indians, to assist in the defence of the eastern settlements, in the province of Maine and Massachusetts. On the 6th of March, another spe- sembly, Special as, cial assembly was convened, and the legislature granted March 6. Governor Fletcher's letter, on file.

BOOK I. a captain's company of sixty English men, and about forty Indians, under the command of captain William Whiting. Major general Fitz John Winthrop was chosen magisElection, trate at the election, which was the only alteration made May 11th. among the magistrates this year.

1693.

Colonel

Fletcher

the com

mand of

The general court ordered a letter to be addressed to the governor of Massachusetts, once more desiring him and that colony amicably to join with Connecticut in running the partition line between the two colonies. William Pitkin, Esq. Mr. Samuel Chester, and captain William Whiting, were appointed a committee to run the line. They had instructions to begin, according to the express words of the patent of Massachusetts, three miles south of every part of Charles river, and thence to run to the westernmost bounds of Symsbury.

Colonel Benjamin Fletcher, governor of New-York, who had arrived at the seat of his government, August 29th, challenges 1692, had received a commission entirely inconsistent with the charter rights and safety of the colonies. He was the militia. Vested with plenary powers of commanding the whole militia of Connecticut and the neighboring provinces. He insisted on the command of the militia of Connecticut. As this was expressly given to the colony, by charter, the leg. islature would not submit to his requisition. They, however, judged it expedient to refer it to the freemen, whether they would address a petition to his majesty, praying for the continuance of the militia in the power of the colony, according to their charter, and for the continuance and preservation of all their chartered rights and privileges. There were 2,180 persons, or suffrages for addressing his majesty, and the freemen declared, that they would bear their proportionable charge with the rest of the colony, in prosecuting the affair to a final issue.

The legislature re

fuse to submit the militia to bis comnand.

and ap

point an agent.

Petition his At a special assembly, September 1st, 1693, the court majesty, appointed a petition to be drafted, to be presented to his majesty, king William, on the subject. Major-general Fitz John Winthrop was appointed agent to present the petition, and employ his best endeavours for the confirmation of all the chartered privileges of the colony. He was desired, as soon as possible, to take his passage to England, and, upon his arrival there, to lay the business, as expeditiously as might be, before his majesty, and prosecute the affair to an issue, with all convenient dispatch.

Instructions to

He was instructed to make a full representation of the great hardships, expense, and dangers of the inhabitants, the agent. In planting and defending the colony; and that these had been borne wholly by themselves, without any assistance

from the parent country: That it would endanger and ruin Book I. the colony, if the militia should be taken from it, and commanded by strangers at the distance of New-York and 1693. Boston: That it would wholly incapacitate them to defend themselves, their wives, and children: That before they could obtain instructions, from such a distance, upon any sudden emergency, the colony might be depopulated and ruined: That a stranger, at a distance, might not agree with the governor and council in employing the militia for the defence of the property, lives, and liberties of the subjects; and that the life and support of the laws, and the very existence of their civil constitution depended on the militia. He was also instructed further to represent the state of the militia of Connecticut, with respect to its difference from that of the militia of England: That, from the scattered state and small number of the inhabitants, it had been necessary, that all males, from sixteen years of age, should belong to the militia, and be made soldiers, so that if the militia were taken from the colony, there would be none left but magistrates, ministers, physicians, aged and infirm people, to defend their extensive sea coasts and frontiers; and that giving the command of the militia to the governor of another colony, was, in effect, to put their persons, interests, and liberties entirely into his power. The agent was, also, directed to represent the entire satisfaction of the colony with the present government, and the great advantages resulting from it: That giving the command of the militia to the governor of another province, would exceedingly endanger, if not entirely destroy, that general contentment, and all the advantages thence arising to his majesty and his subjects: That out of three thousand freemen in the colony, two thousand and two hundred actually met, and gave their suffrages for the present address; and that the greatest part of the other eight hundred were for it, but were, by their particular occasions, prevented from attending at the respective meetings, when the suffrages were taken: That the inhabitants were universally for the revolution; and that, in the whole colony, there were not more than four or five malcontents. The agent was charged to assure his majesty, that the militia should be improved with the utmost prudence and faithfulness, for his majesty's service, in the defence of the frontiers of Massachusetts and New-York; and to lay before him what the colony had already done; especially for the province of New-York, in their late distressed condition: That for its defence, and the securing of the five nations, in his majesty's interest, they had expended more than

BOOK I. three thousand pounds, and lost a number of their men. Further, general Winthrop was directed, so far as might 1693., be judged expedient, to plead the rights granted in the charter, especially that of commanding the militia, and the common usage, ever since the grant of the charter, for a long course of years.

Assembly,
Oct. 12th.

Colonel Fletcher comes to

Hartford, and de

mands the

command

of the militia, Oct.

26th.

Declaration by col. Bayard.

Sir William Phipps, governor of Massachusetts, had, on his appointment to that office, received a commission of the same tenor of governor Fletcher's. As the colony had not fully complied with his requisitions, it was expected that the agent would be interrogated upon that head. He was instructed, in that case, to reply, that Sir William never came into the colony, nor acted upon his commission, any further, than to give a copy of it, and to inquire who were the officers of the militia: That the governor and company bad a prior commission, by charter, and that they could by no means give it up, until the affair had been laid before his majesty.

The colony wished to serve his majesty's interest, and, as far as possible, consistently with their chartered rights, to maintain a good understanding with governor Fletcher. William Pitkin, Esq. was, therefore, sent to New-York, to treat and make terms with him respecting the militia, until his majesty's pleasure should be further known. But no terms could be made with him short of an explicit submission of the militia to his command.

On the 26th of October, he came to Hartford, while the assembly were sitting, and, in his majesty's name, demanded their submission of the militia to his command, as they would answer it to his majesty; and that they would give him a speedy answer in one word, Yes, or No. He subscribed himself his majesty's lieutenant, and commander in chief of the militia, and of all the forces by sea or land, and of all the forts and places of strength in the colony of Connecticut.* He ordered the militia of Hartford under arms, that he might beat up for volunteers. It was judged expedient to call the trainbands in Hartford together; but the assembly insisted, that the command of the militia was expressly vested, by charter, in the governor and company; and that they could, by no means, consistently with their just rights and the common safety, resign it into any other hands. They insinuated, that his demands were an invasion of their essential privileges, and subversive of their constitution.

Upon this, colonel Bayard, by his excellency's command, sent a letter into the assembly, declaring, that his * Governor Fletcher's letter, on file.

excellency had no design upon the civil rights of the colo- Book I. ny; but would leave them, in all respects, as he found them. In the name of his excellency, he tendered a com- 1693. mission to governor Treat, empowering him to command the militia of the colony. He declared, that his excellency insisted, that they should acknowledge it an essential right, inherent in his majesty, to command the militia; and that he was determined not to set his foot out of the colony until the had seen his majesty's commission obeyed: That he would issue his proclamation, showing the means he had taken to give ease and satisfaction to his majesty's subjects of Connecticut, and that he would distinguish the disloyal from the rest.*

The assembly, nevertheless, would not give up the com- The asmand of the militia; nor would governor Treat receive a sembly decommission from colonel Fletcher.

cline re

called out

Wads

The trainbands of Hartford assembled, and, as the tra- militia. signing the dition is, while captain Wadsworth, the senior officer, was Militia of walking in front of the companies, and exercising the sol- Hartford diers, colonel Fletcher ordered his commission and instrucSpirited tions to be read. Captain Wadsworth instantly command- conduct of ed, "Beat the drums;" and there was such a roaring of captain them that nothing else could be heard. Colonel Fletcher worth. commanded silence. But no sooner had Bayard made an attempt to read again, than Wadsworth commands, " Drum, drum, I say." The drummers understood their business, and instantly beat up with all the art and life of which they were masters. "Silence, silence," says the colonel. No sooner was there a pause, than Wadsworth speaks with great earnestness, "Drum, drum, I say ;" and turning to his excellency, said, "If I am interrupted again I will make the sun shine through you in a moment." He spoke with such energy in his voice and meaning in his countenance, that no further attempts were made to read or enlist men. Such numbers of people collected together, and their spirits appeared so high, that the governor and his suit judged it expedient, soon to leave the town and return to NewYork.

The assembly granted 500 pounds, to support major general Winthrop in his agency at the court of Great-Britain.

1694.

On the 7th of February, 1694, a special assembly was Assembly, called, in consequence of a letter from king William rela- Feb. 7, tive to the fortifying of Albany. In compliance with his majesty's requisition, the assembly granted 600 pounds, to be paid into the hands of colonel Fletcher, for the defence.

* Colonel Bayard's letter on file.