tioned. Could ownly wish to mention the Particular Circumstances of Esquire Giles being Resqued from me a Second Time-and to give the true character of the Inhabitants of the Town of Charlestown, where we are under the disagreeable Necessaty of Holding Two Courts in a year without the least help from them or any Town in that Quarter, respecting Jurors &c. and have to undergo the further mortifycation of well Known Combinations Consulting the overthrough of our Courts and the Imprisonment of the officers of the same. But any further on that head I forbear.

Sir, I have had great oppertunity of hearing the People in that part of the County finding fault with every movement of our General Assembly-when they thought the militia was coming out, they said, Why should the People all suffer for the Rash Conduct of some of there Civil officers, and seamed to condemn the measures they had taken— but, when the Assembly seamed to comply with their own wishes they must still find fault and said, Why do they make night work of it, let them com like men by day light and they would not met with any dificulty-but still I find what dont sute the will can never sute there hand. It hapned on the Tenth Instant that I took Esquire Giles about twelve miles up the River and Brought him down to Charlestown in open day light, and on my arrival Just at Evening the People collected and arrested him out of my hands in a most extroydinary manner and all deaf to my commands for assistance, notwithstanding many ware Present that had been our Pretended frinds. They son [P. 344.] after held a Consultation for Taking and Carrying me to Bennington, but fearing that would not so well sute, they sent me their Judas to advise me as a frind to make my escape immediately to avoid Going to Bennington. I gave for an Answer that if that was their intention I would Tarry all night. But in the morning I had a second mesage that they would be Ready for me in half an hower. I gave for Answer that that would be time enough for me to take breakfast, which I then called for-and after breakfast I had another mesage that if I did not make my Escape they would Catch me before I got three miles, for which he should be very sorry. I gave for answer that I should have the less way to come back-but if I was not molisted I ment to set out for hom soon, but finding that

all their stratigems would not Prevent my Taking breakfast and leaving the Town in an open and Publick manner, they then Rallied all their forces that was Near at hand to the amount of about forty men and a Pretended deputy Sheriff at their head; but for a frunt Gard they Raised some of their most abelist women and sent forward with some men dressed in Womens apparril which had the Good luck to take me Prisnor, put me aboard one of their slays and filled the same with some of their principal women and drove off Nine miles to Williams Tavern in Warlpole, the main body following after with aclimations of Joy-where they Regailed themselves and then set me at liberty Nothing doubting but that they had intirely subdued New Hampshire.

Sir, you will pardon me for Righting this Extroydinary letter; I should not have don it had I not been desierous that plane Facts of there conduct might be Known. Some go in fear, and all good subjects of New Hampshire Grone under the burthen; it has become a serious matter and a Remedy much wanted-and in full beliefe that the wisdom of the General Assembly will be surficient to direct them I Rest Assured and Remain your Hon's most

Obedient and most Humb Servant

Honble Meshach Weare, Esq.

ENOCH HALE,

[P. 345.]

SIR

Another Letter from Col. Enoch Hale.
Marlborough, January ye 12th, 1782.

I am now returning hom To see my family which I have not seen since the 26th of Nov". I may not Expect to Tarry long with them as the outrages in our unhappy County increase with so much Rippidity-I am willing however to spend the Remaining Part of the winter in the Servis of my Country if I might be able in any degree to Releave the distressed among us.

Sir, I had forgott in my letter of the 11th Instant to inform your Hon' that I Never Received any order from the Honble Committee of Safety as mentioned in the Act of the General Assembly of the Twenty Eighth of November last past, which has been a great hinderance in my

Progress, for after outrages had been committed I might have secured several of the Perpitrators of the same, had all our good subjects been fully convinced that my authority had been surficient, which I think would had a very Great Tendency to Check those that have been so fon of Resquein Prisnors.

I am Sir with much Respect

Your Honours most Obedt Humble Servant
ENOCH HALE.

Honble Meshach Weare Esq.

Petition of sundry inhabitants of Claremont, praying for speedy relief from difficulties of Vermont interference. [P. 347.] To the Honorable General Assembly or Committee of Safety for the State of New Hampshire:

We, the Inhabitants, as individuals, of the Town of Claremont Laboring under great Difficulties on account of the pretended claim of Vermont, & not being able to Hold Town meetings under New Hampshire, we Humbly Request Directions how to proceed, as we are threatned in person & property, by their taxes and Laws, which we utterly refuse to submit too, they carry so High a hand that we must have a speedy relief or must submit to their Jurisdiction which will be very grievous to your petitioners and therefore we Humbly pray for a speedy answer. We are short in words & perticulars as being sensible you are in some measure knowing to our circumstances, & we your petitioners in Duty Bound shall ever pray.

Claremont, Jan 14, 1782.

Elihu Everts
Henery Stevens
Rosewell Stevens

Reuben Petty

Josiah Rich

John Peckens

Wm. Strobridge
Gideon Lewis

David Rich

Josiah Stevens

Elihu Stevens
T. Sterne

Jesse Matthews
Thomas Jones
Joseph Ives
Bartlitt Hinds

John West.

Letter from Samuel Livermore to President Weare.

[P. 351.]

DEAR SIR

Philadelphia, 26th March, 1782.

I have recd your favour of the 12th instant informing me that Vermont had receded from their late encroachments. [See next note by the editor.] I had heard this frequently by common report; but there is no official account of it in Congress. The Comtee upon your letter about the 5 million dollers & quota of the 8 million have made a report plumply against us.

I have got a day assigned for debate which is next Monday. As I suppose we shall soon hear from Vermont in a manner that will end that tedious business, I hope to see you in May. There is no news from Charlestown since my last. Gen. Washington is gone to North river.

DEAR SIR-I am this moment desired to send you the enclosed which will speak for itself. My letters being sealed

& sent to the office.*

Hon. Prest Weare.

Your most obedt servt

SAMUEL LIVERMORE,

NOTE BY THE EDITOR.

The action of Vermont, referred to in the foregoing letter from Mr. Livermore, is fully reported in the Rec. of Gov. and Coun. of Vermont, Vol. II, pp. 379–383, and in Slade's State Papers, pp. 168, 169,-from which it appears that, on the 19th of February, 1782, the General Assembly of Vermont, in session at Bennington, resolved itself into a

*What the enclosed" paper referred to does not appear.-ED.

committee of the whole to take into consideration the action of Congress of the 7th and 20th of August last, His Excellency Gov. Chittenden in the chair; that then letters were read relating to the matters in controversy, and particularly the letter from Gen. Washington of January 1, 1782 [see ante, p. 462], which evidently had much influence with the whole body. On the 20th inst. the committee adopted the following resolution, viz.:

Resolved, That in the opinion of this Committee, Congress, in their resolutions of the 7th and 20th of August last, in guaranteeing to the respective states of New York and New Hampshire all territory without certain limits therein expressed, have eventually determined the boundaries of this State."

This resolution being accepted and adopted by the assembly, then, on the 22d inst., an act was passed "to relinquish the claims to territories therein mentioned;" and on the 23d it was

66

Resolved, That the west bank of Connecticut River & a line beginning at the northwest corner of the Massachusetts State, from thence northward twenty miles east of Hudson's river, as specified in the Resolutions of August last, shall be considered as the east and west boundaries of this State, and that this Assembly do hereby relinquish all claim and demand to and right of Jurisdiction in and over any and every district of territory without said boundary lines; and that authenticated copies of this Resolution be forthwith officially transmitted to Congress and the States of New Hampshire and New York respectively.”

This relinquishment of jurisdiction virtually ended the controversy between New Hampshire and Vermont, so far as related to boundaries; but still, as Dr. Belknap said in his history,-"Though cut off from their connexion with Vermont, the revolted towns did not at once return to a state of peace: but the divisions and animosities which had so long subsisted, continued to produce disagreeable effects."