The Sons of Liberty, however, disguised themselves as a band of Mohawks to dispose of the tea. The first teaship was forced to return to England with its cargo untouched (April, 1774). The eighteen chests brought on the second vessel were broken open and their contents poured into the bay. In this New York followed the example of Boston. Whigs and Tories. During these stirring times the Whig and Tory parties were formed. The Whigs opposed parliamentary taxation and believed in coercive measures. They wanted a general boycott of all British products. The Tories upheld the law and believed in securing a redress of wrongs through respectful petitions. These parties later became the Revolutionists and the Loyalists. The Tories controlled the assembly, and in the interest of peace appointed a committee of correspondence. General Congress Proposed.-When Parliament closed the port of Boston, the Sons of Liberty in New York proposed a general congress (May 14, 1774) to secure colonial rights. This was the first suggestion of such a body. The "Committee of Fifty-one," controlled by moderate Tory influence and elected as a committee of correspondence, also urged Massachusetts to call deputies to a congress of the colonies. This letter was carried to Boston by Paul Revere, the express rider. The "Great Meeting in the Fields" (July 6), at which Alexander Hamilton, a boy of seventeen, first appeared as a champion of American rights, strengthened the sentiment in New York for a congress. First Continental ongress.-Adopting New York's suggestion, Massachusetts called the First Continental Congress, which met at Philadelphia (Sept., 1774). New York was represented by John Alsop, Simon Boerum, James Duane, William Floyd, John Herring, John Jay, John Philip Livingston, Isaac Low, and Henry Wisner, of whom five had been nominated by the "Committee of Fifty-one" and elected by the taxpayers of New York City. Albany, Westchester, and Dutchess counties approved of them. Suffolk, Orange, and Kings counties sent the rest, while some countics took no action. John Jay drafted the declaration of rights and the famous address to the people of Great Britain which asserted that "no power on earth has a right to take our property without our consent," and that "we will never submit to be hewers of wood and drawers of water for any ministry or nation in the world." Party Strife in the Assembly.-Meanwhile the Whigs and Tories were contending in the assembly about the best course to pursue. The Whigs, who were in the minority, wished to approve of the course of Congress and to send delegates to a second Congress. The Tories prevented this action and sent a memorial to Parliament frankly asking for a redress of grievances. But Parliament was resolved to coerce the colonies and hence even refused to receive this petition from a Tory body. On April 3, 1775, the assembly adjourned and never met again. The Tory leaders were the crown officers, the landed proprietors, and the wealthy merchants. They urged redress through legal means. The Whigs, led by the Sons of Liberty and some of the liberal aristocracy, urged force, or at least coercive measures, to gain their rights. Independence was not yet advocated. Isaac Sears and his armed horsemen showed the spirit of the radical Whigs when they destroyed the printingoffice of James Rivington, a Tory (Dec., 1775). 66 The People's Committee of Fifty-one had sixty persons elected as a Committee of Observation" to enforce the recommendations of Congress. This new body called a Provincial Congress to act in place of the defunct assembly. Representatives from nine counties met in New York City (April, 1775) and elected twelve delegates to the second Continental Congress-seven of the former delegates, and George Clinton, Francis Lewis, Robert R. Livingston, Lewis Morris, and Philip. Schuyler. On the recommendation of the Committee of Observation a new body, the Committee of One Hundred, was chosen to take charge of the affairs of the city (May 1, 1775). CHAPTER XVII.-THE WAR-CLOUD BURSTS ON Beginning of War.-The report of the skirmish at Lexington (April 19, 1775) fired the hearts of the New York patriots and prepared them for war. Fort Ticonderoga was captured within a few months by the "Green Mountain Boys" led by Colonel Ethan Allen. Five regiments were raised from the counties of New York, Albany, Ulster, and Dutchess. As a rule the men enlisted for a year, but Captain Alexander Hamilton enlisted his men "for the war." The Sons of Liberty 1 Isaac Low declined to act and John Herring was excused. seized royal guns and ammunition wherever found, closed the custom-house, and prevented supplies being sent to the king's army at Boston. A mob attempted to seize Dr. Myles Cooper, the Tory president of King's College, but he escaped to a British war-ship. Governor Tryon fled in alarm to another war-ship. In the north Seth Warner took Crown Point and Benedict Arnold seized a party of British troops, two brass fieldguns, and a sloop at St. Johns (May). Military Leaders. On June 15, 1775, George Washington was chosen by the Continental Congress to command the patriot army. Among those selected to assist him as generals were Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler, a native of New York, and Richard Montgomery, an Irish resident of New York and a son-in-law of Robert R. Livingston. Schuyler was given the command of New York, while Washington hurried on to Boston to meet the British near Bunker Hill. The Johnsons took the king's side. Sir William had received 66,000 acres north of the Mohawk, known as Kingsland" or the "Royal Grant," for his services (1769). In the same year John Johnson, his son, was made a baronet in England. Two baronetcies in the same family and at the same time is an honor unparalleled in American history. In 1774 Sir William died and his estate went to Sir John. At the beginning of the Revolution Sir John and his cousin, Guy Johnson, began to incite the Iroquois and Scotch Highlanders to arm against the patriots. These two men, assisted by John and Walter Butler, father and son, and Daniel Claus, a son-in-law of Sir William, who had aided Joseph Brant and Sir William to translate the Book of Common Prayer into the Mohawk tongue, were the leaders of toryism in northern New York. Sir John Flees to Canada.-Ordered by Congress, Schuyler went to disarm the Johnsons and their adherents. Guy Johnson and Brant fled to Canada with most of the Mohawks. Near Johnstown Schuyler met Sir John, who gave his parole to remain neutral and surrendered his own arms and those of his Highlander tenants (Jan., 1776). Soon Sir John again fell under suspicion and a detachment was sent to arrest him, but he escaped to Canada, where he was made colonel of two battalions of New York Loyalists called the Royal Greens or Johnson's Greens. Henceforth he was a most bitter foe of the Americans. Battery Guns Seized.-To supply the patriots with badly needed cannon, the Provincial Congress ordered the twenty-one mounted guns at the Battery to be seized. Under cover of night Captain John Lamb's new artillery company, assisted by Sears and Hamilton, proceeded to remove the guns. From a royal barge near the shore a shot was fired at them. Lamb's troops replied with their muskets, and then the British began a general cannonade, but the guns were captured. One of the barge's men was killed, three Americans were wounded, and several houses were damaged (Oct. 23, 1775). An Expedition against Canada was now decided upon. Schuyler was in command, assisted by Montgomery. At the outlet of Lake Champlain sickness compelled Schuyler to give up the command to Montgomery, who, after a siege of fifty days, took St. Johns (Nov. 3, 1775). Meanwhile Ethan Allen was sent ahead to raise a corps |