532

CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

merit, & would not countenance or join in the rash proceedings of the said Rioters ; and thesepeaceable Inhabitants being in very great Danger both with respect to their property & theirpersons, & being frequently insulted & abused, this deponent who w r as then & still is anAnabaptist preacher of the Gospel, in the said County did, at the Request of several of the saidpeaceable & abused inhabitants, come down to the City of New York and applied to the Governor theCouncil & General Assembly of the Province of New York for Redress & protection. That thetruth of your Petitioners Complaint being fully proved by a Number of Depositions & Proofs thereproduced, a proclamation was thereupon issued offering a Reward for apprehending the principalRingleaders & Authors of the said Riots, and a Law of the said province was also passed forsuppressing the said Riots & tumultuous proceedings ; & tor punishing the offenders. That as soonas this Measure was effected the Deponent returned to his place of Residence and as a Magistrateof the said County dispersed & published the said proclamation & act of Legislature & inculcated& recommended to the said Riotous persons a more peaceable & orderly Demeanor, and as no stepsw r ere taken with regard to the Lands possessed by the said New Hampshire Claimants, but they weresuffered quietly to hold the same, This Deponent hoped the said Rioters would have permittedtheir Neighbours, differing from them in Conduct and Sentiment to live in peace & security, But thisDeponent saith that some time in the month of April last there was a meeting of the said Rioters,in consequence of the said act of Legislature and proclamation, where it was resolved by them thatany person or persons, within the Lands claimed by them, who had or should accept a commissionor commissions of the peace, should by them in general be deemed an Enemy to their Country andCommon Cause, That shortly after a paper w r as delivered to this Deponent signed by one Jonas Fayclerk of the said meeting, in the following words (to wit)

“ Gentlemen the following is proposed whether it be to your minds that any person or persons in the New Hampshire“ Grant under the present situation of aifairs that have or shall presume to take commission or commissions of the peace“ shall by the Grantees in general be deemed an Enemy to their Country & Common cause untill his Majesties pleasure in the“premesis he further known: passed in the affirmative all yeas & No Nays at a general meeting holden at Manchester 12th“ Day of April A. D. 1774 and by adjournment to the 13th.

“pr Jonas Fay Clerk of the said Meeting.”

And this Deponent further saith that altho in the Execution of his office, finding the civil poweraltogether unable to oppose or punish the said Rioters, he desisted from every act & prosecutionagainst them or the Dispute concerning their Claims or possessions and aimed at nothing morethan to preserve peace & some Degree of order in the Country ; yet this Deponent from time totime received information that the said Rioters had doomed his person & property to Destruction,and frequently his house was surrounded by persons unknown to him, in the dead of Night, &attempts made to break open his door, and the Deponent further saith that on or about 27 th Day ofJuly last past one John Smith & Enos Ross of Socialborougli aforesaid being armed with Clubs,made an assault upon the Deponent & endeavored to make him their prisoner, declaring that if heresisted, they would kill him, that the Deponent being unarmed called to his Wife for a weapon inorder to defend himself or intimidate the said assailants from executing their purpose upon which thesaid Enos Ross forced himself into the Deponents house, in order as appeared afterwards, to get theDeponent’s Gun: That the Deponent being freed from the said Enos Ross, knocked down the saidJohn Smith & then removed to a place where he saw a stone, which he took up & stood upon hisDefence. That the said Enos Ross now having got the Deponents Gun out of his house cametoward the Deponent therewith, swearing that he would shoot him through, but happily the Gun wasnot loaded; & the Deponent solemnly protesting that he would not be taken by them alive, &standing upon his defence, they at last desisted, & retired swearing that they would have the