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Colony should have its equal share in the administration of gov. ernment. If this be the case, you may be fully assured that nothing can tend so directly to weaken and destroy that intention, as the placing both Governor and Deputy Governor in one town in the northern part of the Colony.

Providence, April 16th, 1764."

ance.

STEPHEN HOPKINS.

The family of Wantons, from having occupied a high position in the Colony, by their subsequent conduct, in opposing all measures of resistance against the invaders of their country, and also in favoring the British interest at the expense of the rights and liberties of the Colonies, died a political death. Governor Wanton is said to have been a man "of amiable disposition, elegant manners, handsome person, and splendid appearHe dressed in the finest style of the times, with a large white wig, with three curls, one falling down his back, and one forward of each shoulder." His likeness is placed in the Redwood Library. He died at Newport, July 19, 1780, aged 75 years, and was interred in the family vault in the Clifton burial place. The name has become extinct in Newport. His former residence in Thames-street, is now owned by the heirs of the late Captain Robert Lawton.

"We hear from Newport that Joseph Wanton, Esq., finding the British were about to evacuate that place, loaded a vessel with his effects, in order to take his departure with them, but the master being on shore, and the mate having a fair gale for putting off, slipped out of the harbor, and instead of taking the desired course, carried the vessel and effects to Providence, where they were cheerfully received."

It would have been far more gratifying could we have enrolled his name as a patriot in the war of the Revolution, instead of favoring the enemies of his country.

About this period a regiment was raised for this station, commanded by Col. Babcock. General Lee was also sent from Boston, to our assistance, by General Washington, with several companies of riflemen. He arrested all the Tories he could find, imposed upon them the most severe restrictions, and soon after returned to Boston.

In the autumn of this year, a large number of the Rhode

Island troops stationed at Boston, embarked in Montgomery's expedition against Quebec, under command of General Arnold. No expedition during the war, was attended with greater difficulties, or displayed a more unconquerable spirit of perseverance, than this. Their march through a trackless, unexplored wilderness, for more than three hundred miles, rendered their progress slow and difficult. To support life, they were compelled to eat their dogs, shoes, &c., and when at one hundred miles from a human habitation, they divided their last morsel of bread. And yet such was their unconquerable spirit of patriotism, that their fortitude remained unshaken. On the 1st of December, a siege was commenced upon Quebec, by the united forces of Arnold and Montgomery. The attempt proved unsuccessful, and fatal to the brave Montgomery, who fell at the onset, with two distin guished officers at his side.

General Arnold was wounded in the action, and carried from the field, when the command devolved on, and the fort was taken by Col. Morgan, a gallant and intrepid officer.

General Arnold remained encamped during the winter, a few miles from Quebec, but the following spring, not being reinforced, and his own forces being insufficient to attempt the reduction of the place, he retired, and by the middle of June, the Americans had wholly evacuated Canada. We could almost have wished the wound of Arnold had proved mortal, and he not have been left to disgrace his country, and involve a valuable officer in obloquy and ruin.

The fate of Major Andre, who was a most highly accomplished and meritorious officer, has continued to be a subject of univer sal regret; and could Washington, consistently with the usages of war, have pardoned the unfortunate man, it would most cheerfully have been done. But the decision of the Court Martial, of which Gen. Greene was President, adjudged him worthy of death, and it was not within the province of the Commander-inChief to reverse that decision, without subjecting himself to censure and reproach.

Major Andre, it is said, was strongly attached to a lady in England, and while in prison, penned the following striking and significant lines:

Wallace maintained the possession of the harbor until the spring of 1776.

A newspaper called "The Newport Gazette," was established under the patronage of the British authorities at Newport. It was published by John Howe, in 1777.

On the 6th of April, troops having arrived from Providence to our assistance, with two row galleys of two eighteen pounders each, and while the fleet lay at anchor about a mile from Newport, Col. Babcock directed that two eighteen pounders be placed on an eminence near the shore, in open view of the enemy, and without any works to protect them. Here the intrepid Col. Elliot, together with the galleys, under command of Commodore Grimes, soon rendered the situation of the cow. ardly Wallace extremely uncomfortable, and he abandoned the harbor with the whole squadron. The Glasgow, of twenty guns, commanded by Captain Snow, returned to Newport, and came to anchor near Fort Island, having fallen in with, and received a severe chastisement from, Admiral Hopkins, off Block Island. The same evening, Col. Richmond ordered several pieces of heavy artillery to be brought and placed on Brenton's Point, where a slight breastwork was thrown up during the night. The following morning he opened so vigorous and well directed a fire upon her and the transport ship Snow, that they hastily cut their cables and went out to sea. A few days subsequently

the British ship of war Scarborough, of twenty guns, and two hundred and twenty-five men, with the Cimetar, of eighteen guns and one hundred and forty men, having with them two prize ships, put into Newport harbor, and came to anchor a little to the south of Rose Island. A resolution was at once formed to attempt the rescue of the prizes. The plan adopted was for Captain Hyers, of the Washington galley, to attack and hold the Scarborough at bay, while Captain Grimes, of the Spitfire galley, was to board and bring off the prizes. Col. Babcock had also made preparations, in case either of the ships should approach sufficiently near the North Battery at Brenton's Point, to give them at these places a warm reception. About 11 o'clock at night, Capt. Grimes came along-side, and boarded and took the prize brig from under the stern of the man-of-war. The Scarborough immediately prepared to give chase, but was so annoyed and embarrassed in her course by Captain Hyers, that the brig was brought safely to harbor, and the Scarborough brought within reach of the North Battery, when Col. Babcock poured upon her such an incessant shower of balls, together with the well-directed and galling fire of the Washington galley, as entirely to arrest her progress and prevent further pursuit. At that moment the prize sloop was sailing with the intention of getting under the protecting wing of the Scarborough, but was disappointed by the intrepidity of Capt. Grimes, who cut her off, boarded, and sent her to Providence.

The British ships having both received a severe chastisement, the Scarborough from the North Battery, and the Washington galley, and the Cimetar from the battery at Brenton's Point and the Spitfire galley, Capt. Grimes, came to anchor between Connanicut and Rose Island. But this position was as unpropitious as the former, for a battery was opened and the storm of death soon came down upon them from the shores of Connanieut, so that finding no safety in the harbor, and danger threatening them whichever way they flew, they deemed it the better part of valor to abandon their position, by a hasty and inglorious retreat. But in leaving the harbor they had another fiery ordeal to pass, both at Brenton's Point and Castle Hill, where they received a severe and vigorous cannonade from the American batteries at these places. The ships returned the fire with great

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rage, and departed in mortification and disgrace. During these eight or ten days of almost incessant and successful struggles, the Americans had only one man slightly wounded.

During this season a number of privateers were fitted out at Newport and Providence, which captured from fifty to one hundred valuable prizes, which were sent to Providence, NewLondon, &c.

Early in the fall, intelligence was received that a large British fleet and army were soon expected to arrive, to take possession of the Island. All the cattle the American commander could collect, probably one-half on the Island, were driven to Howland's Ferry, and swam over the river, to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy.

In December the British fleet and army arrived, under the command of Sir Peter Parker. The American force being altogether insufficient to make any effectual resistance, retreated from the Island, and many of the inhabitants left at the same time.

The consternation is said to have been dreadful. Many of the inhabitants could not procure vehicles, as everything of the kind was in requisition, and they were obliged to travel on foot to Howland's Ferry, and on arriving there, were compelled to wait before they could be ferried over, as the crowd assembled was so numerous. The fleet ran up the west side of Connanicut, crossed over from the north point of that Island, and landed their troops in Middletown, about four and a half miles from Newport.

The British army consisted of about eight or ten thousand men, English and Hessians, of each about an equal number, commanded by General Clinton and Lord Percy. They marched up and encamped on Gould's and Weaver's Hill, except a few who landed at Coddington's Cove, and marched into Newport. The Hessians who accompanied the British, were hired for a small sum, and were made to believe that the people they were about to subdue were weak and inefficient. And so sanguine were they of success, that it is said many had prepared themselves with milking pails and other apparatus to cultivate the land.

When the fleet arrived here, there were two new Rhode Island frigates, called the Warren, and the Providence, lying