Part 10 (2/2)
Several of the famous men of the Revolution, whose distinction is now exclusively that of civilians, are supposed to have cherished very decided military aspirations; to have been rather envious of the more vivid renown acquired by some of their political associates who left the senate for the field; and, indeed, to have made occasional efforts to secure for theent and fascinating form A notable example of this class of Revolutionary civilians with abortive ress had before it the task of selecting one who should be the military leader of the uprisen colonists, John Hancock, seated in the president's chair, gave unht to fall upon hieneral ter, of course, the need of a commander-in-chief, Hancock heard him ”with visible pleasure;” but when the orator caton as thechange” came over the countenance of the president ”Mortification and resentment were expressed as forcibly as his face could exhibit them;”[165] and it is probable that, to the end of his days, he was never able entirely to forgive Washi+ngton for having carried off the lory that he had really believed to be within his own reach But even John Adams, who so pitilessly unveiled the baffled ether unacquainted with similar emotions in his own soul Fully three weeks prior to that notable scene in Congress, in a letter to his wife in which he was speaking of the ah the continent, and of the military appointments then held by several of his Philadelphia friends, he exclaimed in his impulsive way, ”Oh that I were a soldier!
I will be”[166] And on the very day on which he joined in the escort of the new generals, Washi+ngton, Lee, and Schuyler, on their first departure from Philadelphia for the American ca souish hich he, a civilian, viewed the possibility of his being at a disadvantage with these enerals were all one in the character of aide-de-caates froes, attended Many others of the delegates froht horse in their uniforms; , etc, etc Such is the pride and po for my bread and my liberty, low in spirits and weak in health, must leave to others to wear the laurels which I have sown; others to eat the bread which I have earned”[167]
Of Patrick Henry, however, it may be said that his permanent fame as an orator and a statesman has almost effaced the memory of the fact that, in the first year of the war, he had considerable prominence as a soldier; that it was then believed bydone ason the war, he was next to do as much as any man in the actual conduct of it, and was thus destined to add to a civil renown of almost unapproached brilliance, a similar renown for splendid talents in the field At any rate, the ”first overt act of war” in Virginia, as Jefferson testifies,[168] was committed by Patrick Henry The first physical resistance to a royal governor, which in Massachusetts was ton and Concord, was inia almost as early, under the direction and inspiration of Patrick Henry's leadershi+p In the first organization of the Revolutionary ariven to Patrick Henry
Finally, that he never had the opportunity of proving in battle whether or not he had military talents, and that, after some months of nohts into an abandonment of his military career, may have been occasioned solely by a proper distrust of his inia Committee of Safety, or itjealousy of hi members of that committee The purpose of this chapter, and of the next, will be to present a rapid grouping of these incidents in his life,--incidents which now have the appearance of a s of a deliberate and conspicuous , at the period now spoken of, had long been kept the public storehouse for gunpowder and ar the 21st of April, 1775,--a little less than a inia had proclaimed the inevitable approach of a ith Great Britain,--a detach in the Ja thence fifteen half-barrels of gunpowder,[170] carried theon to Burwell's Ferry, and put them on board their vessel Of course, the news of this exploit flew fast through the colony, and everywhere awoke alarm and exasperation Soon some thousands of armed men made ready to unpowder On Tuesday, the 25th of April, the independent coe Washi+ngton, that, with his approbation, they would be prepared to start for Willia Saturday, ”properly accoutred as light-horsemen,” and in conjunction with ”any other bodies of ar to appear in support of the honor of Virginia”[171]
Siton from the independent companies of Prince William[172] and Albemarle counties[173] On Wednesday, the 26th of April, thesent to the capital a swift unpowder had been replaced in the publicthe day already fixed for the entleht-horse,a letter froer had brought back with him, particularly Randolph's assurance that the affair of the gunpoas to be satisfactorily arranged, came to the resolution that they would proceed no further at that tie ourselves to each other to be in readiness, at a , to reassemble, and by force of arhts of this or any sister colony from unjust and wicked invasion”[175]
It is at this point that Patrick Henry co the trouble, he appears to have been watching events from his hoht to him of the tame conclusion thus reached by the asse, his soul took fire at the laht they had made To him it seemed on every account the part of wisdom that the blohich would have to be ”struck sooner or later, should be struck at once, before an overwhel force should enter the colony;” that the spell by which the people were held in a sort of superstitious awe of the governor should be broken; ”that the military resources of the country should be developed;” that the people should be ether; that the revolution should be set in actual motion in the colony; that the martial prowess of the country should be awakened, and the soldiery animated by that proud and resolute confidence which a successful enterprise in the commencement of a contest never fails to inspire”[176]
Accordingly, he resolved that, as the troops lately rendezvoused at Fredericksburg had forborne to strike this needful blow, he would endeavor to repair theit himself At once, therefore, he despatched expresses to the officers andthem to meet him in arhest importance to American liberty”[177] He also summoned the county committee to meet him at the same tihbors were duly assembled; and when he had laid before them, in a speech of wonderful eloquence, his view of the situation, they instantly resolved to put themselves under his command, and to unpowder itself, or to 's property sufficient to replace it Without delay theBy sunset of the following day, they had got as far as to Doncastle's Ordinary, about sixteen ht Meanti with arainst Lord Dununpowder or payment for it, carried exhilaration or terror in all directions On the one hand, entleer after , to turn about, and to go home[178] On the other hand, as the word flew from county to county that Patrick Henry had taken up the people's cause in this vigorous fashi+on, five thousandto arms, and started across the country to join the ranks of his followers, and to lend a hand in case of need At Williaht on a scene of consternation The wife and family of Lord Dunmore were hurried away to a place of safety
Further down the river, the commander of his majesty's shi+p Foas notified that ”his excellency the Lord Duninia,”
was ”threatened with an attack at daybreak,at his palace at Willia;” and for his defence was speedily sent off a detachovernor seems to have come to the prudent decision to avert, by a ti attack; and accordingly, soon after daybreak, a er arrived at Doncastle's Ordinary, there to tender iunpowder that had been ravished away[180] The troops, having already resumed their march, were halted; and soon a settle to the terular document:--
DONCASTLE'S ORDINARY, NEW KENT, May 4, 1775
Received froeneral, 330, as a counpowder lately taken out of the public overnor's order; which ates at the General Congress, to be under their direction laid out in gunpowder for the colony's use, and to be stored as they shall direct, until the next colony convention or General assembly; unless it shall be necessary, in the reed, that in case the next convention shall deterht to be returned to his eneral, that the saly
PATRICK HENRY, JUNIOR[181]
The chief object for which Patrick Henry and his soldiers had taken the trouble to co been thus suddenly acco left for them to do before they should return to their homes Robert Carter Nicholas, the treasurer of the colony, was at Willia; and to hi hi to hiht in consequence require:--
May 4, 1775
SIR,--The affair of the powder is now settled, so as to produce satisfaction in eneral The people here have it in charge from the Hanover committee, to tender their services to you as a public officer, for the purpose of escorting the public treasury to any place in this colony where the edThe reprisal now h accomplished in a manner least liable to the imputation of violent extremity, may possibly be the cause of future injury to the treasury If, therefore, you apprehend the least danger, a sufficient guard is at your service I beg the return of the bearer may be instant, because the ard, I am, sir, Your most humble servant, PATRICK HENRY, JUNIOR
TO ROBERT CARTER NICHOLAS, Esq, Treasurer[182]
Patrick Henry's desire for an iratified, although it canified rebuff: Mr Nicholas ”had no apprehension of the necessity or propriety of the proffered service”[183]
No direct communication seems to have been had at that time with Lord Duniven to Patrick Henry areeable distance, sent thundering after him this portentous proclamation:--
Whereas I have been informed from undoubted authority that a certain Patrick Henry, of the county of Hanover, and a number of deluded followers, have taken up ar themselves an independent company, have marched out of their county, encamped, and put themselves in a posture of war, and have written and dispatched letters to divers parts of the country, exciting the people to join in these outrageous and rebellious practices, to the great terror of all his overnment; and have co froeneral the sum of three hundred and thirty pounds, under pretence of replacing the powder I thought proper to order froazine; whence it undeniably appears that there is no longer the least security for the life or property of any ht proper, with the advice of his majesty's council, and in his ing all persons, upon their allegiance, not to aid, abet, or give countenance to the said Patrick Henry, or any other persons concerned in such unwarrantable cons by every ns must, otherwise, inevitably involve the whole country in the eance of offended majesty and the insulted laws to be exerted here, to vindicate the constitutional authority of government
Given under , this 6th day of May, 1775, and in the fifteenth year of his [184]
Beyond question, there were in Virginia at that tientleht be composed without bloodshed, and to whom Patrick Henry's conduct in this affair must have appeared foolhardy, presuinia, however, did not incline to take that view of the subject They had no faith any longer in ti hts were in danger They longed for a leader with vigor, pro less for technical propriety than for justice, and not afraid to say so, by word or deed, to Lord Dunht they saw in Patrick Henry Accordingly, even on his inia began to go forth to hie, such as no American colonist perhaps had ever before received Upon his return horeeted him with its official approval[185] On the 8th of May, the county of Louisa sent hies to the sae and Spottsylvania[187] On the 19th of May, an address ”to the inhabitants of Virginia,” under the signature of ”Brutus,” saluted Patrick Henry as ”his country's and Areat advocate and friend”[188] On the 22d of May, Prince William County declared its thanks to be ”justly due to Captain Patrick Henry, and the gentlemen volunteers who attended him, for their proper and spirited conduct”[189] On the 26th of May, Loudoun County declared its cordial approval[190] On the 9th of June, the volunteer company of Lancaster County resolved ”that every member of this company do return thanks to the worthy Captain Patrick Henry and the volunteer company of Hanover, for their spirited conduct on a late expedition, and they are determined to protect him from any insult that may be offered him, on that account, at the risk of life and fortune”[191] On the 19th of June, resolutions of gratitude and confidence were voted by the counties of Prince Edward and of Frederick, the latter saying:--
”We should blush to be thus late in our commendations of, and thanks to, Patrick Henry, Esquire, for his patriotic and spirited behavior inreprisals for the powder so unconstitutionallytaken froht that any part of the colony would have condemned a measure calculated for the benefit of the whole; but as we are inforentleman that we did from the first, and still do, most cordially approve and coood people of this county will never fail to approve and support him to the utmost of their powers in every action derived from so rich a source as the love of his country We heartily thank hi forth to convince the tools of despotism that freeborn er, to submit to the arbitrary acts of their rulers”[192]