assembly. Their correspondence is singular. They say "his offer was a mere idle illusion, intended first to impose on the assembly and then on the people, also to figure at home in the eyes of the ministry; and the governor is offended that we have not kept his secret." The retort reads thus: "Your very tedious message is of such an inflammatory nature, that did not the duties of my station, and justice to the people, require me to take some notice, I should deem it bencath my notice as a gentleman." Their high altercations were chiefly about the means for raising a defence against the Indians. The frontier inhabitants, thinking these controversies might impede their supplies, came to Philadelphia and surrounded the assembly room, requiring immediate support. This was all in the time of Braddock's defeat. It seems, on the whole, that the legislature acted with the sense of the people, for the members were re-elected, and Governor Morris was soon superseded by Governor Denny.

In 1756, Governor William Denny arrives, being escorted from Trenton, and when near the city, by Colonel Benjamin Franklin's and Colonel Jacob Duché's regiments. The mayor and corporation give him a dinner at the lodge room, in Lodge alley-cost £100 13s. 6d.; and the assembly gave him their dinner also at the State-house, at which were present the civil and military officers and clergy of the city. He took up his residence at the house called the Governor's house, in south Second street, below the present Custom-house. All this looked well, and as if something cordial might have ensued; but ere Governor Denny had fulfilled his year, he thus addresses his entertainers, saying "Though moderation is most agreeable to me, there might have been a governor who would have told you the whole tenor of your message was indecent, frivolous and evasive." The assemblies always offended by endeavoring to spare the purses of the people, and the governors always get provoked because they cannot lavish supplies to the king's service.

Governor Denny's message of September, 1757, contains these rude remarks" If detraction and personal abuse of your governor, &c.-but I have been so accustomed to this kind of treatment, &c. I have the less reason to regret such usage, since it is obvious, from your conduct to those before me, you are not so much displeased with the person governing, as impatient of being governed at all!" The ground of offence arose from his continually asking supplies! supplies! It is really offensive to see what levies are perpetually put upon the province to help them out of squabbles generated by the courts in Europe, &c.-£50,000 for this, and £60,000 for that, and £100,000 for another. Supplies follow in such rapid succession as to have made the people feel the burthens very sensibly, and if there had not been very considerable of loyalty, it would not have been borne. In all these difficulties "Isaac Norris, speaker," gives his name to bear all the brunt of the conflict!

1759-Nov.-Governor James Hamilton arrives from abroad, and supersedes Governor Denny. He had been before governor, and was a native of Pennsylvania, and resident of Bush hill. Every body is pleased with his appointment. A dinner is given to him at the lodge. Denny's, which had lasted but three years, had had no effect but to vex the people.

In 1763, John and Richard Penn having arrived, the former, as governor, in the succeeding year gets into squabbles as usual with the assembly. The assembly among other things resolve, "That as all hope of any degree of happiness under the proprietary government is now at an end, this house will adjourn to consult their constituents, whether or not to petition his majesty to buy out the Penns' right, and take them under his immediate government!" They soon, however, got better reconciled, and Penn made a very good governor. It may be seen from a letter of Thomas Penn, of 1767, that he calls this scheme for forcing him to sell out, a measure of B. Franklin's, to which he shall not accede.

In 1768, Colonel Morris, from New York, and his lady, the Duchess of Gordon, [a very homely woman,] made a visit to Philadelphia, with several military gentlemen, and among them General Gage; they leave Philadelphia after a few days. Colonel Morris was governor of New York, and was very popular there he soon after died, and was buried there.

In 1771, John Penn, the governor, returns to England this year, because of the death of his father, Richard. James Hamilton, as president of council, takes his place until he is succeeded by Richard Penn, who arrives in the same year. The administration of John Penn, while he stayed for eight years, was on the whole very acceptable.

In 1772, Richard Penn, the newly arrived governor, married Miss Polly Masters, of Philadelphia, and in 1773, he goes back to England, to give place to his brother, John Penn, who, after visiting England for the purpose of settling the concerns of his father, lately deceased, came again to Philadelphia in the year 1773, and again assumes the government of the province.

The aged Robert Venables, who died in 1834, aged ninety-eight years, speaking of the residences of sundry governors, told me, the first he knew was Governor Thomas, who lived where is now the Arcade, &c. Governor James Hamilton dwelt, when first governor, at the Slate-house on Second street; when second time governor, (after Denny,) he lived at "the Governor's house," in Second street, where is since Waln's row, below the Custom-house. There dwelt Governor Hunter Morris, and Governor Denny. Governor John Penn, he said, lived and died at "Stamper's row" in Pine street, between Second and Third streets. His funeral there. was very great, "making quite a crowd." Said when he landed, at three o'clock on Sunday, at Chestnut street wharf, there was a great earthquake. He (Robert) was a lad at Christ church. It made

much fright there, and he was afraid to run down the stairs from the gallery," they shook so!"

The following is a List of Governors as they served in succession from the origin of the province, to wit:

1682. Oct. William Penn, proprietor, acted as governor till 1684. Aug. Thomas Lloyd, Esq., president of council till 1688. Dec. Capt. John Blackwell, deputy governor till 1690. Feb. President and council.

1693. April 26th. Benjamin Fletcher, governor.

June 3d. William Markham, Esq., deputy governor. 1699. Dec. 3d. William Penn acted again as governor. 1701. Nov. 1st. Andrew Hamilton, Esq., deputy governor-[a Scotsman.]

1703. Feb. President of council, Edward Shippen, till 1704. Feb. John Evans, deputy governor till

1709. Feb. Charles Gookin, deputy governor till

1717. March. Sir William Keith, Bart., deputy governor till 1726. June. Patrick Gordon, deputy governor till

1736. June. James Logan, president of council till 1738. June. George Thomas, deputy governor till

1747. June. Anthony Palmer, president of council till

1748. June. James Hamilton, deputy governor till June-[an American.]

1754. Oct. Robert Hunter Morris, deputy governor till 1756. Aug. 19th. William Denny, deputy governor till 1759. Nov. 17th. James Hamilton, till

1763. Oct. 31st. John Penn, son of Richard, till

1771. May 6th. James Hamilton, president of council till

1771. Oct. 16th. Richard Penn succeeded.

1773. Aug. John Penn-a second time governor till

1776. Sept.

1777. March. Thomas Wharton, jr., Esq., President of the Su

preme Executive Council.

1778. Oct. Joseph Reed,

1781. Nov. William Moore,

Then succeeded the New State Constitution, and
the first Governor-say

1790. Oct.—was Thomas Mifflin, who served three terms of three years each, to October, 1799; after which Thomas M'Kean was governor for three successive terms of three years each.、

For the sake of reference, I here add a List of Dutch and Swedish Governors, in Delaware, viz.: begun

1657. Alricks.-Dutch.

1658. John Paul Jaquet.

1659. Beekman.-Dutch.

1664. Robert Carr.-English.

1673. Anthony Colve.-Ditto.

1674. Sir Edmund Andros.-English-also governor of N. York.

OCCURRENCES OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.

"The deeds of our fathers in times that are gone;
Their virtues, their prowess, the fields they have won,
Their struggles for freedom, the toils they endured,
The rights and the blessings for us they procured."

WITH a view to preserve some of our local facts connected with the war of Independence, expressed in a manner more moving and stirring to our feelings than those general terms, by which our historians have generalized their facts, I had aimed to collect and preserve such individual and special incidents, as would bring back the former scenes and doings of our forefathers to our contemplation. With this purpose, I had gathered from several eye-witnesses, in graphic delineations, the things they saw and did, and especially of those occurrences which transpired while Philadelphia was held under the government and conquest of General Howe and his army. I had gathered from the reminiscences of the aged, and the diaries of others of that day, several curious and unpublished facts; such as would surprise, stir, and interest the present generation. But after

* Some of the facts were from the recollections of the late Colonel A. M'Lane, so enterprising in our "border war," along our lines, and some from the diary of a young lady in the midst of the martial doings, &c.—all spirited and warm from the heart, with the glow of a "good whig;" some also from the diary of a widow Friend, foreboding and sad with tory sympathies and fears.

all my preparations on this matter, fully equal to fifty pages, I have found myself obliged to lay a part of it aside from the present publication. Such parts of those facts, as had been communicated to me, may be consulted on page 393 to 430, in my MS. Annals in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

A superficial thinker may, possibly, deem it unimportant to attempt thus to preserve some of the facts transpiring in Philadelphia, concerning the war of Independence; and especially that portion of them relative to the entry and possession of the city by the British army. Some may think the incidents so like to those of other captured cities, as to be unworthy of any special observation. But to minds of more reflection, many sufficient reasons will appear for preserving the memorial for posterity; especially in a book which is to treat of all the past events of the city. There are specialties of interest to be told, which no other work has or will embrace. The interest of them we conceive to be enhanced, by the hopes we all entertain, that Philadelphia will never again be invaded or possessed by any conquering foe. Remote as seems the extremity from us, the desire is more increased to conceive what were the feelings which agitated the bosoms of our kindred in that day. Facts, hereinafter detailed, may serve to gratify such inquirers. The general army reports, which we may have heretofore read on these subjects, have been too generalized to awaken our sympathies or feelings; but in the present exhibition, the mind will find itself brought down to single and individual contemplation, in a manner which cannot but extort its sympathetic emotions and regard. It is a duty which we owe our fathers for their rich bequests to us, that we should thus strive to appreciate their generous services, by entering into the just sense of their peril and sufferings.

I call it their generous devotion for us, because I think it probable that the leaders of the revolution had long cherished the idea of devoting their lives and fortunes to the eventual independence of their sons. The time which has elapsed, since the passions and excitements of the day drove every mind to extremities, may now be favourable to calm and dispassionate inquiry--to such as enables the honest historian to record the truth without partiality—“nothing to extenuate, nor aught set down in malice." It is not my proper business to pursue this inquiry, but traces enough may be found to invite and encourage the investigation of professed historians. It may sometimes be discovered in the answers to, and conflicts with our governors, long before the war of the revolution. It was, indeed, our policy and interest to disclaim it, and even to conceal it; and, therefore, we may not have much to expose thereon on our records. But in England, at the time, I suspect, governors' and agents' reports, if we knew them, would show that they much apprehended such a spirit and purpose in us. Several facts to that effect may be seen in the sayings and doings concerning the Stamp Act proceedings, as given in this book. The American Whig, begun at