[Footnote 46: Dr. Gordon says that the rumors spread of the seizure of
the gunpowder, and of General Gage's measures to fortify himself against
surprise, rapidly swelled into a story that the fleet and the army were
firing into the town. As a consequence, in less than twenty-four hours a
multitude had collected from thirty miles around, of not less than
thirty or forty thousand people. Nothing could be more absurd in itself,
considering that Boston was the only place Gage could hope to hold as a
refuge for the royalists flying from all the other towns, yet the alarm
had a very decided effect in hastening the action of the collected
delegates at Philadelphia, and in uniting the sentiments of the people
in the other colonies.]
[Footnote 47: These were the persons nominated as councillors by
mandamus, under the new act for the regulation of the province charter.
Most of them were compelled by the people to resign their places, and
some were driven from home never to return.]