AT THE CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTION--AFFAIRS CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS.
After the establishment of Major Studholme's garrison at Fort Howe, in
the fall of 1777, the settlers on the river found adequate protection.
The Indians occasionally assumed a hostile attitude it is true,
especially when they were stirred up by Allan's emissaries from
Machias, but they were rather overawed by the proximity of the fort
and were for the most part peacefully disposed. The privateers
continued their depredations on the coast, but kept clear of Fort
Howe. The condition of the settlers on the river had gradually
improved and they were now able to live within themselves. Money too
began to circulate more freely, owing to the development of the
masting industry. In several of the townships primitive grist and saw
mills were to be found, and there was even a small tannery, owned and
operated by one Nathaniel Churchill of Gagetown. Among the artificers
of Maugerville were Sylvanus Plummer, joiner and housewright; James
Woodman, Shipwright; John Crabtree, weaver; Israel Kenny, blacksmith;
Jonathan Whipple, cooper; Benjamin Bailey, housewright; Abel English,
blacksmith.
Among the glimpses of Portland Point, during the closing year of the
Revolution, a rather interesting one is to be found in the diary of
Benjamin Marston, a loyalist of Marblehead, who visited the place in
his vessel the "Britannia" in the autumn of 1781. An extract from his
diary here follows:--
"Friday, Sept. 7--About 10 a. m. arrived safely into St. John's
river, went ashore and dined with Mr. Hazen whom I find to be
every way the man I have ever heard him characterized.
"Saturday, Sept. 8--Dined with Mr. Hazen. Sold him and Mr. White
some tobacco, wine and chocolate. Mending sails today. Wind
blowing very hard at N. W.
"Sunday, Sept. 9--Am in hopes of having a convoy to Annapolis,
shall know more of it tomorrow; if one, shall wait for it. Dined
ashore at Mr. Hazen's.
"Monday, Sept. 10--Still waiting in hopes of a convoy and have
some prospect of carrying garrison stores to Annapolis, in that
case shall have a party sufficient to keep off pirate boats. Spent
the day rambling about the country which hereabouts is very
broken, barren and but little cultivated, but abounding in vast
quantities of excellent limestone. Fort Howe is built on a single
limestone--'tis a pretty large one. Delivered Mr. Hazen his two
hogsheads of tobacco, which I couldn't do before, we have had such
blowing weather the two days past.
"Tuesday, Sept. 11--Dirty, rainy, wind at noon S. and S. S. W.
"Wednesday, Sept. 12--Waited till 12 o'clock at noon to sail with
the men of war and the mast ships."
Benjamin Marston sold a portion of his cargo to Hazen & White; but
he found his stay at St. John very monotonous during the fortnight
he was detained by contrary winds. He tried to break the monotony by
the composition of the following rhyme, for which, under the
circumstances, we are disposed to excuse him; it was St. John's
first attempt in the poetical line and is as good as some that has
been attempted since:
"I'm almost sick and tired to death
With staying in this lonesome place,
Where every day presents itself
With just the same dull-looking face.
Oh! had I but some kind fair friend
With whom to chat the hours away,
I ne'er would care how blew the wind
Nor tedious should I think my stay.
Ah! that was once my happy lot
When I with house and home was blest,
I'd then a fair companion got
With many female charms possesst.
Nor scantily did Heaven shower down
Those gifts which render life a blessing,
But did our cup with plenty crown,
Nor let us feel what was distressing.
Yes, dearest Sally, thou wert fair,
Not only fair, but kind and good;
Sweetly together did we share
The blessings Heaven on us bestowed.
Till base Rebellion did display
Her banners fair with false pretence,
Then kindly Heaven took you away
From evils which have happened since.
And careless me, when I had lost
Of all my blessings far the best,
Did teach, and justly, to my cost,
The worth of what I once possessed.
'Tis often so--we do not prize
The present good at its just rate,
But gone, we see with other eyes
What was its worth when 'tis too late.
Now one more verse, fair Ladies nine,
And there'll be one apiece for you;
'Tis the way I sometimes spend my time
When I have nothing else to do."
The war of the Revolution was practically ended on the 19th October,
1781, when Lord Cornwallis surrendered his army to Washington at
Yorktown, Virginia, in the presence of the united French and American
forces. From this date until the peace, the military operations were
few and unimportant. Major Studholme continued quietly to maintain his
post at Fort Howe. In addition to a strong detachment of his own
corps, the Royal Fencible American Regiment, he had a detachment of
the 84th regiment, or Young Royal Highland Emigrants. Among
Studholme's subordinate officers were lieutenants Peter Clinch, Samuel
Denny Street, Ambrose Sharman and Constant Connor, all of the Royal
Fencible Americans, and lieutenants Laughlan Maclane and Hugh Frazier
of the Young Royal Highland Emigrants.
Lieut. Clinch, according to family tradition, was born in Ireland and
educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He came to America before the
outbreak of the Revolution, was gazetted lieutenant in his regiment
May 15, 1776, and shortly afterwards appointed adjutant. He settled at
St. George, N. B., after his regiment was disbanded, and among his
neighbors were Capt. Philip Baily and a number of officers,
non-commissioned officers and private soldiers of the regiment. The
difficulties with which they were confronted on their arrival at St.
George are thus described by one of Mr. Clinch's sons:--
"My father had charge of a party of soldiers, who were disbanded
in 1783 and sent to colonize a howling wilderness--the most unfit
employment they could be put to. The delay which took place in
furnishing a vessel to convey them and their stores added much to
their difficulties. It was not until the 10th of November that a
landing was effected at the mouth of the Magaguadavic, where there
was neither house nor habitation of any kind to receive them; and
so glad was the skipper of the vessel to get rid of such a
disorderly and almost mutinous crew, that he sailed away the
moment he got them landed. He was under some apprehension that
they would insist on coming away with him again rather than land
on such an inhospitable shore. That night my father slept in the
open air and such a heavy fall of snow came that he had some
difficulty in removing the blankets next morning."
Peter Clinch, in 1793, raised a company for the King's New Brunswick
Regiment which he commanded. He was for some years a representative of
Charlotte County in the New Brunswick legislature, and a man prominent
in public affairs up to the time of his decease in 1816.
Lieut. Sam'l. Denny Street was born and educated in England and
admitted an attorney and solicitor at law in the court of Westminster.
He came to America in 1774, and enlisting as a volunteer was soon
gazetted a lieutenant in the Royal Fencible American Regiment. He
obtained for General McLean the pilots who accompanied him on his
successful expedition to Penobscot, and was himself sent on several
occasions from Fort Howe to Penobscot on confidential services. On the
25th of April, 1781, he was so unfortunate as to be betrayed by his
guide, and was captured near Machias with six of his men. He was sent
to Boston and put aboard the prison ship. Anxious to retain the
services of so useful and enterprising an officer, Gen'l McLean on two
occasions offered two "rebel" officers of superior rank in exchange,
but in each instance the offer was declined, and it was learned
afterwards that the failure was due to a memorial forwarded from
Machias by Col. John Allan representing that Lieut. Street was too
dangerous a man to be set at liberty.
After several months of irksome confinement Lieut. Street contrived,
with the help of a fellow prisoner, to seize the "rebel sentinel" as
he was pacing the deck one sultry night in August, without arousing
the guard, who was asleep. Having bound and gagged their man and
possessed themselves of his weapons, they released the other
prisoners, and with their assistance surprised and disarmed the guard
consisting of a corporal and twelve men. One of Street's men now swam
ashore and brought off a boat in which they all embarked. The guard
were landed on a small island. Street and his party landed on the
mainland and pushed through the woods to Marblehead, but the day
coming on they were so unfortunate as to fall in with a detachment of
American troops by whom they were captured and conveyed to Boston
jail. Street was now measured for irons but information having reached
General McLean on this head he threatened to retaliate upon the
American prisoners at Halifax and the project was abandoned.
After enduring for some time the prison fare, which Street describes
as "putrid and offensive," he made another unsuccessful attempt to
escape. He was now sent once more aboard the prison ship. He contrived
one dark night to lower himself from the cabin window, and with the
tide at flood swam off undiscovered. After swimming a mile up the
harbor he landed on shore and sought refuge at the house of an
Englishman whom he knew and by whose timely aid he returned in safety
to the garrison at Fort Howe.
Samuel Denny Street was the first lawyer to practice his profession in
this province. At the peace in 1783 he was employed as Major
Studholme's assistant in the settlement of the Loyalists on the St.
John river. His descendants have filled conspicuous positions in the
history of the province, both political and judicial. One son, George
Frederick Street, was a judge of the supreme court, another, John
Ambrose Street, was attorney general of the province and leader of the
government and still another, William H. Street, was mayor of the city
of St. John.
Lieut. Ambrose Sharman filled a dual position, being surgeon of the
garrison as well as a lieutenant. While he was at Fort Howe he had a
variety of patients in addition to those of the garrison; for example,
in 1778, he rendered a bill amounting to L5. 16.8 "for attendance &
medicines to Pieree Thomas & four other sick Indians;" and again,
August 4, 1780, he presents his bill to James White "To inoculating
self and family for smallpox, L9."
After the Royal Fencible American Regiment was disbanded, Dr. Sharman
settled in Burton, Sunbury county, along side his brother officer,
Samuel Denny Street. Ten years later he was drowned while crossing the
river to attend a sick call. Three of his orphan children were
provided for and educated by Mr. Street, who also named his seventh
son John Ambrose Sharman, in honor of his former friend and comrade.
In a former chapter some account has been already given of the first
religious teachers on the River St. John. A few words may be added
concerning the celebrated "New Light" preacher, Henry Alline, who was
at Maugerville in 1779 and again in 1780, and 1782. A great deal has
been written concerning this remarkable man, and widely divergent
opinions have been expressed as to the value of his labors, though few
are found to gainsay his sincerity, ability and zeal. Rev. Jacob
Bailey, the S. P. G. missionary at Cornwallis and Annapolis, terms him
"a rambling teacher, who has made great commotions in this province."
Mr. Bailey was a tory of the olden time, and strongly deprecated
anything that chanced to be at variance with the sober ways of the
Church of England, which were then in vogue. In an old paper written
about 1783, still preserved by his descendants in Nova Scotia, we find
the following from Mr. Bailey's pen:--
"This country is troubled with various sects of enthusiasts who
agree in nothing except a frenzy of pious zeal and a most
uncharitable spirit towards their unconverted neighbors, and a
madness to introduce confusion, anarchy and nonsense into all the
exercises of religion. * * He that is master of the strongest pair
of lungs, and is able to exhibit the loudest and most doleful
vociferation, is sure of prevailing success. Those who perceive
themselves deficient in point of noise endeavour to secure renown
by the advancement and propagation of some new and singular
opinion."
In much the same strain Sheriff Walter Bates of Kings county
writes:--"When I was first in Maugerville in 1783, I was informed of a
preacher by the name of Collins, who had been some time with them;
that on account of some jealousy among them he soon after left, but
another preacher named Alline came, whose followers were called
Allinites. In Sheffield and Waterboro the people became divided into
three sects, named after their own preachers: Hartites, Brooksites and
Hammonites, who were annually inspired by two travelling preachers
from Nova Scotia."[134] The sheriff had very little that was good to
say of these evangelists, whose methods and doctrines he cordially
disliked.
[134] The two preachers were in all probability Rev. Theodore S.
Harding and Rev. Joseph Crandall. See Dr. Bill's History of
the Baptists, page 698. The people referred to as "Brooksites"
by Sheriff Bates were the founders of the Baptist denomination
in Waterborough and Canning, Queens county, N. B., over whom
Rev. Elijah Estabrooks presided as teaching elder, with Joseph
E. Brooks (or Estabrooks) as deacon, and Zebulon Estey as
clerk. An interesting account of the origin of this church is
to be found in Dr. Bill's Hist. of the Baptists pp. 594-602.
Another reference to the "Hammonites" and "Brooksites" will be
found in the Winslow Papers, page 392.
Henry Alline, the Whitefield of Nova Scotia, was born at Newport,
Rhode Island, June 14, 1748. He settled with his parents at Talmouth,
N. S., in 1760. He was a preacher of fervid eloquence, which, as in
the case of Whitefield, few who came under its influence were able to
resist. He was brought up a Congregationalist, and from that
denomination he never really separated, although he plunged into
speculations on theological points in which, to quote the late Dr. T.
Watson Smith, "the import of the words of inspiration is often lost
amidst the reveries of mysticism." One of the errors of New-Light
enthusiasm consisted in regarding mere animal impulses as leadings of
the Holy Spirit, which must be followed at all hazards. Henry Alline
was one of the best exponents of the New-Light idea. He was a good
singer as well as a fervid preacher, and in his sermons appealed to
the feelings of his hearers. "The early New-Light preachers," says Dr.
Smith, "resembled their leader. Such men, passing from settlement to
settlement, as if impelled by a species of religious knight-errantry,
could not fail to make an impression. Viewed in themselves, the
results of their visits were in certain cases painful. Families were
divided; neighbors became opposed to each other; pastors preached and
published in vain endeavor to stem the tide, and failing submitted to
the inevitable; old church organizations were broken down and new
organizations set up in their places. * * To disturb the slumbers of
the churches and arouse them to active effort seemed to be his
vocation." His doctrines were distasteful to the Presbyterians of his
day, and were termed by one of their ministers, "a mixture of
Calvinism, Antinomianism, and Enthusiasm."
It is certain, nevertheless, that Henry Alline stirred non-conformist
Nova Scotia to its core. After his death the societies which he
founded, as a rule, gradually became Baptist churches, and in this way
many of the most intelligent and influential New England families
became members of that denomination.
In the month of April, 1779, Henry Alline left Cornwallis in response
to an invitation to go to the River St. John. On his arrival at
Maugerville he was cordially received by the people, who related to
him the broken state of their church and deplored the darkness of the
times.
"When the Sabbath came," he says, "I preached, and the Lord was there,
and took much hold of the people. The week ensuing I preached two
lectures, and went from place to place, visiting the people and
inquiring into their standing. O! it was a grief to see sincere
Christians thus scattered up and down the mountains like sheep having
no shepherd; and the accuser of the brethern had sown much discord
among the Christians. There had been a church there, but the people
had separated on account of the greatest part holding the minister to
be an unconverted man, who afterwards went away, but the division
still subsisted."
Mr. Alline spent some weeks in the township, preaching often and
visiting the people. By his advice they renewed their church covenant
in the form following:--
"Maugerville, June ye 17, year 1779.
"We who through the exceeding riches of the grace and patience
of God do continue to be a professing church of Christ being now
assembled in the holy Presence of God, in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ after humble confession of our manifold breaches of
the Covenant, before the Lord our God and earnest supplication
for pardoning mercy through the blood of Christ and deep
acknowledgement of our great unworthiness to be the Lord's
Covenant People, also acknowledging our own inability to keep
covenant with God or to perform any spiritual duty unless the
Lord Jesus do enable us thereto by his spiritual dwelling in us,
and being awfully sensible that it is a dreadful thing for sinful
dust and ashes personally to transact with the infinitely
glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth.
"We do in humble confidence of his gracious assistance and
acceptance through Christ; each one of us for ourselves and
jointly as the church of the Living God explicetly renew our
Covenant with God and one with another and after perusing the
Covenant on which this church was at first gathered, we do
cordially adhear to the same, both in matters of faith and
discipline; and whereas some provoking evils have crept in among
us which has been the procuring causes of the divisions and
calamitys that God has sent or permitted in this place, especially
the neglect of a close walk with God and a watchfulness over our
brother. We desire from our hearts to bewail it before the Lord
and humbly to entreat for pardoning mercy through the blood of the
Everlasting Covenant, and we do heartily desire by God's grace to
reform these evils or whatsoever else have provoked the eyes of
God's glory among us."
Daniel Palmer, jr.,
Peter Mooers,
Jabez Nevers,
Moses Coburn,
Benjm. Brown,
Israel Perly,
Daniel Jewett,
Jacob Barker,jr.,
Asa Perley,
Jonathan Burpe,
Saml. Whitney,
Daniel Palmer,
Jacob Palmer,
Humphrey Pickard,
Edward Coy.
Female Members of the Church.
Mary Barker,
Jane Pickard,
Abigail Jewett,
Hannah Coburn,
Lydia Whitney,
Lydia Jepheson,
Hannah Noble,
Anna Coy,
Elizbh. Palmer.
"The last Sabbath I preached at St. John's river," continued Mr.
Alline, "the people seemed so loth to go away, that we stopped at
the meeting-house door, and sung and discoursed some time, and
then I left them to go down the river." He preached at Gagetown,
encamped a night in the woods, and on the third day reached the
mouth of the river where he preached at "Mahogany." The next day
was Sunday and in the morning a boat came to take him to "the
town"--or settlement at Portland Point--where he was to preach.
Evidently the people were disposed to hold aloof from his
ministrations at this time, for he says, "O! the darkness of the
place! * * I suppose there were upwards of 200 people there come
to the years of maturity, and I saw no signs of any Christian
excepting one soldier. Yet although I was among such an
irreligious people, the Lord was kind to me, and I lacked for
nothing while I was there."
He returned to St. John in the latter part of August and preached on a
Sunday. Major Studholme treated him with civility, and sent him up the
river in his own barge. He found the church prospering. There was much
interest in religion; a good many new members having been added to the
roll in his absence, three or four of them upwards of fifty years of
age. Two elders and two deacons were now appointed, and a formal call
was extended to Mr. Alline to remain as their settled pastor. This
call he did not see his way clear to accept, but promised to revisit
them shortly. He got back to Fort Howe on the 6th of November, and
preached there while awaiting a chance to cross the bay to Annapolis.
He returned to St. John, April 22, 1780, staid a week and preached on
Sunday, after which he again went up the river. Several weeks were
devoted to visiting the various settlements and great interest was
manifested, crowds of people attending his preaching. In his diary he
tells us that much company went with him from place to place, some
times six or seven boats loaded with people. Edward Coy's daughter
Mary (afterwards Mrs. Mary Bradley) who was then a child in her ninth
year, gives, in her book her recollections of Henry Alline's visit.
"My parents," she says, "took me with them twice to meeting. The first
text was, 'And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the Bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him.' My attention was arrested, and for
many days after I was engaged in ruminating and repeating over some
parts of the sermon. * * After the sermon and worship was over, I was
astonished to see the people talking and shaking hands as I never
before had witnessed. Some looked of a cheerful, loving and happy
countenance; others were in tears, and cast down. * * It soon became
the common subject of conversation that such and such persons were
converted."
On Mr. Alline's return from Maugerville to the mouth of the river he
staid there a fortnight, waiting for a passage, and during that time
preached and visited among the people. On June 25th he sailed to
Annapolis.
Two years later he again visited the River St. John. He left Windsor
on the 29th April and arrived at the mouth of the river in four days.
"When I came to the river," he says, "the vessel did not go up that I
was in, but God gave me speed, for there was another vessel just going
over the falls to go up the river, so that without the least delay I
crossed Pot-Ash[135] and went immediately on board.... I remained on
the river, preaching from place to place among the people almost every
day, and often twice a day until the 26th of May, during which time I
had happy days and much of the Spirit of God moving among the people."
On the last Sunday of Alline's stay at Sheffield the concourse was so
great that he preached in the open field. "I had so much to say to
them," he writes, "and they seemed so loth to part that I was almost
spent before we parted; and then I went ten miles down the river. But
after I had refreshed the body, I preached again in the evening; and
it was an evening much to be remembered."
[135] That is the portage to Marble Cove, or Indiantown, above the
falls. This portage is shown in Champlain's plan of Saint
John. It was used by the Indians long before the coming of the
whites.
Mr. Alline's opinion of the spiritual condition of the community in
the vicinity of Fort Howe seems to have changed but little, for he
writes under date, June 29th., 1782, "When I came to the port at the
mouth of the river, there appeared no passage from thence; and I
thought I could not content myself long in that dark place; but the
very next day four or five vessels came in, all bound for Cumberland
where I wanted to go."
The story of Alline's illness and death, which occurred in the town of
Northampton, New Hampshire, February 2nd, 1784, is pathetic in the
extreme, but we must pass on.
When Rev. Wm. Black visited Sheffield in 1792 the results of Henry
Alline's labors were yet in evidence, and were not entirely acceptable
to Mr. Black, who says that he found among the people "many
New-Lights, or more properly Allinites--much wild fire and many wrong
opinions."
In the year 1805, in answer to a petition from Sheffield, the Rev.
James MacGregor, a Presbyterian minister of Pictou, visited the River
St. John, and has left us an entertaining account of his visit. He
stopped at a house not far below the Grand Lake, where the following
colloquy with the good woman of the house ensued.
Woman--Who are you?
Doctor--I am James MacGregor, a minister from Pictou.
Woman--Are you a Methodist?
Doctor--No.
Woman--Are you Church of England?
Doctor--No.
Woman--Then you must be a New-Light.
Doctor--No, I am not a New-Light.
Woman--Then what in the world are you, for I do not know any more?
Doctor--I am a Presbyterian.
Woman--Well, I never saw a Presbyterian minister before, but my mother
used to tell me that they were the very best in the world. But what do
you hold to?
Doctor--I do not understand what you mean.
Woman--Do you hold to conversion?
Doctor--Don't they all hold to conversion?
Woman--No, the Methodists and New-Lights holds to it, but the Church
of England holds against it.
Doctor MacGregor was very hospitably entertained by Squire Burpee and
his family, who informed him that they were a colony from New England,
and that of course they were Congregationalists in their religious
profession. The Doctor said that he had long wished to see one of
their congregations and hoped that they were a fair sample of a New
England church. The squire replied: "I am afraid that we are
degenerated." Mr. MacGregor says, "I preached two Sabbaths to them in
a respectable place of worship, and to Methodists and Baptists. They
heard with apparent attention and satisfaction. Many of them stayed
and conversed a good while after public worship was over."
In the course of his missionary tour Doctor MacGregor visited the
settlement on the River Nashwaak founded by the disbanded soldiers of
the 42nd regiment. Not having been visited by a minister of their
church for many years, a few of them had turned Baptists and
Methodists, but "the best and worst of them," he says, "continued
Presbyterians."
The glimpses we have of life at the mouth of the St. John, during the
last two or three years of the Revolutionary struggle, are of some
local interest, though not of a thrilling or exciting character. The
proximity of the garrison seems to have proved detrimental to the
morals of some of the inhabitants. At least this is the inference we
should draw from the following notice posted up by order of the chief
magistrate of the community.
NOTICE.
Whereas complaint hath been made to me by the Commanding Officer
of the King's Troops at this place that several Irregularities
have lately been committed here by his Troops, proceeding from the
quantity of strong Liquors sold them by the Inhabitants: To
prevent any disturbance for the future, I publickly forbid any
person or persons at this place selling Strong Liquors, under the
penalty of the Law made and provided in such cases, except those
who have Licence or Permits from authority for that purpose.
Given under my hand at Fort Howe this third day of July, 1781.
JAMES WHITE, J. P.
The civil authority at this period was vested in the Court of General
Sessions of the Peace for the County of Sunbury, which used to meet
regularly at Maugerville, and of which James Simonds, James White,
Israel Perley, Gervas Say and Jacob Barker, Esquires, were members.
One of the notices issued by order of the court was as follows:--
PUBLIC NOTICE.
Application having been made to the Court of General Quarter
Sessions of the Peace, for the County of Sunbury and Province of
Nova Scotia, held at Maugerville on the Second Tuesday of October,
A. D., 1781, setting forth the necessity of having a Publick House
of Entertainment kept near the Harbour of the River St.
Johns:--Therefore by virtue of the Authority vested in the said
Court by the Laws of the said Province, Licence is hereby given to
Philip Newton to keep a Publick House of Entertainment and to
retail Spirituous Liquors for the space of one year at the place
aforesaid, he the said Philip Newton keeping and maintaining good
order agreeable to the Laws of this Province.
By order of the said court,
BENJ. ATHERTON, Clerk Peace.
It is not improbable that Philip Newton, mentioned above, was a
relative of Hon. Henry Newton, member of the Council of Nova Scotia,
and Collector of Customs at Halifax. His stay at St. John was
evidently brief, and this is the only known reference to him.
In 1782 the disturbed condition of affairs, consequent upon the
Revolution, had so far improved that St. John was made a Port of
Entry, with James White as Deputy Collector, under Henry Newton of
Halifax. It was truly the day of small things with the future Winter
Port of Canada. The following is a list of the vessels that entered
and cleared in the year 1782.
Entered. Tons. Cleared. Tons.
Rosanna 17 Rosanna 17
Betsy 10 Peggy 8
Escape 10 Betsy 10
Polly 10 Escape 10
Sally 10 Polly 10
Lark 18 Sally 10
Ranger 12 Lark 18
Prosperity 10 Ranger 12
Unity 10 Prosperity 10
Speedy 7 Unity 10
Little Tom 30 Little Tom 30
--- Monaguash 20
Total tonnage 144 ---
Total tonnage 165
The emoluments derived by James White from his office as Deputy
Collector of Customs were small. William Hazen's position, as
commissary of the garrison of Fort Howe, was something better. Most of
the supplies of fuel, meat and vegetables for the garrison were
furnished by Messrs. Hazen & White, and the profits were considerable.
In the year 1782, for example, they furnished 172 cords of firewood
for which the price paid them was 20 shillings a cord.
An event was now to transpire which marks an epoch in the history of
St. John and which in the course of a few months served to transform
the little community at the mouth of the river from the dimensions of
a hamlet to those of a respectable town. The war between Great Britain
and the old Colonies was over and the colonies had gained their
independence. Had they been wise they would, as Dr. Hannay well
observes, have tempered their triumph with moderation. They would have
encouraged those who had espoused the Royal cause to remain and assist
in building up the new nation which they had founded. Instead of this,
they committed one of the most stupendous acts of short sighted folly
ever perpetrated by a people. They passed edicts of banishment against
the persons, and acts of confiscation against the estates of the
Loyalists. They drove them out, poor in purse indeed, but rich in
experience, determination, energy, education, intellect and the other
qualities which build up states, and with their hearts fired and their
energies stimulated with hatred of republicanism. They drove them out
70,000 strong to build up a rival nation at their very doors which
perhaps would never have had an existence but for the rash folly of
those who persecuted the Loyalists.