A HISTORY OF NOVA-SCOTIA. VOL. III. CHAPTER I. 1782. Lieutenant governor Hamond wrote to lord George Germaine, 6 January. He mentions his having appointed Mr. James Brenton, late attorney general, to be an assistant judge, in the place of Mr. Morris, deceased; Richard Gibbons, late solicitor general, to be attorney general; and Mr. Richard John Uniacke, who, he says, has been well recommended as a fit person, from his abilities and character, as solicitor general. The appointments to be subject to his lordship's confirmation on the part of the king. At an election, held at Halifax by William Shaw, sheriff, on thursday, 28 Feb'y., the freeholders of the town unanimously chose Benjamin Green, esquire, their representative in the assembly. 13 March. A letter of marque, mounting 20 guns, laden with spars and masts, bound from Cape Ann for France, captured by H. M. S. Blonde, arrived at Halifax. 23 March. Alexander Brymer was sworn in as a member of the council, and at the same time payment of "the remaining part of the " "allowance voted in council on the 17th of June, 1782, to " "Oliver Henley, officiating priest to the Indians." was ordered to be paid. 26 March. Bridges across the Windsor river were proposed by an anonymous writer in the N. S. gazette. At this time a system of strictness was adopted with respect to all vessels and passengers entering the port of Halifax or leaving it. Mr. Thomas Beamish, (my grandfather), was appointed port warden by Sir A. S. Hamond. He had to grant passes to all vessels and boats leaving, and to visit all those entering, and the following notice was put in the gazette: "Secretary's" "office, Halifax, 25 March, 1782. This is to give notice, that " "after the last of this month no vessel or boat will be allowed" "to pass George's island in the night time, nor to depart "from the harbour, without sending their boat on shore to "the island, and producing a pass from Mr. Beamish, the" "port warden, expressing the number of people on board;" "and all vessels coming in will be hailed from the island, "and directed to send their boat on shore to Frederick's " "wharfe," (now called the market wharf), "to be examined," "before they attempt to land at any other part of the town. A rebel privateer sloop, of 50 tons, 8 guns, and about forty men, Dunn, commander, alarmed the people of Annapolis for some days, and on the 7 May chased captain Mowatt's vessel up to the pass of the island, (Goat island), but the Buckram coming in the afternoon, engaged and took her. The men all made their escape in the woods. About the same time, H. M. S. Atalanta, captain Brett, destroyed a schooner privateer, of 6 guns, near cape d'Or. She had about twenty-five men, under command of one Ayret. The men escaped into the woods, leaving in their boat their provisions, clothes and ammunition. "The noted Rogers, and other Cumberland" "rebels" were on board of her. The Atalanta put into Windsor, in order to convoy trading vessels thence to Cumberland, where the garrison and people were much in want of many necessaries. May 10. H. M. S. Blonde was lost on the rocks off the great Seal island, on the South-west coast of Nova Scotia. The island was then desolate. All on board, except one man, were saved, and were taken off by two American privateers-the Lively, capt. Adams, and the Scammel, capt. Stoddard. When received on board these vessels they were treated humanely and kindly, and were furnished with passes. This generous action amidst the thousand rude and cruel circumstances of war, and especially of civil war, bears a refreshing and humanizing influence with it. May 15. Lieutenant governor Hamond writes to Welbore Ellis, the new secretary of state. He informs him that the cutting masts in St. John's river goes on uninterruptedly. Wishes a powder magazine built for the navy. The powder for the ships has been for some time in a vessel in the harbor, in which vessel no guard is kept. Peace was now approaching, as we find that Sir Guy Carleton, who had been made commander-in-chief in place of Sir Henry Clinton, had instructions to promote a peace, and in consequence he broke up the board of refugees at New York. The 45th instruction at this time in force restricted the governor from granting land to the cases of soldiers and officers, under the Royal proclamation of 7 Oct'r., 1763, and the earl of Dartmouth's letter of 1 July, 1775, to American refugees. Hamond says (9 May, 1782) that several merchants and others at Halifax, also descendants of early settlers, apply for grants of land, and asks for guidance in these cases. May 22, wednesday. Brigadier general Campbell reviewed here the 70th, 82nd and 84th regiments; on the 24th, the Hessian regiment of de Seitz. The 5th general assembly, 15th session, met at Halifax tuesday, 11 June. Mr. Francklin was president of council, and Mr. Nesbitt speaker; R. Bulkeley sec'y. of council, and Isaac Deschamps clerk of assembly. Lieut. governor Hamond, in his opening speech, compliments the assembly for their loyaltythinks peace will be restored, and "the natural attachment "between the mother country and the colonies will be revi-" "ved and established." The answer of both houses were in harmony with this. On the 20 June, an estimate for 1783 pasIt was resolved there, that such of the county of Cumberland as had been in arms, and had taken the oaths of allegiance to the king, be deemed subjects, and allowed to arm themselves as militia. sed in the council. inhabitants of the Saturday, 29 June. The lieutenant governor gave his assent to two bills, one to exempt molasses, rum, &c., donation to the troops, from paying duties, (act 1782, 22 Geo. 3, c. 10), and another to repeal clauses of the two acts oppressive to Roman Catholics. (The last is not noticed in Uniacke's edition, and no notice is taken of the school lottery act, executed in 1781 and 1782.) Thursday, 4 July. The lieutenant governor gave his assent to 13 acts, and prorogued the assembly. (One of these acts, c. 14, to provide for the assistant judges, was not assented to by his majesty.) The industrious people of Lunenburg were in many instances victims to the rapacity of the American privateers. 15 March. A privateer sloop, of 6 guns, from Boston, commanded by one Potter, captured the schooner Two Sisters, in Mahone bay, near Green island, and let her go on ransom of £80 money, ten bushels of potatoes, 20 lbs. butter, and 2 bbls. flour, (probably everything she carried.) On the 20 June, five or six American privateers, the largest mounting 16 guns, were cruising on our coast. They seized three of the inhabitants to pilot them into Lunenburg. One was the Scammel, capt. Stothard-another was commanded by capt. Badcock. On monday, 1 July, they landed a force of 90 men, stated in one account to have been commanded by capt. Badcock, and in another to have been under lieutenant George Pateman, at a place called Redhead, about two miles from the town of Lunenburg. They marched on to the town, where they seized and spiked the cannon. Some of the people fired on them from the block-house, but they burnt down Mr. Creighton's house, and made him and his servants prisoners - landed some ship guns, and put them in position in the streets. They then plundered the little town of all they deemed worth taking, and threatened to burn it all down unless it were ransomed. Some of the townspeople, to avoid this, gave them a document for ransom of £1000. Colonels Rudolf and Jessen exerted themselves to defend the place, but the men were, if all there, insufficient, and had chiefly left the town. Major Pernette arrived with a party from Lahéve, but by this time the Americans had gone off with their plunder. While there, the pri |