may

NEW YORK, October 10th, 1766. pear on any of the subsequent commitSiR: Your esteemed favor of the 28th tees, the others were the most deterJuly last, we have duly received; and mined opposers of the crown and steadobserve with the greatest regret your fast adherents to the revolutionary party. disappointment at not hearing from us, BIOGRAPHY OF COLONEL ISAAC SEARS. agreeably to your expectations, which,-Among those who originated the oppermit us to assure you, was not owing position to the stamp-act, and who bandto any remissness on our part, or wanted themselves together at the first enof respect; but to the dissolution of croachments of the mother-country, unour society, which happened immedi- der the designation of associated SoxS ately upon the repeal of the stamp-act. OF LIBERTY, there existed, of course, a Your proposal with regard to a num- great diversity of intellectual endowber of us forming ourselves into a club, ments; nor did all render to their we have already had under considera- country in those perilous days the same tion. But as it is imagined that some important services. Like the luminaries inconveniences would arise, should such of heaven, each contributed his portion a club be established just at this time, of influence; but, like them, they dif we must postpone the same till it fered, as star differs from star in glory. appear more eligible; at the same time In the constellation of great men which we take the liberty to assure you, and adorned that era, whose united boldness all our good friends on your side of the and constancy drove the ministeral parwater, who so nobly exerted themselves ty to abandon their open attempts, and in behalf of us, and the expiring liber- to mask their resolved purposes under ties of their country, that we still do, measures less palpable to the general and ever shall, retain the most grateful perception, few shone with more brilsense of the favors we have received; iiancy, or exercised a more powerful inand that we shall use our utmost en- fluence, than the subject of this brief deavors, consistent with loyalty, to keep memoir. up that glorious spirit of liberty which was so rapidly and so generally kindled throughout this extensive continent. In order to which, we shall not fail hereafter to celebrate the anniversary of the repeal, with every demonstration of gratitude and joy, on the memorable eighteenth day of March.

We have the honor to be, in behalf of the Sons of Liberty, sir, your most obedient and obliged humble servants, ISAAC SEARS, EDWARD LAIGHT, FLORES BANCKER, JOHN LAMB, CHAS. NICOLI., JOSEPH ALLICOKE. To Mr. Nicholas Ray, merchant, London.

This gentleman was born at Norwalk, Fairfield county, Connecticut, in the year 1729. From the records of his native town, we learn that his parent Joshua Sears came from Harwich, Barnstable county, Massachusetts, and bought lands in South Norwalk in 1720, from his brother-in-law, Josiah Thatcher. By the Harwich records, after careful researches made by Amos Otis, Esq., a distinguished antiquarian, it appears and married Mercy Thatcher, in 1719, that Joshua was a resident of Harwich, and removed to Connecticut. His pilgrim ancestor, Richard Sears, originally of Colchester, England, stands inscribed -one of eighty-nine names-on the first rate-list, in the old colony records. He came from Holland, with sixty persons, and landed at Plymouth on the Sth of May, in 1630, the last, or among the last, of Robinson's congregation at Leyden.

It was not long before the necessity for reorganization became apparent, and most of the committee, who had acted with so much vigor and zeal, were found equally vigilant on every emergency. Of the persons before named of the New York association, Mr. Allicoke Colonel Sears was engaged for severalone is known to the writer to have al years in an extensive and profitable espoused the cause of the king. But business, as a dealer in European and with the exception of Messrs. Nicoll India goods, at New York, New Haand Bancker, whose names do not ap-ven, and Boston. But in 1763, when it

was announced that the British minis- | ters, instructions, &c., forwarded to the try had in view to tax the colonies for sister-colonies, were prepared by Mr. the purpose of raising a revenue, which Sears, as the chairman of the associawas to be placed at the disposal of the tion. In various ways his appeals made crown, his mind was turned to politics. the most powerful remonstrances against and became in a great measure detached the injustice of England, in debasing from mercantile pursuits. The cause Americans from the character of free of freedom at once became an all-en-subjects to the state of tributary slaves. grossing subject with him. He felt its The "Sons of Liberty" were among inspiration. It occupied his warmest the first who urged the necessity of thoughts, enlivened his conversation, and that mutual understanding and correemployed his pen. In respect to his private affairs, this was an unfortunate trait of character; but most fortunate for his country, since he thus acquired an extensive knowledge of those principles of rational liberty which he afterward asserted and maintained with so much energy.

At a public meeting held on the 6th of November, 1765, Sears and four others were appointed the committee of correspondence with the other colonies. Botta, in his history of the United States, says that it was difficult to fill the committee; but that Sears first volunteered, and was joined by four others, whose names, he regrets, are not known.*

On the 26th of December, 1765, this committee notified the public that they would soon be called upon. Information had been received that a further importation of stamps was expected. On the 7th of January, 1766, they arrived, were seized and destroyed, and notice sent to Philadelphia. The answer to that despatch is directed to Messrs. Sears, Lamb, Robinson, Wily, and Mott. No other committee is known to have existed at that time, and that committee managed the correspond. ence with the different colonies, and with the interior of the state. They framed articles of union for the different colonies, which were sent to the eastward for concurrence, and after it was cbtained, despatched them to Baltimore to be approved, and sent further south for adoption. Of this, proof is to be found in the original draughts of letters (or copies) and replies that were addressed to those gentlemen.

spondence among them, which laid the foundation of their future confederacy; led to the first continental congress at New York, in 1766; prepared the way for the continental congress which assembled in Philadelphia on the 5th of September, 1774; and eventually resulted in the public and explicit declaration of independence on the evermemorable 4th of July, 1776.

Apart from the higher, the epochal incidents in the life of humanity, the epitomes of years, deeds, and nations, there are events which do not claim to be inscribed upon the page of general history; and yet, from the deep local influence they once exercised, still preserve a commemorative interest, and convey an impressive lesson. The great war of our independence is rife with such illustrations. Its memories and heroes crowd so thickly upon us, that its history can not yet be written. But as each day adds to the legendary store, and we draw nigh the hour when it may be traced, time silently distils the mass of events, and the mingled vapors which ascend from the alembic, will be condensed by impartiality into truth.

The events we are about to recall, occurred in New York and its vicinity, between the months of September, 1775, and September, 1776.

The revolution was hardly three months old. But already from the cradle of liberty it had strangled its serpents at Lexington and Bunker's hill. The American army, encamped around Boston, owned WASHINGTON's command, and held at bay the beleagured British. In the oppressed colonies, a spirit of relet-sistance had organized the resolute yeomanry; and with the victories inscribed upon the national escutcheon, the patri

It is believed that the principal They were John Lamb, Gershom Mott, Wil. liam Wily, and Thomas Robinson.

otic chord was vibrating in every heart. War had not yet disturbed our goodly city, which lay in unconscious repose, on the mellow night of the 23d of August, 1775. One or two riots, the result of political faction, rather than of unadulterated rebellion, alone gave tokens of a turbulent spirit. The English governor, Tryon, still dwelt here, an object of courtesy, though of mistrust. In the North river, off the fort, lay the Asia, a British man-of-war, with whose presence people had become familiar. The public mind was in a state of vague apprehension. It remained for its hopes and fears to assume a definite shape.

already assembled there, when night uprolled her curtain of clouds, the glowing dawn that shot over our noble bay, disclosed traces of disorder, and ravages of the cannon-ball, on the one hand and on the other, the smoke still ascending from the angry artillery to the powderstained rigging of the Asia. Moreover, the field-pieces, which but yesterday guarded the Battery, were gone. These the timid received as tokens of danger, and prepared to depart; the intrepid hailed them as auspicious omens of future victories.

The twenty-one pieces of ordnance had been removed by order of the provincial congress. Col. John Lamb's artillery corps, and the "Sons of Liberty," headed by Colonel Sears, were the heroes of the adventure. The efforts of the enemy to protect these royal stores, had proved unavailing. Warned of the intended movement, Captain Vandeput, of the Asia, detached an armed barge to watch, and if needful, interfere with, its execution. A musket fired from this boat, drew Colonel Lamb's volley, and a man on board was killed. The Asia fired three cannon. The drum beat to arms in the city. The man-of-war sustained the cannonade. Three citizens were wounded, and the upper parts of various houses near Whitehall and the fort, received much injury. A son of Colonel Lamb, whose regiment covered the cannons' retreat, is now living in this city, and in the rooms of the "Historical Society" may be seen one of the very balls fired into New York that night.

Toward midnight, our forefathers were aroused from their first slumbers by the thunder of artillery. At that silent hour, the ominous sounds were unwelcome visitants. The cannon peals were relieved by the sharp discharge of musketry; and the stillness that ensued was occasionally broken by the hasty footsteps of one summoned to his duty, with unbuckled sabre trailing on the ground, or by the agitated cry of a helpless woman, fleeing from the audible danger. Drums beat to arms; volley after volley announced the continuation of the strife; and the half-waked dreamer no longer mistook these cries of war for the echoes of eastern battles. As the night advanced, one body of men succeeding another was revealed by the blaze of torches, and the cumbrous wheels of the field-piece they were dragging, seemed to leave reluctantly the scene of conflict. By-and-by, troops of dwellers in the lower part of the town escaped through the streets, from their menaced or shattered abodes, in confusion and fear. Was the enemy in the city the Battery taken? Were the troops forced to retreat before a victorious foe? These interrogatories were breathed rather than spoken, or if put, were not answered. It was a memorable night, and something seemed to have delayed the approach of morning. The town was early astir. At break der sail was at first introduced into the title, under of day, many inhabitants were seen is- which were the words "New York Packet" This suing from their dwellings, and wend-cut soon gave place to one of a smaller size. In November, 1774, the ship was removed, and the king's ing their way to the Battery. To those arms took the place of it. In August, 1775, the

James Rivington was, then, the editorial and proprietary publisher of the "New York Gazette,”* and as the oppo

This Gazette attained the greatest notoriety du ring the revolutionary war, and was at first entitled. Rivington's New York Gazetteer; or, The Connec Weekly Advertiser. ticut, New Jersey, Hudson's River, and Quebec

This Gazette commenced its career April 22, 1773, on a large medium sheet folio. It was print ed, weekly, on Thursday: and when it had been es tablished one year, this imprint followed the title, "Printed at his EVER OPEN and uninfluenced press, fronting Hanover square." A large cut of a ship un

site party subsided in the expression of its political sentiments, and loyalism was no longer in terror of a Sears, he not only gave free vent to his own views, but so far forgot himself, as sadly to abuse those of his radical neighbors. Emboldened by their quiet reception of his denunciations, he expressed these in still more forcible tones, and doubtless exulted in this victory over whig opinions.

many a pound of precious types in their
pockets and handkerchiefs. A large
crowd, collected by so unusual an event,
stood aloof, quiet spectators of the scene.
The cavaliers remounted their steeds,
and rode off toward Connecticut, whence
they came, and where, as
was subse-
quently ascertained, the offending types
were melted down to bullets. Thus
liberty assailed the freedom of the press,
and the balls whilom cast with joy into
types, reassumed their pristine shape
and destination; the ploughshare was
reconverted to the sword.

It was high noon, on Thursday, the twenty-third of November. The Gazette had been issued that morning, and the worthy editor was seated in his cabi- Although no opposition was offered net, examining the new-born sheet, just to these proceedings, by the body of like any gentleman of the press in our citizens assembled near Rivington's door, day, when the sound of hoofs on the there stood upon a neighboring stoop a pavement beneath, drew his attention lad of eighteen years of age, with an to the window. Looking out into the eye of fire, and an angry arm, harangustreet, he beheld, with dismay, his old ing the multitude in a tone of earnest enemy, Col. Sears, at the head of an eloquence. He urged that order should armed troop of horsemen, drawn up be preserved; appealing warmly to the before his door. The men and their dignity of citizenship, "which," said he, leader dismounted with the utmost de-" should not brook an encroachment of liberation, and a part of them entered the printer's abode. A few moments after, he saw his beloved printing-press cast into the street, and heard the tumult raised in the compositors' room above him, by those engaged in the work of demolition. To his despair, the materials thrown upon the pavement were speedily transferred to the dock, and the invaders sallied forth with

words "Ever open and uninfluenced" were omitted in the imprint.

The Gazetteer was patronized in all the principal towns by the advocates of the British administration who approved the measures adopted toward the col

came obnoxious to the whigs.

unlicensed troops from another colony," and offering to join in checking the intruders' progress. The sins of Rivington could not be forgiven; but the youthful orator was listened to with respectful deference by that crowd which already recognised the genius and fervor of ALEXANDER HAMILTON.

He

A detailed account of all the important exploits in which Sears was either the leader, or bore a distinguished part, would far exceed our prescribed limits. was elected to the New York provincial congress, which met in October, onies; and it undoubtedly had some support from 1765; and was the first person who his majesty's government." The paper obtained made a motion to erect fortifications on an extensive circulation, but eventually paid very lit the island. They were projected on a tle respect to the majesty of the people;" and, in consequence, the paper and its publisher soon be- comprehensive scale. With an intelliWhile in England, Rivington supplied himself gent eye, he embraced the extensive lowith a new printing apparatus, and was appointed calities to be defended, and detected king's printer for New York. After the British their vulnerable points. He also acted gained possession of the city, he returned; and, on October 4, 1777, recommenced the publication of his a conspicuous part in the excitement ocGazette under the original title. but in two weeks he casioned by the Boston port bill; and exchanged that title for the following: "Rivington's was warmly recommended by General New York Loyal Gazette;" and on the 13th of December following, he called his paper," The Royal Washington to Major General Lee, for Gazette." Imprint: Published by James Riving his zeal and fidelity.* ton, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.” The Royal Gazette was numbered as a continuation of the Gazetteer, and Loyal Gazette, and was published on Wednesdays and Saturdays; printed on a sheet of royal size, with the royal arms in the, title.

The following letter from General Washington, dated Cambridge, February 26, 1776, to his aid-decamp and secretary, General Joseph Reed, will be read with interest :-

You must know, my dear sir, that Colonel Sears

Isaac Sears

Fac-simile of the Signature of Isaac Sears.