Part 10 (1/2)
”_Resolved_, That it is beneath the dignity of freemen to submit to any tax not imposed on them in the usual manner, by representatives of their own choosing.
”_Resolved_, That the Act of the British Parliament above mentioned, is utterly repugnant to the fundamental laws of justice, in punis.h.i.+ng persons without even the form of a trial; but a despotic exertion of unconst.i.tutional power designedly calculated to enslave a free and loyal people.
”_Resolved_, That the enforcing the execution of the said Act of Parliament by a military power, must have a necessary tendency to raise a civil war, and that we will, with our lives and fortunes, a.s.sist our suffering brethren of Boston, and every part of North America that may fall under the immediate hand of oppression, until a release of all our grievances shall be procurred; and our common liberties established on a permanent foundation.
”_Resolved_, That the East India Company, by exporting their tea from England to America, whilst subject to a tax imposed thereon by the British Parliament, have evidently designed to fix on the Americans those chains forged for them by a venal ministry, and have thereby rendered themselves odious and detestable throughout all America. It is, therefore, the unanimous opinion of this meeting not to purchase any tea or other East India commodity whatever, imported after the first of this Month.
”_Resolved_, That we will have no Commercial intercourse with Great Britain until the above mentioned Act of Parliament shall be totally repealed, and the right of regulating the internal policy of N. America by a British Parliament shall be absolutely and positively given up.
_”Resolved,_ That Thompson Mason and Francis Peyton, Esqs., be appointed to represent the County at a general meeting to be held at Williamsburg on the 1st day of August next, to take the sense of this Colony on the subject of the preceeding resolves, and that they, together with Leven Powell, William Ellzey, John Thornton, George Johnston and Samuel Levi, or any three of them, be a committee to correspond with the several Committees appointed for this purpose
”Signed by
John Morton Thomas Williams Thomas Ray James Noland Thomas Drake Samuel Peugh William Booram William Nornail Benj. Isaac Humphrey Thomas Luttrell Samuel Mills James Brair Joshua Singleton Poins Awsley Jonathan Drake John Kendrick Matthew Rust Edward O'Neal Barney Sims Francil Triplitt John Sims Joseph Combs Samuel Butler John Peyton Harrison Thomas Chinn Robert Combs Appollos Cooper Stephen Combs Lina Hanc.o.c.k Samuel Henderson John McVicker Benjamin Overfield Simon Triplett Adam Sangster Thomas Awsley Bazzell Roads Isaac Sanders John Wildey Thomas Williams James Graydey Henry Awsley Joseph Bayley Wm. Finnekin John Reardon Richard Hanson Edward Miller John d.i.n.ker Richard Hirst Jasper Grant James Davis”[100]
[100] Copy found among papers of Colonel Leven Powell. See 12 William and Mary Quarterly (1) 231.
The names of the following men, composing the Committee for Loudoun, are taken from the record of its meeting on the 26th May, 1775:
Francis Peyton, Esq. James Lane Josias Clapham Jacob Reed Thomas Lewis Leven Powell Anthony Russell William Smith John Thomas Robert Johnson George Johnson Hardage Lane Thomas Sh.o.r.e John Lewis
with one of the members, George Johnson, acting as clerk.
When war began, the gentlemen justices of the county's court recommended certain of her men to the governor from time to time as worthy of commissions in the military forces being raised by the Colony. Many an old and familiar Loudoun name appears on the list and for the interest of their descendants and relatives it is here appended as abstracted from the county records by James W. Head in his very useful _History of Loudoun_:[101]
[101] Loudoun ”Orders” G 517-522. Head, 134.
”March 1778: James Whaley Jr., second lieutenant; William Carnan, ensign; Daniel Lewis, second lieutenant; Josiah Miles and Thomas King, lieutenants; Hugh Dougla.s.s, ensign; Isaac Vandevanter, lieutenant; John Dodd, ensign.
”May 1778. George Summers and Charles G. Eskridge, colonels; William McClellan, Robert McClain and John Henry, captains; Samuel c.o.x, Major; Frans Russell, James Beavers, Scarlet Burkley, Moses Thomas, Henry Farnsworth, John Russell, Gustavus Elgin, John Miller, Samuel Butcher, Joshua Botts, John Williams, George Tyler, Nathaniel Adams and George Mason, lieutenants; Isaac Grant, John Thatcher, William Elliott, Richard Sh.o.r.e, and Peter Benham, ensigns.
”August, 1778 Thomas Marks, William Robison, Joseph Butler and John Linton, lieutenants; Joseph Wildman and George Asbury, ensigns.
”September 1778 Francis Russell, lieutenant, and George Shrieve, ensign.
”May 1779 Joseph Wildman, lieutenant, and Francis Elgin Jr., ensign.
”June 14, 1779 George Kilgour, lieutenant and Jacob Caton, ensign.
”July 12, 1779 John Debell, lieutenant and William Huchison, ensign.
”October 11, 1779 Francis Russell, captain.
”November 8, 1779 James Cleveland, captain; Thomas Millan, ensign.
”February 14, 1780 Thomas Williams, ensign.
”March, 1780 John Benham, ensign.
”June, 1780 Wethers Smith and William Debell, second lieutenants, Francis Adams and Joel White, ensigns.
”August, 1780 Robert Russell, ensign.