Page:New Brunswick Magazine Issue 1.djvu/310

character. Eddy was a native of Norton, Mass., and had strong sympathy with the Americans in the Revolutionary war. In the latter part of 1776 he made an attempt to capture Fort Cumberland, then held by a rather weak garrison of the Royal Fencible Americans under Col. Joseph Gorham. His party consisted of some of the Machtas people, about one hundred residents of Cumberland and a party of sympathizers from the St. John river; the latter consisted of a captain, a lieutenant, twenty five men and sixteen Indians. Among the party were Hugh Quinton, Daniel Leavitt, Wm. McKeen, Elijah Esterbrook, Edward Burpee, John Whitney, Benjamin Booby, Thomas Hartt, Amasa Coy, John Pickard, John Mitchell, Edmund Price and Richard Parsons. The attempt resulted in a disastrous failure, and Jonathan Eddy and his leading supporters fled to Machias. On May 24, 1776—the same year the attack was made on Fort Cumberland—a meeting of the inhabitants of the river St. John was summoned at Maugerville, when a committee of twelve persons was appointed to communicate with the Massachusetts Congress. This committee prepared a series of resolutions which were passed by the meeting, the most treasonable being, "That it is our minds and desire to submit ourselves to the government of Massachusetts Bay, and that we are ready with our lives and fortunes to share with them the event of the present struggle for Liberty however God in His Providence may order it." The meeting also voted "That we will have no dealings or connection with any person or persons for the future that shall refuse to enter into the foregoing or similar resolutions." By means of threats and persuasions the great majority of the inhabitants were led to sign these resolutions, indeed the rebel committee claimed in their report to the Massachusetts government that not more than twelve or thirteen heads of