on Sir William
Howe. The offer of this command had been first made to General
Oglethorpe, his senior officer, who agreed to accept the appointment on
the condition that the Ministry would authorize him to assure the
colonies that justice should be done to them. This veteran and patriotic
General declared at the same time that he knew the people of America
well; that they never would be subdued by arms, but that their obedience
would be ever secured by doing them justice." (Holmes' Annals, Vol. II.,
p. 235.)

"The Earl of Effingham, who in his youth had been prompted by military
genius to enter the army, and had lately served as a volunteer in the
war between Russia and Turkey, finding that his regiment was intended
for America, renounced the profession which he loved, as the only means
of escaping the obligation of fighting against the cause of freedom.
This resignation gave offence to the Court, and was a severe rebuke to
the officers who did not share his scruple; but at London the Common
Hall, in June, thanked him publicly as 'a true Englishman;' and the
guild of merchants in Dublin addressed him in the strongest terms of
approbation." (Bancroft's History of the United States, Vol. VII., Chap,
xxxiii. pp. 343, 344.)]

[Footnote 366: "In compliance with a resolve of the Provincial Congress
to prevent Tories from conveying out their effects, the inhabitants of
Falmouth, in the north-eastern part of Massachusetts, had obstructed the
loading of a mast ship. The destruction of the town was determined on as
a vindictive punishment. Captain Mowat, detached for that purpose with
armed vessels by Admiral Graves, arrived off the place on the evening of
the 17th of October. He gave notice to the inhabitants that he would
give them two hours 'to remove the human species,' at the end of which
time a red pendant would be hoisted at the maintop-gallant mast-head;
and that on the least resistance, he should be freed from all humanity
dictated by his orders or his inclination. Upon being inquired of by
three gentlemen who went on board his ship for that purpose respecting
the reason of this extraordinary summons, he replied that he had orders
to set on fire all the seaport towns from Boston to Halifax, and that he
supposed New York was already in ashes. He could dispense with his
orders, he said, on no terms but the compliance of the inhabitants to
deliver up their arms and ammunition, and their sending on board a
supply of provis