* Gentlemen the following is proposed whether it be to your minds that any 'person or persons in the New Hampshire Grant under the present situation of ' affairs that have or shall presume to take commission or commissions of the 'peace shall by the Grantees in general be deemed an Enemy to their Country '"& Common cause untill his Majesties pleasure in the premesis be further known; '' passed in the affirmative all yeas & No Nays at a general meeting holden at a Manchester 12th Day of April A. D. 1774 and by adjournment to the 13th.

"pr Jonas Fay Clerk of the said Meeting."

And this Deponent further saith that altho in the Execution of his office, finding the civil power altogether unable to oppose or punish the said Rioters, he desisted Went every act & prosecution against them or the Dispute concerning their Claims or possessions and aimed at nothing more than to preserve peace & some Degree of order in the Country ; yet this Deponent from time to time received information that the said Rioters had doomed his person & property to Destruction, and frequently his house was surrounded by persons unknown to him, in the dead

VoL. rv. 56

882 CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE

of Night, & attempts made to break open his door, and the Deponent further saith that on or about 27th Day of July last past ''one Jobn Smith & Enos Ross of Socialborough aforesaid being armed with Clubs, made an assault upon the Deponent & endeavored to make him their prisoner, declaring that if he resisted, they would kill him, that the Deponent being unarmed called to his Wife for a weapon in order to defend himself or intimidate the said assailants from execufing their purpose upon which the said Enos Ross forced himself into the Deponents house, in order as appeared afterwards, to get the Deponent's Gun: That the Deponent being freed from the said Enos Ross, knocked down the said John Smith & then removed to a place where he saw a stone, which he took up & stood upon his Defence.