The County Committees of 1774 - 1775 in Virginia Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** The County Committees of 1774-'75 in Virginia Charles Washington Coleman William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Oct., 1896), pp. 94-106 THE COUNTY COMMITTEES OF 1774-'75 IN VIRGINIA. BY CHARLES WASHINGTON COLEMAN. In a meeting of the inhabitants of Boston, November 2, 1772, committees of correspondence were established, on motion of Sam- uel Adams, between the towns of Massachusetts. On the 6th of January following, the Speaker of the Massachusetts Assembly Page 95 transmitted to Richard Henry Lee a report of the Boston meeting, and on the 12th of March, 1773, the latter offered resolutions in the Virginia Assembly for the appointment of a Committee of Cor- respondence to invite the co-operation of the other colonies. Thus, to quote Bancroft, "Massachusetts organized a province; Virginia promoted a confederacy." Upon the adoption of Lee's resolutions, the Virginia Assembly appointed the following members to act as a Committee of Corre- spondence: Hon. Peyton Randolph, Esq., Patrick Henry, Robert Carter Nicholas. Dudley Digges, Richard Bland, Dabney Carr, Richard Henry Lee, Archibald Cary, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Jefferson. Edmond Pendleton, Other colonies followed the suggestion of Virginia, and similar committees were appointed. [For a history of the Virginia Com- mittee, see Mr. James M. Garnett's valuable paper in the Virginia Historical Collections, Vol. XI (new series), pp. 3-23.] On Tuesday, May 24, 1774, the Virginia Gazette, adopted the following preamble and resolutions: "This House, being deeply impressed with the Apprehension of the great Dangers to be derived to British America from the hostile invasion of the City of Boston, in our Sister Colony of Massachu- setts Bay, whose commerce and Harbour are, on the first Day of June next, to be stopped by an armed Force, deem it highly neces- sary that the said first Day of June be set apart, by the Members of this House, as a Day of Fasting, Humilation, and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Devine Interposition, for averting the heavy Calamity which threatens Destruction to our civil Rights, and the Evils of Civil War, to give us one Heart and one Mind, firmly to oppose, by all just and proper Means, every Injury to American Rights; and that the Minds of his Majesty, and his Parliament, may be inspired from above with Wisdom, Moderation, and Justice, to remove from the loyal People of America all Cause of Danger, from a continued Pursuit of Measures, pregnant with their Ruin. "Ordered, therefore, that the Members of this House do attend in their Places, at the Hour of ten in the Forenoon, on the said first Day of June next, in Order to proceed, with the Speaker, and the Page 96 Mace, to the Church in this City, for the purposes aforesaid; and that the Reverend Mr. Price be appointed to read Prayers, and the Reverend Mr. Gwatkin to preach a Sermon, suitable to the Occasion. "Ordered, that this Order be forthwith printed and published. "Ordered, that the REverent Mr. Gwatkin be desired to preach before this House, at the Church, in this City, upon Wednesday, the first Day of June next; and that Mr. Richard Henry Lee do acquaint him therewith." On the following day Mr. Lee reported to the House that Mr. Gwatkin, while "very sensible of the Honour the House had done him," begged to be excused from the service on account of "a Disorder in his Breast"; and the Rev. Mr. Price was requested to preach the sermon in his stead. On Thursday, the 26th, the House, proceeding in its routine of business, heard and acted upon the petition of Peter Pelham, keeper of the public goal, concerning the scanty allowance for the maintenance of prisoners; petitions concerning mill-dams, public ferries, vestries, &c., &c. It had just ordered to its engrossment a bill to allow the minister of Shelburne in the county of Loudoun the same salary as the other ministers are entitled to receive, when "a message from the Governor by Mr. Blair" was announced. "Mr. Speaker, the Governor commands this House to attend his Excellency, immediately, in the Council Chamber." "Accordingly Mr. Speaker [Peyton Randolph], with the House, went up to attend his Excellency in the Council Chamber, where his excellency was pleased to say to them: "Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses, I have in my Hand a Paper, published by order of your House, con- ceived in such Terms as reflect highly upon his Majesty and the Parliament of Great Britain, which makes it necessary for me to dissolve you; and you are dissolved accordingly." Here, with Lord Dunmore's proclamation of prorogation, with its "God save the king!" ends the Journal of the Virginia House of Burgesses as printed in Williamsburg by the widow Clementina Rind, public printer. But on the next day, Friday, the 27th day of May, 1774, eighty- nine members of the late House of Burgesses, styling themselves "his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the late repre- sentatives of the good people of this country," assembled in the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern, and there entered into an Page 97 "Association," the only mode left to them for giving the advice they had wished to convey to their countrymen in their legislative capacity, and pointing out the measures in their opinion best fitted to secure their "dearest rights and liberty from destruction, by the heavy hand of power now lifted against North America." Of this "Association", printed on a broadside and now rare, the follow- ing is a copy: "We, his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the late representatives of the good people of this country, having been deprived by the sudden interposition of the executive part of this government from giving our countryment the advice we wished to convey to them in a legislative capacity, find ourselves under the hard necessity of adopting this, the only method we have left, of pointing out to our countrymen such measures as in our opinion are best fitted to secure our dearrest rights and liberty from de- struction by the heavy hand of power now lifted against North America. With much grief we find that our dutiful applications to Great Britain for security of our just, antient, and constitutional rights have been not only disregarded, but that a determined sys- tem is formed and pressed for reducing the inhabitants of British America to slavery, by subjecting them to the payment of taxes, imposed without the consent of the people or their representatives; and that in pursuit of this system, we find an act of the British Parliament, lately pased, for stopping the harbour and commerce of the town of Boston, in our sister colony of Massachusetts Bay, until the people there submit to the payment of such unconstitu- tional taxes, and which act most violently and arbitrarily deprives them of their property, in wharves erected by private persons, at their own great and proper expense, which act is, in our opinion, a most dangerous attempt to destroy the consititutional liberty and rights of all North America. It is further our opinion, that as TEA, on its importation into America, is charged with a duty, imposed by Parliament for the purpose of raising a revenue, without the con- sent of the people, it ought not to be used by any person who wishes well to the constitutional rights and liberty of British America. And whereas the India Company have ungenerously attempted the ruin of America, by sending many ships loaded with tea into the colonies, thereby intending to fix a precedent in favour of arbitrary taxation, we deem it highly proper and do accordingly recommend it strongly to our countrymen, not to purchase or use any kind of East India commodity whatsoever, except saltpetre Page 98. and spices, until the grievances of America are redressed. We are further clearly of opinion, that an attack, made on one of our sister colonies, to compel submission to arbitrary taxes, is an attack made on all British America, and threatens ruin to the rights of all, unless the united wisdom of the whole be applied. And for this purpose it is recommended to the Committee of Correspondence, that they communicate, with their several corresponding commit- tees, on the expediency of appointing deputies from the several colonies of British America, to meet in general congress, at such place annually as shall be thought most convenient; there to de- liberate on those general measures which the united interests of America may from time to time require. "A tender regard for the interest of our fellow subjects, the merchants, and manufacturers of Great Britain, prevents us from going futher at this time; most earnestly hoping, that the uncon- stitutional principle of taxing the colonies without their consent will not be persisted in, thereby to compel us, against our will, to avoid all commercial intercourse with Britain. Wishing them and our people free and happy, we are their affectionate friends, the late representatives of Virginia." "The 27th day of May, 1774." [89 signatures.] "William Harrison, William Hubard, Benjamin Blagrove, Wil- liam Bland, H. J. Burges, Samuel Smith M'Croskey, Joseph Dav- enport, Thomas Price, David Griffith, William Leigh, Robert An- drews, Samuel Klug, Icabod Camp(1), William Clayton, Richard Cary, Thomas Adams, Hinde Russell, William Holt, Arthur Dick- enson, Thomas Stuart, James Innes." Though the Committees of Correspondence in New York and Philadelphia had suggested a continental congress a few days be- fore, the "late representatives" of Virginia were not informed of the fact until several days after their action had been taken. On the receipt of the information, such memeber of the House of Bur- gesses as were still in the vicinity, twenty-five in number, assem- bled May 30th and, with Peyton Randolph as moderator, con- curred in the suggestions of the sister colonies, reaffirming their independent action along the same line, and issuing a call to "the late representatives to meet at Williamsburg on the 1st day [of] __________________________________________________ (1) The first thirteen "subscribers" were clergymen. Page 99 August next, to conclude finally on these important questions." This was the Virginia Convention of August, 1774. The first Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, and there the delegates of twelve colonies, on the 20th day of October, 1774, still styling themselves "his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects," entered into another "association," the preamble and articles of which were published on a broadside, now become rare, and not included in the journals of Congress. These articles of agreement were, in substance: 1st. Not to import into British America, after the first day of December, 1774, from Great Britain or Ireland, any goods, wares, or merchandise whatsoever, nor from other quarters products of those countries; nor East India tea from any part of the world; nor molasses, etc., from British plantations; nor wines from Ma- deira or Western Islands; nor indigo. 2d. Not to import or purchase slaves imported after December 1st, 1774, "after which time we will wholly discontinue the slave- trade"; nor to hire vessels, nor sell commodities or manufacturers, to others concerned in it. 3d. After October 20th, 1774, not to purchase or use any tea im- ported on account of the East India Company, or on which a duty has been, or shall be, paid; and after March 1st, 1775, to purchase or use no East India tea. 4th. After September 10th, 1775, if the objectionable acts of Par- liament are not repealed, not to export, directly or indirectly, any merchandise or commodity to Great Britain, Ireland, or the West Indies, except rice to Europe. 5th. Merchants directed to inform their agents, etc., in Great Britain and Ireland not to ship goods to them under any pretence. Any British merchant offending to be published, and all connec- tion with him to be severed. 6th. Owners of vessels directed to order captains and masters not to receive prohibited goods, on pain of immediate dismission. 7th. To increase the number and improve the breed of sheep, killing sparingly, exporting none, and those overstocked selling on moderate terms to their neighbors, "especially to the poorer sort." 8th. To encourage frugality, economy, and industry; to promote the agriculture, arts, and manufacturers of the country; to discoun- tenance all extravagance and dissipation, especially horse-racing, gaming, plays, etc. On the death of relations or friends, none to wear further mourning than a "black crape or riband on the Page 100. arm or hat for gentlemen, and a black riband and necklace for ladies." 9th. Vendors of goods and merchandise not to take advantage of a scarcity of goods occasioned by this Association, but to sell at the rates of the year last past. Any vendor not so doing not to be dealt with thereafter. 10th. Any goods imported after December 1st, 1774, and before February 1st, 1775, at the election of the owner, to be reshipped, or delivered over to the committee of the county or town to be stored until the non-importation agreement shall cease, or to be sold under the direction of the committee; out of the sales the owners to be reimbursed the first cost and charges; any possible profit to be applied towards "relieving and employing such poor inhabitants of the town of Boston as are immediate sufferers by the Boston port bill." . . . . . . . Account of all proceedings to be in- serted in the public papers. Any goods imported after February 1st, 1775, should be returned unopened. 11th. [Full text.] "That a Committee be chosen in every County, City, and Town, by those who are qualified to vote for Representa- tives in the Legislature, whose business it shall be attentively to observe the Conduct of all Persons touching this Association; and when it shall be made to appear, to the Satisfaction of a Majority of any such Committee, that any Person within the Limits of their Appointment has violated this Association, that such Majority do forthwith cause the Truth of the Case to be published in the Ga- zette, to the End that all such Foes to the Rights of British Amer- ica may be publickly known, and universally contemned as the Ene- mies of American Liberty; and thenceforth we, respectively, will break off all dealings with him or her." 12th. The Committees of Correspondence in the respective colo- nies to inspect the entries of custom-houses, and to report to each other all material circumstances relative to the Association. 13th. All manufacturers of this country to be sold at reasonable prices, and no undue advantage to be taken of a future scarcity. 14th. To have no trade, commerce, dealings, or intercourse what- soever with any colony or province of North America not acceding to, or hereafter violating, this Association. This Association to be binding until the repeal of the acts of Parliament and portions of such acts declared inimical to the rights and liberty of North America. Signed by the member of Congress. Page 101. Under the eleventh article of this Association, the qualified voters of each county in Virginia elected a committee for the county. The results of these elections were published from time to time in the Gazettes, from which the following lists have been taken. For many counties no lists appear, having been printed in papers to which I did not have access, or not printed at all. The papers from which I have gleaned are filed of Dixon & Hunter's and Purdie's Gazettes for 1775, almost complete, a few numbers for 1774, and a few numbers of Rind's Gazette. The ar- rangement is alphabetical according to counties, the date of the paper being given with each list. The proceedings of the Cumberland county committee have been preserved. Of the other counties, so far as I know, only such reports of proceedings remain as were printed in the various Gazettes. A selection from these, giving an idea of the far-reach- ing powers of the committees, will follow the lists of members. Committee of Safety for the Colony, Appointed by the Conven- tion of 1775. Edmund Pendleton, George Mason, Hon. John Page, Richard Bland, Thomas Ludwell Lee, Paul Carrington, Dudley Digges, William Cabell, Carter Braxton, James Mercer. John Tabb, [Dixon & Hunter, 26 Aug., 1775]. Committee for Albemarle County, 1 June, 1775. Isaac Davis, Charles Lewis, John Coles, William Sims, Nicholas Lewis, David Rodes, James Quarles, George Gilmer, John Henderson, Jun. John Marks. [Purdie, 7th July, 1775.] Committee for Amelia County, 3 May, 1775. William Archer, Esq., chairman, John Tabb, Everard Meade, Thomas G. Peachy, Samuel Sherwin, Thomas Williams, Gabriel Fowlkes, John Pride, James Scott, [Purdie, 19 May, 1775.] Committtee for Caroline County, Chosen 8 December, 1774. Edmund Pendleton, chairman, James Upshaw, Page 102. William Nelson, Anthony Thornton, William Woodford, Thomas Lomax, George Baylor, John Tennant, Richard Johnston, John Minor, George Taylor, John Armistead, Thomas Lowry, George Guy, John Jones, Samuel Haws, Benjamin Hubbard, Walker Taliaferro, Edmund Pendleton, Jun., Samuel Haws, Jun., clerk. [Purdie & Dixon, 22 Dec., 1774.] Committee for Charles City County, January, 1775. (Partial list.) W. Green Munford William Gregory, Peter Royster, Thomas Holt. James Eppes. [Dixon & Hunter, 21 Jan., 1775.] Committee for Charlotte County, Chosen 13 January, 1775. Paul Carrington, chairman Thomas Read, Isaac Read, James Speed, John Brent, Thomas Spencer, Joel Watkins, M'Ness Good William Hubbard, John White, Sion Spencer, Thomas Carter, Thomas Bedford, Joseph Morton, William Morton, [Dixon & Hunter, 11 March, 1775.] Committee for Chesterfield County, Chosen 25 November, 1774. Archibald Cary, chairman, Benjamin Watkins, Bernard Markham, Robert Goode, Francis Goode, Robert Donald, James Donnan, Robert Kennon, George Robinson, John Archer, Abraham Sally, Joseph Bass, Benjamin Branch, Thomas Bolling, Neil Buchanan, Thomas Worsham, Field Trent, Alexander Trent, John Bott, [Purdie & Dixon, 15 Dec., 1774.] Committee for Cumberland County, 1775. George Carrington, chairman, William Fleming, John Mayo, Littleberry Mosby, Page 103, Joseph Carrington, Richard James, Carter H. Harrison, George Carrington, Jun., John Netherland, Robert Smith, Maurice Langhorne, Benjamin Wilson, Joseph Calland, Frederick Hatcher, Edward Carrington, John Woodson, Rev. John H. Saunders, Charles Woodson, Jun. [Dixon & Hunter, 25 March, 1775.] Committee for Hampton and Elizabeth City County, Chosen 21 November, 1774. William Roscoe Wilson Curle, Chairman. Henry King, John Tabb, Worlich Westwood, Roe Cowper William Armistead, Joseph Selden, James Wallace, Cary Selden, Jacob Wray, George Wray, John Cary. Miles King. Robert Bright, Clerk. [Dixon & Hunter, 28 January, 1775.] Committee for Fincastle County, 7 October, 1775. Stephen Trigg, Chairman Thomas Madison, William Preston, William Campbell, Arthur Campbell, Walter Crocket, William Russell, William Edmondston, James McGavock, Daniel Smith, Evan Shelby. [Purdie, 10 November, 1775.] Committee for Hanover County, 9 May, 1775. John Syme, Samuel Overton, William Craghead, Meriwether Skelton, Richard Morris, Benjamin Anderson, John Pendleton, John Robinson, Nelson Berkeley, George Dabney, jun. Barlett Anderson, Clerk. [Dixon & Hunter, 13 May, 1775.] Committee for Hanover County, Appointed 8 November, 1775. Benjamin Anderson, William Craghead, William Macon, Thomas Garland, Page 104. Garland Anderson, Thomas Trevillian, John Syme, John Pendleton, Samuel Meredith, George Dabney, Samuel Overton, William Anderson, of Dundee John Starke, sen., Bartelott Anderson William Anderson, son of Nelson, Charles Crenshaw, Nelson Anderson, jun., John Starke, jun., William Johnson, Barret White, Paul Thilman. [Purdie, 17 November, 1775.] Committee for Henrico County, Chosen 17 November, 1774. Richard Adams, Samuel DuVal, Richard Randolph, Nathaniel Wilkinson, Turner Southall, Joseph Lewis, Peter Winston, Joshua Storrs, James Buchanan, Isaac Younghusband, Daniel Price, John Hales, Martin Burton, Rev. Miles Selden, Chairm. Samuel Price. John Beckley, Clerk. [Dixon & Hunter, 11 February, 1775.] Committee for Henrico, Chosen 6 November, 1775. Peter Winston, Richard Randolph, Turner Southall, Isaac Younghusband, Nathaniel Wilkinson, Richard Adams, Martin Burton, Joseph Lewis, Samuel Price, John Hales, Joshua Storrs, Rev. Miles Selden, Chairman, Daniel Price, Samuel DuVal, Thomas Pleasants, Abraham Cowley, Daniel Lawrence Hylton, Julius Allen, Thomas Prosser, Dr. John Powell, David Bowles, John Beckley, Clerk. [Purdie, 24 November, 1775.] Committee for James City County, Chosen 25 November, 1774. Robert Carter Nicholas, Esq., Chairman Col. Philip Johnson, William Norvell, William Spratley, Maj. Dudley Richardson, John Cooper, Col. Richard Taliaferro, Page 105. Lewis Burwell, jun., Col. Nathaniel Burwell, Joseph Eggleston, Champion Travis, John Stringer, Maj. Thruston James. Capt. Richardson Henley, Capt. Charles Barham, Capt. John Walker, Thomas Cowles, Cary Wilkinson, Hudson Allen, William Barret, Edward Harris, Sylvanus Prince, John Warburton, William Hankin, Robert Higginson, Thomas Doncastle, Capt. John Lightfoot. John Nicholas, jun., Clerk. [Purdie & Dixon, 1 December, 1774.] Committee for King and Queen County, Chosen 12 December, 1774. Thomas Coleman, George Brooke, alt. chariman. George Lyne Henry Lumpkin, Gregory Baylor, Richard Tunstall, chairman. Richard Tunstall, jun., Benjamin Pendleton, Robert Hill, John Collier, Gregory Smith, Thomas Row, Tunstall Banks, Stephen Field, Anderson Scott, William Lyne, William Richards, Joseph Temple, William Todd, Richard Anderson, John Bagby; Matthew Anderson. John Tunstall, jun., Clerk. [Dixon & Hunter, 4 March, 1775.] Committee for King George County, 1774. Joseph Jones, Chairman, John Skinker, John Taliaferro, jun., Horatio Dade, Francis Conway, Lawrence Ashton, Francis Thornton, William Fitzhugh, John Pollard, jun., Alexander Woodrow, James Kenyon, John Taliaferro. F. S. Tyler, Clerk. [Dixon & Hunter, 28 January, 1775.] Committee for King George County, 6 May, 1775 (Partial list.) Thomas Turner, John Washington, William Robinson, Thomas Jett, Andrew Woodrow, Clerk. Page 106. Committee for Louisa County, 8 May, 1775. Thomas Walker, William White, James Dabney, Charles Barret, Samuel Ragland, William Pettus, Waddy Thomson Garrett Minor, Thomas Johnson, jun., Thomas Johnson, sen., Nathaniel Anderson, John Crutchfield, Robert Anderson, Charles Smith. [Purdie, 19 May, 1775.] Committee for Louisa County, 4 December, 1775. Rev. Thomas Hall, Chairman, Rev. John Todd, Thomas Johnston (Major), Charles Smith Robert Armistead, Thomas Johnston (Sheriff), Col. Richard Anderson, James Dabney, Charles Barret, Col William White, Nathaniel Anderson, Waddy Thomsoln, Thomas Johnston (Minor), Geroge Meriwether Charles Yancey, John Bullock, William Pettus, Garrett Minor, John Nelson, William Lipscomb, William Hughes, Henry Garrett, Clerk. [Dixon & Hunter, 23 December, 1775.] [To be continued.]