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upon his approach, withdrawing towards Quebec. Finally, to crown this series of triumphs, General Wolfe, with an army of eight thousand men, moved for the reduction of Quebec. The place was defended by a French army of six - thousand men, under General Montcalm, in a position strong by nature, and rendered seemingly impregnable by art. All attempts to draw his adversary from this stronghold having proved fruitless, Wolfe moved his forces up the river, as if to land above; but, during the night of the 12th of September, dropped quietly down, under cover of darkness, and landing upon a rugged shore deemed impracticable for the debarkation of an assailing force, and hence little guarded, ascended the steep bluff, and at daylight stood in hostile array upon the plains of Abraham. Montcalm immediately determined to give battle, and after a desperate engagement fought with great bravery and determination, in which the commanders of both armies were killed, the English gained a signal and complete triumph. The news of this succession of brilliant victories was received in Great Britain with demonstrations of delight. A day of thanksgiving to God throughout the royal dominions was proclaimed, and Parliament voted a monument in Westminster Abbey to the fallen hero by whose gallantry the last great victory was won.

Franklin, who had arrived in London in July, 1757, laid his instructions before the Ministry, and was at once involved in a controversy with the Proprietors. Towards the close of the year 1757, Robert Charles and Richard Partridge were sent to Franklin as associates. A few days after his arrival, Franklin had presented a remonstrance to the Proprietors against the instructions they had given to their Deputy Governor. In February, 1759, the Proprietors sent a message to the Assembly in answer to this remonstrance, defending their course. In the meantime Franklin, finding that the cause of the Assembly was being grossly misrepresented, and that ignorance prevailed relative to the real condition of the Colony, had recourse to the press, and, by articles in the newspapers, and by a pamphlet entitled "Historical Review of

the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania," sought to enlighten public sentiment. The Proprietors had proposed to allow their estates to be taxed, provided their value should be assessed by commissioners of their own appointment. This the Assembly resisted, and passed the money bill of the session of 1759, with no discrimination in assessments. This was resisted by the Proprietors before the Privy Council, but it finally received the royal sanction on the engagement of Franklin that the Deputy Governor should be admitted to a participation in the disposal of the revenues, that the bills issued should be a tender in payment of quitrents, and that the located uncultivated lands of the Proprietors should be assessed as low as the lowest uncultivated lands of the settlers. This final decision of a vexed question, substantially in the interest of the Assembly, was a signal triumph for the Commission, and Franklin was appointed agent for the colonies of Massachusetts, Maryland, and Georgia, in addition to Pennsylvania.

Governor Denny had received no pay since his first arrival in the Colony, when he was presented with five hundred pounds, all appropriations since having fallen by want of his signature. His needs finally became such that he determined. to disregard his instructions, and on signing the bill taxing the Proprietary estates, he was voted a thousand pounds, a like sum on approving the bill re-emitting paper currency without a clause protecting the Proprietary interests, and another like sum on approving that for recording of warrants and surveys. This course gave offence to the Proprietors, and he was accordingly recalled. The Governor had a difficult part assigned him to act—a part that his judgment evidently did not approve. He was active and judicious in concerting measures for the defence of the Colony according to the means afforded him, and maintained the dignity and decorum of the gubernatorial office.

JAMES HAMILTON, Deputy Governor, October, 1759, to November, 1763.-Upon the recall of Governor Denny, James

Hamilton was again invested with the office of Governor. Believing that the Colonies had borne more than their proportionate share of the burden in furnishing troops and money in the late war, the Prime Minister of Great Britain recommended, as he had promised to do, an appropriation to satisfy this excess of expense. Two hundred thousand pounds per annum for five years was voted to the Colonies, the share of Pennsylvania being twenty-six thousand pounds.

During the fall and winter of 1759-60 the Cherokee Indians, who were very strong in the South, commenced hostilities. The militia, under Governor Littleton, of South Carolina, was led against them with some success; but not being in sufficient force to intimidate, it only served to embitter the savages and stir them to more desperate deeds of butchery. A detachment of the British army, led by Colonel Montgomery, was sent to subdue them, but suffered disastrous repulse. In May of the following year, Colonel Grant was dispatched against them with a strong force, who defeated them in battle, burnt their towns, and ravaged their territory, compelling them to sue for peace.

During the winter of 1760 the French made extraordinary efforts to recover what they had lost in the previous campaign. But in this they were unsuccessful, and General Amherst, who had succeeded to the command of the British army, gathering in the forces from Quebec and from lakes Champlain and Ontario, appeared before Montreal, where the French army was concentrated, and demanded its surrender. Seeing that resistance would be unavailing, the French yielded to the demand, and Montreal, Detroit, and all other strongholds in Canada submitted to English rule.

On the 25th of October, 1760, George II. died, and was succeeded by his grandson, George III. Early in the year 1762, war was declared between England and Spain, the latter being shortly after joined by France. The city of Philadelphia was wholly without defence, and lay exposed to the visits of the enemy's privateers. Governor Hamilton convened the Assembly, which voted the sum receivable from

Great Britain, for preparations to meet the threatened danger, and five thousand pounds additional, for erecting a fort and mounting it with cannon on Mud Island, at the mouth of the Schuylkill. But the war was of short continuance, peace being concluded in November, 1762, by which Nova Scotia, Canada, Louisiana to the Mississippi, and Florida, were given up to Great Britain.

The native tribes beheld this sudden expansion of power and influence with concern. The English were everywhere encroaching upon their pleasant seats and hunting-grounds, and pushing them farther and farther towards the setting sun. To stem the tide, and, if possible, recover their country, the Shawanese and the tribes upon the Ohio formed a secret league, under Pontiac, a famous chief of the Ottowas, and planned to strike a sudden and concerted blow along the whole frontier. It fell in the spring of 1763. Unsuspicious of any danger, the settlers were busy in their fields. Stealing upon them unawares, the savages shot down and murdered them without mercy. The whole line of the frontier was ablaze with the torch and musket of the savage. Forts Le Bœuf, Venango, Presque Isle, La Ray, St. Joseph's, Miamis, Ouachtanon, Sandusky, and Michilimackinack, were simultaneously assailed, and fell into the hands of the Indians, the garrisons being mercilessly slaughtered. Fort Pitt, Niagara, and Detroit were able to hold out, but having only weak garrisons, could afford no protection to the wide territory around them. The slaughter along all the border was indiscriminate, and the weak settlements one after another were broken up, until Shippensburg, Cumberland County, became the outpost of civilization. "The savages," says Gordon, "set fire to houses, barns, corn, hay, and everything that was combustible. The wretched inhabitants, whom they surprised at night, at their meals, or in the labors of the fields, were massacred with the utmost cruelty and barbarity, and those who fled were scarce more happy. Overwhelmed by sorrow, without shelter or means of transportation, their tardy flight was impeded by fainting women and

...

weeping children. . . . In the towns, every stable and hovel was crowded with miserable refugees, who, having lost their houses, their cattle, and their harvest, were reduced from independence and happiness to beggary and despair. The streets were filled with people; the men, distracted by grief for their losses, and the desire of revenge, were poignantly excited by the disconsolate females and bereaved children who wailed around them. In the woods for some miles on both sides of the Susquehanna, many families, with their cattle, sought shelter, being unable to find it in the towns."

Colonel Armstrong, collecting a force in Cumberland County of three hundred volunteers, advanced upon Muncy and Great Island, destroying their towns and stores; but the savages withdrew before him. Fort Pitt, which had for some time been surrounded and cut off from communication with the Government, was repeatedly attacked by musketry, and flaming arrows. But still the garrison held out. At length, General Armstrong sent Colonel Bouquet for its relief. Fort Ligonier, beyond the Alleghanies, was reached in safety, and a party of thirty trusty men was dispatched in advance, who pushed past the savage warriors at night and cntered Fort Pitt with intelligence that succor was approaching, to the great joy of the garrison. But the main body was attacked near Bushy Run, on the 5th of August, 1763, and before the commander was aware of the presence of a foe, he found himself surrounded and hard-pressed on all sides. Gallantly did the little body of less than four hundred men face the enemy; but with equal resolution did the savage warriors press upon them. Utter destruction seemed inevitable. Finally, Bouquet laid an ambuscade. He ordered a part of his force to steal away, as in retreat, while the main body was disposed so as to fall upon the Indians should they attempt to follow. The savages eagerly fell into the snare, and were routed with great slaughter, when Bouquet moved forward to Fort Pitt unmolested.