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Gentleman's Magazine 1746 p.235
sometimes flattering them with expectations from Scotland,
at other times from France, and when all this wou'd not do,
he fir'd the guns round the batteries for joy of a pretended
victory, got I know not where. I do assure you their joy,
ill grounded as it was, gave all real well-wishers to their
country sufficient uneasiness, especially as no certain
intelligence could be obtained.
In the mean time frequent skirmishes happen'd betwixt the
citizens and rebels, in all which the townsmen had the
better, and made several prisoners, whom they sent to
distant goals, whilst the governor, to prevent a general
defection, seiz'd the fathers of the offenders, as if
punishing them would atone for the fault of their sons. He
likewise attempted several methods to remove the general
odium which his party lay under, sometimes by fair words,
and at other times by menaces, and locking up the gates, all
which prov'd ineffectual; so that the whole extent of his
government seem'd to be in a state of hostility and
confusion.
Affairs were in this situation 'till about the middle of
December, when the governor being appriz'd of the retreat of
his partisans, seiz'd on the market, and fixed his own price
on the commodities, ransacking the country people, under
pretence of searching for letters, and impressing beds for
the use of his garrison from the inhabitants.
(to be continued.)
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