e Mason, John Marshall, the Lees, and other noted men, who gathered
here to protest against unjust treatment by the mother country and to
discuss the proper steps to rid the country of tyranny. It was said to
be a hot-bed of sedition and that here much of the head work of the
Revolution was done.

When the news came to Fredericksburg that the governor, Lord Dunmore,
had secretly removed twenty barrels of gunpowder from the public
magazine in Williamsburg, also the news of the battle of Lexington,
there was great excitement and indignation. Immediately six hundred
armed men from the town and surrounding country, at the call of Patrick
Henry, assembled in Fredericksburg and offered their services to defend
their country. More than one hundred men were dispatched to Richmond and
Williamsburg to ascertain the condition of affairs. They were advised
there by Washington, Peyton Randolph, Edmund Pendleton and other leaders
to disband and delay action at least for a while or until general plans
of resistance could be decided upon. Returning to Fredericksburg they
called a meeting and reluctantly agreed to disperse, but before doing so
adopted resolutions bitterly denouncing Dunmore's action, and without
fear or evasion declared that the troops would preserve their liberty at
the hazard of their lives and fortune. They pledged themselves to
re-assemble at a moment's warning and by force of arms defend the laws
and rights of this or any other sister colony from unjust invasion, and
concluded with the significant words, "God save the liberties of
America."

This was on April 29, 1775, twenty-one days prior to the celebrated
Mecklenburg declaration and more than one year before the great
Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776.

It has always been said that this meeting was held at the Rising Sun
Tavern. (Reference: Quinn's _History of Fredericksburg_, Howison's
_History of Virginia_, Forces' _Archives_, quoted in _William and Mary
Quarterly_ in October, 1909.)

But in addition to giving their attention to the serious questions of
the day, could we but raise the curtain of Time we no doubt would
witness a gay scene typical of colonial days with courtly gentlemen in
powdered wigs, knee breeches, ruffled blouses, and silver-buckled
slippers, or perhaps in the rougher garb of the pioneer traveler playing
cards and partaking of the various drinks served by a venerable old
slave and his young negro assistants. It is recorded tha