"Resolved that we will immediately put ourselves in the best
posture of defence in our power; that to this end we will prevent
all unnecessary use of gunpowder or other ammunition in our
custody."

Asa Perley and Asa Kimball, two of the committee, were sent to Boston
to interview the Massachusetts congress on behalf of the people living
on the river. The commissary general there was directed to deliver
them one barrel of gunpowder, 350 flints and 250 weight of lead from
the colony's stores; they were also allowed to purchase 40 stand of
small arms.

So far all seemed favorable to the promoters of rebellion, but bitter
humiliation was in store, and within a year the vast majority of those
who had pledged themselves to the people of Massachusetts as "ready
with their lives and fortunes to share with them the event of the
present struggle for liberty, however God in His providence may order
it," were compelled to take the oath of allegiance to His Majesty King
George the Third for the defence of the province of Nova Scotia
against all his enemies.

An impartial review of the situation on the St. John at this stage of
the American Revolution would seem to show that the sympathies of a
large majority of the settlers were with the revolutionary party, at
the same time many of the people were much less enthusiastic than
their leaders and if left to themselves would probably have hesitated
to sign the resolutions framed by their committee. The presence of the
privateersmen, who came up the river at the time the meeting at
Maugerville was held, was an incentive to many to sign the resolutions
and the attitude of the Indians was a further inducement to stand in
with the people of Massachusetts, who had lately entered into an
alliance with the savages.

During the autumn of this year (1776) the Bay of Fundy was so infested
with pirates and picaroons that the war vessels Vulture, Hope and
Albany were ordered around from Halifax. They were not entirely
successful in their endeavor to furnish protection, for the privateers
frequently managed to steal past the large ships in the night and in
fogs and continued to pillage the defenceless inhabitants.

Another hostile act was now undertaken by the people of Machias of a
more ambitious kind than the destruction of Fort Frederick. This was
nothing less than an attempt to capture Fort Cumberland, where Lieut.
Col. Joseph Goreham was in command with a detachment of the Royal
Fe