hese were surface trivialities. Beneath them the true situation was
growing worse. Out in the country military stores were being collected
at Worcester and at Concord; and over in Parliament the fisheries bill,
designed to deprive thousands in America of their living, was sure of
passing. At last Franklin, who had stayed in London as long as there
seemed anything for him to accomplish, patiently bearing humiliation and
insults, on the 20th of March took ship for Philadelphia. It was the
sign that there was no further hope of peace.

FOOTNOTES:

[46] Bancroft.

[47] Adams Letters, 39.

[48] Andrews Letters.

[49] A Sermon preached at Lexington, April 19, 1776, 26.

[50] His diary is published in the _Atlantic Monthly_ for April and May,
1877, 384 and 544. I shall use it freely without further definite
reference.

[51] Frothingham's "Life of Warren," 413

[52] Bulletin of Boston Public Library, x, No. 87, 320.

[53] Frothingham's "Life of Warren," 435-436.

[54] Wells, "Life of Adams," ii, 281.

[55] Andrews Letters.

CHAPTER VII

MILITARY PREPARATIONS

As the spring of 1775 advanced, matters took on a constantly more
threatening aspect. The governor's force in Boston was steadily
increasing, and was approaching a total of four thousand men. Vessels of
war were with equal steadiness being added to the little fleet in the
harbor. With each budget of news from England it became evident that
Parliament would not yield, and at last came word that Lord North had
offered a joint resolution that New England was in a state of rebellion,
which both houses pledged their lives and fortunes to suppress. With
such a military force at his command, and with such moral support from
King and Parliament, Gage was in a position to take decided action.

No one could doubt what that action would be. Since September the
province had been gathering its meagre military supplies. It was but
common sense to seize them before they could be used. Soon after the new
year Gage began his measures. "Genl. Orders," writes disgruntled
Lieutenant Barker. "If any officers of the different Regts. are
_capable_ of taking sketches of a Country, they will send their names to
the Dep. Adj. Genl ... that is an extraordinary method of wording the
order; it might at least have been in a more genteel way; at present it
looks as if he doubted whether there were any such." However, there were
such, and in February the governor chose Captain