144 RIOTERS MARCH ON PHILADELPHIA. [1764, Feb. 



thrown up across the great square enclosed by the 

 barracks ; and eight cannon, to which four more 

 were afterw^ards added, were planted to sweep the 

 adjacent streets. These pieces were discharged, 

 to convey to the rioters an idea of the reception 

 prepared for them ; but whatever effect the explo- 

 sion may have produced on the ears for which it 

 w^as intended, the new and appalling sounds struck 

 the Indians in the barracks with speechless terror.^ 

 While the city assumed this martial attitude, its 

 rulers thought proper to adopt the safer though 

 tess glorious course of conciliation ; and a deputa- 

 tion of clergymen Avas sent out to meet the rioters, 

 and pacify them by reason and Scripture. Towards 

 night, as all remained quiet and nothing was heard 

 from the enemy, the turmoil began to subside, the 

 citizen soldiers dispersed, the regulars withdrew 

 into quarters, and the city recovered something of 

 the ordinary repose of a Sabbath evening. 



Through the early part of the night, the quiet 

 was undisturbed ; but at about two o'clock in the 

 morning, the clang of bells and the rolling of drums 

 startled the people from their slumbers, and count- 

 less voices from the street echoed the alarm. Im- 

 mediately, in obedience to the previous day's orders, 

 lighted candles were placed in every window, till 

 the streets seemed illuminated for a festival. The 

 citizen soldiers, with more zeal than order, mustered 

 under their officers. The governor, dreading an 

 irruption of the mob, repaired to the house of 

 Franklin ; and the city was filled with the jangling 



1 Loskiel, Part II. 223. 



