James Pitman on oath Sd (being sent up by His Hon' Col: Dunbar to Exeter with several others on His Majtys Service) at the House of Sam1 Gilman in said Exeter as he was with some of His Company going to bed about thirty men broke into the Room, & put out their candles; & Immediately fell upon him, Benja Dockum, Benja Pitman, & Robert Gallaway & did then & there Beat us & Dragged us about, & at length got us to the Head of the chamber stairs & pulled us down, one over another headlong 'till they got us to the Door & pulled us out then with a clubb did knock him down upon the Ground giving him several blows with wch was in great danger of his life having recd several wounds, & lost a great deal of blood, he endeavoured to git away as well as he could, & James Dudley followed him to the House formerly Stephen Dudleys & told him he would be the death of him, afterwards he was guarded by Capt Gilman to the House of one Marshall where he lodged James Pitman [Benjamin] on oath said, That being in the House as aforesaid, with Benja Dockum & Robert Gallaway in the kitchen, about 9 of ye Clock in the evening three men Bolted into the Room & took said Gallaway by the hair of the head, & were dragging him to the door, with that he stept in to his assistance & called said Dockum, & Dockum went off to call Mr Justice Gilman, who came in & commanded the peace, & ordered the People home, & bid us go to bed, & we went up in order to go to bed & then about 30 men broke in upon us & pulled us down stairs headlong & beat us, & struck us a great many blows, & struck him with clubbs, & being in danger of being murthered, he ran to the House of one Marshall a Hatter & burst the door open, & more than a doz" men followed him, & swore they would murther him, & being so terrified he was hid by the woman under the coverlid, & the men came into the House & made search for him, & set a Guard round the House in order to find him— Henry Marshall made oath that he & his wife were in bed when said Pitman came to his House for safety & soon followed a great number of men to our great surprize & demanded Pitman but he denyed that he was there, they then threatened him, but their voices seemed disguised, & they continued round the House some hours to our great terrour. [The following men also testified in the matter: Robert Gallaway "made oath to what Benja Pitman swore to." Joseph Cross stated that he was knocked down with a club, otherwise abused, and his life threatened; that he got away and hid behind a fence until morning. Walter Alston, that he was struck by one William Graves, and others, in the street. William Stiggins and William Tarrat, that hearing the cry of murder they got out of the house and mixed with the crowd, escaping thus from injury. Negro Peter, that he was forewarned and kept out of the way. Benjamin Dockum corroborated the testimony of James and Benjamin Pitman, and stated that he hid under a wharf until the tide came up, and then under a pile of boards until daylight. - ED.] Joseph Miller swore to the truth of what Dockum did, of what happened in the chamber & till he was pulled out of the House, & after that they took him by the arms & legs, & dragged him to the bank where was a pile of boards over which they threw him, & down the bank about fifteen foot, by which he recd a great hurt in his back, where he lay 'till next morning being afraid to be seen again least he should be murther'd, but being hard of hearing could not understand their discourse afterwards. [3-37] Copy John Penhallow Jus: pce [Peter Greeley's Deposition.] April ye 25th 1734/ On ye 22d of this instant April as I was a riding in compiney with Simon Gilman of Exeter he asked me some Questions about Buring of Boards to wich I answered him I knew nothing of it he then tould me he would tell me somthing if I woold not tell of it agan he then began and sade that the Peppele of Exeter had hired three Neatock [Natick] Indines to kill Colonell Dunbar Mr Adtkeson [Theodore Atkinson] and my self as we were going up to ye Black Rock mill the Indins had gote thair money for thear work all Ready and ware suplid with a Quart of Rum each of them every Day by them that Hiered them and that theare was two men Gon up to freetown [now Raymond] that night wheare ye Indons wated for thear orders and that ye two men had cared up a Gallon of Rum with them to give sd Indins that they should not fale of thare work - he allso aded that ye Indins as sune as they have dun thay are to go Right away to Neatock where they wold not be discovered Province of New Hamp Peter Greley Portsmo April 26th 1734, Then the above named Peter Greely made oath to the Truth of the foregoing Deposition Cor: John Penhallow Jus: p [Greeley was one of Dunbar's assistants, and the probability is that Gilman's tale was a successful attempt to frighten him away from Blackrock mill. - ED.] [3-38] [Proclamation relative to a Riot at Exeter, 1734] BY HIS EXCELLENCY JONATHAN BELCHER Esq. Governour and Commander in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas The Surveyor General of His Majesty's Woods on the Twenty sixth of the last Moneth represented at the Council Board, that he had been insulted by a number of armed men to him unknown, at Copy Hold Mill in Exeter, and that afterwards he had hired ten men to go to the said Mill to pile & mark with the broad arrow a Parcel of Boards that were cut out of forfeited logs, and that the said hired men had been beaten & abused by a great Company of men armed with Clubs & Staves to the number of about Thirty, and that the Boat employed in that Service was cut to pieces and some of the Sails Spoiled, & others Stolen; And Whereas the said Surveyor General hath suggested That there is a conspiracy against his Life by some wicked & evil minded Persons, who have hired diverse Indians to destroy him, of which Design he has received a Written Testi mony. I have therefore thought fit with advice of His Majesty's Council to issue this Proclamation, hereby requiring all Majesty's Judges, Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs and Constables in their respective offices, and all other His Majesty's good Subjects to make diligent search and Inquiry after and use their best endeavours for the discovery of the Persons or any of them who were concerned in the Insults or assaults abovementioned, or in destroying the said Boat, or Spoiling or Stealing the Sails belonging thereto, or in any Conspiracy or design against the Life of the said Surveyor General, as also to discover the said Indians, who are said to be hired to execute such villanous purposes; and I do hereby strictly charge the Grand Jury of the said Province diligently to inquire into the Premises, that so the offenders may be brought to condign Punishment; and I do hereby also declare, That whosoever shall detect the offenders above mentioned or any of them, shall receive all proper marks of the Countenance & Favour of this Government, and if any of the offenders shall deliver themselves up to Justice, they shall be pardoned Provided they discover their accomplices And I do hereby further require all His Majestys officers Civil & Military, and all other His good subjects within this Government to be aiding & assisting from time to time as need shall require to the Honble David Dunbar Esq Surveyor General of His Majesty's Woods, and his deputies and assistants in the Execution of their office, and that they strictly observe all acts of Parliament for the Preservation of His Majesty's Woods, and that they endeavour by all proper means that the Violators of the said acts be brought to Justice, and more especially that Prosecution be made against all Persons, who shall presume to cut into Boards, or any other ways manufacture such Trees or Logs as are by Law forfeited and condemned to His Majesty's use. Given at the Council Chamber in Portsmouth this sixth Day of May 1734 Annoq. Ri Ris Georgii Secundi Magnæ Britanniæ &c Septimo. J. Belcher By Command of His Excellency with advice of the Council. Richd Waldron Secy GOD SAVE THE KING. [Proceedings in Council concerning the Riot.] Prov: New Hamp At a Council held at the House of Mr Gambling in Portsm° on Monday May 6, 1734 Mr Presid' laid before the Board an order from His Excellency the Gov to him of the 2d of the present month directing him to convene the Council, to have their advice upon a proclamation relating to a late notorious riot at Exeter which order being read the proclamation which was sent with the said order was laid before the Board and read also, to which the Council did advise & consent unanimously, and order that the same be forthwith made publick in the usual manner[Endorsed] Minute of Council abt riot May 6th 1734. [3-40] [Governor Belcher's warrant concerning the king's woods, dated September 9, 1734. — Ed.] [3-41] [Appointment of John Grey to be collector of customs at "the port of Piscataqua, Province of Main alias County of York in the absense of Anthony Reynolds Esq' gone to England for the settlement of his private affairs." The commission was signed by "Jn° Peagrum," and dated Portsmouth, October 8, 1734. — ED.] [3-42] [Copy of the Governor's warrant to George Jaffrey and Joshua Peirce, directing them to assist the surveyor-general in seizing any logs or boards which had been cut from trees that were unlawfully felled, dated October 24, 1734.- ED.] [3-43] [Governor Belcher's Letter to Dunbar concerning the Warrant.] Sir, -I had sent you the Warrant I told you of before now, but that I waited for an attested copy of what past in Council, the Day I came from Portsmouth, and I now inclose the Minutes & Warts as they have some Relation to one another: The Exeter Justices doubting their Power of pursuing my Warrt of 9: Sept: in the manner you propos'd to them in your Letter of 27: of same month- I laid the affair before His Majesty's Council, upon which there arose a long & Solemn Debate, and upon the vote the Council fell into the same opinion with them, tho' four Gentlemen were on the other side of the Question, two of which only are in Commission of the Peace, So I have directed a new Wart to those Justices (with others) and now inclose it to you; of whom I expect from their Duty to the King (as well as from the great interest you have in them) That they will execute the War' in all lawful Ways they can; when I propos'd to you the issuing of a fresh Proclamation in favour of the Royal Woods you said you tho't that, or even an Act of Parliament, would be of little service - If you can think of any Thing else proper for the Gov': to do, I shall on all occasions chearfully join all the Power & Authority I have for promoting His Majesty's Interest & Honour, and am Sir, your Honour's humble Servant Boston Oct: 31: 1734- J. 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