Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/404

CHAPTER XXIV BARRINGTON IN THE REVOLUTION Barrington Patriotism — A Farming Population — Residences of the People — The No-Tea-Party — Barrington Resolves — Support Pledged with " Our Lives and Fortunes" — Our "Bill of Rights," and " Declaration of Independence" — A Day of Fasting — Reso- lution of Sympathy with Boston — Train Bands and Militia Com- panies — A Good Preparation for War — Barrington Militia — Officers — The Army of Observation — Capt. Matthew AlHn and the Barrington Quota — Services at Roxbury, Boston and Cambridge — Captain AUin's Reports from the Front — Home Dangers — Import- ance of Barrington as a Place of Observation and Defence — No Hostilities on Barrington Soil — The Women of the Town — Effective Men — Census by Henry Bowen, 1777 — Minute and Alarm Men — Alarm at Bristol — Military Orders — Letters — Colonial Legislation Relative to Barrington — Town Legislation — Roll of Honor — Record of Barrington Soldiers — Graves of Revolutionary Soldiers Designated with Markers by Sons of the American Revolu- tion. THERE is no chapter of Barrington history that reflects more credit on our town than that which records the principles and acts of our citizens, during the war for our national Independence. The honest, sturdy yeomen of the town were as full of the spirit of liberty and hatred of British oppression as were their brethren of Boston, Concord, and Lexington, and were ready to make sacrifices as great as more renowned patriots. In humble but effective ways they wrought for the cause of freedom, and all was done with no thought of reward save a good conscience and the satisfac- tion of self-respecting manhood. Life under the old condi- tions was oppressive and unmanly. The free air of New England was not congenial to tyrannical edicts and foreign