The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

486 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [ArPF.NDIX.
No. VIII. p. 387.
Colonel Washington was at this time (June, 1774) in Williamsburg,
where he had been attending the regular sitting of the House of Burgesses. A few days after the members had assembled, news came of the
act of Parliament for shutting up the port of Boston, which was to take
effect on the 1st of June. Much excitement was produced by this intelligence; and when the Burgesses met on the 24th of May, they
passed an order, that the 1st day of June "should be set apart by
that House, as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, devoutly to
implore the divine interposition for averting the heavy calamity,
which threatened destruction to their civil rights, and the evils of civil
war, and to give them one heart and one mind firmly to oppose, by all
just and proper.means, every injury to American rights." Governor
Dunmore was displeased at this order, and dissolved the House the
next morning.
The members, however, were not driven from" their purpose. They
assembled, to the number of eighty-nine, at the Raleigh tavern, on the
25th of May, organized themselves, and drew up an Association,
which they all signed, enumerating some of the grievances under
which the colonies labored, assuming the cause of Boston as common
to all, and recommending to the Committee of Correspondence in
Virginia to correspond with the Committees of other colonies, on the
expediency of appointing deputies to meet annually in a general Congress, at such place as should be thought most convenient. - Wirt's
Life of Patrick Henry, 3d edit. p. 95.
Nor did the delegates disperse, till they had performed other acts
of duty to their country, and even of complaisance to the Governor
and his lady. They had made arrangements for honoring Lady
Dunmore with a ball on the 27th of May, which were carried into
execution with the same marks of attention and respect, as if nothing
had occurred. The Burgesses also took care to observe with strictness their order for a fast. The following brief notes are from
Washington's diary.
" May 16th. - Came to Williamsburg. Dined at the Governor's,
and spent the evening at Mrs. Campbell's.
"25th. —Dined and spent the evening at the Governor's.
" 26th. — Rode out with the Governor to his farm, and breakfasted
with him there.
" 27th. - Dined at the Treasurer's, and went to the ball given by
the House of Burgesses to Lady Dunmore.