THE EDDY REBELLION.
THE Eddy Rebellion does not occupy much space in history, but it was an important event in the district where it occurred, and in the lives of those who were responsible for it.The leaders were Colonel Jonathan Eddy, Sheriff John Allan, or "Rebel John," as he was afterwards called, William Howe, and Samuel Rogers.Eddy, Rogers and Allan had been, or were at that time members of the Assembly at Halifax.Allan was a Scotsman by birth, the others were from New England.
The pretext for the rebellion was the militia order of Governor Legge;the real reason was the sympathy of the New Englanders with their brother colonists.It was represented at the Continental Congress that six hundred persons in Nova Scotia, whose names were given, were ready to join any army who might come to their help.If these six hundred names represented those who were of an age to bear arms, then the statement of Arbuthnot that the New Englanders were all disloyal was correct.
The first step taken in opposition to Governor Legge's order was to petition against its enforcement.The petition from Cumberland referred to the destruction of the fort on the St.John River as "rather an act of inconsideration than otherwise," and then said, "those of us who belong to New England, being invited into this Province by Governor Lawrence's proclamation, it must be the greatest piece of cruelty and imposition for them to be subjected to march into different parts in arms against their friends and relations.The Acadians among us being also under the same situation, most, if not all, having friends distributed in different parts of America, and that done by order of His Majesty."This petition was signed by sixty-four persons in Cumberland, the Amherst petition was signed by fifty-eight, and the Sackville one by seventy-three.Fifty-one of the petitioners were Acadians.The date was December 23rd, 1775.
Governor Legge took no other action on these petitions than to send them at once to the British Government as evidence of the disloyalty of the Province, and at the same time he wrote to the Earl of Dartmouth that some persons had spread the report that he was trying to draw the militia to Halifax that he might transport them to New England and make soldiers of them.He also adds, "The consequence of such reports influenced the whole country, so that many companies of the militia have refused to assemble, ending in these remonstrances which here in a public manner have been transmitted to your Lordship."As soon as it became known to the petitioners that Governor Legge would not cancel the militia order, and that the petitions had been forwarded to Downing Street, it was decided to elect delegates to meet in Cumberland to take into consideration what steps should next be taken.
Accordingly, representatives appointed by the petitioners met at Inverma, the home of Sheriff Allan.Jonathan Eddy and Sheriff Allan were there as members of the convention, and took especial pains to urge upon the meeting that the time had arrived for decided action.
Either they must cast in their lot with their friends in Massachusetts and Connecticut, or they must be loyal to the British Government.They also made it clear that they could not hold the country against the British without help from their friends.The decision must have been in favor of independent action, as almost immediately Colonel Eddy started for New England with the intention of securing help from that quarter.
Allan remained for a while longer in the country, but his outspoken sympathy with the rebel cause was soon reported to the Government and steps were taken to have him arrested.
About this time Rogers' and Allan's seats in the Legislature were declared vacant, and a reward of two hundred pounds was offered for the apprehension of Eddy and one hundred pounds each for Allan, Rogers, and Howe.Allan's biographer, in writing of this period in his life, says, "His life being now in danger, he resolved to leave the Province for the revolted colonies; but previous to his departure he made several excursions among the Indians to the northward and by his influence secured for the rebel provinces the co-operation of a large number of the Micmac tribe." He left Cumberland in an open boat on August 3rd, 1776, and coasting along the Bay of Fundy, reached Passamaquoddy Bay on the 11th.In Machias Bay, which he entered on the 13th, he found Col.
Eddy with twenty-eight others in a schooner on their way to the Bay of Fundy to capture Fort Cumberland.Allan tried to induce Eddy to abandon the expedition for the present, urging that it was impossible to accomplish anything with so small a force.Colonel Eddy was headstrong and sanguine, and kept on his way.He was sure more men would follow him, and he expected to get a large addition to his force when he reached the St.John River.
Allan, in the meantime, pushed on to Machias, and after spending a few days there, went as far as the Piscataquis River by water, and thence he took the stage to Boston.From Boston he proceeded to Washington's headquarters, giving New York, which was then in possession of the British, a wide berth.He dined with Washington, and talked over the situation.On the 4th of January he was introduced to the Continental Congress, where he made a full statement of matters in Nova Scotia.
After some deliberation, Congress appointed him Superintendent of the Eastern Indians and a colonel of infantry.He received his instructions from Hon.John Hancock, and left at once for Boston.While there he urged upon the members in council the necessity of protecting the eastern part of Maine, and showed the advantage it would be to the rebels if, by sending out an armed force, they could take possession of the western part of Nova Scotia.This the Council promised to do.
