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��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.
��Governor John Wentworth also gave him the command of a regiment of militia, and he discharged the duties of the position with the same care which marked the whole course of his public life.
He attained great success in his treatment of ulce;ated sore throat — a disease which was prevalent at the time, and often fatal — by the use of Peruvian bark. He was the first physician who prescribed it for that ailment.
A. D. 1765, Dr. Bartlett was first elected a representative from Kings- ton to the legislature of the province, where he soon became distinguished as a leader of the opposition. The members were mainly subservient to the governor. Dr. Bartlett suffered much annoyance by taking this course, but he was too thorough an American from the beginning to the end of his career, to sit by and see the rights o^ the people invaded.
At that time, and even at a later day, separation from England was hardly thought of. He did what he thought was right — not for the sake of expediency — but because it was hon- orable so to do.
But we must now pass over a few years, occupied, for the most part, by a quarrel between his excellency and the legislature. Matters went on from bad to worse until A. D. 1774.
It may not be generally known that on the 13th Dec, 1774, Paul Revere took his first public ride. While it may not have been of so far reaching importance as his later one, it richly deserves a place in history. It hap- pened in this manner. The Boston committee of safety had just heard of
��the British order that no military stores should be exported to America. They accordingly sent Paul Revere on a fleet horse to Portsmouth, to apprise the similar committee there of the news, and (probably) to urge them to secure the powder which was in fort William and Mary in the harbor, as reinforcements were expected shortly from England. Accordingly, on the 14th Dec, a body of patriots from Portsmouth and the neighboring towns went down the Piscataqua in boats to Newcastle and demanded the sur- render of the fort. The invitation could hardly be declined as the garri- son numbered but six men all told. The powder was carried off to Dur- ham, and the greater portion of it was subsequently used at the battle of Bunker Hill. Flushed with success they then thought of paying Governor Wentworth anything but a friendly visit, but were fortunately dissuaded by Dr. Bartlett, the Hon. George Frost, and Majors Langdon and Sul- livan. This exploit should not have been passed over without a word by so many, perhaps all, of our historians. It is true Paul Revere's first ride lacks the magic pen of a Longfellow to bring it before the public mind. But it occurred four months prior to the battle of Lexington, and although no blood was shed, it was the first overt act of the rebellion against the crown and was a salient feature in the great drama of which it was the prelude.
Meanwhile the minority had been steadily gaining ground in the assem- bly.
In February, 1775, Dr. Bartlett re- ceived a letter from the clerk of the court of common pleas, notifying him
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