divers traitors and for vesting their estates in the commonwealth." His appointment was May 30 and he took the oath June 29, 1778. He also had a similar appointment October 20, 1783.1

Although first appointed as agent of forfeited estates in October, 1777, he was unable to carry out his instructions until after the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British in June, 1778, which accounts for the delay in his taking the oath of office. How he proceeded in the execution of his duties is shown below.

"Frequent accounts concurred to induce a belief that the British would evacuate the city, and about a week before the evacuation took place Peale, he was then painting a likeness in miniature, had a conversation with General Arnold about the Enemie's leaving the City. And Peale told the General, that he intended to ride into the City as soon as the British should leave it, this the General said should not be done, as he was determined to prevent any persons from going in, which he said he could, by his being appointed the commanding officer to take possession of the City, and all the stores belonging to the Enemy. Peale remonstrated against such an order, which would prevent many persons from seeing their families from whom they had refugeed themselves so long. The General seemed determined in his resolution, and Peale went immediately to wait on General Washingon, expecting that he had sufficient interest there, to obtain a pass to allow him to go into the City. The General was engaged in business, and he told Colonel Tilghman (the General's aid) what had passed between him and General Arnold, Colonel Tilghman seemed much surprised that General Arnold should undertake such a measure, and promised Peale a pass at any time he should call after the evacuation had taken place. Perhaps this intimation given in General Washington's family may have prevented General Arnold's attempting such a measure. As soon as the evacuation was known to have taken place, Peale obtained his pass, although there was no occasion for him to have taken that trouble, as free ingress was permitted to every

1Archives of Penna., 2d Series, Vol. III, page 722.

one.

And Peale as soon as he could secure a house to bring his family to, removed them into the City, and afterwards began to execute that very disagreeable office of Agent for securing and selling the confiscated Estates. The first object that occurred on the entering on this business, was to make a troublesome undertaking as easy as possible, by beginning with the property of those who were of the most consideration, among those named in the Proclamation of the President and Council. The Agents accordingly went to Mrs. Galloway, who had remained in Mr. Galloway's House in Market Street. They gave Mrs. Galloway notice that they would call the next day and take possession of Mr. Galloway's property, but when they came to the House at their appointed hour, they then found all the doors and windows secured, and no admittance allowed. The Agents expecting that opposition would be made, had taken the opinion of the Attorney General, who advised them to use force if they should be opposed in the execution of their office. They therefore, on finding the House barred against them, began to brake open the back door, and while they were about this business the Honorable, the Executive Council, sent for them, and after the Agents had acquainted Council with the manner in which they had begun this business, and that they acted by the advice of the Attorney General, the Honorable the Executive Council advised them to proceed to take possession by force. When they had forced the doors and got into the House, they found that Mr. Boudinot was there as Counsel employed by Mrs. Galloway. He produced an Instrument of writing and said that he intended to prosecute the Agents for the forcible Entry which they had made. The Agent's reply was that they were willing to abide by the consequences, as they had not acted without advice. Mrs. Galloway did not seemed disposed to leave the House, although she had her friends ready to receive her. Peale went to General Arnold and borrowed his carriage and when the carriage came to the door he took Mrs. Galloway by the hand and conducted her to the Chariot. The same sort of business they were likely to have with Mrs. Shoemaker, but on that occasion Mr. Boudinot agreed to give peaceable pos

session on the morning following, which terms were accepted by the Agents, as they wished to make things as easy as they could with those whose misfortune it was to come within their notice. The office of Agency was executed by Peale to his loss, for had he applied with the same diligence in his profession as an Artist, he might have made more money than was allowed as commissions on this most disagreeable business."

After the evacuation of Philadelphia in June, 1778, by the British army and the reoccupation by the Americans, although there were numerous arrests of persons inimical to the American cause, the action taken was not radical enough for some. More arrests were demanded. Provisions were scarce and attempts were made to regulate prices by committees appointed at town meetings. It was suggested also that the wives of disaffected persons and of British sympathizers should be expelled from the city. The agitation continued into 1779. At a meeting in the State House yard on May 29, 1779, Peale was appointed one of a committee to inquire into certain alleged abuses, while another committee was to make prices conform to those of the past. In October the agitation culminated in the riots of the militia. Peale describes the events of this period as follows:

"At this period the Whigs conceiving it to be their duty to aid Government by their exertions to counteract the machinations of our internal Enemies by meeting together, and forming a society, *** then formed the Constitutional Society. Mr. Peale was appointed Chairman of this Society, by the order and management of which, they were able to give considerable aid to the friends of the then existing Government. By being Chairman of this Society Peale conceived that he drew on himself the resentment of many men, who would otherwise have been in friendship with him. In those times many publications in the newspapers stirred up and caused considerable animosities amongst the citizens of Philadelphia. One in particular was taken notice of by the Constitutional Society, which was printed by Mr. Town in his Evening Post. On a motion being made and seconded, it was

carried by a large majority to appoint a committee to wait on Mr. Town and demand who was the author of that piece. Mr. Town was brought before the Society and acknowledged that he received the piece from Mr. Whitehead Humphries. After the adjournment of the Society a number of persons, whose passions were raised, assembled before the house of Mr. Humphries and demanded to see him, but they were refused admittance; soon after they appeared with increased numbers, and were about to force the house when Mr. Humphries presented a musket out of his window declaring he would shoot the first man who should attempt to enter his House. Some of the bystanders came to Peale and acquainted him with what was going forward and he went immediately to endeavor to prevent mischief, and luckily arrived in time to persuade them not to risk their lives about a matter of so little Consequence, that some of them might be killed, which very probably would be the case should they persist in getting into the House. While he was using all the influence he had with some of the most active to stop any further proceedings, some of the people went to the State House and brought a file of men from the Continental guard; who the persons were, or who advised and assisted in this measure were never known to the writer of these memoirs. No use was made of the soldiers, nor was there any further attempt made to get into the house after Peale went amongst the people. The day following the proceedings of the People were represented to Congress and their having assumed the authority of making use of the Soldiery was considered as a high crime, and Colonel Bull and Peale were named as agents in the business, and a minute was entered on their journals July 26th as follows: 'A letter of the 25th from Edward Langworthy was read setting forth that the house in which he lodges was the evening before beset by a number of Persons headed by Colonel Bull and Mr. Peale, two of the Committee of this City, that not venturing to force the door of the House, they by some means and under some pretense, brought before the door a Sergeant and six or eight of the guards of the Continental Troops in this City and threatened to attack and force the House, etc.' "Peale had not passed Southward of Market Street, or

either advised or knew any persons Concerned in bringing those soldiers. He was Summoned before Chief Justice Mr. McKean by Mr. Humphries, but no evidence could be produced to prove that he had taken any active part in the proceedings of that night except that of endeavoring to prevent mischief from being done, and he firmly believes that by his remonstrance and exertions with the people he prevented bloodshed. These matters being amicably settled with Mr. Humphries before Mr. McKean and Peale hearing of the minute on the Journals of Congress, conceived himself exceedingly illtreated by Congress entering such undeserved abuse on their records before giving him the least chance of making his innocence appear on that occasion, especially as he was sensible that he had ever been a warm advocate in favor of the liberties of America."

"The rapidity of the depreciation of the Continental money was at this period such that those who retained it a few days could not purchase near the value which they had given for it.1 This was a grievance greatly felt by those who had been the most active in favor of the Revolution, and among them those who had on every occasion rendered their personal service in the militia, many of whom thought that this continual depreciation of their favorite paper was brought about by the machinations of their internal Enemies. Very few indeed could trace the real or principal cause to its true source, viz: that of too great a quantity being issued and put into circulation. Taxation being too slow to obtain the necessary supply for the support of the army, Congress was continually obliged to be issuing more paper money, although there was already so much in circulation as to have totally banished gold and silver in common dealings. At the mustering of the militia of Philadelphia on the Commons in 1779, a number of those active Whigs, whose zeal would carry them to any length in their favorite cause and whose tempers had now become soured by many insults they had met with from the

In 1778 the value of five or six dollars of Continental money was one dollar in specie; in 1779 it was 27 or 28 to one; and in 1780, 50 or 60

to one.