Several other meetings came to a like conclusion.
Such occurrences, and they were frequent, greatly strengthened the
hands, and encouraged the hearts of the Executive Committee. Their
labors were various and unremitting. They issued notice to quit to
numbers of persons whom it was neither for the interest nor credit of
the community longer to retain. By their Police they were daily and
nightly arresting disturbers of the public peace, thieves and desperate
criminals, whom they quietly deposited in their strong rooms to be dealt
with according to their deserts. To be prepared for any emergency their
Head Quarters were made an armed camp. Barriers six feet in height, made
of sand bags, with cannon planted in the embrasures, extended along the
whole front of the building. Sentinels paced the roof day and night.
Companies were drilling at all hours at Head Quarters or in their
Armories. These defenses were strengthened from time to time; and others
ingeniously contrived were placed in the interior; so that, at length,
in the opinion of an officer of large experience, a very large force of
regular troops would have been required to carry it by storm.
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