The situation of this country, engaged in a foolish, fruitless, ruinous, and infamous war with its own colonies, at the distance of more than a thousand leagues, and involved afterwards in a desperate struggle with its great maritime neighbours, became very critical, and excited considerable alarm throughout the kingdom. Great fears were entertained of an invasion, and means of defence against such an attempt were resorted to. The Irish, deprived of the military force that used to be stationed in their country, armed themselves for their own protection, at their own expense. The like was done in many parts of England; and Lynn adopted the same measure. The Lynn Volunteers, or armed association, amounted to about 120, {957} and were commanded in chief by _Captain Thomas Day_, whose name we have had occasion to mention more than once in some of the preceding pages. This gentleman’s military knowledge and talents were generally allowed to be superior to those of any other of our townsmen, and his unassuming demeanor, and conciliating manners eminently fitted him for the chief command of this corps. The officers and men, accordingly, became greatly attached to him, and the utmost harmony subsisted among them, to the very last. During the whole time they were imbodied, the behaviour of the men, in the town, was very proper and commendable, and quite to the satisfaction of the inhabitants; which redounded much to the credit of the officers, and particularly the commandant, whose orders and example would not fail to contribute largely to the regularity or correctness of their deportment. This respectable and memorable little band was formed and organized in 1779, and continued till sometime after the expiration of the war; for it was not disbanded till 1785, when its constituents, relinquishing the military character, mixed once more with the great mass of unarmed citizens; conscious, it may be presumed, of having so acquitted themselves as to merit the approbation and applause of their contemporaries, and of posterity.—Of these patriot-soldiers some further notice may be taken when we shall have to notice our more recent and more numerous volunteer armaments.