Boston, with the grenadiers and light infantry of the troops there; and landed on the opposite side; from whence he began his march towards Concord, where he was ordered to destroy a magazine of military stores, deposited there for the use of an army to be assembled, in order to act against his majesty and his government. The colonel called his officers together, and gave orders, that the troops should not fire, unless fired upon; and after marching a few miles, detached six companies of light infantry, under the command of Major Pitcairn, to take posssssion of two bridges, on the other side of Concord. Soon after, they heard many signal guns, and the ringing of alarm bells repeatedly; which convinced them, that the country was rising to oppose them, and that it was a preconcerted scheme to oppose the king's troops whenever there should be a favorable opportunity for it. About three o'clock the next morning, the troops being advanced within two miles of Lexington, intelligence was received, that about five hundred men in arms, were assembled and determined to oppose the king's troops; and on Major Pitcairn's galloping up to the head of the advanced companies, two officers informed him, that a man, advanced from those that were assembled, had presented his musket and attempted to shoot them, but the piece flashed in the pan; on this, the major gave directions to the troops to move forward, but on no account to fire, nor even attempt it, without orders. When they arrived at the end of the village, they observed about two hundred armed men, drawn up on a green, and when the troops came within one hundred yards of them, they began to file off towards some stone walls on their right flank. The light infantry observing this, ran after them; the major instantly called to the soldiers not to fire, but to surround and disarm them. Some of them, who had jumped over a wall, then fired four or five shots at the troops; wounded a man of the 10th regiment, and the major's horse in two places, and at the same time several shots were fired from a meeting-house on the left: upon this, without any order or regularity, the light infantry began a scattered fire, and killed several of the country people, but were silenced as soon as the authority of their officers could make them.

After this, Colonel Smith marched up with the remainder of the detachment, and the whole body proceeded to Concord, where they arrived about nine o'clock, without any thing further happening; but vast numbers of armed people were seen assembling on all the heights. While Colonel Smith with the grenadiers and part of the light infantry remained at Concord, to search for cannon, &c. there, he detached Captain Parsons with six light companies, to secure a bridge at some distance from Concord, and to proceed from thence to certain houses where it was supposed there were cannon and ammunition. Captain Parsons, in pursuance of these orders, posted three companies at the bridge, and on some heights near it, under the command of Captain Laurie, of the 43d regiment, and with the remainder went and destroyed some cannon, wheels, powder, and ball. The people still continued increasing on the heights, and in about an hour after, a large body of them began to move towards the bridge; the light companies

of the 4th and 10th then descended and joined Captain Laurie. The people continued to advance in great numbers, and fired upon the king's troops, killed three men, wounded four officers, one sergeant, and four private men; upon which, after returning the fire, Captain Laurie and his officers, thought it prudent to retreat towards the main body at Concord, and were soon joined by two companies of grenadiers. When Captain Parsons returned with the three companies over the bridge, they observed three soldiers on the ground, one of them scalped, his head much mangled and his ears cut off, though not quite dead ; a sight which struck the soldiers with horror. Captain Parsons marched on and joined the main body, who were only waiting for his coming up to march back to Boston. Colonel Smith had executed his orders without opposition, by destroying all the military stores he could find: both the colonel and Major Pitcairn, having taken all possible pains to convince the inhabitants that no injury was intended them, and that, if they opened their doors when required, to search for said stores, not the slightest mischief should be done; neither had any of the people the least occasion to complain; 'but they were sulky, and one of them even struck Major Pitcairn. Except upon Captain Laurie, at the bridge, no hostilities happened, from the affair at Lexington until the troops began their march back. As soon as the troops had got out of the town of Concord, they received a heavy fire, from all sides, from walls, fences, houses, trees, barns, &c., which continued without intermission, till they met the first brigade with two field pieces, near Lexington, ordered out under the command of Lord Percy, to support them: advices having been received, about seven o'clock next morning, that signals had been made, and expresses gone out to alarm the country, and that the people were rising to attack the troops under Colonel Smith. Upon the firing of the field pieces, the people's fire was, for a while, silenced; but, as they continued to increase greatly in numbers, they fired again as before, from all places where they could find cover, upon the whole body, and continued so doing, for the space of fifteen miles. Notwithstanding their numbers, they did not attack openly during the whole day, but kept under cover or all occasions. The troops were very much fatigued, the greater part of them having been under arms all night, and made a march of upwards of forty miles, before they arrived at Charlestown, from whence they were ferried over to Boston.

The troops had above fifty killed, and many more wounded. Reports are various about the loss sustained by the country people; some make it very considerable; others not so much.

Thus this unfortunate affair has happened, through the rashness and imprudence of a few people, who began firing on the troops at Lexington.

(1) See the Journal of Congress, May 9, 1775, ante page 209; and the depositions of Zachariah Brown, and Thomas Davis, Jun., ante page 677.

86

INTERCEPTED LETTERS.

THE following extracts of letters, written by British officers and soldiers in Boston, and intercepted, relating to the events of the 19th of April, 1775, were communicated to the Provincial Congress.1

BOSTON, APRIL 28, 1775.

I am well, all but a wound I received through the leg by a ball from one of the Bostonians. At the time I wrote you from Quebec, I had the strongest assurance of going home, but the laying the tax on the New England people caused us to be ordered for Boston, where we remained in peace with the inhabitants, till, on the night of the 18th of April, twenty-one companies of grenadiers and light infantry were ordered into the country, about eighteen miles; where, between four and five o'clock in the morning, we met an incredible number of the people of the country in arms against us. Col. Smith, of the 10th regiment, ordered us to rush on them with our bayonets fixed; at which time, some of the peasants fired upon us, and our men returning the fire, the engagement began; they did not fight us like a regular army, only like savages, behind trees and stone walls, and out of the woods and houses, where, in the latter, we killed numbers of them, as well as in the woods and fields. The engagement began between four and five in the morning, aud lasted till eight at night. I cannot be sure when you will get another letter from me, as this extensive continent is all in arms against us. These people are very numerous, and full as bad as the Indians for scalping and cutting the dead men's ears and noses off, and those they get alive, that are wounded and cannot get off the ground.

BOSTON, APRIL 28, 1775.

The grenadiers and light infantry marched for Concord, where were powder and ball, arms, and cannon mounted on carriages; but before we could destroy them all, we were fired on by the country people, who are not brought up in the military way as ourselves: we were surrounded always in the woods; the firing was very hot on both sides; about two in the afternoon the second brigade came up, which were four regiments and part of the artillery; which were of no use to us, as the enemy were in the woods; and when we found they fired from houses, we set them on fire, and they ran to the woods. We were obliged to retreat to Boston again, over Charles river, our ammunition being all fired away. We had one hundred and fifty wounded and killed, and some taken prisoners. We were forced to leave some behind, who were wounded. We got back to Boston about two o'clock next morning; and they that were able to walk were forced to mount guard and lie in the field. I never broke my fast for forty-eight hours, for we carried no provisions, and thought to be back next morning.

(1) See the Journal of May 1, ante page 173. Neither the address nor signature of any letter has been preserved.

I had my hat shot off my head three times, two balls through my coat, and
my bayonet carried away by my side, and near being killed. The people of
Boston are in great trouble, for General Gage will not let the town's people
Direct for me to Chatham's division of marines.
go out.

BOSTON, APRIL 30, 1775.

Before this reaches you, you may hear that our regiment has been engaged with the provincials. The grenadiers and light infantry marched about nine at night. At six next morning, four hundred and twenty-three soldiers and forty-seven marines, in all fifteen hundred, marched to reenforce the grenadiers and light infantry: we joined about one o'clock, and found them not engaged, which they had been eight hours before; for we had two pieces of cannon, which made us march very slow. As soon as we came up we fired the cannon, which brought them from behind the trees, for we did not fight as you did in Germany; for we did not see above ten in a body, for they were behind trees and walls, and fired at us, and then loaded on their bellies. We had but thirty-six rounds, which obliged us to go home that night; and as we came along, they got before us, and fired at us out of the houses, and killed and wounded a great number of us, but we levelled their houses as we came along. It was thought there were about six thousand at first, and at night double that number. The king's troops lost, in killed and wounded, one hundred and fifty, and the Americans five hundred, men, women, and children; for there was a number of women and children burnt in their houses. Our regiment had five killed and thirty-one wounded, particularly Col. Bernard in the thigh, which all the regiment is sorry for. I got a wounded man's gun, and killed two of them, as I am sure of. We have been busy in fortifying the town ever since we engaged, and in a few days we expect a good many more troops from England, and then we shall surely burn the whole country before us if they do not submit, which I do not imagine they will do, for they are an obstinate set of people. They have formed an army, and keep guard close to our works, so that our sentries can talk together at case. We were engaged from six to six. The whole country are in arms against us, and they are headed by two of the generals that headed our army last war; their names are Black and Putnam. We have a great deal of shipping, but they are of little service, only to cover the town, cannon and troops, except the small schooners that go up the creek and destroy them, which they have done, many of them. There is no market in Boston: the inhabitants are all starving: the soldiers live on salt provisions, and the officers are supplied by the men of war cutters, who go up the creeks and take live cattle and sheep wherever they find them We vex the Americans very much by cutting down their liberty poles and alarm posts. We have had a great many died in our regiment last winter, so that what with wounded men, and what have deserted, we have not three hundred men, and duty is so hard that we come off guard in the morning and mount picket at night,

BOSTON, APRIL 25, 1775.

The rebels, when we came to Concord, burnt their stores, fired upon the king's troops, and a smart engagement ensued. About two o'clock, our brigade came up to them, when we engaged, and continued fighting and retreating towards Boston. The rebels were monstrous numerous, and surrounded us on every side; when they came up we gave them a smart fire, but they never would engage us properly. We killed some hundreds and burnt some of their houses. I received a wound in my head. The troops are in Boston, and surrounded on the land side by the rebels, who are very numerous, and fully determined to lose their lives and fortunes, rather than be taxed by England. We had thirty-four killed and wounded. I suppose the king's troops, lost in all about one hundred and sixty. In case they should take Boston, the troops will retire on board the men of war, and then the men of war will burn the town, and remain till more troops come from England, and then conquer them, so their estates and lives will be forfeited. There are only four thousand soldiers, and about fifty or sixty thousand of them.

BOSTON, MAY 2, 1775.

The 19th of April the engagement happened, and my husband was wounded and taken prisoner; but they use him well, and I am striving to get to him, as he is very dangerous, but it is almost impossible to get out or in, or to get any thing, for we are forced to live on salt provisions entirely, and they are building batteries round the town, and so are we, for we are expecting them to storm us. Are expecting more troops every day. My husband is now lying in one of their hospitals, at a place called Cambridge, and there are now forty or fifty thousand of them gathered together, and we are not four thousand at most. It is a very troublesome time; for we are expecting the town to be burnt down every day, and I believe we are sold, and I hear my husband's leg is broke, and my heart is almost broken.

RAVAGES OF THE BRITISH TROOPS.

STATEMENTS OF THE LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THE INHABITANTS FROM THE RAVAGES OF THE BRITISH TROOPS, APRIL 19, 1775.

The committee appointed to estimate the damages done at Cambridge, Lexington, and Concord, by the king's troops, on the nineteenth of April, 1775, have attended that duty, and beg leave to report: