| Citation |
BNL.770.053
21 Jun 1770:11 (3480 Extraordinary)
Case of Capt. Thomas Preston of the 29th Regiment. . . [2
1/2 column narrative of Boston massacre of 5th March 1770.
Near beginning] On Monday night about eight o'clock two
soldiers were attacked and beat. But the party of the
townspeople, in order to carry matters to the utmost length,
broke into two meeting-houses, and rang the alarm bells,
which I supposed was for fire as usual, but was soon
undeceived. About nine some of the guards came to and
informed me, the town-inhabitants were assembling to attack
the troops, and that the bells were ringing as the signal
for that purpose, and not for fire, and the beacon intended
to be fired to bring in the distant people of the country. .
.
[near bottom of second column] There was the constant cry of
the inhabitants, "to arms, to arms," --turn out with your
guns," and the town drums beating to arms. I ordered my
drum to beat to arms, and being soon after joined by the
different companies of the 29th Regiment, I formed them as
the Guard into street firings. . .
|