In the year 1770, the feelings of the people were aroused by an event which will ever remain prominent in the annals of the revolution, as the first instance of bloodshed that occurred between the British troops and the colonists. In the life of Mr. Hancock, we have already alluded to it, and related the zealous part he took in the subsequent proceedings of the indignant and outraged community. The participation of Mr. Adams in them was equally, perhaps still more active; and in order at once to appreciate the causes of his excitement and the propriety and justice of the subsequent measures he proposed, it may be expedient to describe somewhat more at large, the circumstances out of which they immediately arose. A large body of soldiers had been for some time quartered in Boston, and many quarrels had occurred between them and the inhabitants. It is true, the minds of the people were greatly irritated, and that some individuals were abusive in their language towards the military. But whenever examination was carefully made, it appeared, that the soldiers were the first to assault, to threaten, and to apply contemptuous epithets to the inhabitants. It might have been prudent and wise in the people, to have borne these taunts and this insolence, with more patience; waiting for relief, until an act of the British government had ordered the troops from the town. They had the spirit and the courage, however, defenceless as they were, to return the insolent language of the soldiers; and when threatened and attacked, to stand in their own defence: and, in the several rencounters which took place, were able to repel their assailants. On the twenty-second of February, a few boys appeared in one of the streets, bearing some coarse paper paintings, with the figures of the importers of British goods. They were met by a person, who was known to be an informer to the custom house officers against the citizens sus

pected of attempts to evade the laws. He endeavoured to prevail with a countryman, then passing, to destroy the pageantry. But the man declined; and he attempted himself to mutilate and deface them. This occasioned a collection of people, who were in the vicinity of the spot. The informer was very abusive in his language, and charged some of the citizens who had assembled, with perjury, and threatened to prosecute them. But they seem to have considered him too insignificant to be noticed. The boys, however, who were quite young, and who had brought the pictures into the street, followed the man to his house, and gave him some opprobrious and reproachful language, which were the only means of redress in their power, for his attack. The moment he

entered his dwelling, he seized a gun: this rather irritated than terrified the lads, and they began to pelt the house with snow balls and stones. He fired from one of the windows, and killed a boy of eleven years of age. A great excitement was produced among the people, by this unnecessary and most wanton conduct. The funeral of the lad was attended by an immense concourse of the inhabitants; and he was considered a martyr in the cause of liberty.

The soldiers, when they left their barracks and strolled about the town, frequently carried large clubs, for the purpose, no doubt, of assaulting the people, though with a pretence for their own safety. The citizens were not so imprudent or foolish, as to make an attack upon the troops, even when few in numbers, or at a distance from their quarters: for they knew that vengeance would have been executed upon them. On the second of March, two of them rudely insulted and assaulted a workman at a rope walk, not far from their barracks: being bravely resisted and beaten off, they soon made another attack, in greater numbers, probably ten or twelve. They were again overpowered by the people at the

rope walk: and a third time came, with about fifty of their fellows, to renew the assault. But they were still vanquished, and received some wounds and bruises in the affray, which they had thus wantonly provoked. They appeared yet again with large recruits, and threatened vengeance on the defenceless workmen. But the owner, or the conductor of the rope walk, met them, and prevailed on them to retire, without making the meditated assault. Perhaps, the more discreet among them were satisfied of the impropriety of their conduct, or were fearful of the consequences of another attack. On the third in the afternoon, several of the soldiers, armed with large clubs, went again to the rope walk; and after much insolent and threatening language, struck some of the workmen.

In consequence of these various quarrels, and of the violent threats of the soldiers, that they would be avenged, when, in truth, they had been the rude aggressors, the minds of the citizens became greatly alarmed; and on the fifth, so apprehensive were many, of the threatened attack from the military, that in some instances they required their children and the female part of their families to remain at home during the evening. In the early part of it, several soldiers were seen parading the streets in different parts of the town armed with heavy clubs, seeking, undoubtedly, for an opportunity to assault, if not to murder, the peaceable inhabitants. Two persons, passing in the vicinity of the barracks, were attacked and beaten, without offering any provocation; but being thus violently assailed, they stood on their defence, and gave the soldiers some blows in return. Three of the citizens, coming from the south part of the town, were also met by a number of soldiers, and rudely stopped in their walk, and menaced with violence. The soldiers, who had made an assault near the spot where the regiment was stationed, on

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being struck by the citizens whom they attacked, fled to the barracks; but soon again, with many others, sallied forth into the streets, armed with swords and cutlasses, and uttering threats of vengeance and death; pretending that their comrades had been first assaulted, when, in truth, the several attacks were first made by them on the defenceless citiThus enraged and thirsting for blood, they roamed about until they reached the street in the centre of the town, where the custom house was situated, guarded by a centinel, and on the south side of which, near the state house, a military guard was stationed, under command of captain Preston. Here, and on their way, they met different small parties of the inhabitants, who, alarmed by previous threats, and by the tumults of the evening, were abroad, to witness, as was natural, the transactions of which many were apprehensive; or to prevent, if possible, the excesses of an unfeeling soldiery. These also were assaulted, and some of them were too brave and fearless to be attacked without making resistance for self-preservation.

These events increased the alarm and apprehensions of the citizens, in this part of the town; a bell near the head of the street was rung, and many thereupon collected at this place. Nor was it strange, that some of them were so irritated as to be eager for an attack upon the sentinel; the party of soldiers before mentioned having returned to the barracks. Many of them moved down the street, on the north side, as far as the spot where he was posted. He was accosted with abusive and insolent epithets, and pelted, by some of the young and imprudent persons present, with snow balls. And if it were proper to separate this particular affair from the assaults which had been already made by the soldiers, as above related, it must be admitted as probable, that the first attack, though without design to perpetrate any deadly act,

was from the inhabitants. Yet, even in this case, which, however, seems not a just view of this murderous transaction, there was much evidence to show, that the sentinel was the first to give a blow, though he was assailed by abusive language.

The tumult which ensued induced the sentinel to send a person immediately to the guard house; who gave information, that he had been assaulted, and needed protection. Captain Preston, accompanied by eight armed soldiers, soon went from the guard house, and forced their way through the crowd of citizens to the station of the sentinel. In this rapid and forcible passing of the soldiers, several of the inhabitants were struck by them; but whether with design, it would be difficult to decide. Snow balls, and probably other matter, were again thrown by some of the citizens and directly, the word was audibly given, "fire; damn you, fire." The soldiers obeyed the rash and fatal command; and eleven of the people assembled, certainly without any design to commit excesses, even if we should allow their collecting was an imprudent act, were slain or wounded on that dreadful evening.

It is difficult to express the mingled emotions of horror and indignation excited by this fatal catastrophe. The intelligent citizens earnestly solicited the lieutenant governor, the same evening, for the immediate removal of the troops from the town. He was greatly agitated on the occasion; apprehensive, probably, of some personal attack or insult from an injured and highly indignant populace: and he requested the commanding officer of the troops to have the greatest care taken to keep them within their barracks.

On the following morning, a public meeting of the citizens of Boston was called, and Mr. Adams addressed the assembly with that impressive eloquence which was so peculiar to