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the same, but not to fire on the King's Troops unless they were first fired upon. We advanced neer said bridge, when the said troops fired upon our Militia, and killed two Men dead on the Spot and wounded several others, which was the first firing of Guns in the town of Concord. My Detachment then returned the fire which killed and wounded several of the King's Troops.

No. 18.

JAMES BARRETT.1

LEXINGTON, April 23, 1775. We, Bradbury Robinson, Samuel Spring, Thaddeus Bancroft, all of Concord; and James Adams, of Lexington, all in the County of Middlesex, all of Lawful age, do testifie and say, that on Wednesday morning last, near ten of the Clock, we saw near one Hundred of the Regular Troops, being in the Town of Concord, at the North Bridge in said Town (so called) and having passed the same, they were taking up said bridge, when about three Hundred of our Militia were advancing toward said bridge, in Order to pass said Bridge, when, without saying any thing to us, they Discharged a Number of guns on us, which killed two men Dead on the spot, and wounded several others; when we returned the fire on them, which killed two of them, and wounded several, which was the Beginning of hostilities in the Town of Concord.

BRADBURY ROBINSON,
SAMUEL SPRING,

THADDEUS BANCROFT,
JAMES ADAMS.

WORCESTER, April 26, 1775.

Hannah Bradish, of that part of Cambridge, called Menotomy, and daughter of Timothy Paine, of Worcester, in the county of Worces ter, esq. of lawful age, testifies and says, that about five o'clock on Wednesday last, afternoon, being in her bed-chamber, with her infant child, about eight days old, she was surprised by the firing of the king's troops and our people, on their return from Concord. She being weak and unable to go out of her house, in order to secure herself and family, they all retired into the kitchen, in the back part of the house. She soon found the house surrounded with the king's

1Sworn to before William Reed, Jonathan Hastings and Duncan Ingraham. A facsimile of this deposition is in Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, VI, 177.

2 Sworn to before William Reed, William Stickney and Jonathan Hastings.

troops; that upon observation made, at least seventy bullets were shot. into the front part of the house; several bullets lodged in the kitchen where she was, and one passed through an easy chair she had just gone from. The door of the front part of the house was broken open; she did not see any soldiers in the house, but supposed, by the noise, they were in the front. After the troops had gone off, she missed the following things, which, she verily believes, were taken out of the house. by the king's troops, viz: one rich brocade gown, called a negligée, one lutestring gown, one white quilt, one pair of brocade shoes, threc shifts, eight white aprons, three caps, one case of ivory knives and forks, and several other small articles.

HANNAH BRADISH.

PROVINCE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY,
Worcester, ss. April 26, 1775.

Mrs. Hannah Bradish, the above deponent, maketh oath before us, the subscribers, two of his majesty's justices of the peace, for the county of Worcester, and of the quorum, that the above deposition, according to her best recollection, is the truth. Which deposition is taken in perpetuam rei memoriam.

No. 19.

THOMAS STEEL,

TIMOTHY PAINE.1

CONCORD, April 23, 1775.

I, James Marr, of Lawful age, Testify and Say, that in the evening of the Eighteenth Instant, I Received Orders from George Hutchinson, Adjutant of the fourth Regiment of the Regular Troops Stationed at Boston, to prepare and march: to which Order I attended, and marched to Concord, where I was ordered by an officer with about one Hundred Men, to guard a certain Bridge there; while attending that service, a Number of People came along, in Order, as I suppose, to Cross said Bridge, at which Time a Number of the Regular Troops first fired upon them.

No. 20.

JAMES MARR.2

MEDFORD, April 25, 1775.

1, Edward Thoroton Gould, of his Majesty's own Regiment of Foot, being of lawful Age, do testify and declare, that on the Evening of 1 The Papers of the Continental Congress do not contain this deposition.

2 Sworn to before Duncan Ingraham and Jonas Dix.

the 18th. Instant, under the Orders of General Gage, I embarked with the Light infantry and Grenadiers of the Line, commanded by Colonel Smith, and landed on the Marshes of Cambridge, from whence we proceeded to Lexington; On our arrival at that place, we saw a Body of provincial Troops armed, to the Number of about sixty or seventy Men; on our Approach, they dispersed, and soon after firing began, but which party fired first, I cannot exactly say, as our Troops rush'd on shouting, and huzzaing, previous to the firing, which was continued by our Troops, so long as any of the provincials were to be seen. From thence we marched to Concord. On a Hill near the Entrance of the Town, we saw another Body of provincials assembled; the light Infantry Companies were ordered up the Hill to disperse them; on our approach, they retreated towards Concord; the Grenadiers continued the Road under the Hill towards the Town. Six Companies of light Infantry were ordered down to take possession of the Bridge, which the provincials retreated over; the Company I commanded was one: three Companies of the above Detachment went forwards about Two Miles; in the mean Time, the provincial Troops returned, to the number of about three or four hundred: We drew up on the Concord side [of] the Bridge, the provincials came down upon us, upon which we engaged and gave the first Fire; This was the first Engagement after the one at Lexington; a continued firing from both parties lasted thro' the whole Day; I myself was wounded at the Attack of the Bridge, and am now treated with the greatest Humanity, and taken all possible Care of by the provincials at Medford.

EDWARD THOROTON GOULD,

Lieut. King's own Regiment.

PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY,

Middlesex County, April 25, 1775.

Lieut. Edward Thoroton Gould, aforenamed, personally made Oath to the Truth of the foregoing Declaration by him subscribed, before us.

THAD. MASON,
JOSIAH JOHNSON,
SIMON TUFTS,

Justices of the peace, for the County aforesaid, quorum unus.

Province of Massachusetts-Bay, Charlestown, ss.

I, Nathaniel Gorham, Notary and tabellion Publick, by lawful Authority duly admitted and sworn, hereby certify, to all whom it

doth or may concern, That Thadeus Mason, Josiah Johnson, and Simon Tufts, Esqrs. are three of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace (quorum unus) for the County of Middlesex; and that full faith and Credit is, and ought to be given to their Transactions, as such, both in Court and Out. In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my name and seal, this twenty-sixth day of April, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and seventy five.

NATHANIEL GORHAM, Notary Public. (L. S.)

IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, WATERTOWN, April 26th, 1775.

To the Inhabitants of Great Britain.

FRIENDS AND FELLOW SUBJECTS, Hostilities are at length commenced in this Colony by the Troops under the Command of General Gage, and It being of the greatest Importance, that an early, true, and authentic Account of this inhuman proceeding should be known to you, the Congress of this Colony have transmitted the same, and from Want of a Session of the hon continental Congress, think it proper to address you on this alarming Occasion.

By the clearest Depositions, relative to this Transaction, It will appear that, on the Night preceding the nineteenth of April instant, a Body of the King's Troops, under the Command of Colonel Smith, were secretly landed at Cambridge, with an apparent Design to take or destroy the military and other stores, provided for the Defence of this Colony, and deposited at Concord: that some Inhabitants of the Colony, on the Night aforesaid, whilst travelling peaceably on the Road between Boston and Concord, were seized and greatly abused by armed Men, who appeared to be Officers of General Gage's army: that the Town of Lexington, by these Means, was alarmed, and a Company of the Inhabitants mustered on the Occasion: that the regular Troops, on their Way to Concord, marched into the said Town of Lexington, and the said Company, on their Approach, began to disperse: that, notwithstanding this, the Regulars rushed on with great Violence; and first began Hostilities, by firing on said Lexington Company, whereby they killed eight and wounded several others: that the regulars continued their Fire, untill those of said Company, who were neither

killed nor wounded, had made their Escape: that Col: Smith, with the Detachment, then marched to Concord, where a Number of provincials were again fired on by the Troops, two of them killed and several wounded, before the provincials fired on them: and that these hostile Measures of the Troops, produced an Engagement that lasted thro' the Day, in which many of the provincials, and more of the regular Troops, were killed and wounded.

To give a particular Account of the Ravages of the Troops, as they retreated from Concord to Charlestown, would be very difficult, if not impracticable. Let it suffice to say, that a great Number of the Houses on the road were plundered, and rendered unfit for Use; several were burnt; Women in child bed were driven, by the Soldiery, naked into the Streets: old Men, peaceably in their Houses, were shot dead; and such Scenes exhibited as would disgrace the annals of the most uncivilized Nation.

These, Brethren, are Marks of ministerial Vengeance against this Colony, for refusing, with her Sister Colonies, a Submission to Slavery: but they have not yet detached us from our royal Sovereign. We profess to be his loyal and dutiful Subjects, and so hardly dealt with as we have been, are still ready, with our Lives and Fortunes, to defend his person, Family, Crown, and Dignity. Nevertheless, to the persecution and Tyranny of his cruel Ministry, we will not tamely submit. Appealing to Heaven for the Justice of our Cause, we determine to die or be free.

We cannot think that the Honour, Wisdom, and Valour of Britons, will suffer them to be longer inactive Spectators of Measures, in which they themselves are so deeply interested: Measures pursued in Opposition to the solemn protests of many noble Lords, and [the] express'd sense of conspicuous Commoners, whose Knowledge and Virtue have long characterized them as some of the greatest Men in the Nation: Measures executing contrary to the Interest, Petitions and Resolves of many large, respectable and opulent Counties, Cities and Boroughs in Great Britain: Measures highly incompatible with Justice, but still pursued with a specious pretence of easing the Nation of its Burthens: Measures which, if successful, must end in the ruin and Slavery of Britain, as well as the persecuted American Colonies.

We sincerely hope, that the great Sovereign of the Universe, who hath so often appeared for the english Nation, will support you in

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