officers, and other persons whom they may think fit, in their respective towns, whether they now have, or will hereafter take, any commission under the aforesaid act. Voted, That the whole proceedings of this convention be, by the clerk, transmitted to the press, and also to the town clerks of the respective towns in this county, as soon as may be. Voted, That this convention be continued, and that the committee of Falmouth, or the major part of them, be, and hereby are empowered, on any occasion that in their opinion requires it, to notify a meeting of the delegates thereof, at such time and place as they may think proper, setting forth the occasion thereof. Voted, That the thanks of this convention be given to the Hon. Enoch Freeman, Esq., for his faithful services as chairman. SAMUEL FREEMAN, Clerk. NARRATIVES OF THE EXCURSION OF THE KING'S TROOPS, APRIL 19, 1775. IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, WATERTOWN, MAY 22, 1775. Resolved, That the following narrative of the excursion and ravages of the king's troops, under the command of General Gage, on the nineteenth of April last, together with the depositions taken by order of the Congress, to support the truth of it, be sent to the press for publication. SAMUEL FREEMAN, Secretary. A NARRATIVE OF THE EXCURSION AND RAVAGES OF THE KING'S TROOPS, UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL GAGE, ON THE NINETEENTH OF APRIL, 1775: TOGETHER WITH THE DEPOSITIONS TAKEN BY Order of CONGRESS TO SUPPORT THE TRUTH OF IT. PUBLISHED BY AUTHOrity.1 On the nineteenth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and seventyfive, a day to be remembered by all Americans of the present generation, and which ought, and doubtless will be handed down to ages yet unborn, the troops of Britain, unprovoked, shed the blood of sundry of the loyal American subjects of the British king in the field of Lexington. Early in the morning of said day, a detachment of the forces under the command of General Gage, stationed at Boston, attacked a small party of the inhabitants of Lexington and some other towns adjacent, the detachment consisting of about nine hundred men, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Smith: The inhabitants of Lexington and the other towns were about one hundred, some with and some without fire-arms, who had collected upon information that the detachment had secretly marched from Boston the preceding night, and landed on Phipps's Farm in Cambridge, and were proceeding on their way with a brisk pace towards Concord, as the inhabitants supposed, to take or destroy a quantity of stores deposited there for the use of the colony; sundry peace (1) This narrative reported by a committee of which Doct. Church was chairman, and the depositions taken by the committee of which Mr. Gerry was first named, with those subsequently collected, were printed, at Worcester, by Isaiah Thomas, in May, 1775. able inhabitants having the same night been taken, held by force, and otherwise abused on the road, by some officers of General Gage's army, which caused a just alarm, and a suspicion that some fatal design was immediately to be put in execution against them. This small party of the inhabitants were so far from being disposed to commit hostilities against the troops of their sovereign, that unless attacked, they were determined to be peaceable spectators of this extraordinary movement; immediately on the approach of Colonel Smith with the detachment under his command, they dispersed; but the detachment, seeming to thirst for blood, wantonly rushed on, and first began the hostile scene by firing on this small party, by which they killed eight men on the spot and wounded several others before any guns were fired upon the troops by our men. Not contented with this effusion of blood, as if malice had occupied their whole souls, they continued the fire, until all of this small party who escaped the dismal carnage were out of the reach of their fire. Colonel Smith, with the detachment, then proceeded to Concord, where a part of this detachment again made the first fire upon some of the inhabitants of Concord and the adjacent towns, who were collected at a bridge upon this just alarm, and killed two of them and wounded several others, before any of the provincials there had done one hostile act. Then the provincials, roused with zeal for the liberties of their country, finding life and every thing dear and valuable at stake, assumed their native valor and returned the fire, and the engagement on both sides began. Soon after, the British troops retreated towards Charlestown, having first committed violence and waste on public and private property, and on their retreat were joined by another detachment of General Gage's troops, consisting of about a thousand men, under the command of Earl Percy, who continued the retreat; the engagement lasted through the day; and many were killed and wounded on each side, though the loss on the part of the British troops far exceeded that of the provincials. The devastation committed by the British troops on their retreat, the whole of the way from Concord to Charlestown, is almost beyond description; such as plundering and burning of dwelling-houses and other buildings, driving into the street women in child-bed, killing old men in their houses unarmed. Such scenes of desolation would be a reproach to the perpetrators, even if committed by the most barbarous nations, how much more when done by Britons famed for humanity and tenderness: And all this because these colonies will not submit to the iron yoke of arbitrary power. The following depositions were taken and authenticated as soon as possible after the action, to prove and elucidate the truth of facts relative thereto. We, Solomon Brown, Jonathan Loring, and Elijah Sanderson, all of lawful age, and of Lexington, in the county of Middlesex and colony of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, do testify and declare, that on the evening of the eighteenth of April, instant, being on the road between Lexington and Concord, and all of us mounted on horses, we were, about ten of the clock, suddenly surprized by nine persons, whom we took to be regular officers, who rode up to us, mounted and armed, each holding a pistol in his hand, and after putting pistols to our breasts, and seizing the bridles of our horses, they swore, that if we stirred another step we should be all dead men, upon which we surrendered ourselves. They detained us until two o'clock the next morning, in which time they searched and greatly abused us; having first inquired about the magazine at Concord, whether any guards were posted there, and whether the bridges were up; and said four or five regiments of regulars would be in possession of the stores soon; they then brought us back to Lexington, cut the horses' bridles, and girths, turned them loose, and then left us. SOLOMON BROWN, JONATHAN LORING, ELIJAH SANDERSON. Lexington, April 25th, 1775. Middlesex, ss. April 25th, 1775. Jonathan Loring, Solomon Brown, and Elijah Sanderson, being duly cautioned to testify the whole truth, made solemn oath to the truth of the above deposition by them subscribed: before us, I, Elijah Sanderson, above named, do further testify and declare, that I was on Lexington common the morning of the nineteenth of April, aforesaid, having been dismissed by the officers above mentioned, and saw a large body of regular troops advancing towards Lexington company, many of whom were then dispersing, I heard one of the regulars, whom I took to be an officer, say, "damn them—we will have them," and immediately the regulars shouted aloud, run and fired on the Lexington company, which did not fire a gun before the regulars discharged on them; eight of the Lexington company were killed, while they were dispersing, and at a considerable distance from each other, and many wounded, and although a spectator, 1 narrowly escaped with my life. Lexington, April 25th, 1775. MIDDLESEX, SS. APRIL 25TH, 1775. ELIJAH SANDERSON. Elijah Sanderson, above named, being duly cautioned to testify the whole truth, made solemn oath to the truth of the above deposition by him subscribed: before us, 1, Thomas Rice Willard, of lawful age, do testify and declare, that being in the house of Daniel Harrington, of Lexington, on the nineteenth instant, in the morning, about half an hour before sunrise, I looked out at the window of said house and saw, as I suppose, about four hundred regulars in one body, coming up the road and marching toward the north part of the common back of the meeting-house of said Lexington: and as soon as said regulars were against the east end of the meeting-house, the commanding officer said something, what I know not: but upon that, the regulars ran till they came within about eight or nine rods of about an hundred of the militia of Lexington, who were collected on said common, at which time the militia of Lexington dispersed; then the officers made an huzza, and the private soldiers succeeded them; directly after this, an officer rode before the regulars, to the other side of the body, and hollowed after the militia of said Lexington, and said "lay down your arms-damn you-why don't you lay down your arms?" and that there was not a gun fired till the militia of Lexington were dispersed and further saith not, MIDDLESEX, Ss. APRIL 23D, 1775. THOMAS RICE WILLARD. The within named Thomas Rice Willard, personally appeared, and after due caution to testify the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, made solemn oath to the truth of the within deposition, by him subscribed: before us, WILLIAM READ, JONATHAN HASTINGS, Justices of the Peace. Lexington, 25th of April, 1775. Simon Winship, of Lexington, in the county of Middlesex, and province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, being of lawful age, testifieth and saith, that on the nineteenth of April, instant, about four o'clock in the morning, as he was passing the public road in said Lexington, peaceably and unarmed, about two miles and a half distant from the meeting-house in said Lexington, he was met by a body of the king's regular troops, and being stopped by some officers of said troops, was commanded to dismount; upon asking why he must dismount, he was obliged by force to quit his horse, and ordered to march in the midst of the body, and being examined whether he had been warning the minute men, he answered no, but had been out and was then returning to his father's. Said Winship further testifies, that he marched with said troops until he came within about half a quarter of a mile of said meeting-house, where an officer commanded the troops to halt, and then to prime and load; this being done, the said troops marched on till they came within a few rods of Capt. Parker and company, who were partly collected on the place of parade, when said Winship observed an officer at the head of said troops, flourishing his sword, and with a loud voice |