The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1775-05-29 00:00:00, page 2

they "fired on us, and they continued firing until we
had all made our escape.
Signed by each of the above Depofers.
Y John Bateman, belonging to the §zd regiment,
''commanded by Col. Jones, on Wednesday morn
ing, on 19th day of April instant, was in the party
marching to Concord, being at Lexington, in the
county of Middlesex, being nigh the meeting house
in said Lexington, there was a small party of men
gathered togetner in that place,when our laid troops
marched by. and I tettify and declare, that I heard
the word of command given to the troops to fire, and
some of the Gid troops did fire, and I saw one of laid
small party lie dead on the ground nigh said meet
ing house; and I teftify that I never heard any of
the inhabitants so much as fire one gun on said
CTGOP3. JOHN BATEMAN.
Lexington, April 23, 1775.
I James Marr, of lawful age, teftify ana fay, that
in the evening of the 18th instant, I received orders
from George Hatchinfon, Adjutant of the fourth
regiment of regular troops, stationed at Bolton, to
prepare and march, to which order I attended, and
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 people came along as I fuppole to cross the
bridge; at which time a number of the regular
troops firft fired upon them. fames Marr.
I Edward Thoroton Gould, of his Majesty's own
regiment of foot, being of lawful age, do teliify and
declare, that on the evening of the 18th instant, un
der orders from Gen. Gage, I embarked with the
lioht infantry and grenadiers of the line, command
ed by Col. Smith, and landed on the marshes of
Cambridge, from whence we proceeded to Lexing
ton ; and on our arrival at that place, we saw a body
of provincial troops armed to the number of about
sixty 0 seventy men, on our approach they dispersed
and soon after firing began, but which party fired
firft I cannot exactly fay, as our troops Tushed on
Touting, 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 march
ed to Concord,on a hill near the entrance of the town,
we saw another body of the provincials assembled ;
the light infantry companies were ordered up the
hill, to disperse them ; on our approach, they re
treated towards Concord ; the grenadiers continued
the road under the hill towards the town ; fix com
panies of light infantry were ordered down to take
possession of the bridge which the provincials retreat
ed over; the company I commanded was one, three
companies of the above deteachment went forward
about two miles, in the mean time the provincial
troops returned to the number ofabout three or four
hundred, we drew up on the Concord fide of the
bridge, the proviricials came down upon us, upon
which we engaged and gave the firtt fire. This was
the firft engagement after the one at Lexington, a
continued fire from both parties lasted through the
whole day ; I myfelf 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,
Medford, Lieut. King's own Regt.
April 25, 1775.
All the above are sworn to before Justices of the
Peace, and duly attested by Notaries Public.
H nnah Budilli ot mat part t Cambridge, call
ed Meriototny, and daughter of Timothy Paine,
Of Vorcelter,in the county of vVorcefter,Efq; of law
ful age, tetbfies and fays, That about five 0 clock on
Wedneiday iait, afternoon being in her bed cham
ber, with her infant child, about 8 days old, she was
fu prz Iby the firing of the King's troops and our
p >ple. on t :eir return fom Conco d. She being
wck 1114 un ^e to go out of her house, in order to
ficare herferi and family, they all retired into the
'kitchen, in the back part of the house. She soon
found trie house surrounded with the King's troops;
that upon observation made, at least leventy bullets
were shot into the front part of the house ; several
bullets were lodged in the kitchen where the was, &
one puffed thro' aneafy chair the had just gone from.
The door of the front part of the house was broke
open ; she did riot fee any soldiers in the house, but
supposed by the rioife, they were in the front part.
After the troops had gone off, we miffed the follow
ing things, which; she verily believes were taken out
of the house by the K-irig's Troops, viz. one rich
brocade gown,called a negligee,one luteftring gown,
one white quilt, one pair of brocade shoes, th ee
fhifrs, eight white aprons, three caps, One case ivory
knives and forks, and several other small articles.
HANNAH BRADISH.
Worceffer; April 26, 1775.
Province of the Massachusetts Bay.
Worcester, ff. April 26 1775.
Mrs. Hannah Bradifh, the above deponent, mak
eth, oath before us, tl^ subscribers, two of hrs Ma
jefty's Justices of the Peace for the county cf V* or
ceiier, and of the quorum,t hat the above deposition,
according to her belt recollection, is the truth.
Which deposition is taken in perpetuate reimemo
rium.
The following is a copy of a paper found among those
of the late fofah Quincy, Esq; delivered him, fgned by
an intimate acquaintance of mine, an eminent merchant in
London. William Gordon.
Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, May 6, 1775.
THE Quebec bill recalls to my mind some consi
derations, which lead me to think that it is
fraught with infinitely more mifehief to Britain and
America, than most of its oppofers are aware of, and
that the planners and promoters of this bill will in
the end be found to have advanced the interest of
France, to the deftruftion of that of Britain, in a
much more eminent degere than has hitherto been
done by the very worst Minister that ever lived.
The late Thomas Hollis, Esq; (well known in
America, on account of his many liberal benefacti
ons) gave the following account himfelf to a gentle
man from whom I had it, viz. that the said 1 homas
Hollis had always the worst opinion of Lord Bute's
principles, and believing him to have no attachment
either to George the third or his family, did, when
the last peace (that of Paris) was negociating, at his
own expence, fend abroad a gentleman, wnofe sole
business it was to watch every motion, and difeover
every secret relating to this peace. The gentleman
thus sent by Mr. Hollis so far succeeded, as to dif
eover that there were four secret articles, and Mr.
Hollis enumerated the lour following articles to my
friend, and he to me, very soon after the peace, and
long before any one of them was ever talked of be
ing carried into execution.
The secret articles were these:
I. That a Popilh Bdhop was to be fixed by the
King in Canada.
IL That the Popilh religion was to be established
there..
111. That the bounds cf Canada were to be fixed.
IV. That Canada, when thus fixed, was to be
given back to the French.
Now, Sir, when this account was firft related to
me, as it was long before any thing of this kind was
agitated, I own I did not believe it possible, that Bute
could be bold enough to make such an infamous
treaty, and therefore was at a loss how to controvert
an authority so good,.or dispute an evidence which
was so circumflantial ; but I own, as I have now
lived to fee three of these secret articles executed, I
firmly believe that the fourth will be as ftridly ob
served, and that Canada restored to the French, thus
fixed and improved, will enable France to distress
our colonies, and in the end give a mortal flab to the
trade, the liberty and glory ofßritain. When I fee
either King, Ministers or people, plan, execute, or
acquiefee in measures so evidently ruinous to their
own true interest, I am at a loss to difeover what are
the leading principles oh which such infatuation is
founded. No sagacity can suggest any adequate
motives.
N. B. When Lord Bute was at Venice, he at
tended mass constantly, in a public manner.
CAMBRIDGE May 25.
Last Sabbath abont 10 o'clock A. M. an express
arrived at General Thomas's quarters at Roxbury,
informing him that four sloops (two of them armed)
were failed from Boften, to the south shore of the
bay, and that a number of soldiers were landing at
Weymouth. Gen. Thomas ordered three compa
nies to march to the support of the inhabitants.
When arrived, they found the soldiers had not at
tempted to land at Weymouth; but had landed on
Grape Island, from whence they were carrying off
hay on board the sloops. The people 6f Weymouth
assembled on a point of land next to Grape Island;
the distance from Weymouth shore to said island,
was too great for small arms to do execution ; ne
vertheless, our people frequently fired. The fire
was returned from one of the vessels with swivel
guns, but the shot passed over our heads, and did
no mifehief. Matters continued in this state for se
veral hours, the soldiers polling the hay down to
the waterside, ©ur people firing at the vessel, and
they now and then difeharging swivel guns. The
tide was now come in, and several lighters which
were aground, were got afloat, upon which our
people, who were ardent for battle, got on board,
hoisted fail, and bore diredly down upon the near
est point of the island. The soldiers and sailors im
mediately left the barn, and made for their boats,
and put off from one end of the island, whilst our
people landed on the other. The sloops hoisted
fail with all possible expedition, whilst our people
set fire to the barn, and burnt 70 or 80 tons of hay,
then fired several tons which had been polled down
to the water-fide, and brought off the cattle.
As the vessels passed Horse-Neck, a fortofpromon
CAMBRIDGE.
Thomas Steel,
Timothy Paine.
tory which friends from GermOTMtown, they fired
their swivels and small aims at our people pretty
briskly but without effed, though one of the bullets
from their small arms, which passed over our peo
ple, struck against a done with such force, as to
take off.a large part of the bullet. Whether any of
the enemy were wounded, is uncertan, though it
is reported three of them were. It is thought they
did not carry off more than one or two tons of hay.
C A M B R I. D,G E May 2 6.
LaftSunday, 3 or 4 schooners and sloops with se
veral boats, were sent from Boston to Leverett's
Island near Weymouth, about 10 or 12 miles be
low Boston, in order to get a quantity of hay and
cattle---they arrived at low water, which gave the
people time to colled, who wounded three of the
enemy, and drove them off. They had got a ton
and a half of hay on board-feme more they had
collected near the water, was burnt by the peo
ple.
We hear Gen. Gage blamed the Admiral for
fending vessels that were so small on this enterprize.
Lieut. Gold, who was taken by the Provincials,
in the engagement of the 19th ult. was a few days
since exchanged for an old man named Breed, who
has a large family—he was taken by the Regulars
in the fame engagement. Lieut. Gold, has a for
tune,of £. 1900 per annum. 'Lis said, when firft:
taken, that re offered 2oco pounds for his ranfem.
We learn, that the regular officers in Boston of
Gen. Putnam's acquaintance, have freqently of late
sent to him, begging for frefh provisions, which
the humane General has as often sent them, with
out pay.'
Two Regular soldiers were blbwn up at the fire
in Boston, and killed.---It seems Gen. Gage had
some time before taken possession cf the engines,
and appointed new officers over them; who were un
fkillful—tbis, (together with the time spent in
procuring a permit from the General) occasioned
the file's getting to so great a head.
We learn that there was a confidetable quantity
ofEnglilh goods, donation flour, &c. destroyed.---
During the fire, the soldiers wives, &c. were hufly
employed in thieving.
Extract of a letter from the Camp at Cambridge, dated
Ma, 18, 1775.
" VJ E hear from Hallifax, that the people have
at last, Ihewn they have spirits---It seems
the agents for procuring forage for the expected re
giment of Dragoons had taken without the consent
of the owner, and ; were shipping for Bollen a great
quantity of hay, on which the people set fire to,
and wholly destroyed it; and whqn that work was
finifhed, they attempted the like by the King's
magazines, which they several times filed, but
they were extinguished by the people from the fllips
of war lying there, who made a brilk file on the
people, and prevented them from effecting their
design. The fugitives from Boston are gone for
Hallifax, but the people fay, no d—d tories shall
be allowed to breath in their air, so that these poor
d---Is can't find a resting place theie, which was the
only place on the Continent that they even dared to
fiope they might flay in.
1 66 The plan of continually harraffng the troops
in Boston, is still continued; last Satuiday all the
men off duty in this camp, about 2500 marched to
Charleftown, down to the fe^ry-ways; ^nd then
countermarched, and came back again, being with
in a shore mufquet shot of the S< nierfet, which lays
in the ferry-way—and in fir shot of several of their
batteries; they all turned out in town, were a
mazed at their numbers, fivore there were at leaf!
10 000 men, and some said 15,000, so much did
their fear magnify our numbers-- they swore we
were impudent fellows, and that it was a damned
insult on them : When on the Ferry way, one of cur
Men, a Paddy, hail'd the Ship with.-.^t doyou
think of the Congrtfs new ? At the fame Time the
Troops at Roxbury, about igeo of them, marched
down to Dorchefler Neck, and paraded round there,
and about 400 from here made their Appeaiance on
Lechmere's harm, that they were qnaer the most
fearful Apprehensions for their own Safety--- they
were the more furprized because told, that the Army
had all broke up and gone home, but they found
the Tories had deceived them in that, as in every
Thing else-
We mentioned in one of our late Papers, that aNyre
ber of Governor Hutchinson's Letters were pro
videntially in the hands of the People : The fol
lowing is said to be a Copy of one of them, dated
at Boston July 20, 1775, wrote to Gen. Gage,
then at New-Yoik.
" IT appears to me to be Matter of GREAT
IMPORTANCE to his Majesty's general Service,
and to the real interest of the Colonies, that the DIS
CORD beginning betweerNew-York and us ihould
be ENCOURAGED : I wrote sometime ago to
Mr. Colden upon this Subjea, but he rather de
clined concerning himfelf in it ; he certainly has a
strange Aversion which nothing but the confedera
cy against Great-Britain could have conquered ; thia