and put their wounded thereon; others of them, to their eternal disgrace be it spoken, were robbing and setting houses on fire, and discharging their cannon at the meeting-house. Whilst they were thus employed, a number of our people attacked a party of twelve of the enemy, (carrying stores and provisions to the Troops,) killed one of them, and took possession of their arms, stores, provisions, &c., without any loss on our side. The enemy having halted about an hour at Lexington, found it necessary to make a second retreat, carrying with them many of their dead and wounded. They continued their retreat from Lexington to Charlestown with great precipitation; our people continued the pursuit,* firing till they got to Charlestown Neck, (which they reached a little after sunset,) over which the enemy passed, proceeded up Bunker’s Hill, and the next day went into Boston under the protection of the Somerset Man-of-War of sixty-four guns.

A young man, unarmed, who was taken prisoner by the enemy, and made to assist in carrying off their wounded, says that he saw a barber who lives in Boston, thought to be one Warden, with the Troops, and that he heard them say he was one of their pilots. He likewise saw the said barber fire twice upon our people, and heard Earl Percy order the Troops to fire the houses. He also informs that several officers were among the wounded who were carried to Boston, where our informant was dismissed. They took two of our men prisoners in battle, who are now confined in barracks.

Immediately upon the return of the Troops to Boston, all communication to and from the Town was stopped by General Gage. The Provincials, who flew to the assistance of their distressed countrymen, are posted in Cambridge, Charlestown, Roxbury, Watertown, &c., and have placed guards on Roxbury Neck, within gun-shot of the enemy; guards are also placed every where in view of the Town, to observe the motion of the King’s Troops. The council of war, and the different Committees of Safety and Supplies set at Cambridge, and the Provincial Congress at Watertown. The Troops in Boston are fortifying the place on all sides, and a Frigate-of-War is stationed up Cambridge River, and a sixty-four gun Ship between Boston and Charlestown.

Deacon Joseph Loring’s house and barn, Mrs. Mullikin’s house and shop, and Mr. Joshua Bond’s house and shop in Lexington, were all consumed. They also set fire to several other houses, but our people extinguished the flames. They pillaged almost every house they passed by, breaking and destroying doors, windows, glasses, &c., and carrying off clothing and other valuable effects. It appeared to be their design to burn and destroy all before them; and nothing but our vigorous pursuit prevented their infernal purposes from being put in execution. But the savage barbarity exercised upon the bodies of our unfortunate brethren who fell, is almost incredible. Not content with shooting down the unarmed, aged, and infirm, they disregarded the cries of the wounded, killing them without mercy, and mangling their bodies in the most shocking manner.

We have the pleasure to say that, notwithstanding the highest provocations given by the enemy, not one instance of cruelty, that we have heard of, was committed by our Militia; but listening to the merciful dictates of the Christian religion, they “breathed higher sentiments of humanity.”

EXTRACTS FROM SEVERAL INTERCEPTED LETTERS OF THE SOLDIERY IN BOSTON.

Boston, April 28, 1775.

I am well, all but the wound I received through the leg by a ball from one of the Bostonians. At the time I wrote to you from Quebeck I had the strongest assurance of going home, but the laying the tax on the New-England people caused us to be ordered for Boston, where we remained in peace with the inhabitants, till on the night of the 18th of April twenty-one companies of Grenadiers and Light-Infantry were ordered into the country about eighteen miles, where, between four and five o'clock in the morning, we met an incredible number of people of the country in arms against us. Colonel Smith, of the Tenth Regiment, ordered us to rush on them with our bayonets fixed, at which time some of the peasants fired on us, and our men returning the fire, the engagement begun. They did not fight us like a regular army, only like savages, behind trees and stone walls, and out of the woods and houses, where in the latter, we killed numbers of them, as well as in the woods and fields. The engagement began between four and five in the morning, and lasted till eight at night. I cannot be sure when you will get another letter from me, as this extensive Continent is all in arms against us. These people are very numerous, and full as bad as the Indians for scalping and cutting the dead men’s ears and noses off, and those they get alive, that are wounded, and cannot get off the ground.

Boston, April 28, 1775.

The Grenadiers and Light-Infantry marched for Concord, where were powder and ball, arms, and cannon mounted on carriages; but before we could destroy them all, we were fired on by the country people, who, not brought up in our military way, as ourselves, we were surrounded always in the woods. The firing was very hot on both sides. About two in the afternoon the Second Brigade came up, which were four Regiments and part of the Artillery, which were of no use to us, as the enemy were in the woods; and when we found they fired from the houses, we set them on fire, and they ran to the woods like devils. We were obliged to retreat to Boston again, over Charles River, our ammunition being all fired away. We had one hundred and fifty men wounded and killed, and some taken prisoners; we were forced to leave some behind, who were wounded. We got back to Boston about three o’clock next morning, and them that were able to walk were forced to mount guard, and lie in the field. I never broke my fast for forty-eight hours, for we carried no provisions, and thought to be back next morning. I had my hat shot off my head three times, two balls went through my coat, and carried away my bayonet by my side, and was near being killed. The people of Boston are in great trouble, for General Gage will not let the Town’s people go out. Direct for me to Chatham’s division of Marines.

Boston, April 30, 1775.

DEAR PARENTS: Before this reaches you, you may hear that our regiment has been engaged with the Provincials. The Grenadiers and Light-Infantry marched about nine at night. At six next morning four hundred and twenty-three soldiers, and forty-seven marines, in all fifteen hundred, marched to reinforce the Grenadiers and Light-Infantry, joined about one o'clock, and found them not engaged, which they had been eight hours before; for we had two pieces of cannon, which made us march slow. As soon as we came up we fired the cannon, which brought them from behind the trees, for we did not fight as you did in Germany, as we could not see above ten in a body, for they were behind trees and walls, and fired at us, and then loaded on their bellies. We had thirty-six rounds, which obliged us to go home that night, and as we came along they got before us and fired at us out of the houses, and killed and wounded a great many of us, but we levelled their houses as we came along. It was thought there were about six thousand at first, and at night double that number. The King’s Troops lost in killed and wounded one hundred and fifty, and the Americans five hundred men, women, and children, for there was a number of women and children burnt in their houses. Our regiment has five killed and thirty-one wounded, particularly Colonel Bernard in the thigh, which all the regiment is sorry for. The shot flew thick. I got a wounded man’s gun, and killed two of them, as I am sure of. We have been busy in fortifying the Town ever since we engaged, and in

* An American Soldier, who had received a wound in his breast in pursuing General Gage’s Troops, on the 19th of April, supported his body against a tree. A brother Soldier came up to him, and offered him assistance. “Pursue the enemy,” said the wounded man. With these words on his lips, he fell back and died.

A gentleman who travelled lately through Connecticut, informs us that he met with an old gentlewoman, who told him that she had fitted out and sent five sons and eleven grandsons to Boston, when she heard of the engagement between the Provincials and Regulars. The gentleman asked her, if she did not shed a tear at parting with them? “No, (said she,) I never parted with them with more pleasure.” But suppose, said the gentleman, they had all been killed. “I had rather (said the noble matron) this had been the case, than that one of them had come back a coward.”

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