Old Boston Days & Ways. Mary Caroline Crawford
of us?' A certain Reverend Doctor of the Establish'd Church in this town has lately said that he would rather wade up to his knees in blood, than that the Ministry should give way. Thursday was observed here as a general fast. An officer, with men from the 4th Regiment in Barracks at West Boston, erected a couple of tents just at the back of Howard's meeting and conducted a parcell of fifes and drums there, which played and beat Yanky Doodle the whole forenoon service time, to the great interruption of the congregation.
They intended to repeat the same in the afternoon but were prevented by orders from the General. The officers behave more like a parcell of children, of late, than men. Captain of the Royal Irish first exposed himself by behaving in a very scandalous manner at the South meeting, while Dr. Warren was delivering the oration in commemoration of the Massacre. He got pretty decently frightened for it. A woman, among the rest, attacked him, and threatened to wring his nose! . . .
"Monday morning, Our provincial congress is to meet next month at Concord, when, I am told, there is to [be] an army of observation encamped consisting of twenty thousand men.
Am also informed that the congress have expended near a million in our Old tenor for ammunition and provisions. This I know, that they have had upwards of fifty ton of shot, shell &c cast besides an innumerable number of Musket balls. Have seen twenty load covered with dung to go out of town myself, but lately all carts have been searched by the Guards, and unluckily, last Saturday evening a load of cartridges were seized packed in candle boxes, consisting of 13500 besides 4 boxes balls. The countryman struggled hard before he would deliver 'em and received two or three bad wounds. The same evening eight or nine officers paraded the streets and abused every person they met, but finally met with their matches and were all made to lay level with the ground. — and yesterday four Sergeants and as many men were sent to insult John Hancock, under pretence of seeing if his stables would do for barracks. He went directly to the General who ordered a party there, but they were gone. The General told him if he was any ways insulted again to write a billet and send it by a servant, and he would immediately redress him — but it seems the officers and soldiers are a good deal disaffected towards the Governor, thinking, I suppose, that he is partial to the inhabitants; many of the latter have made no scruples to call him an Old Woman." (Gage had married an American and his officers inclined to a feeling that his wife influenced her husband in favor of the rebels. For years, indeed, it has been thought that it was through Mrs. Gage that the plans of the British on the night of April 18, became known; but, in our next chapter, we shall have something to advance which may, perhaps, be held to exonerate that lady.) The affair of April 19 is now at hand. Before leaving the letters of John Andrews, let us follow the story of that encounter as he tells it. On the very day after the skirmish he writes: "... Last Saturday p. m. orders were sent to the several regiments quartered here not to let their Grenadiers or light Infantry do any duty till further orders, upon which the inhabitants conjectured that some secret expedition was on foot and being on the look out, they observed those bodies upon the move the evening before last, observing a perfect silence in the march towards a point opposite Phip's farm, where [boats ?] were in waiting that conveyed 'em over. The men appointed to alarm the country upon such occasions got over by stealth as early as they [could] and took their different routs.
"The first advice we had was about eight o'clock in the morning when it was reported that the troops had fired upon and killed five men in Lexington — previous to which an officer came express to his Excellency Governor Gage, when between eight and nine o'clock a brigade marched out under the command of Earl Piercy, consisting of the Marines, the Welch fusiliers, the 4th Regiment, the 47th and two field pieces. About twelve o'clock it was gave out by the General's Aide camps that no person was killed and that a single gun had not been fired, which report was variously believed — but between one and two certain accounts came that eight were killed outright and fourteen wounded of the inhabitants of Lexington — who had about forty men drawn out early in the morning near the meeting house to exercise.
The party of the Light Infantry and Grenadiers, to the number of about eight hundred, came up to them and ordered them to disperse. The commander of them reply'd that they were only innocently amusing themselves with exercise, that they had not any ammunition with 'em and therefore should not molest or disturb them, which answer not satisfying, the troops fired upon and killed three or four, the other took to their heels and the troops continued to fire. A few took refuge in the meeting, when the soldiers shoved up the Windows and pointed their Guns in and killed three there. Thus much is best account I can learn of this fatal day." And not too near the truth is it, John Andrews! However, let us read the rest of the report: "You must naturally suppose that such a piece would rouse the country (allowed the report to be true). The troops continued their march to Concord, entered the town, and refreshed themselves in the meeting and town house. In the latter place they found some ammunition and stores belonging to the country, which they found they could not bring away by reason that the country people had occupied all the posts around them. They therefore set fire to the house, which the people extinguished. They set fire a second time, which brought on a general engagement at about eleven o'clock. The troops took two pieces of cannon from the peasants, but their numbers increasing they soon regained 'em and the troops were obliged to retreat towards town.
About noon they were joined by the other brigade under Earl Piercy, when another very warm engagement came on at Lexington, which the troops could not stand; therefore were obliged to continue their retreat which they did with the bravery becoming British soldiers — but the country were in a manner desperate, not regarding their cannon [any more] in the least, and followed 'em until seven in the evening by which time they got into Charlestown, when they left off the pursuit lest they might injure the inhabitants. I stood up on the hills in town and saw the engagement very plain. It was very bloody for seven hours. Its conjectured that one half the soldiers at least are killed. The last brigade was sent over the ferry in the evening to secure their retreat — where they are this morning entrenching themselves upon Bunker's Hill [to] get a safe retreat to this town. Its impossible to learn any particulars as the communication between town and country is at present broke off. They were till ten o'clock last night bringing over the wounded several of which are since [dead], two officers in particular. When I reflect and consider that the fight was between those whose parents but a few generations ago were brothers I shudder at the thought and there's no knowing where our calamities will end."
Andrews is now worried about his personal safety, too. On April 24, he writes: "Yesterday, though Sunday, we had town meetings all day, and finally concluded to deliver up all our arms to the Selectmen, on condition that the Governor would open the avenues to the town, which is to be comply'd with tomorrow, when if I escape with the skin of my teeth shall be glad, as I don't expect to take more than a change of apparell with me. Sam. and his wife with myself and Ruthy intend for Nova Scotia."
Yet on May 6 he wrote: "You'll observe by this that I'm yet in Boston and here like to remain. Three of us chartered a vessel a fortnight since to convey us to Halifax . . . but the absolute refusal of the Governor to suffer any merchandize to be carried out of the town has determined me to stay and take care of my effects. . . . Near half the inhabitants have left the town already and another quarter at least have been waiting for a week past with earnest expectation of getting papers, which have been dealt out very sparingly of late, not above two or three procured of a day and those with greatest difficulty. Its a fortnight since the communication between town and country was stopped. Of consequence our eyes have not been blessed with either vegetables or fresh provisions. P. S. You can have no conception, Bill, of the distresses the people in general are involved in. You'll see parents that are lucky enough to procure papers, with bundles in one hand a string of children in the other wandering out of town . . . not knowing whither they'll go. . . . Your uncle and aunt are very desirous for us to [go to London with them] but my finances wont at present admit of it, as my whole interest, saving outstanding debts, is in town and cant be removed. . . . No person who leaves the town is allowed to return again." So John Andrews stayed on in Boston and took care of his property. During the siege he suffered a good deal from the lack of those "fresh vegetables" to which his letters so frequently have referred, but he managed to live through this deprivation and was able to enjoy an excellent meal, with General Washington as his guest at his School Street home soon after the evacuation. In 1785 Mr. Andrews was elected a selectman of Boston, and continued