The Writings of Samuel Adams Volume II Part 5

This Kilroi's bayonet was prov'd to be the next morning b.l.o.o.d.y five inches from the point. It was said to be possible that this might be occa.s.sion'd by the bayonet's falling into the human blood, which ran plentifully in the street, for one of their bayonets was seen to fall.

It is possible, I own; but much more likely that this very bayonet was stab'd into the head of poor Gray after he was shot, and that this may account for its being b.l.o.o.d.y five inches from the point--Such an instance of Savage barbarity there undoubtedly was.--It was sworn before the Magistrate who first examined into this cruel tragedy, though the witness who then swore it, being out of this province, could not be produced in Court upon the trial. It is not to be wonder'd at that any material witness was out of the way, when it is consider'd that the trial did not come on till the secord term, and nine months after the facts were committed. I shall continue the subject at my leisure.

VINDEX.

Dec. 11th.

ARTICLE SIGNED "VINDEX."

[Boston Gazette, December 24, 1770.]

To the Printers.

In the late trials of Preston and the Soldiers, it was observ'd that the Court constantly from day to day adjourn'd at noon and at sun-set --Our enemies, who are fruitful in their inventions, may possibly from hence take occasion to represent that it was dangerous for the Court to sit in the tumultuous town of Boston after dark. At the first view it may perhaps bear this complexion in the eye of a prejudiced stranger; for such adjournments in capital causes it may be were never before known here: But the representation would be without the least foundation in truth. It is possible that among other reasons this might be one, that the judges are all of them, to use the words of a good old Patriarch, well stricken in years, and one of them labours under infirmities of Body. I have another observation to make on this occasion, but I reserve it till a future opportunity.

I have already said that the Soldiers in coming down from the main- guard to the custom-house behaved with an haughty air--that they abused the people as they pa.s.s'd along--pushing them with their bayonets--and d.a.m.ning them; and when they had got to their post, they in like manner abused and struck innocent persons there who offer'd them no injury--and all this was even before they form'd, in doing which it does not appear to be danger to them or any one else. These facts, I think were prov'd, if we may believe persons of good credit, who declared them upon their oaths in Court:--And that they came down under a pretence of suppressing a riot, without a civil magistrate or peace officer, which ought always to be remembered, no one will dispute.

There was indeed a sort of evidence bro't into Court, which, if it is at all to be rely'd upon, may serve to invalidate in some measure what has been said--namely the declaration of one of the deceas'd persons, as it was related by a gentleman who dress'd his wounds, and to whom he is said to have declared it. This man, as the doctor testified, told him among many other things, that he saw some Soldiers pa.s.sing from the main-guard to the custom-house and the people pelted them as they went along. But whether these Soldiers were Preston and his party; or other Soldiers who are mention'd by another witness, as going from the main-guards towards the Centry, having short coats and arm'd with bayonets, swords or sticks, and one of them with a pair of kitchen tongs, chasing the people as they went, must remain an uncertainty--If he meant the former, it is somewhat strange that among all the witnesses on both sides, no one saw the people pelting them as they went along but he. This man confess'd to the doctor that he was a fool to be there--was surprized at the forbearance of the soldiers; believed that they fired in their own defence & freely forgave the man that shot him. But it is to be observed, he did not declare this under oath nor before a magistrate: It was however the dying speech,--very affecting and all, true no doubt; altho' no one knew the character of this believing penitent either in point of veracity or judgment.--By the testimony of his land-lady in Court, one would not form the best opinion of him; but de mortuis nil nisi bonum.

There were others ready to be sworn, if the Council for the crown had thought it worth while to have bro't them forward, that they also could relate what this man had told them, viz. that his doctors had encouraged him that he would soon recover of his wounds, and he hoped to live to be a swift witness against the soldiers--Great stress was laid by some upon the simple declaration of this man, who in all probability died in the faith of a roman catholick. This, however, I am apt to think, will not disparage his declaration in the opinion of some great men at home, even tho' he did not make his confession to a ghostly physician.

Before I proceed to enquire into the danger the Soldiers were in, if they were in any at all, and who were in fault, I will take the liberty to lead the reader back to a consideration of the temper the Soldiers in general discovered, and their correspondent conduct, for some considerable time before the fatal tragedy was acted--It is well known indeed that from their first landing, their behavior was to a great degree insolent; and such as look'd as if they had enter'd deeply into the spirit of those who procur'd them,--and really believed, that we were a country of rebels and they were sent here to subdue us. But for some time before the fifth of March, they more frequently insulted the inhabitants who were quietly pa.s.sing the streets; and gave out many threats, that on that very night the blood would run down the streets of Boston, and that many who would dine on Monday would not breakfast on Tuesday; and to show that they were in earnest they forewarn'd their particular acquaintance to take care of themselves--These things were attested before the magistrates by credible persons under oath.--Accordingly when the Monday evening came on, they were early in every part of the town arm'd with bludgeons, bayonets and cutla.s.ses, beating those whom they could, and a.s.saulting and threatning others--By the way, I will just observe for the information of a certain honorable gentleman, that the name of bludgeons was unheard of in this town till the Soldiers arrived--This behavior put the inhabitants in mind of their threatenings; and was the reason that those of them who had occasion to walk the streets, came out arm'd with canes or clubs. Between eight and nine o'clock, the Soldiers in Murray's barracks in the centre of the town rush'd out with their naked cutla.s.ses insulting, beating and wounding the inhabitants who were pa.s.sing along: This, in so frequented a street, naturally collected numbers of people who resented the injury done and an affray ensued--About the same time a difference arose in King- street, between a centry there and a barber's boy, who said to his fellow-apprentice in the hearing of the centry "there goes Capt.----- who has not paid my master for dressing his hair:" The centry foolishly resented it, and word took place; and the boy answering him with pertness, & calling him a name, the centry struck him. Here was the first a.s.sault in King-street.--But for what reason the evidence of this matter was not bro't into Court, at the last trial, as it had been at the trial of Preston, the reader if he pleases may conjecture.

At the same time a gentleman not living far from the custom-house, and hearing as he tho't a distant cry of murder, came into the street, which he had just before left perfectly still, and to use his words, "never clearer": He there saw a party of Soldiers issue from the mainguard, and heard them say, d.a.m.n them where are they, by Jesus let them come; and presently after another party rush'd thro' Quaker-lane into the street, using much such expressions:--Their arms glitter'd in the moon-light. These cried fire, and ran up the street and into Cornhill which leads to Murray's barracks; in their way they knocked down a boy of twelve years old, a son of Mr. Appleton, abused and insulted several gentlemen at their doors and others in the street:-- Their cry was, d.a.m.n them, where are they, knock them down; and it is suppos'd they join'd in the affray there, which still continued--They also then cried fire, which one of the witnesses took to be their watch-word.

By this time the barber's boy had return'd to the centry with a number of other boys to resent the blow he had received: The centry loaded his gun and threatened to fire upon them, and they threatened to knock him down--The bells were ringing as for fire: Occasion'd either by the Soldiers crying fire as is before mention'd, for it is usual in this town when fire is cried, for any one who is near a church to set the bells a ringing; or it might be, to alarm the town, from an apprehension of some of the inhabitants, that the Soldiers were putting their former threats into execution, and that there would be a general ma.s.sacre: It is not to be wonder'd at, that some persons were under such apprehensions; when even an officer at Murray's barracks, appeared to encourage the Soldiers and headed them, as it was sworn before the magistrate.--This officer was indicted by the grand jury, but he could not be found afterwards--Some other officers, and particularly lieutenants Minchen and d.i.c.kson, discovered a very different temper.

The ringing of the bells alarmed the town, it being suppos'd by the people in general there was fire; and occasion'd a concourse in King- street which is a populous part of it. As the people came into the street, the barber's boy told them that the centry had knock'd him down--and a person who had come into the street thro' Royal-exchange lane, which leads from Murray's barracks, (and possibly had observ'd the behavior of the Soldiers there) and seeing the centry, cried here's a Soldier--Various were the dispositions and inclinations of the people according to their various "feelings" no doubt; for mankind, it is said, "act from their feelings more than their reason:"

The cooler sort advis'd to go home: The curious were willing to stay and see the event, and those whose feelings were warmer, perhaps partook of the boys resentment. So it had been before at Murray's barracks, and so it always will be among a mult.i.tude: At the barracks some, to use the expression of one of the witnesses, called out home, home; while some in their heat cried, huzza for the main-guard--there is the nest--This was said by a person of distinction in court, to savour of treason! Tho' it was allow'd on both sides, that the main- guard was not molested thro' the whole evening.

I would here beg the reader's further patience, while I am a little more particular, in relation to the affray at Murray's barracks; for it may be of importance to enquire how it began there.--Mr. Jeremiah Belknap, an householder of known good reputation, had been sworn before the magistrate; and why he was not bro't in as a witness at the trial, is not my business to say, and I shall not at present even conjecture--Mr. Belknap, who lived in Cornhill near Murray's barracks, testified, that on the first appearance of the affray there, hearing a noise he ran to his door, and heard one say he had been struck by a Soldier: he presently saw eight or nine Soldiers arm'd with clubs and cutla.s.ses, come out of Boylston's alley, which is a very short pa.s.sage leading from Murray's barracks into the street--he desired them to retire to the barracks--one of them with a club in one hand and a cutla.s.s in the other, with the latter, made a stroke at him: Finding no prospect of stopping them, he ran to the main-guard and called for the officers of the guard--he was inform'd, there was no officer there--he told the Soldiers, with drawn cutla.s.ses, who he suppos'd were of the party from Murray's barracks--Another gentleman, one of the prisoners witnesses, swore in Court, that a little after eight o'clock he saw at his own door, which is very near the barracks, several Soldiers pa.s.sing and repa.s.sing, some with clubs, others with bayonets: And then he related the noise & confusion he afterwards heard, & the squabble he saw, but no blows--that he saw two Soldiers, each at a different time, present his gun at the people, threatning to make a lane through them; but the officers drove them in--The tragedy was compleated very soon in King-street--The firing was reserv'd for another party of Soldiers, not much if at all to their discredit in the judgment of some, and under the command of an officer who did not restrain them. The witness heard the report of the first gun soon after the people cried home, home; and declared that he tho't they had fired upon the main guard, for he heard the drum at the main guard beat to arms--Another, who was sworn in Court, a witness for the Crown declared, that about nine o'clock, pa.s.sing near Draper's (or Bolyston's) alley, which leads into Murray's barracks, and thro' which he intended to go, he heard some boys huzzaing--he judged there were not more than six or seven, and they were small; they ran thro'

dock-square towards the Market--Presently after he saw two or three persons in the alley with weapons--a number of Soldiers soon sallied out, arm'd with large naked cutla.s.ses, a.s.saulting every body coming in their way--that he himself narrowly escaped a cut from the foremost of them who pursued him; and that he saw a man there, who said he was wounded by them and he felt of the wound--The wounded man stopped, and this occasioned the people who were pa.s.sing to gather round him-- Thinking it dangerous fo him to proceed, the witness returned home-- A Captain of the 14th, one of the prisoners witnesses was also sworn in Court: He testified that in Cornhill he saw a mob collected at the pa.s.s (Boylston's alley) leading to Murray's barracks--the people were pelting the Soldiers he tho't had a fire-shovel--as soon as they knew him, he prevailed on them to go to the bottom of the pa.s.s, and with some difficulty he got down--This witness, it seems, must have been later than the others; and Mr. Belknap, perhaps gives as early an account of it, as any can, but the Soldiers themselves.

I would only ask how it came to pa.s.s that the Soldiers, on that particular evening, should be seen abroad, in every part of the town, contrary to the rules of the army, after eight o'clock--If the officers, who should have restrain'd them, were careless of their duty, whence was so general a carelessness among the officers at that juncture? It was said, there was no officer at the main-guard, which may in part account for it. Or, if the Soldiers were all at once ungovernable by their officers, and could not be restrain'd by them, a child may judge from the appearance they made, that there had been a general combination, agreable to their former threats, on that evening to put in execution some wicked and desperate design.

VINDEX.

Dec. 18th.

ARTICLE SIGNED "VINDEX."

[Boston Gazette, December 24, 1770.]

To the Printers.

SOMEBODY, in Mr. Draper's paper of Thursday last, charges me with PARTIALITY, in my two first performances on the subject of the late Trial--I DENY THE CHARGE, AND DESIRE HE WOULD EXPLAIN HIMSELF. He also says, I freely charge PARTIALITY on others: I UTTERLY DENY THAT ALSO; AND CALL UPON HIM TO POINT OUT ONE INSTANCE. He desires the publick would not be influenced by any remarks made by me on the late Trials: WITH REGARD TO THAT, THE PUBLICK WILL DO AS THEY PLEASE. He INSINUATES that I have cast the most INJURIOUS reflections upon Judges, Jury and Witnesses: AGAIN, I DENY IT.--It remains then that he either retract his charges or proves them: Otherwise the publick will judge him to be guilty of something worse than "THE FAULT" OF PARTIALITY. He THREATENS to bring out some facts which were not allowed to be given in evidence: THIS IS WHAT I EARNESTLY DESIRE, FOR THE REASONS I HAVE ALREADY MENTION'D. And among other FACTS he intends, to ASCERTAIN THE PERSON IN A RED CLOAK, mention'd on the trial, IF VINDEX AND HIS Adherents DESIRE it. Vindex has no Adherents but in the cause of truth: And Vindex, FOR THE SAKE OF TRUTH, REQUESTS IT AS A FAVOR THAT THE PERSON IN A RED CLOAK MAY BE ASCERTAINED. He says that this person WAS DECLARED BE SOME OF THE WITNESSES, TO HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAGEDY; I affirm, that neither of the witnesses declared that he was VERY BUSY at the beginning, or any part, of the Tragedy. There were two only that made mention of him, viz. Mr. WILLIAM HUNTER & Mr. JAMES SELKRIG: The one declared that in dock-square "there was a tall gentleman in a red Cloak; that he stood in the midst of them (the people); that they were whist for some time, and presently huzza'd for the main guard: The other said, there was a gentleman with a red Cloak & a large white Wig; that he made a speech to them (the people) 4 or 5 minute--(this witness mention'd nothing of their HUZZAING for the main guard, which one would have thought must have been OBSERVABLE by ALL, but only adds) they went and knock'd with their sticks, and said they would do for the soldiers--What THE TALL GENTLEMAN said, neither of them could tell.--I cannot help observing here, that some of the late LETTER-WRITERS from hence to London, have mark'd the RED CLOAK AND WHITE WIG, as the garb of a Boston HYPOCRITE; but I have never yet heard it hinted, that such a dress was the peculiarity of an ACTOR in TRAGEDIES--Great pain have been taken to make the world believe that men of "estates, of figure and religion" had formed a plan, BEFORE THE 5TH OF MARCH, to drive off the soldiers; witness a DEPOSITION LATELY PUBLISH'D: And perhaps it may be the LOW CUNNING of this writer to INSINUATE, that there was a mob at that time, AND FOR THAT PURPOSE, on dock-square; and that their leader MUST be a man of figure in the town, BECAUSE HE WORE A RED CLOAK--As it is not yet known what the TALL GENTLEMAN WITH A RED CLOAK said to the people; whether he gave them good or ill advice, or any advice at all, we may possibly form some conjecture concerning it, when his PERSON is ascertained. THE SOONER IT IS DONE THE BETTER.

VINDEX.

Dec. 22.

TO JOHN WILKES.

[MS., British Museum; a draft is in the Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library; a text is in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. i., pp. 377, 378.]

BOSTON Decr 28 1770

SIR

Having been repeatedly sollicited by my friend, Mr William Palfrey,1 I embrace this opportunity of making my particular compliments to you, in a Letter which he will deliver. My own Inclination had coincided with his Request; for I should pride myself much, in a Correspondence with a Gentleman, of whom I have long entertaind so great an Opinion.

--No Character appears with a stronger l.u.s.ter in my Mind, than that of a Man, who n.o.bly perseveres in the Cause of publick Liberty, and Virtue, through the Rage of Persecution: Of this, you have had a large Portion; but I dare say, you are made the better by it: At least I will venture to say, that the sharpest Persecution for the sake of ones Country, can never prove a real Injury to an honest Man.

In this little Part of the World - a Land, till of late happy in its Obscurity - the Asylum, to which Patriots were formerly wont to make their peaceful Retreat; even here the stern Tyrant has lifted up his iron Rod, and makes his incessant Claim as Lord of the Soil: But I have a firm Perswasion in my Mind, that in every Struggle, this Country will approve her self, as glorious in defending & maintaining her Freedom, as she has heretofore been happy in enjoying it.

Were I a Native and an Inhabitant of Britain, & capable of affording the least Advice, it should constantly be; to confirm the Colonies in the fullest Exercise of their Rights, and even to explore for them every possible Avenue of Trade, which should not interfere with her own Manufactures. From the Colonies, when she is worn with Age, she is to expect renewed Strength. But the Field I am entering, is too large for the present: May Heaven forbid, that it should yet be truly said of Great Britain, Quam Deus yult perdere, -!

I am with strict Truth Sir Your most humbe Servt

1See above, page 9.

ARTICLE [SIGNED "VINDEX."]1

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

To THE PRINTER

In my last I considerd the Temper which the Soldiers in general had discoverd and the threats they had [utter'd] previous to the fifth of March together with their correspondent Behavior on that alarming Evening. I was the more brief, because there had been a narrative of the horrid ma.s.sacre, printed by the order of this Town, which was drawn up by a Comt appointed for that purpose; and reported by their Chairman, JAMES BOWDOIN Esqr. The affidavits which are annexd to the narrative were each of them taken before two Justices of the Peace Quorum Unus to perpetuate the remembrance of the thing: Coll William Dalrymple, chiefe Commander of the Soldiers, was duly notified by the Justices to attend the Captions: And His Honor the Lt Governor certified, under his Hand with the province Seal annexd, that full faith & Credit was & ought to be given to the several Acts & Attestations of the Justices, both in Court & without.

The Candor of the Town indeed was such, that at their meeting in March, 2 by a Vote they restraind their Committee from publishing the narrative, lest it might unduly prejudice those whose lot it should be to be jurors to try these Causes: This restraint they continued by a Vote at their meeting in May,3 & untill the Trials should be over . . . plaud; as it discovered a Sense of Justice; as well as the greatest Humanity4 towards those men who had wantonly lit the hearts Blood of citizens like Water upon Ground. A Temper far from vindictive; calm and moderate, at a time, when if ever they might have been expected to be off their Guard: And yet, so barbarous & cruel, so infamously mean & base were the Enemies of this Town, who are the common Enemies of all America & of the Truth it self, that they falsly inserted in the publick news papers in London the Inhabitants had seizd upon Capt Preston hung & hung him like Porteus upon a Sign Post! -

I shall now in a few ......... endeavor to show the Temper which some of the Soldiers, (by whom I do not now particularly mean the late Prisoners), discoverd at & after the fatal Catastrophes.

Readers may have observd, that I am careful to distinguish between the evidence given in Court from that which was given out of Court, Witnesses to this point, it ought not to be supposd, were admissible at the Trial, unless perhaps the one immediately following: That a credible Person, who is mistress of a reputable family in the Town. She testified before the Magistrates, & was ready to swear it in Court, if she had been called, that on the Evening of the 5 of March a number of Soldiers were a.s.sembled from Greens Barracks & opposite to her Gate, which is near those Barracks - that they stood very still until the Guns were fired in Kingstreet; then they clapd their Hands & gave a Cheer, saying, this is all we want; they then ran to their Barrack & came out again in a few minutes, all with their arms, & ran towards Kingstreet.5 These Barracks were about a quarter of a mile from Kingstreet: Their standing very still, untill they heard the firing, compared with their subsequent Conduct, looks as if they expected it; it seems, as though they knew what the Signal should [be], & the part they were to act in Consequence of it. This perhaps may be thought by some to be too straining: I will not urge it, but leave it to any one to judge, how far if at all, it affords Grounds of Suspicion, that there was an understanding between the Soldiers in Kingstreet at the time of the firing & these; especially, if it be true as has been said, that they fired without the Command of their officers - There was another Witness similar to this; an housholder of good reputation, who testified, that the Soldiers from Greens Barracks rushd by him with their Arms towards Kingstreet, saying this is our time or chance; that he never saw6 Dogs so greedy for their prey as they seemd to be, and the Sergeants could hardly keep them in their ranks.7

Another swore, that after the firing, he saw the Soldiers drawn up in the Street, and heard Officers [as] they walked backwards & forwards say, d.a.m.n it, what a fine fire that was! How bravely it dispersd the mob!8 A person belonging to Hallifax in Nova Scotia, testified that when the Body of troops was drawn up before the Guard house (which was presently after the Ma.s.sacre) he heard an officer say to another, that this was fine work, just what he wanted.9 I shall add but one more to this List, and that is the Testimony of a Witness, well known for an honest man in this Town, who declared, that at about one o'Clock the next morning, as he was going alone from his own house to the Town House, he met a Sergeant of the 29th with Eight [or] nine Soldiers, all with very large Clubs & Cutla.s.ses when one of them speaking of the Slaughter, swore by G.o.d it was a fine thing & said you shall see more of it.10 These Testimonies it is confessd would not be pertinent to the Issue of the late Tryal: But I think it necessary to adduce them here to convince the World of the wretched Condition this town was in, the Reasons they had to apprehend & the necessity they were under constantly to be upon their Guard while such were quarterd among them: Much was brot into Court to show that the Town was in a State of disorder on the Evening of the 5 of March previous to the Affray at Murrays Barracks; Witnesses were admitted to testify that they were met by one & another armd with Clubs.11 But Nothing appeard there to show the Cause & even the Necessity of it.11

To these, I cannot help subjoining the Testimony of Mr John c.o.x, a very reputable Inhabitant of this town; who swore in Court at one of the late trials, that after the firing, he went to take up the dead - that he told the Soldiers, it was a cowardly trick in them to kill men within reach of their Bayonets, with nothing in their hands, and that the officer said, d.a.m.n them, fire again & let them take the Consequence! - to which he replyd you have killed . . .

already to hang you all - But he was mistaken.

It is a Mistake to say the soldiers were in danger from the Inhabitants. The reverse is true; the Inhabitants were in danger from the Soldiers. With all the Indulgence which was & perhaps ought to be shown to Prisoners upon Tryal for Life, not a single Instance of any Injury offerd to Soldiers was provd, except at Murrays Barracks, & not even there but in return for intollerable Insults. Many Witness[es] were ready if called for to testify to the Insults & Abuse offerd by the Soldiers to the Inhabitants in various parts of the Town.

Thus one of the prisoners Witnesses testified in Court that at 7 o'Clock going to the South End he met forty or fifty in small Parties, four or five in a party. It has been testified by a credible Witness that before the fifth of March, the Soldiers were not only seen making their Clubs, but from what the Witness could collect from their Conversation, they were resolvd to be revengd on Monday13 and divers others swore to the same purpose; They did not indeed say, whether they knew them to be soldiers or Inhabitants: It is as probable that they were Soldiers as Inhabitants; for it was sworn before the magistrates by a person of Credit, that on the Sat.u.r.day before he saw the Soldiers making Clubs; Another was ready to testify in Court that thirty of these Clubs or Bludgeons were made, by the Soldiers, in his own Shop. And in the part of the Town where the Witness was going, a Gentleman was attackd by two Soldiers, one of them armd with a Club & the other with a broad Sword; the latter struck him, & threatned that he should soon hear more of it. It was notorious that the Soldiers were seen frequently on that evening armd with Clubs - but in the Judgment of some men, every party that was seen with Clubs, or in the modern term, Bludgeons, to be sure must have been Inhabitants. If the Soldiers were in such Danger why were they not kept in their Barracks after Eight o'clock agreable to their own orders? In stead of this we find the Testimony of a person, who was not an Inhabitant of the Town, that being at the South End on that Evening exactly at Eight o'Clock he saw there Eleven Soldiers: An officer met them .....orderd them to appear at their respective places at the time: and if they should see any of the Inhabitants of the Town, or any other people not belonging to them, with Arms, Clubs or any other warlike weapon more than two being a.s.sembled together to order them to stop, & if they refusd, to stop them with their firelocks, and all that should take their part - the officer went Northward & the Soldiers Southward.