Monday 24 April [1775]
A Council ー summoned to meet instanter 12 O'clock
The Town alarmed Yesterday with News from Boston & sundry Commotions here in consequence of it.
The Populace had seized the City Arms after demanding the Key & the Magazene out of Town and taken out 12 Hundd Weight of Powder & threatened to attack 106 Soldiers under the Command of Major [Isaac] Hamilton.
The Qn What is to be done? ー Agreed that to know our own Strength the Judges in Town the Field officers of the Militia the Mayor & Recorder attend by ½ after this Afternoonー
Met again. As before & were joined by Apthorpe with Colo [Leonard] Lispenard Judge [Thomas] Jones & the Mayor ー Lispenard said he could give Govt no aid from the Militia, for they were all Liberty Boys who would keep the Peace of the City in other Respects ー The Mayor said that the Magistratic Authority was gone . . . We were thus unanimously of Opinion that we had no Power to do anything & the best mode of proceeding for private Safety and general Peace was to use Diswasion from Violence.
1. Sabine, ed., Memoirs of William Smith, 221.
