A circumstantial Account of an attack that happened, on the 19th April, 1775, on his Majesty's Troops by a number of the people of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay ー
On Tuesday the 18th of April, about half past 10 at night, Lieutenant Colonel [Francis] Smith of the 10th Regiment embarked from the Common at Boston with the Grenadiers and Light Infantry of the troops there, and landed on the opposite side from whence he began his march towards Concord where he was ordered to destroy a magazine of military stores ー deposited there for the use of an army to be assembled in order to act against his Majesty & his Government ー The Col: called his officers together and gave orders that the Troops should not fire unless fired upon, and after marching a few miles detached six Companies of Light Infantry under the command of Major [John] Pitcairn, to take possession of two bridges on the other side of Concord; soon after they heard many signal guns, and the ringing of alarm bells repeatedly which convinced them that the Country was rising to oppose them and that it was a preconcerted scheme to oppose the King's troops, whenever there should be a favorable opportunity for it. About 3 o'Clock the next morning the Troops being advanced, within two miles of Lexington, intelligence was received that about 500 men in arms were assembled, and determined to oppose the King's Troops: and on Major Pitcairn's galloping up to the head of the advanced companies, two officers informed him that a man (advanced from those that were assembled) had presented his musket, and attempted to shoot them, but the piece flashed in the pan. On this the Major gave directions to the troops to move forward, but on no account to fire, nor even to attempt it without orders. When they arrived at the end of the village, they observed about 200 armed men drawn up on a green, and when the troops came within one hundred yards of them, they began to file off towards some stone walls on their right flank, the Light Infantry observing this run after them. The Major instantly called to the soldiers not to fire but to surround and disarm them. Some of them who had jumped over a wall, then fired 4 or 5 Shot at the troops; wounded a man of the 10th Regiment, and the Majors horse in two places and at the same time several shots were fired from a Meeting-house on the left ー Upon this without any order or regularity the Light Infantry began a scattered fire, and killed several of the country people, but were silenced as soon as the authority of their Officers could make them.
After this Col: Smith marched up with the remainder of the detachment, and the whole body proceeded to Concord, where they arrived about 9 o'Clock without any thing further happening; but vast numbers of armed people were seen assembling on all the heights While Col: Smith with the Grenadiers, and part of the Light Infantry remained at Concord to search for Cannon &c. there; he detached Capt. Parsons with six Light Companies to secure a bridge at some distance from Concord, and to proceed from thence to certain houses where it was supposed there was Cannon and Ammunition. Captain Parsons in pursuance of these orders, posted three companies at the bridge, and on some heights near it under the command of Capt Laurie of the 43rd Regiment and with the remainder went and destroyed some Cannon-wheels powder and ball ー The people still continued increasing on the heights, and in about an hour after a large body of them began to move towards the bridge; the Light Companies of the 4th and 10th then descended and joined Capt Laurie, the people continued to advance in great numbers, and fired upon the King's troops, killed three men, wounded four officers, one serjeant and four privates; upon which (after returning the fire) Capt Laurie and his Officers thought it prudent to retreat towards the main body at Concord, and were soon joined by two Companies of Grenadiers. When Capt Parsons returned with the three Companies over the bridge they observed three soldiers on the ground, one of them scalped, his head much mangled, and his ears cut off tho' not quite dead; a sight which struck the soldiers with horror. Capt Parsons marched on and joined the main body, who were only waiting for his coming up, to march back to Boston ー Colonel Smith had executed his orders, without opposition by destroying all the military stores he could find. Both the Colonel and Major Pitcairn having taken all possible pains to convince the inhabitants that no injury was intended them, and that if they opened their doors when required, to search for said stores, not the slightest mischief should be done. Neither had any of the people the least occasion to complain; but they were sulky and one of them even struck Majorr Pitcairn
Except Capt Laurie at the bridge, no hostilities happen'd from the affair at Lexington, until the troops began their march back. As soon as the troops had got out of the town of Concord they received a heavy fire on them from all sides from walls, fences, houses, trees, barns &c which continued without intermission, till they met the first brigade with two field pieces near Lexington ordered out under the command of Lord [Hugh] Percy to support them; Upon the firing of the field pieces the people's fire was for a while silenced, but as they still continued to increase greatly in numbers they fired again as before from all places where they could find cover, upon the whole body and continued so doing for the space of fifteen miles ー Notwithstanding their numbers, they did not attack openly during the whole day, but kept under cover on all occasions. The troops were very much fatigued, the greater part of them having been under arms all night, and made a march of upwards of forty miles before they arrived at Charlestown, from whence they were ferried over to Bostonー
The troops had above fifty killed, and many more wounded; reports are various of the loss sustained by the country-people, some make it very considerable, others not so much.
