]05 



fact, and what wns fartbei' going on under the direction of 

 Colonel Mason, was communicated, according to the Memoir, to 

 the head-quarters of British power in Boston, by the treachery 

 of an "old countryman," employed by Colonel Mason.* It 

 would appear that suspicion rested upon several other individuals, 

 some of whom came out in the public ncAvspapers with a denial 

 of the charge. Upon this information. General Gage ordered 

 the 64th regiment, consisting of some three hundred men, which 

 was stationed at the Castle, in Boston Harbor, under the com- 

 mand of Lieutenant Colonel Leslie, an estimable officer, to 

 embark forthwith on board a transport, land at Marblehead, 

 and from thence march to Salem and take possession of the 

 rebel cannon in the name of His Majesty. The better to effect 

 his purpose, the Sabbath, so often desecrated by military move- 

 ments, was selected for this expedition. The time thus chosen, 

 aside from other considerations, did not well accord with a 

 proclamation recently issued, by this same Governor, for the 

 encouragement of piety and virtue. The regiment embarked 

 on board the transport two hours after sunset on Saturday even- 

 ing, to avoid discovery, but it Avas designed not to reach Salem 

 until the next day. At the appointed time, therefore, being the 

 26th of February, 1775, during divine service in the after- 

 noon, while the inhabitants were unsuspectingly resting in the 

 apparent security of the day, their ears were startled with the 

 cry of 



" The foe ! they come ! they come ! '' 



which noAV suddenly reverberated through the otherwise quiet 

 streets of Salem. Intelligence was received from the citizens 

 of Marblehead, that a body of British troops had just landed 

 there, and was marching in the direction of Salem. " A trans- 

 port," says an account published at the time, " had arrived at 

 Marblehead, manned as usual. BetAveen tAVO and three o'clock, 



* We are inclined to doubt if the intelligence was communicated in 

 this way. If, as the Memoir states, the " old countryman," left Salem on 

 this errand on Saturday afternoon, (no doubt on foot,) he could not 

 have reached Boston to inform Governor Gage the same night, in season 

 for him to send orders to the Castle, and have the regiment despatched 

 " two hours after sun-set,^' as appears to have been the case. Our own 

 opinion is, either Sargent, or the " young tory lawyer,^'' whose name was 

 Samuel Porter, had previously given the information. This Porter, 

 came originally from Ipswich, in November, 1773, and had an office 

 " just south of the Town House." 



ESSEX INST. PROCEED. 14. 



