124 



vented <j;ivln(i; us any intHlligcucc : The transport arriveJ at Marble- 

 lieaJ a considerable limo belbrc the regiment was landed, but the men 

 were kept snug under hatches : As soon as the inhabitants of Marble- 

 head had got to meeting, the troops landed, and pushed on their march 

 to Sakmi, and proceeded to the very spot where the materials for the 

 artillery were lodged. But meeting with this sad rebuif, and finding 

 their plot was discovered, they then made a retreat. 'Tis regretted that 

 an officer of Colonel Leslie's acknowledged worth, should be obliged, in 

 obedience to orders to come vipon so pitiful an errand. 



Various reports were spread abroad respecting the troops. — the coun- 

 try was alarmed ; and one company arrived in arms from Danvers just 

 as the troops left the town. We immediately dispatched messengers to 

 the neighboring towns to save them the trouble of coming in ; but the 

 alarm flew like lightning (and fame doubtless magnified the first simple 

 reports) so that great numbers were in arms, and soon on the march 

 before our messengers arrived." 



Further Extract from the Essex Gazette of March 7, 1775. 



" The account published last week in this paper and republished in 

 the Spy, of the march of the 64th regiment [in Draper's true account 

 'tis called a detachment of the 64th regiment : But we are informed only 

 15 or 20 of the men remained at the Castle] is in Mills & Hicks's pa- 

 per said to contain several falsehoods : In answer to this charge we 

 say, that we endeavored to collect a true state of the facts, by enquiring 

 of those who were eye and ear witnesses. In the hurry and alarm 

 there might be a misapprehension in some things ; but there was no 

 intention to detract from Col. Leslie's courage, honor or prudence : or 

 deviate from the straight path of truth ; but to establish the latter we 

 are constrained to make a few remarks on Draper's account, and on 

 that published by JNlills & Hicks. The latter declare " they are autho- 

 rised to say — that the Colonel never ordered any part of the troops to 

 fire, but that he w^as not prevented from giving any orders he should 

 have thought necessary by the threat of the townsman," — as was insin- 

 uated in our account. The townsman and others of the inhabitants, 

 men of undoubted veracity, still say they are absolutely certain that 

 the Colonel talked about firing on the people ; and the townsman (who 

 stood within two yards of him) declares that the Colonel, turning to an 

 officer near him, expressed himself in this manner — " You must face 

 about this division (or company) and fire upon those people." This, 

 and this only occasioned the townsman to make a reply (with a loud 

 voice, for his resentment was kindled by the order to fire) in these 

 words as exactly as he can now recollect : •' Eire ! You had better be 

 damn'd than fire ! You can have no right to fire without further or- 

 ders." We added, in our account, " The company neither fired nor 

 faced." Whether it were prudence, or want of orders, or disposition, 

 or any other motive that prevented an act so manifestly unjustifiable as 

 this would have been we could not tell : — We related a simple fact that 

 " The company neither fired nor faced." 



Mills and Hicks go on, " Nor is there the least truth in what is as- 

 serted of the Colonel's having pledged his honor, as he absolutely in- 

 sisted on going over the bridge." No other answer to this will be re- 



