133 



iiamediatcly upon his liorsc, and at the place of deposite to secure his 

 treasure. 



The alarm was now given in the town, the bells were ringing, the 

 drums beating, and the people in a state of great a^^itation. The troops 

 had met with some little obstruction by the people breaking up a bridge 

 about half a mile from the town. This however they soon repaired 

 and marched into the public square with all their martial music, and 

 colors flying, to the great terror of the women and the children, if to 

 no others. In the mean time my father was busily engaged in securing 

 his guns ; — it fortunately happened that near to these shops there was 

 a piece of thick oak wood which was covered a considerable depth with 

 dried leaves, there being no snow on the ground at the time. The guns 

 were buried under these leaves, and the carriages otherwise supposed to 

 be secured. 



After this was done he rode into the street where the troops had 

 halted, and found Col. Leslie conversing Avith a young tory lawyer, who 

 pointing with his cane in such a direction as he knew must lead him to 

 the bridge. Seeing theii' manoeuvres he immediately returned to his 

 post and with a number of others concerted measures to defeat their 

 enterprize. They were now coming towards the bridge in full glee 

 while the people in sullen silence stood prepared for them, and the in- 

 stant Col. Leslie set his foot on the first half of the bridge my father 

 ordered the other half to be drawn up, presenting him a chasm of forty 

 feet, it luckily happening to be low water. On finding his progress ar- 

 i"ested in such an unexpected manner the Colonel stamped and swore, 

 ordering the bridge immediately to be lowered ; but that was all he 

 could do, as there was no one disposed to obey him, but his own troops, 

 and it was not in their power to do it : He then ordered some soldiers 

 to get into several boats that lay in the river, and pass over and let 

 down the bridge ; but as soon as this was perceived to be their design 

 several young men who were the owners, sprung into them, and with 

 axes knocked out the bottoms. This occasioned something of a scuffle 

 and several were slightly wounded ; but the time'not being come for 

 open hostilities to commence they took no other way to force their pas- 

 sage over the bridge. 



As all now seemed to be at a stand, not knowing what would next 

 take place, my father mounted a ladder at the top of the draw and ad- 

 dressed Col. Leslie, with whom he was personally acquainted, and ad- 

 vised him to desist, as there were expi'esses gone out, and in a few hours 

 there would be a thousand men on the ground, and probably his men 

 would all be cut to pieces, should they once fire upon the people. He 

 replied that he had orders to pass the bridge, and he would do it, if it 

 cost him the life of every man he had ; but if he would order the 

 bridge to be let down he would give him his word and honor to go over 

 and repass it without molesting any person or property. My father 

 then consulted with the people, and advised them to let him pass over, 

 as he had full confidence in Col. Leslie's honor. Accordingly the draw 

 was let down and they marched over ten or twelve rods and returned in 

 the same order and back to Marblehead as rapidly as they could with- 

 out running. For the failure of this enterprise. Col. Leslie was tried 

 by a court-marshal and cashiered, but was afterwards restored to his 

 former rank." 



