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The Boston Massacre...
The Boston Massacre...
Item # 659761
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April 01, 1770
THE LONDON MAGAZINE, England, April, 1770
* The Boston Massacre
* Historic reporting
Of great significance is that this magazine prints the exact text reporting the Boston Massacre as found in the Boston Gazette of March 12. The article is datelined: "Boston, March 12" and begins: "Our readers will doubtless expect a circumstantial account of the tragical affair on Monday Night last..." and a bit further on the report is introduced with: "On the evening of Monday, being the 5th current, several soldiers of the 29th Regiment were seen parading the streets with their drawn cutlasses and bayonets, abusing and wounding numbers of the inhabitants..." followed by a a wealth of detailed text on the Boston Massacre. The full text can be seen in the photos, but here are portions of it:
"...four youths, named Edward Archbald, William Merchant, Francis Archbald, and John Leech, jun., came down Cornhill together...were passing the narrow alley...in which was a soldier brandishing a broad sword of an uncommon size against the walls, out of which he struck fire plentifully...knocked the soldier down but let him get up again; and more lads gathering, drove them back to the barrack where the boys stood some time as it were to keep them in. In less than a minute ten or twelve of them came out with drawn cutlasses...On hearing the noise, one Samuel Atwood came up to see what was the matter; and entering the alley from dock square, heard the latter part of the combat; and when the boys had dispersed he met the ten or twelve soldiers aforesaid rushing down the alley towards the square and asked them if they intended to murder people? They answered Yes, by G-d, root and branch!...pursuing some to their very doors. Thirty or forty persons, mostly lads, being by this means gathered in King Street, Capt. Preston with a party of men with charged bayonets, came from the main guard to the commissioner's house, the soldiers pushing their bayonets, crying, make way! They took place by the custom house and, continuing to push to drive the people off pricked some in several places, on which they were clamorous and, it is said, threw snow balls. On this, the Captain commanded them to fire; and more snow balls coming, he again said, Damn you, fire, be the consequence what it will! One soldier then fired, and a townsman with a cudgel struck him over the hands with such force that he dropped his firelock; and, rushing forward, aimed a blow at the Captain's head which grazed his hat and fell pretty heavy upon his arm. However, the soldiers continued the fire successively till 7 or 8or, as some say, 11 guns were discharged.
By this fatal manoeuvre three men were laid dead on the spot and two more struggling for life; but what showed a degree of cruelty unknown to British troops, at least since the house of Hanover has directed their operation, was an attempt to fire upon or push with their bayonets the persons who undertook to remove the slain and wounded!"
"...The dead are Mr. Samuel Gray, killed on the spot, the ball entering his head and beating off a large portion of his skull. A mulatto man named Crispus Attucks, who was born in Framingham, but lately belonged to New-Providence and was here in order to go for North Carolina, also killed instantly, two balls entering his breast, one of them in special goring the right lobe of the lungs and a great part of the liver most horribly. Mr. James Caldwell, mate of Capt. Morton's vessel, in like manner killed by two balls entering his back. Mr. Samuel Maverick, a promising youth of seventeen years of age, son of the widow Maverick, and an apprentice to Mr. Greenwood, ivory-turner, mortally wounded; a ball went through his belly and was cut out at his back. He died the next morning..." and more.
This significant report is followed by responses of the townsfolk to the tragedy.
Another interesting feature is the full title/contents page which has a very intricately engraved view of the skyline of London at the time, making this very decorative.
The unrelated plate called for is lacking.
Complete in 56 pages, 5 by 8 inches, excellent condition.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
No Longer Available
