THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE, Williamsburg, April 8, 1775  This newspaper was published by Dixon & Hunter, a distinction to be made since there were three newspapers of this title printed in Williamsburg during the early period of the Revolutionary War. A very rare opportunity for a scarce title from colonial Virginia.
Fully one-third of the front page and one-third of page 2 are taken up with proceedings of the New York General Assembly as they relate to Acts of Parliament against the colonies, including: "...imposes duties for the purpose of raising a revenue in America..." and other grievances.
Page 2 has a great account of the tarring and feathering of Thomas Ditson, a young man who desperately wanted to be a minute man and wished to purchase a rifle. This is a rather famous event with several websites devoted to it, plus there is even a verse in Yankee Doodle to him.
This account is his personal affidavit of the events, beginning: "I Thomas Ditson, Jun., of Billerica, husbandman, testify and declare that while walking in Fore street on the 8th of March..." and then proceeds with much detail of the events, then including: "...ordered me to strip; I then asked hi what he was going to do with me, he said damn you, I am going to serve you as you have served our men; then came in a solder with a bucket of tar and a pillow of feathers. I was made to strip, which I did to my breeches, they then tarred me, and while they were doing it, an officer who stood at the door said, tar and feather his breeches which they accordingly did, and I was then tarred and feathered from head to foot and had a paper read to me which was then tied round my neck...with the following words wrote upon it, to the best of my remembrance, 'American liberty or democracy exemplified in a villain, who attempted to entice one of the soldiers of his Majesty's 47th regiment to desert and take up arms with rebels against his King and country.'..." and then more with the humiliation he endured.
Simply a terrific letter, by Ditson himself, of this famous event.
The balance of page 2 has nice reports concerning the landing of cargo from the ship Beulah against the non-importation agreement. And page 3 has an address to Governor Dunmore from the freeholders of Fincastle Country thanking him for his victories over the Indians in recent disputes. The governor's response follows.
Four pages, never-trimmed margins, large and handsome coat-of-arms engraving in the masthead, very nice condition.