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Eye-witness accounts of the Battles of Lexington & Concord...
Eye-witness accounts of the Battles of Lexington & Concord...
Item # 687097
May 24, 1775
THE CONNECTICUT JOURNAL & THE NEW-HAVEN POST-BOY, May 24, 1775
* Battle of Lexington & Concord
* Eyewitnesses accounts (very rare)
* Revolutionary War beginning
I'm not sure one could want a more notable front page--all-consuming--than the content found on page one of this issue. It is entirely taken up with six very detailed eye-witness accounts of the historic Battle of Lexington & Concord (the sixth carrying over to page 2).
These accounts are headed: "Affidavits and Depositions Relative to the Commencement of the late hostilities in the Province of Massachusetts Bay...".
The accounts are simply terrific, but are too voluminous for us to describe so we provide photos of their accounts in their entirety. Mention is made that further depositions will appear in the nest issue.
As if this was not sufficient for one newspaper, these affidavits are followed by a terrific document headed: "In Provincial Congress, Water-Town, April 26, 1775, to the Inhabitants of Great Britain" which begins: "Hostilities are at length commenced in this colony by the troops under command of General Gage, and it being of the greatest importance that an early true & authentic account of this inhuman proceeding should be known to you...think it proper to address you on the alarming occasion...on the night preceding the nineteenth of April instant, a body of the King's troops...were secretly landed at Cambridge with an apparent design to take or destroy the military & other stores...and deposited at Concord...were seized & greatly abused by armed men...That the town of Lexington by these means was alarmed & a company of the inhabitants mustered on the occasion--that the regular troops on their way to Concord marched into the said town of Lexington...the Regulars rushed on with great violence & first began hostilities by firing on said Lexington company whereby they killed eight and wounded several others..." and much more on the Battle of Lexington & Concord.
The report is signed in type by: Joseph Warren, who a month later will be killed at Bunker Hill.
Page 2 has a report from Congress on hos the people of New York are to deal with the election of British troops invading their city. One bit notes: "...to beseech you to apply to General Gage for orders, that such troops as may arrive from Great Britain or Ireland, do not land, or encamp in this city and county; and in case of their arrival before your Honour shall receive the General's answer, to solicit their commanding officer to the same purpose...".
The back page has a letter from the Connecticut governor to General Gage which begins: "The alarming situation of public affairs in this country, & the late unfortunate transactions in the province of the Massachusetts Bay..." with much more, signed in type: J. Trumbull. Following this is: "His Excellency General Gage's Answer" dated at Boston, May 3, 1775, taking most of a column (concluded in the supplement issue, not present here).
Four pages, a handsome masthead engraving, never-trimmed margins, 8 1/2 by 10 1/4 inches, great condition.
The report is signed in type by: Joseph Warren, who a month later will be killed at Bunker Hill.
Page 2 has a report from Congress on hos the people of New York are to deal with the election of British troops invading their city. One bit notes: "...to beseech you to apply to General Gage for orders, that such troops as may arrive from Great Britain or Ireland, do not land, or encamp in this city and county; and in case of their arrival before your Honour shall receive the General's answer, to solicit their commanding officer to the same purpose...".
The back page has a letter from the Connecticut governor to General Gage which begins: "The alarming situation of public affairs in this country, & the late unfortunate transactions in the province of the Massachusetts Bay..." with much more, signed in type: J. Trumbull. Following this is: "His Excellency General Gage's Answer" dated at Boston, May 3, 1775, taking most of a column (concluded in the supplement issue, not present here).
Four pages, a handsome masthead engraving, never-trimmed margins, 8 1/2 by 10 1/4 inches, great condition.
Category: Revolutionary War
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