Capt. Wilson’s, of the 59th, exciting the ne-
groes of the town to take away their masters
lives and property, and repair to the army for
protection, which was fully proved against him.
-- The attack of a party of soldiers on some of
the magistrates of the town – the repeated res-
cues of soldiers from peace officers – the firing
of a loaded musket in a public street, to the en-
dangering a great number of peaceable inhab-
itants -- the frequent wounding of persons by
their bayonets and cutlasses, and the numerous
instances of bad behavior in the soldiery,
made us early sensible, that the troops were not
sent here for any benefit to the town or pro-
vince, and that we had no good to expect from
such conservators of the peace.*
It was not expected however, that such an
outrage and massacre, as happened here on the
evening of the fifth instant, would have been
perpetrated. There were then killed and wound-
ed, by a discharge of musquetry, eleven of his
Majesty's subjects, viz.
Mr. Samuel Gray, killed on the spot by a
ball entering his head.
Crispus Attucks, a mulatto, killed on the spot,
two balls entering his breast.
Mr. James Caldwell, killed on the spot, by
two balls entering his back.
* The inhabitants, instead of making application to the military
officers on these occasions, chose rather to oppose the civii [civil] au-
thority and the laws of the land to such offenders ; and had
not the soldiery found means to evade legal punishments, it is
more than probable their insolence would have received a check,
and some of the most melancholy effects of it been prevented.