preventing further mischief. Though this affair
ended thus, it made a strong impression on the
minds of the soldiers in general, who thought
the honor of the regiment concerned to revenge
those repeated repulses. For this purpose they
seem to have formed a combination to commit
some outrage upon the inhabitants of the town
indiscriminately ; and this was to be done on
the evening of
the 5th instant or soon after : as
appears by the depositions of the following per-
sons, viz.
William Newhall declares, that on Thursday
night
the first of March instant, he met four
soldi-
ers of the 29th regiment, and that he heard them
say, there were a great many that would eat their
dinners on Monday next, that should not eat any
on Tuesday.
Daniel Calfe declares, that on Saturday even-
ing the
3d of March a camp-woman, wife to
James McDeed a grenadier of the 29th, came in-
to his father's shop, and the people talking about
the affrays at the rope-walks, and blaming the
soldiers for the part they had acted in it, the
woman said, the soldiers were in the right ; add-
ing, that before Tuesday or Wednesday night they
would wet their swords or bayonets in
New En-
gland people's blood.
Mary Brailsford declares, that on Sabbath
evening the
4th of March instant a Soldier came to
the house of Mr. Amos Thayer where she then
was. He desiring to speak with Mr.
Thayer
was told by Mrs. Mary Thayer, that her bro-