and immediately he marched with twelve men to the relief of the
centry, and I remained before the guard.
JAMES BASSET,
Lieutenant 29th regiment.
Suffolk, ss. Boston, March 13th, 1770.
Sworn before me, JAMES MURRAY, J.P.

(No.114.)

SIR,
At your request I now sit down to give you the particulars of
Monday evening, the 5th instant. I shall endeavour to divest
myself of prejudice, and relate that unhappy affair with the utmost
impartiality. I have already give in to several juries of inquest two
depositions, not altogether alike in words, but the same in substance,
and this is similar to them both, and is as follows. I being in King-
street that evening, between the hours of nine and ten o'clock, saw a
centry that was placed at the custom-house loading his musket, and
swore, to a number of persons that were passing from Royal-Exchange-
lane to Quaker-lane, "if they molested him he would fire among
them," which occasioned numbers to gather round him, some of whom
huzz'ad, and told him "to fire and be damn'd." Immediately on this
I saw Capt. Preston with a number of soldiers coming from the
guard-house to the custom-house with their bayonets charged, who
soon formed into half a circle, and began without any provocation
to push their bayonets at the people, one of which went through my
coat, for which Capt. Preston reprimanded him, and then told Capt.
Preston it would be prudent for him to retire and take his men with
him; for in case they molested the people I feared the consequences
would be bad. He reply'd, "he would do the best he could," or words
to that effect.
At this time I heard a person ask Capt. Preston "whether they were
loaded;" he reply'd, "they were;" he then asked "whether he intended
they should fire?" he answered, "by no means." Also I saw some of the
soldiers to appearance load their muskets, which induced me to say
to Capt. Preston, "For God's sake, don't let your men fire." He reply'd,
"They shall not." At this instant I saw a cake of ice, or snow-ball, strike
a grenadier upon the right of the detachment, upon which he level-
led his piece and fired; Capt. Preston left me directly, and I heard
the word "Fire" several times, which I supposed was uttered by the
soldiers, upon which all or most of them fired and loaded; I then re-
tired down Royal-Exchange-lane, and returned in about three or
four minutes; I saw the body of a person, called Michael Johnson,
lying dead on the ground, which I supposed to be in consequence
of their firing; I now told Capt. Preston the fatal effects of their
firing, and begged he would retire, as his life was in danger; on