A short Narrative of the horrid
Massacre in
Boston, perpetrated in the
Evening of the Fifth Day of March,
1770, by Soldiers of the XXIX th Re-
giment ; which with the XIV th Regi-
ment were then quartered there : with
some Observations on the State of
Things prior to that Catastrophe.
IT may be a proper introduction to this nar-
rative, briefly to represent the state of things
for some time previous to the said massacre :
And this seems necessary in order to the
forming a just idea of the causes of it.
At the end of the late war, in which this
Province bore so distinguished a part, a happy
union subsisted between
Great-Britain and the
Colonies. This was unfortunately interrupted
by the Stamp-Act : but it was in some measure
restored by the Repeal of it. It was again in-
terrupted by other acts of parliament for taxing
America ; and by the appointment of a Board of
Commissioners, in pursuance of an act, which
by the face of it was made for the relief and
encouragement of commerce, but which in it's
operation, it was apprehended, would have, and
it has in fact had, a contrary effect. By the said
act the said Comissioners were “ to be resident