James McDeed, a grenadier in the 29th, came into
Daniel
Calfe's shop, father to the deponent, and the people talking
about the affrays at the ropework, and blaming the soldiers for
the part they had acted in it. The woman said the soldiers
were in the right, adding that before Tuesday or Wednesday night
they would wet their swords or bayonets in
New England people's
blood. The deponent further says, that on the evening of the
fifth current, hearing the bells ring, which he took for fire, he
went out, and near the
old south meeting house heard the
soldiers were fighting with the inhabitants in
Kingstreet,
whereupon he came into
Kingstreet, and seeing a
number of people (about one hundred) he went up to
the
custom-house, where were posted
about a dozen soldiers
with an officer. That this deponent heard said officer order the
soldiers to fire, and gave the second word to fire before they fired ;
and upon the officers ordering the soldiers to fire the second
time this deponent ran off about thirty feet distance when
turning about he saw one [James ]Caldwell
fall and likewise a molatto
man.
DANIEL CALFE.
Suffolk, ss.
Boston,
March 21, 1770. Daniel Calfe,
above-
named, after due examination, made oath to the Truth
of the aforesaid Affidavit, taken to perpetuate the re-
membrance of the Thing.
Before, JOHN RUDDOCK, Just. Peace & of the
Quorum.
And, JOHN HILL, Just. Peace.
(No. 41)
I Thomas Marshall, of lawful age, do testify and declare,
that
on Monday night the fifth of March, four or five minutes
after nine o'clock, coming from Col. Jackson's house on
dock-
Square, to my house in
Kingstreet, next door to the
custom-house,
I saw no person in the street but the centinel at
the custom-house in
perfect peace; after I had been in my house ten or twelve mi-
nutes, being in my shop in the front of the house, I heard the
cry of Murder at a distance, on which I opened the door, but
saw no person in the street ; but in half a minute I saw several
persons rushing out from the main guard house, crying out,
Damn them, where are they ? They came down as far as the
corner of Mr. Philips's house ; I saw their swords and
bayonets
glitter in the moon-light, crying out as before, and by Jesus let
them come ; at which time I was called into the house by one of
my family, but returned again in half a minute, and saw ten
or twelve soldiers, in a tumultuous manner, in the middle of
Kingstreet, opposite to
royal exchange lane, flourishing their