MIDDLESEX, ss.
April 25th, 1775.
BENJAMIN TIDD and Joseph
Abbott, above-named being
duly cautioned, to testify the whole truth, made solemn
oath to the truth of the above deposition by them subscribed.
Before us,
William Read, Josiah Johnson,
William Stickney.
Justices of the Peace.
WE NATHANIEL MILLIKEN, PHILLIP RUSSELL,
MOSES HARRINGTON, jun. THOMAS and
DA-
NIEL HARRINGTON, WILLIAM GRIMER,
WILLIAM
TIDD, ISAAC HASTINGS, JONAS STONE,
jun. JAMES
WYMAN, THADDEUS HARRINGTON, JOHN
CHAN-
DLER, JOSHUA REED, jun. JOSEPH
SIMONDS,
PHINEAS SMITH, JOHN CHANDLER, jun.
RUEBEN
LOCK, JOEL VILES, NATHAN
REED, SAMUEL
TIDD, BENJAMIN LOCK, THOMAS WINSHIP,
SI-
MEON SNOW, JOHN SMITH, MOSES
HARRING-
TON, 3d. JOSHUA READ, EBENEZER
PARKER,
JOHN HARRINGTON, ENOCH WILLINGTON,
JOHN HOSMER, ISAAC GREEN, PHINEAS
STEARNS, ISAAC DURANT, and THOMAS
HEAD-
LY, jun. all of lawful age, and inhabitants of
Lexington,
in the county of
Middlesex, and Colony of the
Massa-
chusetts-Bay, in
New-England, do testify and declare, that on
the nineteenth of April instant, about one or two o'clock in
the morning, being informed that several officers of the regu-
lars, had the evening before been riding up and down the road,
and had detained and insulted the inhabitants passing the same,
and also understanding that a body of regulars were marching
from
Boston, towards
Concord, with intent (as it was supposed)
to take the stores belonging to the colony in that town, we were
alarmed and having met at the place of our Company's parade,
were dismissed by our Captain, John Parker, for the present,
with
orders to be ready to attend at the beat of the drum, we fur-
ther testify and declare, that about five o'clock in the morning,
hearing our drum beat, we proceeded towards the parade, and
soon found that a large body of troops were marching towards
us, some of our company were coming up to the parade and
others had reached it, at which time the company began to
disperse, whilst our backs were turned on the troops, we were
fired on by them, and a number of our men were instantly kil-
led and wounded, not a gun was fired by any person in our
company on the regulars to our knowledge before they fired on
us, and they continued firing until we had all made our escape.
Lexington,
April 25th, 1775.