Eyewitness Accounts from the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society
Manuscript map of Boston and Boston Harbor, 1776
A Plan of Boston, and its environs...
A Plan of Boston in New England with its Environs...Eyewitness Accounts Arranged by Selected Topics
Explore the featured documents by browsing the following selected topics.
Please note: The topics below are just some examples of the many different topics found within the manuscripts and we offer them as starting points for your research.
Battle of Bunker Hill
17 June 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 2:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
17 June 1775. Edes (Resident).
Subtopic: list of prisoners taken to jail.
See page 23:
Peter Edes diary, June-October 1775
11 August 1775. Edes (Resident).
Subtopic: death of prisoner taken during battle.
See page 9:
Peter Edes diary, June-October 1775
17 September 1775. Edes (Resident).
Subtopic: account by minister who fought for Provincial army then deserted to British army.
See page 19:
Peter Edes diary, June-October 1775
17 June 1775. Ober (Soldier).
See page 7:
Nathaniel Ober diary, 15 May - 3 September 1775, with accounts and notes, 1776-1781
Battles of Lexington and Concord
19 April 1775. Adams (Member of Continental Congress).
See page 1:
Letter from Samuel Adams to Samuel Purviance, 19 May 1775
19 April 1775. Deming (Resident).
See page 3:
Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775
British Evacuation of Boston
March 1776. Bangs (Soldier).
See pages 15-16:
Isaac Bangs journal, 1776
17 March 1776. Brown (Soldier).
See page 6:
Obadiah Brown diary, 1776-1777
5 March 1776. Cheever (Merchant).
Subtopic: preparations.
See page 11:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
17 March 1776. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 12:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
March 1776. Jackson (Merchant).
Subtopic: aftermath.
See:
Letter from William Jackson to the Continental Congress, 6 July 1776
Challenges of residents leaving Boston
May 1775. Adams (Member of Continental Congress).
See page 3:
Letter from Samuel Adams to Samuel Purviance, 19 May 1775
6 May 1775. Andrews (Merchant).
See page 1-2:
Letter from John Andrews to William Barrell, 6 May 1775
22 April 1775. Boston freeholders and inhabitants (Resident).
Subtopic: including requirement to surrender firearms.
See pages 3 -5:
Boston town meeting minutes, 22 April 1775
21 April 1775. Burbeck (Soldier).
See:
Statement of William Burbeck certifying that he received help from Henry Howell Williams in April 1775, written on 17 April 1776
20 April 1775. Deming (Resident).
See page 3:
Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775
23 April 1775. Elliot (Minister).
Subtopic: including requirement to surrender firearms.
See page 1:
Letter from Andrew Eliot to his son, 23 April 1775
Conditions in Boston
6 May 1775. Andrews (Merchant).
See page 2:
Letter from John Andrews to William Barrell, 6 May 1775
1 June 1775. Andrews (Merchant).
Subtopic: scarcity of food.
See pages 2-3:
Letter from John Andrews to William Barrell, 1 June 1775
22 April 1775. Boston freeholders and inhabitants (Resident).
Subtopic: attempts to preserve peaceful relations between soldiers and residents.
See page 2:
Boston town meeting minutes, 22 April 1775
12 August 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 5:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
19-20 April 1775. Deming (Resident).
See page 3:
Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775
23 April 1775. Eliot (Minister).
See:
Letter from Andrew Eliot to his son, 23 April 1775
25 April 1775. Eliot (Minister).
See page 1:
Letter from Andrew Eliot to Thomas B. Hollis (copy), 25 April 1775 and letter from Andrew Eliot to unidentified recipient (draft), 31 May 1775
31 May 1775. Eliot (Minister).
See page 4:
Letter from Andrew Eliot to Thomas B. Hollis (copy), 25 April 1775 and letter from Andrew Eliot to unidentified recipient (draft), 31 May 1775
Fortification of Dorchester Heights
4 March 1776. Bangs (Soldier).
See page 4:
Isaac Bangs journal, 1776
9 March 1776. Thomas (Soldier).
Subtopic: preparations.
See:
Letter from Gen. John Thomas to Hannah Thomas, 9 March 1776
Military generals
May 1775. Adams (Member of Continental Congress).
See page 3:
Letter from Samuel Adams to Samuel Purviance, 19 May 1775
1 January 1776-17 March 1776. Bangs (Soldier).
See page 28 for one example:
Isaac Bangs journal, 1776
25 May 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 1:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
13 November 1775. Harrison (Soldier).
See:
Letter from Robert Harrison to Loammi Baldwin, 13 November 1775
Fall 1775-spring 1776. Jackson (Merchant).
See:
Letter from William Jackson to the Continental Congress, 6 July 1776
2 July 1775. Ober (Soldier).
See page 9 for example:
Nathaniel Ober diary, 15 May - 3 September 1775, with accounts and notes, 1776-1781
Circa October 1775. Unidentified woman (Resident).
See:
Poem about British by an American Lady, 11 Feb. [1776]
Prisoner account
19 June 1775 - 3 October 1775. Edes (Resident).
See:
Peter Edes diary, June-October 1775
Raids/plundering of property
1 June 1775. Andrews (Merchant).
See page 2:
Letter from John Andrews to William Barrell, 1 June 1775
30 May 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 1:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
12 July 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 3:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
15 November 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
Subtopic: mentions damage to Old South Meeting House.
See page 7:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
9 January 1776. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 10:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
30 May 1775. Doolittle (Soldier).
See:
Orders to take cattle issued by Col. Ephraim Doolittle to Capt. Nathan Fuller (copy), 30 May 1775
June 1775. Gill (Soldier).
See:
Statement of Moses Gill certifying that the horses, cattle, and sheep removed from Noddles Island in June 1775 were used for the benefit of American troops, undated
20 April 1775. Green (Resident).
Subtopic: expenses occurred when moving cattle and horses to prevent British from obtaining livestock.
See page 1:
Estimate of damages done during Siege, list by Jonathan Green, 7 May 1776
31 May 1775. Green (Resident).
See page 1:
Estimate of damages done during Siege, list by Jonathan Green, 7 May 1776
10 July 1775. Green (Resident).
See page 2:
Estimate of damages done during Siege, list by Jonathan Green, 7 May 1776
11 November 1775. Green (Resident).
Subtopic: expenses occurred when moving cattle and horses to prevent British from obtaining livestock.
See page 2:
Account of damages done during Siege to Jonathan Green, [7 May 1776]
13 November 1775. Harrison (Soldier).
Subtopic: hope to prevent British from obtaining livestock.
See:
Letter from Robert Harrison to Loammi Baldwin, 13 November 1775
6 July 1776. Jackson (Merchant).
Subtopic: attempt to recover confiscated property.
See:
Letter from William Jackson to the Continental Congress, 6 July 1776
6 August 1775. Ober (Soldier).
See page 16:
Nathaniel Ober diary, 15 May - 3 September 1775, with accounts and notes, 1776-1781
May 1775. Williams, H. H. (Resident).
See:
List of items belonging to Henry Howell Williams destroyed in 1775, 10 March 1787
1789. Williams, H. H. (Resident).
Subtopic: attempt to recover confiscated property.
See many selections:
Documents relating to Henry Howell Williams and Noddles Island
Setting of Siege
1776. Unidentified (Unidentified).
See:
Manuscript map of Boston and Boston Harbor, 1776
1775-1776. Unidentified (Unidentified).
See:
A Plan of Boston in New England with its Environs, including Milton, Dorchester, Roxbury, Brooklin [sic], Cambridge, Medford, Charlestown, Parts of Malden and Chelsea, with the Military Works Constructed in those Places in the Years 1775 and 1776
October 1775. Williams, R (Soldier).
See:
A Plan of Boston, and its Environs shewing the true Situation of His Majesty's Army
Skirmishes and bombardments
4 March 1776. Bangs (Soldier).
See pages 6-7:
Isaac Bangs journal, 1776
20 February1776. Brown (Soldier).
Subtopic: from the perspective of a soldier.
See page 3:
Obadiah Brown diary, 1776-1777
2 March 1776. Brown (Soldier).
See page 5:
Isaac Bangs journal, 1776
4 March 1776. Brown (Soldier).
See page 4:
Obadiah Brown diary, 1776-1777
12 March 1776. Brown (Soldier).
See page 5:
Obadiah Brown diary, 1776-1777
2 August 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 4:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
22 September 1775. Cheever (Merchant).
See page 6:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
31 May 1775. Eliot (Minister).
Subtopic: from the perspective of a Boston resident.
See page 4:
Letter from Andrew Eliot to Thomas B. Hollis (copy), 25 April 1775 and letter from Andrew Eliot to unidentified recipient (draft), 31 May 1775
28 May 1775. Ober (Soldier).
Subtopic: from the perspective of a soldier.
See page 4:
Nathaniel Ober diary, 15 May - 3 September 1775, with accounts and notes, 1776-1781
31 July 1775. Ober (Soldier).
See page 14:
Nathaniel Ober diary, 15 May - 3 September 1775, with accounts and notes, 1776-1781
27 August 1775. Ober (Soldier).
See page 19:
Nathaniel Ober diary, 15 May - 3 September 1775, with accounts and notes, 1776-1781
View of Siege, written by a woman
19-20 April 1775. Deming (Resident).
See page 3:
Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775
Circa October 1775. Unidentified woman (Resident).
See:
Poem about British by an American Lady, 11 Feb. [1776]
View of Siege, written from outside of Boston
1 January 1776-17 March 1776. Bangs (Soldier).
See:
Isaac Bangs journal, 1776
30 January 1776 - 17 March 1776. Brown (Soldier).
See:
Obadiah Brown diary, 1776-1777
15 May 1775 - 3 September 1775. Ober (Soldier).
See:
Nathaniel Ober diary, 15 May - 3 September 1775, with accounts and notes, 1776-1781
View of Siege, written from within Boston
6 May 1775. Andrews (Merchant).
See:
Letter from John Andrews to William Barrell, 6 May 1775
1 June 1775. Andrews (Merchant).
See page 2:
Letter from John Andrews to William Barrell, 1 June 1775
19 May 1775 - 17 March 1776. Cheever (Merchant).
See:
William Cheever diary, 1775-1776
19-20 April 1775. Deming (Resident).
See page 3:
Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775
25 April 1775. Eliot (Minister).
See:
Letter from Andrew Eliot to Thomas B. Hollis (copy), 25 April 1775 and letter from Andrew Eliot to unidentified recipient (draft), 31 May 1775