GENERAL GAGE'S
INSTRUCTIONS
BOSTON 1779

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General Gage's restrictions - P.BT4 -






GENERAL GAGE's
INSTRUCTIONS,
Of 22d February 1775,
To Captain Brown and Enfign D'Bernicre, (of the
army under his command) whom he ordered to take
a fketch of the roads, paffes, heights, &c. from Boften
to Worcester, and to make other obfervations:
With a curious
NARRATIVE
OF OCCURRENCES during their million,
Wrote by the Enfign.
Together with an ACCOUNT of their doings,
in confequence of further Orders and Inftructions
from General Gage, of the 20th March following,
to proceed to Concord, to reconnoitre and find out the
flats of the provincial magazines; what number of
cannon, &c. they have, and in what condition.
ALSO,
An ACCOUNT of the Tranfactions of the
British troops, from the time they marched ou, of
Bofton, on the evening of the 18th, 'till their confufed
retreat back, on the ever memorable Nineteenth of
April 1775; and a Return of their killed, wounded.
and miffing on that aufpicious day, as made to Gen. Gage,
[Left in town by a British Officer previous to the evacua.
tion of it by the enemy, and now printed for the
information and amufement of the caricas.]
BOSTON
Printed, and to be fald, by J. GILL, in Court Street:
1779.

CEP
MOITOUSTOV
10
VITA ARA 31

INSTRUCTIONS, &c.
GENTLEMEN,
Bofton, February 22, 1775-
OU will go through the counties of Suffolk
and Worcester, taking a sketch of the coun-
try as you pafs; it is not expected you
Thould make out regular plans and furveys,
but mark out the roads and diftances from town to town,
as alfo the fituation and nature of the country; all paffes
must be particularly laid down, noticing the length and
breadth of them, the entrance in and going out of them,
and whether to be avoided by taking other routs.
The rivers alfo to be ſketched out, remarking their
breadth and depth and the nature of their banks on both
fides, the fords, if any, and the nature of their bottoms,
many of which particulars may be learned of the country
people.
You will remark the heights you meet with, whether
the afcents are difficult or eafy; as alfo the woods and
mountains, with the height and nature of the latter,
whether to be got round or eafily paft over.
The nature of the country to be particularly noticed,
whether inclofed or open; if the former, what kind of
inclofures, and whether the country admits of making
roads for troops on the right or left of the main road,
or on the fides,
You

[ 4 ]
You will notice the fituation of the towns and villages,
their churches and church-yards, whether they are ad-
vantageous fpots to take poft in, and capable of being
made defencible.
If any places ftrike you as proper for encampments,
or appear ftrong by nature, you will remark them parti
cularly, and give reafons for your opinions.
It would be uſeful if you cou'd inform yourſelves of
the neceffaries their different counties could fupply, fuch
as provifions, forage, ftraw, &c. the number of cattle,
horfes, &c. in the feveral townfhips.
I am,
Gentlemen,
your most obedient
bumble fervant,
THOMAS GAGE.
To Capt. Brown gzd regiment, and
Enfign D'Bernicre 10th regiment.
(COPY)
NARRATIVES

[ 5 ]
T
---
NARRATIVE, &c.
HE latter end of February 1775, Capt. Brown
and myſelf, received orders to go through the
Counties of Suffolk and Worcester, and ketch
the roads as we went, for the information of
Gen. Gage, as he expected to have occafion to march
troops through that country the enfuing fpring.
We fat out from Boston on Thursday, difguifed like
countrymen, in brown cloaths and reddifh bandkerchiefs
round our necks; at the ferry of Charlestown, we met
s fentry of the 52d regiment, but Capt. Brown's fervant,
whom we took along with us, bid him not take any no-
tice of us, fo that we paffed unknown to Charlestown.
From that we went to Cambridge, a pretty town, with a
college built of brick, the ground is entirely level on
which the town ftands. We next went to Watertown,
and were not fufpected, it is a pretty large town for
America, but would be looked upon as a village in
England; a little out of this town we went into a tavern,
a Mr.Brewer's, a whig, we called for dinner, which was
brought in by a black woman, at firft fhe was very civil,
but afterwards began to eye us very attentively; fhe
then went out and a little after returned, when we ob-
ferved to her that it was a very fine country, upon which
fhe anſwered fo it is, and we have got brave fellows to
defend it, and if you go up any higher you will find it
fe. This difconcerted us a good deal, and we imagined
fhe

[6]
fhe knew us from our papers which we took out before
her, as the General had told us to pafs for furveyors;
however, we refolved not to fleep there that night, as we
had intended, accordingly we paid our bill which amount-
ed to two pounds odd fhillings, but in was old tenor,
After we had left the houfe we enquired of John, our
fervant, what fhe had faid, he told us that the knew Capt.
Brown very well, that he had feen him five years be-
fore at Boston, and knew him to be an officer, and that
the was fure I was one alfo, and told John that he was a
regular he denied it; but fhe faid fhe knew our errant was
to take a plan of the country; that fhe had feen the river
and road through Charlestown on the paper; fhe alfo ad-
vifed him to tell us not to go any higher, for if we did
we fhould meet with very bad ufage: Upon this we cal-
led a council, and agreed that if we went back we
should appear very foolish, as we had a great num-
ber of enemies in town, becanfe the General had chofe
to employ us in preference to them; it was abfolutely
neceflary to push on to Wercefler, and run all risk ra-
ther than go back until we were forced. Accordingly we
continued our rout and went about fix miles further; we
met a country fellow driving a team, and a fellow with
him whom we fufpected to be a deferter; they both
feemed very defirous to join company with us and told
us, upon our faying we were going towards Worcester,
that they were going our way: As we began to fufpect
fomething we flopped at a tavern at the sign of the gol
den-ball, with an intention to get a drink and fo proceed;
but upon our going in the landlord pleafed us fo much,
as he was not inquifitive, that we refoived to lye there
that night; fo we ordered fome fire to be made in the
room we were in,and a little after to get us fome coffee;
he told us we might have what we pleafed, either tea or
coffee

[ 7 ]
coffee. We immediately found out with whom we were,
and were not a little pleafed to find, on fome converfation,
that he was a friend to government; he told us that he
had been very ill-ufed by them fome time before;
but that fince he had fhewed them that he was not to be
bullied, they had left him pretty quiet.-We then afked
him for the inns that were on the road between his
house and Worcester, he recommended us to two, one
at about nine miles from his houfe, a Mr. Buckminster's,
and another at Worcester, a namefake of his own, a Mr.
Jones. The fecond day was very rainy and a kind of
froft, with it however we refolved to fet off, and accord-
ingly we proceeded to Mr. Buckminster's; we met no-
thing extraordinary on the road; we paffed fome time in
ſketching a paſs that lay in our road, and of confequence
were very dirty and wet on our arrival: On our entering the
houfe we did not much like the appearance of things; we
afked for dinner and they gave us fome faufages, we prai-
fed every thing exceedingly, which pleafed the old woman
of the houfe much; when we told then we intended ftaying
the night, they gave us a room to our felves, which was what
we wanted; after being there fometime we found we were
pretty fafe, as by that time we perceived that the coate
de pay's was not a dangerous one; of confequence we felt
very happy, and Brown, I, and our man John, made a
very hearty fupper; for we always treated him as our com.
panion fince our adventure with the black woman. We
flept there that night,and the next morning, being a very
fine one, we refolved to push on for Worcester, which
was about thirtymiles from us; we procceded about nine
miles without any thing extraordinary happening, except
meeting two men whom we fufpected to be deferters.
We then dined in the woods on a tongue and fome cher-
ry brandy we brought with us, and changed our ftock-
ings

[ 8 1
open
ings, which refreſhed us much, our feet being very wet.
We then travelled through a very fine country, miffed
our way and went to Southborough; we were obliged to
turn back a mile to get the right road. We then paffed
through Shrewsbury; all a fine cultivated country.
We came into a pafs about four miles from Worcester,
where we were obliged to ftop to fketch. We arrived
at Worcester at five o'clock in the evening, very much
fatigued; the people in the town did not take notice of us
as we came in, fo that we got fafe to Mr. Jones's tavern
on our entrance he feemed a little four, but it wore off
by degrees and we found him to be our friend, which
made us very happy; we dined and fupped without any
thing happening out of the common rus. The next day
being Sunday,we could not think of travelling, as it was
contrary to the cuftom of the country; nor dare we flir
out until the evening becaufe of meeting, and no-body
is allowed to walk the ftreets during divine fervice, with
out being taken up and examined; fo that thinking we
could not fland the examination fo well, we thought it
prudent to ftay at home, where we wrote and corrected
our fketches. The landlord was very attentive to us,
and on our afking what he could give us for breakfaft, he
Told us tea or any thing elfe we chofe--that was an open
confeffion what he was; but for fear he might be in.
prudent, we did not 'tell him who we were, tho' we were
certain he knew it. In the evening we went round the
town and on all the hills that command it, fketched every
thing we defired, and returned to the town without being
feen. That evening about eight o'clock the landlord
came in and told us there were two gentlemen who want-
ed to ſpeak with us; we afked him who they were? on
which he faid we wou'd be fafe in their company; we
faid we did not doubt that, as we hoped that two gentle-
men

[ ]
men who travelled merely to fee the country and firetch
our limbs, as we had lately come from fea, could not
meet with any thing elfe but civility, when we behaved
ourfelves properly; he told us he would come in again
in a little time, and perhaps we wou'd change our minds,
and then left us ;-an hour after he returned, and told
us the gentlemen were gone, but had begged him to let
us know, as they knew us to be officers of the army, that
all their friends of government at Petersham were difarm-
ed by the rebels, and that they threatened to do the fame
at Worcester in a very little time; he fat and talked
politicks, and drank a bottle of wine with us--and allo
told us that none but a few friends to government knew
we were in town; we faid it was very indifferent to us
whether they did or not, tho' we thought very differ.
ently; however, as we imagined we had flaid long enough.
in that town, we refolved to fet off at day-break the
next morning and get to Framingham; accordingly of
we fet, after getting fome roast beef and brandy from
our landlord, which was very neceffary on a long march,
and prevented us going into houfes where perhaps they
might be too inquifitive; we took a road we had not
come, and that led us to the pafs four miles from Wor-
cefter; we went on unobferved by any one until we paf-
fed Shrewsbury, where we were overtaken by a horfeman
who examined us very attentively, and efpecially me,
whom he looked at from head to foot as if he wanted to
know me again; after he had, taken his obfervations he
rode off pretty hard and took the Marlborough road, bur
by good luck we took the Framingham road again to be
more perfect in it, as we thought it would be the one made
ule of. We arrived at Buckminfter's tavern about fix
'clock that evening, the company of militia were exer
cifing near the houfe, and an hour after they came and
performed

[ 10 ]
み
​performed their feats before the windows of the room we
were in; we did not feel very eafy at feeing fuch a num-
ber fo very near us; however, they did not know who
we were, and took little or no notice of us.- After
they had done their exercife, one of their commanders
fpoke a very eloquent fpeech, recommending patience,
cooluefs and bravery, (which indeed they much wanted)
particularly told them they would always conquer if
they did not break, and recommended them to charge
us cooly, and wait for our fire, and every thing would
fucceed with them-quotes Cafar and Pompey, briga-
diers Putnam aud Ward, and all fuch great men; put
them in mind of Cape-Breton, and all the battles they
had gained for his majefty in the laf war, and obferved
that the regulars must have been ruined but for them.-
After fo learned and fpirited an harangue, he difmiffed
the parade, and the whole company came into the houſe
and drank until nine o'clock, and then returned to their
refpective homes full of pot-valour. We flept there
that night and no-body in the houfe fufpected us.
morning we fet off for Weflon, had a very agreeable
day, having fine weather and a beautiful country to
travel through; we met nothing extraordinary on the
road; no-body knew us, and we were afked very few
queftions: On our arrival at Mr. Jones's, we met with
a very welcome reception, he being our friend; we re-
ceived feveral hints from the family not to attempt to go
any more into the country; but as we had fucceeded fo
well heretofore, we were refolved to go the Sudbury
road, (which was the main road that led to Worcester)
and
go as
far as the thirty-feven mile-ftone, where we
had left the main read and taken the Framingham road.
We flept at Jones's that night, and got all our ſketches
segether and fent them to Boften with our man, fo that
Next
if

[ 11 ]
if they did ftop and fearch us, they would not get our
papers. The next day was very cloudy and threatened
bad weather, towards twelve o'clock it fnowed; we dined-
foon in hopes the weather would clear up. At two o-
clock it ceafed fnowing a little, and we refolved to fet off
for Marlborough, which was about fixteen miles off; we
found the roads very bad, every ftep up to our ankles,
we paffed through Sudbury, a very large village, near a
mile long, the caufeway lies across a great fwamp, ar
overflowing of the tiver Sudbury, and commanded by
a high ground on the oppofite fide; nobody took the leatt
notice of us until we arrived within three miles of Marl-
borough, (it was fnowing hard all the while) when a
horfeman overtook us and afked us from whence we
came, we faid from Wefton, he afked if we lived there,
we faid no; he then afked us where we refided, and as
we found there was no evading his questions, we told
him we lived at Beflon; he then asked us where we'
were going, we told him to Marlborough, to fee a friend,
(as we intended to go to Mr. Barns's, a gentleman to
whom we were recommended, and a friend to govern
ment ;) he then afked us if we were in the army, we
faid not, but were a good deal alarmed at his alking us
that queftion; he afked feveral rather impertinent quef-
tions, and then rode on for Marlborough, as we fuppofe,
to give them intelligence there of cur coming,tor on
our entering the town, the people came out of their hou
fes (tho' it fnowed and blew very hard) to look at us,
in particular a baker afked Capt. Brown, where are you
going mafter, he answered on to fee Mr. Barnes.- We
proceeded to Mr. Barnes's, and on our beginning to make
an apology for taking the liberty to make ufe of his hous
and difcovering to him that we were officers in difguife,
he told us we need not be at the pains of telling him,
that

[ 1 ]
that he knew our fituation, that we were very well
known (he was afraid) by the town's people.-We beg-
ged he would recommend fome tavern where we fhould
be fafe, he told us we could be fafe no where but in his
hotfe; that the town was very violent, and that we
had been expected at Col. Williams's the night before,
where there had gone a party of liberty people to meet
us,(we fufpected, and indeed had every reafon to be-
lieve, that the horfeman that met us and took füch parti-
cular notice of me, the morning we left Worcester, was
the man who told them we fhould be at Marlborough the
night before, but our taking the Framingham road wher
he had paffed us, deceived him :)-Whillt we were talk-
ing the people were gathering in little groups in every
part of the town. Mr. Barnes afked us who had fpoke
to us on our coming into the town, we told him a baker;
he feemed a little ftartled at that, told us he was a very
mifchievons fellow, and that there was a deferter at his
houfe; Capt. Brown afked the man's name, he faid it
was Swain, that he had been a drummer; Brown knew
him too well, as he was a man of his own company, and
had not been gone above a month-fo we found we were
difcovered. We afked Mr. Barnes if they did get us
into their hands, what they would do with us; he did
not feem to like to anfwer; we afked him again, he then
faid we knew the people very well, that we might ex.
pect the worst of treatment from them -Immediately af
ter this, Mr. Barnes was called out; he returned a little
after and told us the doctor of the town had come to tell
him he was come to fup with him-(now this fellow had
not been within Mr. Barnes's doors for two years before,
and came now for no other bufinefs than to fee and be-
ray us)- Barnes told him he had company and could
not have the pleasure of attending him that night; upon
this

[ 13 ]
this the fellow flared about the houfe and afiked one of
Mr.Barnes's children who her father had got with him, the
child innocently anfwered that the had aſked her pappa,
but he told her it was not her bufinefs; he then went, I
fuppofe, to tell the reft of his crew. When we found we
were in that fituation, we refolved to lie down for two or
three hours, and fet off at twelve o'clock at night; fo we
got fome fupper on the table and were just beginning to
eat, when Barnes (who had been making enquiry of his
fervants) found they intended to attack us, and then he
told us plainly he was very uneafy for us, that we could
be no longer in fafety in that town: upon which we re-
folved to fet off immediately, and afked Mr. Barnes if
there was no road round the town, fo that we might not
be feen; he took us out of his houfe by the ftables, and
directed us a bye road which was to lead us a quarter of a
mile from the town, it fnowed and blew as much as ever
1 fee it in my life; however, we walked pretty fast,
fearing we fhould be purfued; at firft we felt much fa-
tigned, having not been more than twenty minutes at
Mr. Barnes's to refresh ourfelves, and the roads (if pof-
fible) were worse than when we came; but in a little time
after it wore off, and we got without being perceived, as
far as the hills that command the caufeway at Sudbury,
and went into a little wood where we eat a bit of bread
that we took from Mr. Barnes's, and cat a little (now to
wafh it down. After that we proceeded about one hun-
dred yards, when a man came out of a houfe and faid
thofe words to Capt. Brown, "What do you think will
become of you now," which fartled us a good deal,
thinking we were betrayed. We refolved to push on at
all hazards, but expected to be attacked on the caufeway;
however we met no-body there, fo began to think it was
refolved to ftop us in Sudbury, which town we entered
when

[ 14 ]
when we paffed the caufeway; about a quarter of a mile
in the town we met three or four horfemen, from whom
we expected a few fhot, when we came nigh they opened
to the right and left and quite croffed the road, howe-
ver they let us pafs through them without taking any no-
rice, their opening being only chance; but our appre-
henfions made us interpret every thing against us.-At
laft we arrived at our friend Jones's again, very much
fatigued, after walking thirty-two miles between two
o'clock and half-after ten at night, through a road that
every flep we funk up to the ankles, and it blowing and
drifting fnow all the way-Jones faid he was glad to fee
us back, as he was fure we fhould meet with ill-ufage
in that part of the country, as they had been watching for
us fometime; but faid he found we were fo deaf to his
hints, that he did not like to fay any thing for fear
we fhould have taken it ill: we drank a bottle of
mulled Madeira wine, which refrefhed us very much,
and went to bed and flept as found as men could
do, that were very much fatigued. The next morning,
after breakfaft, we fet off for Boston. Jones fhewed us
a road that took us a quarter of a mile below Watertown
bridge, as we did not chufe to go through that town. We
arrived at Boffen about twelve o'clock, and met General
Gage and General Haldiman, with their aid-de-camps,
walking out on the neck, they did not know us until we
difcovered our felves; we befides met feveral officers of
eur acquaintance, who did not know us.
A few days after our return, Mr. Barnes came to town
from Marlborough, and told us, immediately on our quit-
ting the town, the committee of correfpondence came to
his house and demanded us; he told them we were gone;
they then fearched his houfe from top to bottom, looked
under the beds and in their cellars, and when they found
we were gone, they told him if they had caught us in his
houfe

[ 15 ]
houfe they would have pulled it about his ears. They
then fent horfemen after us, every road; but as we had
the ftart of them, and the weather being fo very bad,
Mr.
they either did not overtake us, or miffed us.
Barnes told them we were not officers, but relations
of his wife's, from Penobscot, and were gone to Lan-
cafter; that, perhaps, might have deceived them.
Account of the proceedings of the aforefaid officers, in
confequence of further orders and inftructions from
General Gage, of the 20th March following; with
occurrences during their miffion.
XXX HE twentieth of March Captain Brown and
**T* myfelf received orders to fet out for Concord,
X+X and examine the road and fituation of the
RXXX town; and alfo to get what information we
could relative to what quantity of artillery and provi-
fions. We went through Roxbury and Brookline, and
came into the main road between the thirteen and four-
teen mile-ftones in the township of Wefton; we went
through part of the pafs at the eleven mile-flone, took
the Concord road, which is feven miles from the main
road. We arrived there without any kind of infult
being offered us, the road is high to the right and low
to the left, woody in moft places, and very clofe and
commanded by hills frequently. The town of Concord
lies between hills that command it entirely; there is
a river runs through it, with two bridges over it, in
fum mer it is pretty dry; the town is large and co-
vers a great tract of ground, but the houfes are not
clofe together but generally in little groups. We were
informed that they had fourteen pieces of cannon (ten
iron

[ 16 ]
iron and four bras) and two cohorns, they were mount-
ed but in fo bad a manner that they could not elevate them
more than they were, that is, they were fixed to one
elevation, their iron cannon they kept in a houfe in
town, their brafs they had concealed in fome place
behind the town, in a wood. They had alfo a flore
of flour, fifh, falt and rice; and a magazine of pow-
der and cartridges. They fired their morning gun, and
mounted a guard of ten men at night. We dined at
the houfe of a Mr. Bliss, a friend to government;
they had fent him word they would not let him go out
of town alive that morning; however, we told him if
he would come with us we would take care of him,
as we were three and all well armed,--he confented
and told us he could fhew us another road, called the
Lexington road. We fet out and croffed the bridge
in the town, and of confequence left the town on the
contrary fide of the river to what we entered it. The
road continued very open and good for fix miles, the
next five a little inclofed, (there is one very bad place
in this five miles) the road good to Lexington. You
then come to Menotomy, the road ftill good; a pond
or lake at Menotomy. You then leave Cambridge on
your right, and fall into the main road a little below
Cambridge, and fo to Charlestown; the road is very
good almost all the way.
In the town of Concord, a woman directed us to Mr.
Bliss's houfe; a little after fhe came in crying, and
told us they fwore if fhe did not leave the town, they
would tar and feather her for directing Tories in their
road.
TRANSACTIONS

[ 17 ]
TRANSACTIONS of the British troops previous 16,
and at the Battle of Lexington; with a Return of
their killed, wounded and miffing, as made to Gene-
ral Gage.
gan
N the night of the 18th of April 1774, at nine
o'clock, the grenadiers and light infantry of the
army at Bofton, received orders to embark immediately
under the command of Col. Smith, in the men of war's
boats, and proceed according to his directions. They
embarked at the common in Boston, and croffed to the
hore lying between Charlestown and Cambridge, where
they landed and received a day's provifions: They be-
their march about twelve o'clock for Concord, that
being the place they were ordered to go to, for the pur-
pofe of deftroying fome military ftores laid up there by
the rebels. The troops received no interruption in their
march until they arrived at Lexington, a town eleven
miles from Boston, where there were about 150 rebels
drawn out in divifions, with intervals as wide as the front
of the divifions; the light-infantry who marched in front
halted, and Major Pitcairn came up immediately and
cried out to the rebels to throw down their arms and dif
perfe, which they did not do; he called out a fecond
time, but to no purpofe; upon which he ordered our
light-infantry to advance and difarm them, which they
were doing, when one of the rebels fired a fhot, our fol-
diers returned the fire and killed about fourteen of them;
there was only one of the 10th light-infantry received a
hot through his leg; fome of them got into the church
and fired from it, but were foon drove out. We then
continued our march for Concord, and arrived there be-
tween nine and ten o'clock in the morning of the 19th
April, the light-infantry marched on the hills that lay
the length of the town, and the grenadiers took the lower
read immediately on our arrival; Capt. Parsons of the
10th, was difparched with fix light-companies to take pof-
feffion of a bridge that lay three quarters of a mile from
Concord,
C

[ 18 ]
Concord, and I was ordered to fhew him the road there,
and alſo to conduct him to a houfe where there was fome
cannon and other flores hid; when we arrived at the
bridge, three companies under the command of Capt.
Lowry of the 43d, were left to protect it, these three com-
panies were not clofe together, but fituated fo as to be able
to fupport each other; we then proceeded to Col. Bar-
rett's, where thefe itores were, we did not find fo much
as we expected, but what there was we deftroyed; in the
mean time Capt. Lowry and his party were attacked by
about 1500 rebels and drove from the bridge, three offi-
cers were wounded and one killed, three foldiers were
killed and a number wounded, notwithstanding they let
Capt. Parfons with his three companies return, and never
attacked us; they had taken up fome of the planks of the
bridge, but we got overs; had they deftroyed it we were
moft certainly all loft; however, we joined the main bo-
dy. Col. Smith during our abfence, had fent Capt. Pole
of 10th regiment, to deftroy fome provisions and cannon
that were lodged in another part of the town, he knock'd
the trunnions off three iron 24 pound cannon, and burnt
their carriages; they alfo deftroyed a quantity of flour, and
fome barrels of trenchers and fpoons of wood for their
camp. Upon the different detachment's joining the main
body, and after getting fome horfes and chaifes for the
wounded, we began the march to return to Bofton, about
twelve o'clock in the day, in the fame order of march,
only our flankers were more numerous and further from
the main body; all the hills on cach fide of us were co-
vered with rebels-there could not be lefs than 5000;
fo that they kept the road always lined and a very hot
fire on us without intermiffion; we at firft kept our or
der and returned their fire as hot as we received it, but
when we arrived within a mile of Lexington, our ammu-
nition began to fail, and the light companies were fo fa-
aigued with flanking they were fcarce able to act, and a
great number of wounded fearce able to get forward,
made

[ 19 ]
made a great confufion; Col. Smith (our commanding-
officer) had received a wound through his leg, a number
of officers were alfo wounded, fo that we began to run
rather than retreat in order-the whole behaved with
amazing bravery, but little order; we attempted to flop
the men and form them two deep, but to no purpofe, the
confufion increaſed rather than leffened: At laft, after we
got through Lexington, the officers got to the front and
prefented their bayonets, and told the men if they advan-
ced they fhould die: Upon this they began to form un-
der a very heavy fire; but at that inftant, the first bri
gade joined us, confifting of the 4th, 23d, and 47th regis
ments, and two divifions of marines, under the command
of Brigadier-General Lord Percy; he brought two field-
pieces with him, which were immediately brought to bear
upon the rebels, and foon filenced their fire. After a lite
tle firing the whole halted for about half an hour to reft.
Lord Percy then made the light-infantry march in front,
the grenadiers next, and the firft brigade brought up the
rear and fent out flankers; the rebels ftill kept firing on
us, but very lightly until we came to Menotomy, a village
with a number of houfes in little groups extending about
half a mile, out of thefe houfes they kept a very heavy
fire, but our troops broke into them and killed valt nam-
bers; the foldiers fhewed great bravery in this place, force-
ing houfes from whence came a heavy fire, and killing
great numbers of the rebels. At about feven o'clock in
the evening we arrived at Charlestown, they kept up a
fcattering fire at us all the way; at Charlestown we took
poffeffion of a hill that commanded the town, the Select-
men of which fent to Lord Percy to let him know that if
he would not attack the town, they would take care that
the
troops fhould not be molefted, and alfo they would
do all in their power for to get us across the ferry; the
Somerfet man of war lay there at that time, and all her
boats were employed firft in getting over the wounded,
and after them the reft of the troops; the piquets of 10th
regiment,

20
L 20
regiment, and fame more troops, were fent over to
Charlestown that night to keep every thing quiet, and re-
turned next day. The rebels fhut up the neck, placed
Sentinels there, and took prifoner an officer of the 64th
regiment that was going to join his regiment at Caftle-Wil
liem. So that in the courfe of two days, from a plentiful
town, we were reduced to the difagreeable neceffity of
living on falt provifions, and fairly blocked up in Boston.
RETURN of the killed, wounded and miffing, en
the 19th of April, 1775, as made to General Gage
KILLED.
IVth regiment, Lieut. Knight, at Menotomy.
XLIIId, ditto, Lieut. Hull, bridge beyond Concord,
WOUNDED.
IVth regiment, Lieut. Gould, bridge beyond Concord.
ditto, Lieut. Hauxfbaw, near Lexington.
Vth,
Xth
ditto, Lieut. Cox,
ditto, Lieut. Baker,
ditto,
ditto.
ditto, Lieut. Col. Smith, ditto.
ditto, Lieut. Kelly, bridge beyond Concord
ditto, Enfign Lefter, near Concord.
XXIIId ditto, Lieut. Col. Bernard, Menotomy.
XXXVIIIth do. Lieut. Sunderland, bridge Concord
XLVIIth ditto, Enfign Baldwin, near Lexington.
ditto, Enfign McCloud, ditte.
MARINES. Capt. Souter, and
Lieut. Potter
}
Bear Lexington,
PRISONERS.
IVth regiment, Lieut. Gould.
LXIVth dit, Lieut. Hamilton.
Marines,
Lieut. Potter.
Killed.
Wounded. Miffing.
Officers
Serjeants
13
2
6
1 Drummers
I
370
3
I
I
Rank and File
68
154
21
Total,
73
174
26

General Gogel
ELIAS DEXTER 564 BROADWAY
















C
1779
Gage, Thomas
Ga
WILLIAM L.CLEMENTS
LIBRARY OF
AMERICAN HISTORY
UNIVERSITY of MICHIGAN