their being in open Rebellion, for they fired first upon the King’s Troops, as they
were marching quietly along...,” Perc y –.
George Leonard is frequently referred to in the minutes of Boston town meetings
to March, , as a miller in Boston and thereafter as “lately” a miller there,
Boston Town Records (for –) , , , , , , , . He was a signer
of fulsome addresses to Thomas Hutchinson May , , and Gage Oct. , ;
he went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the British evacuation of Boston in March,
, and was banished from Mass. in Sept., , Stark Loyalists of Mass. , ,
, . His subsequent career, Jones Loyalists of Mass. –, , .
Statement of George Leonard of Boston May , , as to the firing at Lexington,
French Gage’s Informers –.
Deposition of Nathan Barrett and others of Concord, April , , that the
British fired first there, Journals Cont. Cong. II .
Supporting depositions Apr. , , of American eyewitnesses; of Lieut. Edward
Gould, a British officer, dated April ; and of James Marr, a British soldier, dated
April , as to British firing first at Concord, same –, –, –.
Conflicting statements dated April , , as to the British firing first at Con-
cord, Capt. Walter S. Laurie, French Gage’s Informers and Lieut. Sutherland,
Sutherland .
British accounts of American atrocities: Gage to Lord Dartmouth April , ,
Gage I , enclosing Col. Francis Smith’s account, M.H.S. Proc. XIV () n.;
Percy to Gage Apr. , same n.; Anne Hulton to Mrs. Adam Lightbody April
[no day], Hulton Letters .
Rev. William Gordon to an unidentified correspondent May , , concerning
the mangled British soldier at Concord, Force II . As to Gordon, who later
wrote a well-known history of the American Revolution, D.A.B. The Reverend
William Emerson (grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson) was pastor of the First
Congregational parish of Concord, Shipton Harvard Graduates XV –.
“Narrative” published by the Second Mass. Congress in May, , Mass. Congress
Journals –.
Letters in the English newspapers as to alleged British atrocities, quoted in the
text, Williard Letters , , –, and letter of April , , from Wethersfield,
Conn., as to British atrocities, quoted in the text, Force II . The New-York Jour-
nal of May carried a similar story of the slaughter of children.
Plundering of houses: Frederick Mackenzie diary for April , , Mackenzie I ;
Barker diary for April , Barker ; Lieut. Col. James Abercrombie to Cadwal-
lader Colden May , M.H.S. Proc. XI , all contemporary accounts by British
officers.
Burning of houses: Intercepted letters of British officers, April , , and , ,
Journals Mass. Congress –; deposition of sixteen inhabitants of Concord, Jour-
nals Cont. Cong. II –.
Firing on the British troops from houses along the road: Barker ; Mackenzie ; Perc y ;
Sutherland ; Evelyn ; all contemporary accounts by British officers who were on
the expedition, and Boston letter of April , , in The Gazetteer and New Daily
Advertiser (London) June .
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