2024-01 Raynors Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/20/2024
An authentic and complete issue of The Essex Journal or New-Hampshire Packet, September 5, 1775 (Vol. II, No. 87). Newburyport, Massachusetts, 4pp. With masthead attributed to Paul Revere, including images of a Native American and a ship. P1/C1-3; The Crisis from London, Number XI. The Crisis was a British defense of American rights issued weekly as a pamphlet published in London from January 1775 to October 1776 and eventually reaching ninety-two issues. In part, ""Shall then the present Sovereign and his Ministers be exempted from a strict and nice inquiry into their conduct, because they have effected in one method, the very despotism which was opposed in James, who was deservedly drove into exile, for attempting it in another. Forbid it heaven! and every thing that is dear to Englishmen." ... P2/C1; "General Gage, having received intelligence of a large quantity of military stores being collected at Concord, for the avowed purpose of supplying a body of troops to act in opposition to his Majesty's government, detached, on the 18th of April, at night, the grenadiers of his army and the light infantry, under the command of Lieut. Col. Smith of the 10th regiment and Major Pitcairne of the Marines, with orders to destroy the said stores; and the next morning eight companies of the 4th, the same number of the 23d and 49th, and some Marines, marched under the command of Lord Percy, to support the other detachment. "Lieut. Colonel Smith finding after he had advanced some miles on his march, that the country had been alarmed by the firing of guns and ringing of bells, dispatched six companies of light infantry, in order to secure two bridges on different roads beyond Concord, who, upon their arrival at Lexington, found a body of the country people drawn up under arms on a green close to the road; and, upon the king's troops marching up to them, in order to enquire the reason of their being so assembled, they went of[f] in great confusion, and sever guns, were fired upon the King's troops from behind stone walls, and also from the Meeting house, and other houses, by which one man was wounded and Major Pitcairne's horse shot in two places. In consequence of this attack by the rebels, the troops returned the fire, and killed several of them; after which the detachment marched up to Concord, without any thing further happening, where they effected the purpose for which they were sent, having knocked off the trunnions of three pieces of iron ordnance, burnt some new gun carriages, and a great number of carriage wheels, and thrown into the river a considerable quantity of flour, gun powder, musket balls, and other articles. Whilst this service was performing, great numbers of the Rebels assembled in many parts, and a considerable body of them attacked the light infantry posted at one of the bridges, on which an action ensued, and some few were killed and wounded. "On the return of the troops from Concord, they were very much annoyed, and had several men killed and wounded, by the Rebels firing from behind walls, ditches, trees and other ambushes; but the brigade was under the command of Lord Piercy having joined them at Lexington, with two pieces of cannon, the Rebels were for a while dispersed; but, as soon as the troops resumed their march, they began again to fire upon them from behind stone walls and houses and kept up in that manner a scattering fire during the whole of their march of fifteen miles, by which means several were killed and wounded; and such was the cruelty and barbarity of the Rebels, that they scalped and cut off the ears of some of the wounded men who fell into their hands. "It is not known what number of the Rebels were killed and wounded; but it is supposed that their loss was very considerable."
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