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Uncover New Facts on Boston Massacre by
Parker R |
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February-26-1770.
Dearest Mother and Father,
How are you doing? I’m doing well, and am enjoying my new life here in
Boston. I have become a lawyer because some of my friends told me
I should, and lawyers make a good living. So I went to Yale for
two years and before I knew it, I was a lawyer! My wife is doing great
and she loves it here in Boston. We both do.
I live on Beacon Hill and am working with a man named John Adams.
John Adams was looking for a partner to work on cases with and I told
him that I would, so we became partners. People in this town are
getting very mad, for the Redcoats are currently setting up a camp on
the Common, because none of us want to house and feed the soldiers. The
King has made a tax on items like tea, glass, and lead and he has
backed it up by sending soldiers into Boston to make sure that the
people would pay it and there would not be fights. So the
soldiers went out and set up camp on the Common and have started
playing the drums, marching, and bulging at the most annoying
times.
Earlier a British soldier was looking for a job and a Bostonian on the
rope walk teased him and told him he should go and get a job cleaning
privies. Well, one thing lead to the next and they got into a
fight. I just went out to the local shops and bought some new shoes and
clothes worth about three shillings. John Adams said I am doing a
great job working.
Your loving son, William Josiah
March-12-1770
Dearest Mother and Father,
A terrible thing has come upon the town of Boston. There has been a
massacre leaving five dead and seven wounded. 'Twas a terrible sight,
with blood everywhere. Even the snow was red from the blood and the
streets were the same. At first I felt I should be loyal to the Crown,
but I have now decided to become against it. I now stand up against the
Crown’s taxes, for the taxes are wrong, and we should not have to pay
for everything, when we buy it. I feel very upset about this whole
event, and I am very disappointed about the whole thing.
It happened on March fifth at night time. There was a sentry on duty
and a mob of angry people were throwing things at him like ice, litter,
and rocks. Earlier children were taunting him. He hit one of the
young people with the butt of his gun. The little lad ran home and told
his parents. The parents got mad and started throwing things to get the
sentry mad. A mob formed and they had clubs and were threatening to hit
the sentry. Then the sentry got hit with something hard and got knocked
down, so he called for help and Captain Preston and eight soldiers came
running out. Preston told the soldiers not to fire, but the crowd
taunted them saying “Fire! Fire! Fire!” Then the church bells rang and
people came running out of their houses saying “Fire!” For the church
bells meant that there is a fire somewhere and people need to help
putting it out. One of the soldiers got hit by a club and fired blankly
into the crowd; the rest of the soldier’s did the same.
After that happened the soldier’s had killed five citizens and wounded
seven. Everyone was mad at the soldiers saying they fired intentionally
but, they really fired in self defense. If you ask me they are innocent
and should not be charged. I have found this information out from a man
that was at the Green Dragon Tavern who witnessed the King Street
massacre. If you ask me, I am pretty disappointed that this whole thing
happened, for the British Soldiers were supposed to be the best in the
world.There was a man earlier and I do not know his name. He was
wounded so he had to be cupped. The doctor heated up a glass cup and
stuck it to his skin. He screamed very loudly and all of Boston heard
him. I felt bad for him, for the doctor did this to get the bad
influence out of him, and tried to make him feel better. I will try to
write back to you as soon as possible, but it might be a while because
I can tell that I am going to be very busy finding people to testify
that the soldiers are not guilty.
Your loving son, William Josiah
December-10-1770
Dearest Mother and Father,
I have finally finished working on the Boston Massacre trial. I am so
happy to be finished so I could get a breath of fresh air and
have some rest. I have worked so hard finding people who would testify
that the British soldiers were not guilty. The soldiers that were
accused of murdering the Bostonians were: Captain Thomas Preston,
Corporal William Wemms, James Hartigan, William McCauley, Hugh White,
Matthew Kilroy, William Warren, John Carrol, and Hugh Montgomery. All
of the soldiers that were found not guilty, except for Matthew Kilroy
and Hugh Montgomery.
Kilroy and Montgomery were sentenced to death but they read an old
English paper that allowed them to get out of the death penalty. In
return they had to be branded with an “M” on the thumb. The “M” meant
manslaughter. If they are charged with murder again they can't get out
of the death penalty. They were all sent to Castle Island, and back to
their regiment.
There was one person named Patrick Carr, who was in the mob and he
testified that the soldiers were not guilty, that the soldiers fired in
self defense. He was even a victim himself, saying this on his
deathbed!
After the massacre in March, I attended the funeral for the massacre
victims. A man named Samuel Adams organized the whole funeral at
Faneuil Hall. The path the thousands upon thousands of people started
walking with the bodies started at Faneuil Hall, went past the Town
House, past the Rope Walk, to the Liberty Tree, up to the Common, along
the Common, past the Manufacturing House, and to the Granary Burying
ground where they were buried next to Christopher Seider, a 11 year old
boy who was shot and killed. I hope that the town settles down for a
little while, and the soldiers leave and don't come back. Well I have
to go, but I wIll write back to you as soon as I can.
Your loving son, William Josiah
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Historical References:
Allison, Robert. A
Short History Of Boston. Canada: Laura
McFadden Design, inc. 2004
Hakim, Joy. A History Of US
From Colonies To Country. New York: Oxford
University Press, inc. 1993
Hakim, Joy. From Colonies To
Country Book3. New York: Oxford University
Press. 1999
Murray, Stuart. Eyewitness
American Revolution. New York: DK
publishing. 2005
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