and Atkinson Streets, which were a little south of King (State) Street. The main guard was located directly opposite the door, on the south side of the Town House, in this street, where the two fieldpieces were planted on the landing of the troops. There is much said about this main guard. Its location had been very galling to the people. Hutchinson, in January, 1770, when he expected the general court would meet, obtained permission of General Gage to remove this guard to another place; but, as this body did not then convene, they remained. The soldiers detailed for daily guard-duty were regularly brought here, and thence marched to their posts.

It was said, in the "Boston Gazette," that soldiers had pricked the citizens with bayonets, and had rescued offenders against the laws by force from the hands of the magistrates. There was, in February, an increase of personal quarrels. None, however, were of importance. But, on Friday, the 2d of March, as two soldiers were at Gray's ropewalk, which was not far from the quarters of the Twentyninth Regiment, they were insulted by one of the workmen. Sharp altercation followed, and the soldiers went off, but soon returned with a party of their comrades, when there was a challenge to a boxingmatch; which grew into a fight, the ropemakers using their woulding-sticks; and the soldiers, clubs and cutlasses. It proved to be the most serious quarrel that had occurred. Lieutenant-colonel Carr, commander of the Twenty-ninth, which, Hutchinson said, was composed of such bad fellows that discipline could not restrain them, made a complaint to the lieutenant-governor relative to the provoking con

duct of the ropemaker which brought on the affray; and thus this affair became the occasion of political consultation, which tended to intensify the animosity between the parties.

On Saturday, the report was circulated, that the parties engaged in this affray would renew the fight on Monday evening. On Sunday, Carr and other officers went into the ropewalk, giving out that they were searching for a sergeant of their regiment. Though on these days there was much irritation, the town was comparatively quiet.

On Monday, the lieutenant-governor laid the complaint of Carr before the council, and asked the advice of this body, which gave rise to debate about the removal of the troops; members freely expressing the opinion, that the way to prevent collisions between the military and the people was to withdraw the two regiments to the castle. No important action was taken by the council, although the apprehension was expressed that the affair at the ropewalk might grow into a general quarrel. And it is worthy of remark, that, ominous as the signs were, the lieutenantgovernor took no precautionary measures, not even the obvious step of having the troops kept in their barracks. His letters, and, indeed, his whole course, up to the eventful evening of this day, indicate confidence in the opinion, that there was no intention, on the part of the popular leaders, to molest the troops; and that the troops, without an order from the civil authority, would not fire on the citizens.

Nor was there now, as zealous Tories alleged, any plan formed by the popular leaders, or by any persons of consideration, to expel the troops by force from

the town, much less the obnoxious commissioners of the customs. Nor is there any evidence to support the allegation on the other side, that the Crown officials, civil or military, meditated or stimulated an attack on the inhabitants. The patriots regarded what had occurred, and what was threatened, like much that had taken place during the last seventeen months, as the motions of a rod of power needlessly held over the people to overawe them, serving no earthly good, but souring their minds and imbittering their passions; while the Crown officials represented this chafing of the free spirits at the incidents of military rule as a sign of the lost authority of Government, and of a desire for independence. Among the fiery spirits on both sides constituting the mobelement, the ropewalk affair was regarded as a drawn game; and a renewal of the fight was desired, on the ground that honor was at stake. To inspirit the Whigs, to use Dr. Gordon's words, "The newspapers had a pompous account of a victory obtained by the inhabitants of New York over the soldiers there in an affray; while the Boston newspapers could present but a tame relation of the result of the affray here." These facts account satisfactorily for the intimations and warnings given during the day to prominent characters on both sides, and for the hand-bill that was circulated by the soldiers in the afternoon, proposing concert of action between the Fourteenth and the Twenty-ninth Regiments.1 The course things

1 Hand-bill, in writing, posted up by the soldiers in the afternoon :

"Boston March ye 5, 1770.

"This is to Inform ye Rebellious People in Boston that ye Soldjers in ye 14th and 29th Regiments are determined to Joine together and defend themselves against all who shall Opose them Signd Ye Soldjers of ye 14th & 29th

took fully justifies the remark of Gordon, that "every thing tended to a crisis; and it is rather wonderful that it did not exist sooner, when so many circumstances united to hasten its approach."

There was a layer of ice on the ground, a slight fall of snow during the day, and a young moon in the evening. At an early hour, as though something uncommon was expected, parties of boys, apprentices, and soldiers, strolled through the streets; and neither side was sparing of insult. Ten or twelve soldiers went from the main guard, in King Street, across this street to Murray's Barracks, in Brattle Street, about three hundred yards from King Street; and another party came out of these barracks, armed with clubs and cutlasses, bent on a stroll. A little after eight o'clock, quite a crowd collected near the Brattle-street Church, many of whom had canes and sticks. After wretched abuse was bantered on both sides, things grew into a fight. As it became more and more threatening, a few Northenders ran to the Old Brick Meeting-house, on what is now Washington Street, at the head of King Street, and lifted a boy into a window, who rang the bell. About the same time, Captain Goldfinch, of the army, who was on his way to Murray's Barracks, crossed King Street, near the Custom House, at the corner of Exchange Lane (now Exchange Street), where a sentinel had long been stationed. The captain, as he was passing, was taunted by a barber's apprentice, as a mean fellow, for not paying for dressing his hair; when the sentinel ran after the boy, and gave him a severe blow with his musket. The boy went away crying, and told several persons of the assault; while the captain went on towards

.

Murray's Barracks, but found the passage into the yard obstructed by the affray going on there; the crowd pelting the soldiers with snowballs, and the latter defending themselves. Being the senior officer, he ordered the men into the barracks: the gate of the yard was then shut, and the promise made, that no more men should be let out that evening. In this way, the affray here was effectually stopped.

For a little time, perhaps twenty minutes, there was nothing to attract to a centre the people who were drawn by the alarm-bell out of their homes on this frosty, moonlit, memorable evening; and, in various places, individuals were asking where the fire was. King Street - then, as now, the commercial centre of Boston was quiet. A group was standing before the main guard with fire bags and buckets in their hands; a few persons were moving along in other parts of the street; and White, the sentinel at the Custom House, with his firelock on his shoulder, was pacing his beat quite unmolested. In Dock Square, a small gathering, mostly of participants in the affair just over, were harangued by a large, tall man, who wore a red cloak and a white wig; and, as he closed, there was a hurrah, and the cry, "To the main guard!" In another street, a similar cry was raised, "To the main guard!—that is the nest!" But no assault was made on the guard. The word went round that there was no fire, "only a rumpus with the soldiers," who had been driven to their quarters; and well-disposed citizens, as they withdrew, were saying, "Every man to his home!"

But, at about fifteen minutes past nine, an excited party passed up Royal Exchange Lane, leading into