Eyewitness Accounts of the American Revolution

Gage's Instructions

Thomas Gage

The New York Times & Arno Press

Reprinted from a microfilm copy in
The American Antiquarian Society Library

Reprint Edition 1971 by Arno Press Inc.

LC# 78-140865
ISBN 0-405-01198-9

Eyewitness Accounts of the American Revolution, Series III
ISBN for complete set: 0-405-01187-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

General GAGE's

INSTRUCTIONS,

Of 22d February 1775.

To Captain Brown and Ensign D'Berniere, (of the army under his command) whom he ordered to take a sketch of the roads, passes, heights, &c. from Boston to Worcester, and to make other observations:

With a curious

NARRATIVE

Of OCCURRENCES during their mission,
Wrote by the Ensign.

Together with an ACCOUNT of their doings, in consequence of further Orders and Instructions from General Gage, of the 20th March following, to proceed to Concord, to reconnoitre and find out the state of the provincial magazines; what number of cannon, &c. they have, and in what condition.

ALSO,

An ACCOUNT of the Transactions of the British troops, from the time they marched out of Boston, on the evening of the 18th, 'till their confused retreat back, on the ever memorable Nineteenth of April 1775; and a Return of their killed, wounded and missing on that auspicious day, as made to Gen. Gage.

[Left in town by a British Officer previous to the evacuation of it by the enemy, and now printed for the information and amusement of the curious.]

BOSTON
Printed, and to be sold, by J. GILL, in Court Street.
1779.

INSTRUCTIONS, &c.

Boston, February 22, 1775.

Gentlemen,

ou will go through the counties of Suffolk and Worcester, taking a sketch of the country as you pass; it is not expected you should make out regular plans and surveys, but mark out the roads and distances from town to town, as also the situation and nature of the country; all passes 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 routes.

The rivers also to be sketched out, remarking their breadth and depth and the nature of their banks on both sides, 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 ascents are difficult or easy; as also the woods and mountains, with the height and nature of the latter, whether to be got round or easily past over.

The nature of the country to be particularly noticed, whether inclosed or open; if the former, what kind of inclosures, and whether the country admits of making roads for troops on the right or left of the main road, or on the sides.

You will notice the situation of the towns and villages, their churches and church-yards, whether they are advantageous spots to take post in, and capable of being made defencible.

If any places strike you as proper for encampments, or appear strong by nature, you will remark them particularly, and give reasons for your opinions.

It would be useful if you cou'd inform yourselves of the necessaries their different counties could supply, such as provisions, forage, straw, &c. the number of cattle, horses, &c. in the several townships.

I am,

Gentlemen,

your most obedient

humble servant,

THOMAS GAGE.

To	Capt. Brown 52d regiment, and
	Ensign D'Berniere 10th regiment.

(COPY)

Narrative, &c.

he latter end of February 1775, Capt. Brown and myself, received orders to go through the counties of Suffolk and Worcester, and sketch the roads as we went, for the information of Gen. Gage, as he expected to have occasion to march troops through that country the ensuing spring.

We set out from Boston on Thursday, disguised like countrymen, in brown cloaths and reddish handkerchiefs round our necks; at the ferry of Charlestown, we met a sentry of the 52d regiment, but Capt. Brown's servant, whom we took along with us, bid him not take any notice of us, so that we passed 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 stands. We next went to Watertown, and were not suspected, 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 first she was very civil, but afterwards began to eye us very attentively; she then went out and a little after returned, when we observed to her that it was a very fine country, upon which she answered so it is, and we have got brave fellows to defend it, and if you go up any higher you will find it so—This disconcerted us a good deal, and we imagined she knew us from our papers which we took out before her, as the General had told us to pass for surveyors; however, we resolved not to sleep there that night, as we had intended, accordingly we paid our bill which amounted to two pounds odd shillings, but in was old tenor. After we had left the house we enquired of John, our servant, what she had said, he told us that she knew Capt. Brown very well, that she had seen him five years before at Boston, and knew him to be an officer, and that she was sure I was one also, and told John that he was a regular—he denied it; but she said she knew our errant was to take a plan of the country; that she had seen the river and road through Charlestown on the paper; she also advised him to tell us not to go any higher, for if we did we should meet with very bad usage: Upon this we called a council, and agreed that if we went back we should appear very foolish, as we had a great number of enemies in town, because the General had chose to employ us in preference to them; it was absolutely necessary to push on to Worcester, and run all risk rather than go back until we were forced.—Accordingly we continued our rout and went about six miles further; we met a country fellow driving a team, and a fellow with him whom we suspected to be a deserter; they both seemed very desirous to join company with us and told us, upon our saying we were going towards Worcester, that they were going our way: As we began to suspect something we stopped at a tavern at the sign of the golden-ball, with an intention to get a drink and so proceed; but upon our going in the landlord pleased us so much, as he was not inquisitive, that we resolved to lye there that night; so we ordered some fire to be made in the room we were in, and a little after to get us some coffee; he told us we might have what we pleased, either tea or coffee. We immediately found out with whom we were, and were not a little pleased to find, on some conversation, that he was a friend to government; he told us that he had been very ill-used by them some time before; but that since he had shewed them that he was not to be bullied, they had left him pretty quiet.—We then asked 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 house, a Mr. Buckminster's, and another at Worcester, a namesake of his own, a Mr. Jones. The second day was very rainy and a kind of frost, with it however we resolved to set off, and accordingly we proceeded to Mr. Buckminster's; we met nothing extraordinary on the road; we passed some time in sketching a pass that lay in our road, and of consequence were very dirty and wet on our arrival: On our entering the house we did not much like the appearance of things; we asked for dinner and they gave us some sausages, we praised every thing exceedingly, which pleased the old woman of the house much; when we told them we intended staying the night, they gave us a room to ourselves, which was what we wanted; after being there some time we found we were pretty safe, as by that time we perceived that the coate de pay's was not a dangerous one; of consequence we felt very happy, and Brown, I, and our man John, made a very hearty supper; for we always treated him as our companion since our adventure with the black woman. We slept there that night, and the next morning; being a very fine one, we resolved to push on for Worcester, which was about thirty miles from us; we proceeded about nine miles without any thing extraordinary happening, except meeting two men whom we suspected to be deserters. We then dined in the woods on a tongue and some cherry brandy we brought with us, and changed our stockings, which refreshed us much, our feet being very wet. We then travelled through a very fine country, missed our way and went to Southborough; we were obliged to turn back a mile to get the right road. We then passed through Shrewsbury; all a fine open cultivated country. We came into a pass about four miles from Worcester, where we were obliged to stop to sketch. 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, so that we got safe to Mr. Jones's tavern; on our entrance he seemed a little sour, but it wore off by degrees and we found him to be our friend, which made us very happy; we dined and supped without any thing happening out of the common run. The next day being Sunday, we could not think of travelling, as it was contrary to the custom of the country; nor dare we stir out until the evening because of meeting, and no-body is allowed to walk the streets during divine service, without being taken up and examined; so that thinking we could not stand the examination so well, we thought it prudent to stay at home, where we wrote and corrected our sketches. The landlord was very attentive to us, and on our asking what he could give us for breakfast, he told us tea or any thing else we chose—that was an open confession, what he was; but for fear he might be imprudent, 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, sketched every thing we desired, and returned to the town without being seen. That evening about eight o'clock the landlord came in and told us there were two gentlemen who wanted to speak with us; we asked him who they were? on which he said we wou'd be safe in their company; we said we did not doubt that, as we hoped that two gentlemen who travelled merely to see the country and stretch our limbs, as we had lately come from tea, could not meet with any thing else but civility, when we behaved ourselves 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 as to be officers of the army, that all their friends of government at Petersham were disarmed by the rebels, and that they threatened to do the same at Worcester in a very little time; he sat and talked politicks, and drank a bottle of wine with us—and also told us that none but a few friends to government knew we were in town; we said it was very indifferent to us whether they did or not, tho' we thought very differently; however, as we imagined we had staid long enough in that town, we resolved to set off at day-break the next morning and get to Framingham; accordingly off we set, after getting some roast beef and brandy from our landlord, which was very necessary on a long march, and prevented us going into houses where perhaps they might be too inquisitive; we took a road we had not come, and that led us to the pass four miles from Worcester; we went on unobserved by any one until we passed Shrewsbury, where we were overtaken by a horseman who examined us very attentively, and especially me, whom he looked at from head to foot as if he wanted to know me again; after he had taken his observations he rode off pretty hard and took the Marlborough road, but by good luck we took the Framingham road again to be more perfect in it, as we thought it would be the one made use of. We arrived at Buckminster's tavern about six o'clock that evening, the company of militia were exercising near the house, and an hour after they came and performed their feats before the windows of the room we were in; we did not feel very easy at seeing such a number so very near us; however, they did not know who we were, and took little or no notice of us—After they had done their exercise, one of their commanders spoke a very eloquent speech, recommending patience, coolness 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 succeed with them—quotes Cæsar and Pompey, brigadiers Putnam and Ward, and all such great men; put them in mind of Cape-Breton, and all the battles they had gained for his majesty in the last war, and observed that the regulars must have been ruined but for them.—After so learned and spirited an harangue, he dismissed the parade, and the whole company came into the house and drank until nine o'clock, and then returned to their respective homes full of pot-valour. We slept there that night and no-body in the house suspected us. Next morning we set off for Weston, 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 asked very few questions: On our arrival at Mr. Jones's we met with a very welcome reception, he being our friend; we received several hints from the family not to attempt to go any more into the country; but as we had succeeded so well heretofore, we were resolved so go the Sudbury road, (which was the main road that led to Worcester) and go as far as the thirty-seven mile-stone, where we had left the main road and taken the Framingham road. We slept at Jones's that night, and got all our sketches together and sent them to Boston with our man, so that if they did stop and search us, they would not get our papers. The next day was very cloudy and threatened bad weather, towards twelve o'clock it snowed; we dined soon in hopes the weather would clear up.—At two o'-clock it ceased snowing a little, and we resolved to set off for Marlborough, which was about sixteen miles off; we found the roads very bad, every step up to our ankles; we passed through Sudbury, a very large village, near a mile long, the causeway lies across a great swamp, or overflowing of the river Sudbury, and commanded by a high ground on the opposite side; nobody took the least notice of us until we arrived within three miles of Marlborough, (it was snowing hard all the while) when a horseman overtook us and asked us from whence we came, we said from Weston, he asked if we lived there, we said no; he then asked us where we resided, and as we found there was no evading his questions, we told him we lived at Boston; he then asked us where we were going, we told him to Marlborough to see a friend, (as we intended to go to Mr. Barnes's, a gentleman to whom we were recommended, and a friend to government) he then asked us if we were in the army, we said not, but were a good deal alarmed at his asking us that question; he asked several rather impertinent questions, and then rode on for Marlborough, as we suppose, to give them intelligence there of our coming,—for on our entering the town, the people came out of their houses (tho' it snowed and blew very hard) to look at us, in particular a baker asked Capt. Brown where are you going master, he answered on to see Mr. Barnes.—We proceeded to Mr. Barnes's and on our beginning to make an apology for taking the liberty to make use of his house and discovering to him that we were officers in disguise, he told us we need not be at the pains of telling him, that he knew our situation, that we were very well known (he was afraid) by the town's people.—We begged he would recommend some tavern where we should be safe, he told us we could be safe no where but in his house; 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 suspected, and indeed had every reason to believe, that the horseman that met us and took such particular notice of me the morning we left Worcester, was the man who told them we should be at Marlborough the night before, but our taking the Framingham road when he had parted us, deceived him:)—Whilst we were talking the people were gathering in little groups in every part of the town.—Mr. Barnes asked us who had spoke to us on our coming into the town, we told him a baker; he seemed a little startled at that, told us he was a very mischievous fellow, and that there was a deserter at his house; Capt. Brown asked the man's name, he said 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—so we found we were discovered.—We asked Mr. Barnes if they did get us into their hands, what they would do with us; he did not seem to like to answer; we asked him again, he then said we knew the people very well, that we might expect the worst of treatment from them—Immediately after 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 sup with him—(now this fellow had not been within Mr. Barnes's doors for two years before, and came now for no other business than to see and betray us)—Barnes told him he had company and could not have the pleasure of attending him that night; upon this the fellow stared about the house and asked one of Mr. Barnes's children who her father had got with him, the child innocently answered that she had asked her pappa, but he told her it was not her business; he then went, I suppose, to tell the rest of his crew.—When we found we were in that situation, we resolved to lie down for two or three hours, and set off at twelve o'clock at night; so we got some supper on the table and were just beginning to eat, when Barnes (who had been making enquiry of his servants) found they intended to attack us, and then he told us plainly he was very uneasy for us, that we could be no longer in safety in that town: upon which we resolved to set off immediately, and asked Mr. Barnes if there was no road round the town, so that we might not be seen; he took us out of his house by the stables, and directed us a bye road which was to lead us a quarter of a mile from the town, it snowed and blew as much as ever I see it in my life; however, we walked pretty fast, fearing we should be pursued; at first we felt much fatigued, having not been more than twenty minutes at Mr. Barnes's to refresh ourselves, and the roads (if possible) 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 causeway at Sudbury, and went into a little wood where we eat a bit of bread that we took from Mr. Barnes's, and eat a little snow to wash it down.—After that we preceded about one hundred yards, when a man came out of a house and said those words to Capt. Brown, "What do you think will become of you now," which startled us a good deal, thinking we were betrayed.—We resolved to push on at all hazards, but expected to be attacked on the causeway; however we met no-body there, so began to think it was resolved to stop us in Sudbury, which town we entered when we passed the causeway; about a quarter of a mile in the town we met three or four horsemen, from whom we expected a few shot, when we came nigh they opened to the right and left and quite crossed the road, however they let us pass through them without taking any notice, their opening being only chance; but our apprehensions made us interpret every thing against us.—At last 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 step we sunk up to the ankles, and it blowing and drifting snow all the way—Jones said he was glad to see us back, as he was sure we should meet with ill-usage in that part of the country, as they had been watching for us sometime; but said he found we were so deaf to his hints, that he did not like to say any thing for fear we should have taken it ill: we drank a bottle of mulled Madeira wine, which refreshed us very much, and went to bed and slept as sound as men could do, that were very much fatigued. The next morning, after breakfast, we set off for Boston. Jones shewed us a road that took us a quarter of a mile below Watertown bridge, as we did not chuse to go through that town. We arrived at Boston 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 discovered ourselves; we besides met several officers of our 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 quitting the town, the committee of correspondence came to his house and demanded us; he told them we were gone; they then searched his house 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 house they would have pulled it about his ears.—They then sent horsemen after us, every road; but as we had the start of them, and the weather being so very bad, they either did not overtake us, or missed us. Mr. Barnes told them we were not officers, but relations of his wife's, from Penobscot, and were gone to Lancaster; that, perhaps, might have deceived them.

Account of the proceedings of the aforesaid officers, in consequence of further orders end instructions from General Gage, of the 20th March following; with occurrences during their mission.

he twentieth of March Captain Brown and myself received orders to set out for Concord, and examine the road and situation of the town; and also to get what information we could relative to what quantity of artillery and provisions. We went through Roxbury and Brookline, and came into the main road between the thirteen and fourteen mile-stones in the township of Weston; we went through part of the pass at the eleven mile-stone, took the Concord road, which is seven miles from the main road. We arrived there without any kind of insult being offered us, the road is high to the right and low to the left, woody in most places, and very close 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 summer it is pretty dry; the town is large and covers a great tract of ground, but the houses are not close together but generally in little groups. We were informed that they had fourteen pieces of cannon (ten iron and four brass) and two cohorns, they were mounted but in so 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 house in town, their brass they had concealed in some place behind the town, in a wood. They had also a store of flour, fish, salt and rice; and a magazine of powder and cartridges. They fired their morning gun, and mounted a guard of ten men at night. We dined at the house of a Mr. Bliss, a friend to government; they had sent 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 consented and told us he could shew us another road, called the Lexington road. We set out and crossed the bridge in the town, and of consequence left the town on the contrary side of the river to what we entered it. The road continued very open and good for six miles, the next five a little inclosed, (there is one very bad place in this five miles) the road good to Lexington. You then come to Menotomy, the road still 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 so to Charlestown; the road is very good almost all the way.

In the town of Concord, a woman directed us to Mr. Bliss's house; a little after she came in crying, and told us they swore if she did not leave the town, they would tar and feather her for directing Tories in their road.

Transactions of the British troops previous to, and at the Battle of Lexington; with a Return of their killed, wounded and missing, as made to General Gage.

On the night of the 18th of April 1774, at nine o'clock, the grenadiers and light-infantry of the army at Boston, 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 crossed to the shore lying between Charlestown and Cambridge, where they landed and received a day's provisions: They began their march about twelve o'clock for Concord, that being the place they were ordered to go to, for the purpose of destroying some military stores 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 divisions, with intervals as wide at the front of the divisions; 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 disperse, which they did not do; he called out a second time, but to no purpose; upon which he ordered our light-infantry to advance and disarm them, which they were doing, when one of the rebels fired a shot, our soldiers returned the fire and killed about fourteen of them; there was only one of the 10th light-infantry received a shot through his leg; some of them got into the church and fired from it, but were soon drove out. We then continued our march for Concord, and arrived there between 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 road immediately on our arrival; Capt. Parsons of the 10th, was dispatched with six light-companies to take possession of a bridge that lay three quarters of a mile from Concord, and I was ordered to shew him the road there, and also to conduct him to a house where there was some cannon and other stores hid; when we arrived at the bridge, three companies under the command of Capt. Lowry of the 43rd, were left to protect it, these three companies were not close together, but situated so as to be able to support each other; we then proceeded to Col. Barrett's, where these stores were, we did not find so much as we expected, but what there was we destroyed; in the mean time Capt. Lowry and his party were attacked by about 1500 rebels and drove from the bridge, three officers were wounded and one killed, three soldiers were killed and a number wounded, notwithstanding they let Capt. Parsons with his three companies return, and never attacked us; they had taken up some of the planks of the bridge, but we got over; had they destroyed it we were most certainly all lost; however, we joined the main body. Col. Smith during our absence, had sent Capt. Pole of 10th regiment, to destroy some 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 also destroyed a quantity of flour, and some barrels of trenchers and spoons of wood for their camp. Upon the different detachment's joining the main body, and after getting some horses and chaises for the wounded, we began the march to return to Boston, about twelve o'clock in the day, in the same order of march, only our flankers were more numerous and further from the main body; all the hills on each side of us were covered with rebels—there could not be less than 5000; so that they kept the road always lined and a very hot fire on us without intermission; we at first kept our order and returned their fire as hot as we received it, but when we arrived within a mile of Lexington, our ammunition began to fail, and the light companies were so fatigued with flanking they were scarce able to act, and a great number of wounded scarce able to get forward, made a great confusion; Col. Smith (our commanding-officer) had received a wound through his leg, a number of officers were also wounded, so that we began to run rather than retreat in order—the whole behaved with amazing bravery, but little order; we attempted to stop the men and form them two deep, but to no purpose, the confusion increased rather than lessened: At last, after we got though Lexington, the officers got to the front and presented their bayonets, and told the men if they advanced they should die: Upon this they began to form under a very heavy fire; but at that instant, the first brigade joined us, consisting of the 4th, 23d, and 47th regiments, and two divisions 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 soon silenced their fire.—After a little firing the whole halted for about half an hour to rest. Lord Percy then made the light-infantry march in front, the grenadiers next, and the first brigade brought up the rear and sent out flankers; the rebels still kept firing on us, but very lightly until we came to Menotomy, a village with a number of houses in little groups extending about half a mile, out of these houses they kept a very heavy fire, but our troops broke into them and killed vast numbers; the soldiers shewed great bravery in this place, forcing houses from whence came a heavy fire, and killing great numbers of the rebels. At about seven o'clock in the evening we arrived at Charlestown, they kept up a scattering fire at us all the way; at Charlestown we took possession of a hill that commanded the town, the Selectmen of which sent to Lord Percy to let him know that if he would not attack the town, they would take care that the troops should not be molested, and also they would do all in their power for to get us across the ferry; the Somerset man of war lay there at that time, and all her boats were employed first in getting over the wounded, and after them the rest of the troops; the piquets of 10th regiment, and some more troops, were sent over to Charlestown that night to keep every thing quiet, and returned next day. The rebels shut up the neck, placed sentinels there, and took prisoner an officer of the 64th regiment that was going to join his regiment at Castle-William.—So that in the course of two days, from a plentiful town, we were reduced to the disagreeable necessity of living on salt provisions, and fairly blocked up in Boston.

RETURN of the killed, wounded and missing, on the 19th of April, 1775, as made to General Gage.

Killed.

Wounded.

Prisoners.