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The Boston Massacre in an American newspaper... An unparalleled account...
The Boston Massacre in an American newspaper... An unparalleled account...
Item # 583056
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March 26, 1770
THE PENNSYLVANIA CHRONICLE & UNIVERSAL ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, March 26, 1770 Only rarely are we have to offer an American newspaper report on the Boston Massacre. Not only is this one, but this report is on the front page. Most period newspaper accounts appeared on an inside page.
The entire front page is taken up with news with a "Boston" heading, most of the front page with a dateline of March 5, and the remainder of the front page falling under a dateline of March 12. The March 5 reports discuss the arguments and scuffles between the citizens and the British soldiers which had been on-going for a few days, one bit noting: "...a young man walking quietly near the lower end of King Street & stopping him in his way, insulted him with very opprobrious language on which after a very short parley he laid both sprawling & went about his business. Two or three more such rencounters having happened lately, 'tis said many of the 29th regiment have armed themselves with bludgeons..." and a bit further on: "...Between 5 and 6 the same evening a large body of them collected again & were in full march for the field of battle...stout grenadiers, armed with bludgeons...came into the bottom of the walks...accosted them in these most imprudent words, 'You d--n'd dogs, don't you deserve to be killed?' The lads not answering, Mr. James Young came up and spoke boldly, on which a grenadier aimed a blow at his head...During this bluster...into the tan house, got two bats, & giving one to his comrade, soon cleared the walks of the soldiers...".
The famous Boston Massacre encounter falls under the March 12 dateline. Again, the text is very extensive with a tremendous amount of detail on the events leading up to the massacre, too much to print here (see photos for the full text). The report is found in the last column of the front page, reading in part: "...they attacked single and unarmed persons till they raised much clamour, & then turned down Cornhill street insulting all they met in like manner...Thirty or forty persons, mostly lads, being by this means gathered in King street, Capt. Preston, with a party of men with charged bayonets, came from the main guard to the Commissioners house, the soldiers pushing their bayonets, crying, make way! They took place by the custom house & continuing to push, to drive the people off, pricked some in several places, on which they were clamorous, and, it is said, threw snow balls. On this, the Captain commanded them to fire, and more snow balls coming, he again said, damn you, fire, be the consequence what it will! One soldier then fired, and a townsman with a cudgel struck him over the hands with such force that he dropt his firelock; and rushing forward aimed a blow at the Captain's head, which grazed his hat and fell pretty heavy upon his arm: However the soldiers continued the fire, successively, till 7 or 8 or as some say 11 guns were discharged. By this fatal maneuver, three men were laid dead on the spot, and two more struggling for life; but what shewed a degree of cruelty unknown to British troops, at least since the house of Hanover has directed their operations, was an attempt to fire upon or push with their bayonets the persons who undertook to remove the slain and wounded..." and a bit further on: "...The dead were Mr. Samuel Gray, killed on the spot, the ball entering his head and beating off a large portion of his skull. A mulatto man, named Crispus Attucks...also killed instantly; two balls entering his breast...Mr. James Caldwell, mate of Capt. Morton's vessel, in like manner killed by two balls entering his back. Mr. Samuel Maverick, a promising youth of 17 years of age...A lad named Cristopher Monk, about 17 years of age...apprehended he will die. A lad named John Clark, about 17 years of age...wounded, a ball entered just above his groin and came out at his hip on the opposite side, apprehended he will die..." plus more (see).
This coverage carries over to take most of the back page as well, with a protest by a committee that the British troops be removed immediately, etc. There is also mention that: "...were carried to their gave in succession, the bodies of Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, and Crispus Attucks, the unhappy victims who fell in the bloody massacre of the Monday evening preceding. On this occasion most of the shops in town were shut, all the bells were ordered to toll a solemn peal..." and much, much more.
Never have I seen in a single issue such extensive and detailed reporting on the Boston Massacre. The entire front page is taken up with the events leading up to the massacre, the actual event, & the events immediately following, and the back page mostly taken up with the events following the massacre.
This is a repaired issue. A portion of the top affecting part of the masthead and about 4 words at the top of the middle column were professionally replaced with period paper with much of the missing type & engraving restored (blank on the reverse). There is dirtiness to the upper left quadrant of the front page which causes no loss of readability. Smaller pieces at the top and the bottom of the back leaf were also repaired with period paper which does cause loss to words at the top and bottom of pages 3 & 4. A portion of the blank spine gutter was likewise replaced.
Four pages, measuring 10 by 16 inches.
An excellent opportunity for an America report unmatched by any we have offered in 35 years, and with the meat of the content on the front page.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
No Longer Available
