I am under obligations to the proprietors of the "Memorial History of Boston" for the portrait of Mrs. Joseph Warren. The portrait of Dorothy Quincy is from that in possession of the Bostonian Society; that of Mrs. John Adams from her "Life and Letters." The historic houses are from recent photographs. I trust the reader will not regard this volume wholly as a romance, but rather as a presentation of the events, scenes, incidents, and spirit of the people at the beginning of the Revolution. CHARLES CARLETON COFFIN. CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION iii I. ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET 1 II. FIRST DAY IN BOSTON 20 III. THE SONS OF LIBERTY 38 IV. AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS 49 V. A GARDEN TEA-PARTY 69 VI. CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES 93 VII. LAUNCHING OF THE BERINTHIA BRANDON 104 VIII. CHRISTOPHER SNIDER 119 IX. THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS 130 X. MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY 149 XI. SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON 174 XII. A NEW ENGLAND GIRL 188 XIII. THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY 203 XIV. BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD 221 XV. THE MIDNIGHT RIDE 241 XVI. THE MORNING DRUMBEAT 259 XVII. BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA 266 XVIII. BESIEGED 280 XIX. BUNKER HILL 291 XX. WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT 305 XXI. THE ESCAPE 320 XXII. BRAVE OF HEART 337 XXIII. SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS 356 XXIV. IN THE OLD HOME 374 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE ELIZABETH HOOTON WARREN _Frontispiece_ OLD BRICK MEETINGHOUSE 16 LATIN SCHOOL 17 GREEN DRAGON TAVERN 18 FANEUIL HALL AND MARKET-PLACE 21 MAP OF BOSTON 23 SAMUEL ADAMS 26 DOCTOR JOSEPH WARREN 40 COPP'S HILL BURIAL GROUND 49 IN THE SHIPYARD 53 MASTER LOVELL 73 ABIGAIL SMITH ADAMS 82 MR. HANCOCK'S HOUSE 83 DOROTHY QUINCY 84 CHRIST CHURCH 94 LAUNCHING THE SHIP 110 LORD NORTH 129