Massachusetts -- Church history; Massachusetts -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Puritans -- Massachusetts
surrounded by a crowd of thirty or forty, who pelted him with pieces of
ice “hard and large enough to hurt any man; as big as one’s fist.” And
ha said “he was afraid, if the boys did not disperse, there would be
trouble.” [Footnote: _Idem_, p. 138.] When the guard came to his help
the mob grew still more violent, yelling “bloody backs,” “lobster
scoundrels,” “damn you, fire! why don’t you fire?” striking them with
sticks.
“Did you observe anybody strike Montgomery, or was a club thrown? The
stroke came from a stick or club that was in somebody’s hand, and the
blow struck his gun and his arm.” “Was he knocked down?... He fell, I am
sure.... His gun flew out of hand, and as he stooped to take it up, he
fell himself.... Was any number of people standing near the man that
struck his gun? Yes, a whole crowd, fifty or sixty.” [Footnote: Kidder’s
_Massacre_, pp. 138, 139.] When the volley came at last the rabble fell
back, and the 29th was rapidly formed before the main guard, the front
rank kneeling, that the fire might sweep the street. And now when every
bell was tolling, and the town was called to arms, and infuriated men
came pouring in by thousands, Hutchinson showed he had inherited the
blood of his great ancestress, who feared little upon earth; but
then, indeed, their adversaries have seldom charged the Puritans with
cowardice in fight. Coming quickly to the council chamber he passed
into the balcony, which overhung the kneeling regiment and the armed and
maddened crowd, and he spoke with such calmness and courage that even
then he was obeyed. He promised that justice should be done and he
commanded the people to disperse. Preston and his men were at once
surrendered to the authorities to await their trial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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