At length a private of the twenty-ninth regiment, passing along in the morning [March 2.] near Mr. John Gray’s ropewalk, being provoked by insulting words, resented it, and being overpowered, went off; but soon returned with a dozen soldiers, between whom and the ropemakers an affray ensued, which terminated in the defeat of the former; who in the afternoon armed themselves with clubs, and were on their way to renew the action, but were stopped. On this many of the town’s people were so enraged, that they determined on fighting it out with the soldiers on the Monday. The Rev. Dr. _Eliot_ was told of the determination on the Saturday; and was also informed that the bells were to be rung to assemble the inhabitants together; so that when on the Monday evening he heard them ring, he was not alarmed with an apprehension of its being on account of a fire’s breaking out in the town, which is generally the case.[103] It does not appear that any militia were called in before the firing upon the people, or that any regular plan was formed for compelling the troops to move from the town; it is absurd to think, on the other hand, that there was a settled plot for employing the soldiers to massacre the inhabitants. But from the characters, principles, and politics of certain persons among the leaders of the opposition, it may be feared, that they had no objection to a rencounter, that by occasioning the death of a few, might eventually clear the place of the two regiments. That some design was on foot, which might be attended with danger in the execution, may be gathered from lieutenant-colonel Marshall’s saying, when giving evidence for the crown—“The bells were ringing, and the people began to collect as they do at the cry of fire, and I began to think it was fire. I had a mind to go out, but I had a reluctance, because _I had been warned not to go out that night_;” meaning in which the men were shot.[104]