than they could have retreated, till the captain order’d them; and they expos’d themselves to be shot by the sentence of a court martial if they did fire, as much as they would have done if they had retreated without his order--Certainly it will not be said, it was more becoming the bravery of a British soldier, to stand his ground against the subjects of his own King, and kill them upon the spot, than to have retreated and deserted the glorious cause, and thus have saved the lives of his Majesty’s subsjects. The behavior of the party as they went from the main guard discover’d an haughty air--they push’d their bayonets and damn’d the people as they went along--and when they arriv’d at their post, one witness who is a young gentleman of a liberal education and an unspotted character, declared, that when they came down there were about ten persons round the sentry--that one of the prisoners whom he particularly named, loaded his gun, pushed him with his bayonet and damn’d him--that about fifty or sixty persons came down with the party, and that he did not observe the people press on. Another declared, that when the soldiers were loading, about a dozen surrounded them, and that several of them struck their guns--that he saw ice or snow balls thrown, but did not apprehend himself or the soldiers in danger by any thing he saw--This witness was very near the soldiers; and will any one wonder, that when the soldiers were to all appearance meditating the death of people by loading their guns, while there was no apparent danger to them, some of the people should strike their guns, to prevent the mischief which they seem’d to be resolv’d upon. Another declared, that one of the prisoners whom he also named, struck him upon the arm with his bayonet as the party came down before they formed; and that he had then told Capt. Preston that every body was about dispersing--The characters of these witnesses will not be contested. Such a conduct surely did not discover the most peaceable disposition in this lawful assembly of soldiers--One would think that they intended to assassinate those, who they had no reason to think had the least inclination to injure them--If these are not instances of assault, I know not what an assault is: And if they were not an unlawful assembly before, it may well be suppos’d they were at this time doing an unlawful act--an act that to be sure very ill became gentlemen soldiers sent here to curb a rebellious spirit and keep the peace: But there is a colouring at hand; and because this party did not knock a witness down, or run him thro’, who had the audacity to refuse at their sovereign order to move out of the way for them as they pass’d the street from the main guard to the custom-house, tho’ he had then been push’d with a bayonet by one of them, it is sufficient to convince all the world of their lamb-like meekness and immaculate innocence.