es from the said bridge. We then, seeing
several fires in the town, thought the houses in Concord were in
danger, and marched toward the said bridge; and the troops that
were stationed there, observing our approach, marched back over
the bridge, and then took up some of the planks. We then hastened
our march toward the bridge, and, when we had got near the
bridge, they fired on our men--first three guns, one after the
other, and then a considerable number more; and then, and not
before (having orders from our commanding officers not to fire
till we were fired upon), we fired upon the regulars, and they
retreated. On their retreat through the town of Lexington to
Charlestown, they ravaged and destroyed private property, and
burnt three houses, one barn, and one shop.

"Signed by each of the above deponents."

"LEXINGTON, _April 23, 1775_.

"We, Nathan Barret, captain; Jonathan Farrar, Joseph Butler, and
Francis Wheeler, lieutenants; John Barret, ensign; John Brown,
Silas Walker, Ephraim Melvin, Nathan Buttrick, Stephen Hosmer,
jun., Samuel Barret, Thomas Jones, Joseph Chandler, Peter
Wheeler, Nathan Pierce, and Edward Richardson, all of Concord, in
the county of Middlesex, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, of
lawful age, testify and declare, that, on Wednesday, the 19th
instant, about an hour after sunrise, we assembled on a hill near
the meeting-house in Concord aforesaid, in consequence of an
information that a number of regular troops had killed six of our
countrymen at Lexington, and were on their march to said Concord;
and, about an hour afterward, we saw them approaching, to the
number, as we imagine, of about twelve hundred; on which we
retreated to a hill about eighty rods back, and the aforesaid
troops then took possession of a hill where we were first posted.
Presently after this, we saw them moving toward the north bridge,
about one mile from said meeting-house; we then immediately went
before them, and passed the bridge just before a party of them,
to the number of about two hundred, arrived. They there left
about one half of these two hundred at the bridge, and proceeded
with the rest toward Colonel Barret's, about two miles from the
said bridge. We then, seeing several