"THAD. MASSON,
"JOSIAH JOHNSON, SIMON TUFTS,
_Justices of the peace for the
county aforesaid, quorum unus_."

"PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY, CHARLESTOWN, SS.

"I, Nathaniel Gorham, notary and tabellion public, by lawful
authority duly admitted and sworn, hereby certify to all whom it
may or doth concern, that Thaddeus Masson, Josiah Johnson, and
Simon Tufts, Esqrs., are three of his majesty's justices of the
peace (_quorum unus_) for the county of Middlesex; and that full
faith and credit is and ought to be given to their transactions
as such, both in court and out. In witness whereof, I have
hereunto affixed my name and seal, this twenty-sixth day of
April, _Anno Domini_ one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.

"NATHANIEL GORHAM, _Notary Public_." (L. S.)

(All the above depositions are sworn to before justices of the peace,
and duly attested by notaries public, in manner of the last one.)

"IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, WATERTOWN, _April 26, 1775_.

"_To the Inhabitants of Great Britain._

"FRIENDS AND FELLOW-SUBJECTS: Hostilities are at length commenced
in this colony by the troops under the command of General Gage;
and it being of the greatest importance that an early, true, and
authentic account of this inhuman proceeding, should be known to
you, the Congress of this colony have transmitted the same, and,
from want of a session of the Hon. Continental Congress, think it
proper to address you on the alarming occasion.

"By the clearest depositions relative to this transaction, it
will appear that, on the night preceding the 19th of April
instant, a body of the king's troops, under the command of
Colonel Smith, were secretly landed at Cambridge, with an
apparent design to take or destroy the military and other stores,
provided for the defence of this colony, and deposited at
Concord; that some inhabitants of the colony, on the night
aforesaid, while travelling peaceably on the road between Boston
and Concord, were seized and greatly abused by armed men, who
appeared to be officers of General Gage's army; that the town of
Lexington by these means was alarmed, and a company of the
in