I am, &c.,

JOSEPH WARREN.

His Excellency General Gage.[76]

In striking contrast to the manly regret expressed by Warren in this
letter is the scene enacted that afternoon at Cambridge, where the
Committee of Safety met. Doctor Benjamin Church, one of the trusted
leaders of the Whigs, an orator on the Massacre, and a pamphleteer, was
a member of the committee, for which Warren had recently engaged Paul
Revere as messenger. Revere writes, in the letter already quoted: "I was
sitting with some, or near all that committee, in their room ... in
Cambridge. Dr. Church, all at once, started up. 'Dr. Warren,' said he,
'I am determined to go into Boston to-morrow.' (It set them all
a-staring.) Dr. Warren replied: 'Are you serious, Dr. Church? They will
hang you if they catch you in Boston.' He replied: 'I am serious, and am
determined to go at all adventures.' After a considerable conversation,
Dr. Warren said: 'If you are determined, let us make some business for
you.' They agreed that he should go and get medicine for their and our
wounded officers."[77]

Church was the first American traitor. Although possessed of all the
Whig secrets, he had for some months, perhaps longer, been in
communication with Gage. His journey to town was for the purpose of
delivering information, and for some time yet he managed to carry on the
double role. Nevertheless his information, put in the hands of Gage, did
no harm. It throws but one more light upon the incompetence of the
general that, with such information as Church now gave him, he blundered
so continually.

We learn from John Andrews' letters of the agreement made between Gage
and the town. "Yesterday," he writes on the 24th, "we had town meetings
all day, and finally concluded to deliver up _all_ our arms to the
Selectmen, on condition that the Governor would open the avenues to the
town." In this agreement the townspeople were advised by the Committee
of Safety to join. Accordingly, there were delivered to the Selectmen,
and lodged in Faneuil Hall, "1778 fire-arms, 634 pistols, 978 bayonets,
and 38 blunderbusses."[78] These were marked with their owners' names,
and were later to be restored. As soon as this delivery of arms was
effected, hundreds applied for passes to leave the town. Andrews must
have reflected the feelings of many when he wrote, "If I can escape with
the skin of my teeth, shall be glad."

There were for a few days much hurry and bustle,