y, while
the Boston newspapers could present but a tame relation of the result of
the affray here." These facts account satisfactorily for the intimations
and warnings given during the day to prominent characters on both sides,
and for the handbill that was circulated in the afternoon. The course
things took fully justifies the remark of Gordon, that "everything
tended to a crisis, and it is rather wonderful that it did not exist
sooner, when so many circumstances united to hasten its approach."

There was a layer of ice on the ground, a slight fall of snow during the
day, and a young moon in the evening. At an early hour, as though
something uncommon was expected, parties of boys, apprentices, and
soldiers strolled through the streets, and neither side was sparing of
insult. Ten or twelve soldiers went from the main guard, in King Street,
across this street to Murray's Barracks, in Brattle Street, about three
hundred yards from King Street; and another party came out of these
barracks, armed with clubs and cutlasses, bent on a stroll. A little
after eight o'clock, quite a crowd collected near the Brattle-Street
Church, many of whom had canes and sticks; and after a spell of
bantering wretched abuse on both sides, things grew into a fight. As it
became more and more threatening, a few North-Enders ran to the Old
Brick Meeting-House, on what is now Washington Street, at the head of
King Street, and lifted a boy into a window, who rang the bell. About
the same time, Captain Goldfinch, of the army, who was on his way to
Murray's Barracks, crossed King Street, near the Custom-House, at the
corner of Exchange Lane, where a sentinel had long been stationed; and
as he was passing along, he was taunted by a barber's apprentice as a
mean fellow for not paying for dressing his hair, when the sentinel ran
after the boy and gave him a severe blow with his musket. The boy went
away crying, and told several persons of the assault, while the Captain
passed on towards Murray's Barracks, but found the passage into the yard
obstructed by the affray going on here,--the crowd pelting the soldiers
with snowballs, and the latter defending themselves. Being the senior
officer, he ordered the men into the barracks; the gate of the yard was
then shut, and the promise was made that no more men should be let out
that evening. In this way the affray here was effectually stopped.

For a little time, perhaps twenty minutes, there was nothing to attr