uard. Some peaceable citizens exerted themselves to
allay their fury, and they had well nigh succeeded in persuading many
of them to retire, when a tall man in a red cloak and white wig appeared
among them, and incited them by a brief harangue to carry out their
design. His discourse was followed by shouts of "To the main guard! To
the main guard! We will destroy the soldiers!" The mob then separated
into three divisions, each of which took separate roads. One of these
divisions in their route passed by the Custom-house, and a boy pointing
to the sentinel on duty there, asserted that he was the man who had
knocked him down. A loud cry was instantly raised to kill him, and the
sentinel loaded his gun by way of intimidating them. Nothing daunted,
however, they first pelted him with every thing that came to hand, and
then, seeing his reluctance to fire, closed upon him, and compelled him
to retreat to the door of the Custom-house. He sought admittance, but
those within were afraid of opening the door, and the sentinel then
shouted for assistance to the main guard which was within hearing. A
corporal and six privates were sent by Captain Preston to his rescue,
while he followed at a short distance. Their guns were unloaded; but
as they advanced, they found the mob increasing, and were pelted so
pitilessly by them on every hand, and so grossly insulted by opprobrious
language, that they loaded them and fixed on their bayonets. Still they
were reluctant to fire; and when the mob pressed in upon them, they
merely used their weapons to keep them off. At length a certain mulatto
named Crispus Attucks, with others dressed like sailors, gave three
cheers, hemmed in the soldiers, and struck at their muskets with clubs,
exclaiming to those behind, "Come forward, they dare not fire; let
us kill them, etc." Attucks aimed a blow at Captain Preston, who was
begging the rioters to desist, and keeping his men quiet, and in doing
so he not only hit the Captain on his arm, but struck down one of the
men's muskets, and then seized his bayonet. Some persons behind Captain
Preston now urged the soldiers to fire, and the private whose musket had
been knocked out of his hand having recovered it, fired at the mulatto,
who fell mortally wounded. The other soldiers now successively fired off
their pieces, and three persons were killed, while others were wounded
more or less dangerously. The mob retreated, but they re-collected in
an adjoining street,