Complete issue of The London Chronicle from June 27, 1775, eight pages, 8.25 x 11.5, with the front page featuring “A Circumstantial Account of an Attack that happened on the 19th of April 1775, on his Majesty’s Troops, by a number of People of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.” The article, regarding the historic Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first major military campaign of the American Revolutionary War, contains the preface: “The following account of the late skirmish between the King’s troops and the Provincials, near Boston, may be depended on as strictly true, it being written by a Gentleman of undoubted veracity, who was on the spot when the affair happened.”
The article, in part: “On Thursday the 18th of April, about half past ten at night, Lieut. Colonel Smith of the 10th regiment, embarked from the common at Boston, with the grenadiers and light infantry of the troops there, and landed on the opposite side; from whence he began his march towards Concord, where he was ordered to destroy a magazine of military stores, deposited there for the use of an army, to be assembled in order to act against his Majesty and his government…No hostilities happened from the affair at Lexington until the troops began their march back, but as soon as the troops had got out of the town of Concord they received a heavy fire on them from all sides, from walls, fences, houses, trees, barns, &c. which continued without intermission till they met the 1st brigade with two field pieces near Lexington, ordered out, under the command of Lord Piercy, to support them. Upon the firing of the field pieces, the people's fire was for a while silenced, but as they still continued to increase greatly in numbers, they fired again as before, from all places where they could find cover, upon the whole body, and continued so doing for the space of fifteen minutes. Notwithstanding their numbers they did not attack openly during the whole day, but kept under cover on all occasions. The troops were very much fatigued, the greater part of them having been under arms all night, and made a march of upwards of forty miles before they arrived at Charlestown, from whence they were ferried over to Boston. The troops had upwards of fifty killed, and many more wounded.” In fine condition.
