MASSACRE+IN+BOSTON

Boston, MA By Cameron Moore

On March 5, 1777, British soldiers Private Hugh White and Captain Lieutenant John Goldfinch killed 5 colonists in Boston after verbal abuse and harassment from the crowd of Americans. The soldiers claimed to be “defending themselves” from a group of angry colonists with torches and rocks. Wigmakers assistant, Edward Gerrish, had called out insults to Private White who left his post and hit Gerrish on the side of the head with his musket. As Gerrish moaned in pain, more and more colonists came out and joined in with the mob. Over 50 citizens of Boston had joined the crowd in threating White, daring him to shoot at the crowd. White, feeling in danger, sent Goldfinch for more redcoats to come hold back the crowd. Hugh Montgomery, John Carroll, Naisa Kim, William McCauley, William Warren and Matthew Kilroy came to stand beside Private White and Captain Goldfinch. Colonist began throwing rocks, snowballs, and other small objects at the British soldiers. A small, but heavy object, hit Montgomery making him scream for the soldiers to shoot. After a few seconds of hesitation, the soldiers open fired into the crowd. Ropemaker Samuel Gray, mariner James Caldwell, and a mixed race sailor named Crispus Attucks all died on impact. Samuel Maverick, a 17 year-old apprentice was hit by a ricochet bullet and died the following morning. Patrick Carr died 2 weeks after the shooting. This dreadful event is now known as the //Boston Massacre//.