Tailor/Seamstress in Apartment near the Customs House
You were working on making some alterations when you heard a noise out in the
street. You looked out to see a crowd of 80 to 100 people moving across the Commons,
heading toward your apartment. When the alarm bells rang, panic momentarily seized
you as you thought perhaps your building was on fire. Then you realized you smelled no
smoke. You went over to the window to look around for flames and then had a thought
that perhaps the Customs House was on fire.
A second bell sounded, so you opened the window to shout down and ask where
the fire might be. You soon realized that the crowd was making too much noise to hear
you, but your curiosity kept you at the window. You could now make out voices and
realized that the crowd was intent on the lone soldier on post at the Customs House.
It disgusted you the way people picked on, taunted and cursed the soldiers. You
realize that they are here only doing a job. You have been friendly to the soldiers and
they have been polite to you. You can’t see why others just won’t leave them alone. After
all, aren’t you all English?
As the crowd appeared to nearly surround the soldier, a squad of other soldiers
came hurrying across the end of the Commons. Very quickly the man in charge had them
in a line with their bayonets thrust forward. The one man looked very relieved. That was
not to last though as you realized the crowd had continually grown. There were now
several hundred confronting the small group of soldiers. It then dawned on you that
perhaps the crowd had gathered at the sound of the bell to raid the Custom’s House and
steal the money stored there.
The voices carrying to your window soon made you realize that their intent was
not the money, but the soldiers. Many in the crowd were cursing and swearing. There
were the usual calls of “Lobsters” and “bloody scoundrels”. Some of the crowd seemed
especially menacing as the waved clubs or sticks. As more people came, you could see
that some of those up front had to grab at the soldiers’ bayonets to keep from getting
stabbed. The two groups seemed to surge together and then come apart a little bit. The
noise became a general roar.
A British officer then came between the two groups. His first words and gestures
were to the soldiers. They seemed to step back a bit and form up in a stiffer line. Just his
appearance gave the impression the troops suddenly were less desperate. The officer then
faced the crowd. Every time he spoke the crowd became more animated, shaking fists
and raising clubs. You saw him turn to the soldiers once more. Some of them reached
back and put their guns on half-cock. They kept the guns forward at an angle so the
barrels pointed above the crowd.
As the officer turned back to the crowd, someone threw a chunk of snow or ice.
You noticed the missile did not fly apart like a snowball. The soldier looked injured. The
crowd cheered and soon other snowballs were being fired toward the soldiers. Other
voices yelled at the soldiers to go ahead and shoot. You were chilled by the anger.
Suddenly the explosion of a gun roared out. The crowd rushed forward. You saw a club
strike the captain. More guns roared. First three or four shots fired, followed quickly by a
volley. Suddenly the crowd reeled back.
It seemed like your mind took in a million images in a flash. Just to the left small
clusters of people knelt or lie in the snow, or stood calling out. The soldiers moved off to
the right, loading guns. You could see the captain yelling at them. All around the
Commons people ran away. A group began to gather and move back toward the fallen.
Below your window you saw a man clutching his side as he reeled away from the scene.
You stood there transfixed by the scene. How awful!