Extract of a Letter from Governour Wentworth to Governour Gage

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On Wednesday last, after twelve o' clock, an insurrection suddenly took place in this Town, and immediately proceeded to his Majesty' s Castle, attacked, overpowered, wounded and confined the Captain, and thence took away all the King' s Powder. Yesterday numbers more assembled, and last night brought off many Cannons, &c˙, and about sixty Muskets. This day the Town is full of armed men, who refuse to disperse, but appear determined to complete the dismantling the Fortress entirely. Hitherto the people abstain from private or personal injuries; how long they will be so prevailed on, it is impossible to say.

I must sincerely lament the present distractions, which seem to have burst forth by means of a letter from William Cooper, to Samuel Cutts, delivered here on Tuesday last, P˙ M˙, by Paul Revere. I have not time to add further on this melancholy subject.

P˙ S˙ The populace threaten to abuse Colonel Fenton, because he has to them declared the folly of their conduct, and that he will do his duty as a Justice in executing the laws, They will never prevail on him to retract, if all the men in the Province attack him. If I had two hundred such men, the Castle and all therein would yet have been safe. At this moment the heavy Cannon are not carried off, but how soon they may be, I cannot say.