Deposition Taken by Order of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts

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Lexington, April 23, 1775,

We, John Hoar, John Whitehead, Abraham Garfield, Benjamin Munroe, Isaac Parks, William Hosmer, John Adams,) and Gregory Stone, all of Lincoln, in the County of Middlesex, Massachusetts-Bay, all of lawful age, do testify and say, that on Wednesday last we were assembled at Concord in the morning of said day, in consequence of information received that a Brigade of Regular Troops were on their march to the said Town of Concord, who had killed six men at the Town of Lexington. About an hour afterward we saw them approaching to the number, as we apprehended, of about twelve hundred, on which we retreated to a mill about eighty rods back, and the said Troops then took possession of the hill where we were first posted. Presently after this we saw the Troops moving towards the North Bridge, about one mile from the said Concord meeting-house; we then immediately went before them and passed the bridge, just before a party of them, to the number of about two hundred, arrived; they there left about one-half of their two hundred at the bridge, and proceeded with the rest towards Colonel Barrett' s, about two miles from the said bridge. We then seeing several fires in the Town, thought the houses in Concord were in danger, and marched towards the said bridge, and the Troops who were stationed there observing our approach, marched back over the bridge, and then took up some of the plank; we then hastened our march towards the bridge, and when we had got near the bridge they fired on our men, first three guns, (one after the other,) and then a considerable number more; and then, and not before, (having orders from our commanding officer not to fire till we were fired upon,) we fired upon the Regulars, and they retreated. On their retreat through the Town of Lexington to Charlestown, they ravaged and destroyed private property, and burnt three houses, one barn, and one shop.

JOHN HOAR,
JOHN WHITEHEAD,
AB' M GAHFIELD,
BENJAMIN MUNROE,
ISSAC PARKS,
WILLIAM HOSMER,
JOHN ADAMS, GREGORY STONE.