The New-Hampshire Gazette, and Historical Chronicle, vol. XIX, nos. 965 and 966, April 21 and April 28, 1775.

These papers belonged to the Hon. Enoch Freeman of Falmouth.

BLOODY NEWS.

PORTSMOUTH, April 20, 1775.

Early this Morning, we were alarmed, with an / Express from Newbury-Port, with the follow- / ing Letter, to the Chairman of the Committee / of Correspondence in this Town.

SIR, Newbury-Port, April 19, 1775. / THIS Town has been in a continual A- / larm since Mid-day, with Reports of / the TROOPS having marched out of Boston / to make some Attack in the Country– The / Reports in general concur, in part, in having / been at Lexington.–And it is very general- / ly said they have been at Concord.– We / sent off an Express this Afternoon, who went / as far as Simons’s at Danvers before he could / get Information that he thought might be / depended upon– he there met two or three / Gentlemen who affirmed, the Regular Troops / and our Men had been engaged chief of the / Morning, and that it is supposed we had / Twenty-five Thousand Men engaged against / Four Thousand Regulars; that the Regulars / had begun a Retreat– Our Men here are / setting off immediately–And as the Sword / is now drawn, and first drawn on the Side of / the Troops, we scruple not, you will give the / readiest and fullest Assistance, in your Power– / And send this Information further on–In / Behalf of the Committee for this Town, / Your humble Servant, / JAMES HUDSON, Chairman.

By the Express who brought the above Let- / ter, we hear the Attack began at Lexington, / (about 12 Miles from Boston) by the Regular / Troops, the 18th Inst. before Sunrise, when / there was but twelve Hundred Regulars, who / fired on the Watch or Guard that was placed / at the House where Col. LEE & Major EL-  / BRIDGE GARY kept, and killed Eight.– / From thence they proceeded to Concord, / where they made a general Attack, and burnt / the Meeting House, and other Buildings.– / The Provincial Forces that had assembled, / obliged the Regulars to retreat, after Num- / bers had been slain on both Sides. A Rein- / forcement of Regulars came out of Boston, & / made up in the whole about Four Thousand, / leaving one Thousand only to guard the Town.

Thursday One o’Clock. Another Express / from Newbury Port informs, That there was / Sixteen Hundred Regulars in the first Body / that marched out of Boston, but for what par- / ticular Purpose do not learn. At Concord it / is said they took 500 Barrels of Flour from / the Provincials, knocked out the Heads, and / destroyed it on the Spot–30 Regulars and 40 / Provincials were kill’d. the Regular Army / has retreated back to Winter Hill in Charles- / town, and are surrounded by the Provincials.

Our Committee immediately on receiving / the above Intelligence, sent off Expresses to / all Quarters.

The foregoing is the different Accounts we / have receiv’d, but how far and what Part is / authentic, Presume not to determine.

Thursday Evening 6 o’Clock, another Ex- / press, who came to Rally the whole Country / informs, that General Haldiman, was sent / out of Boston, with the first Party, in order / to take some Gentlemen Prisoners, & if they / met with any Difficulty, Lord Piercy, with / the main Body was to follow after, which he / did, when a general Engagement ensued, and / the Provincials obliged them to retreat to the / Place mentioned in a Paragraph above, where / they are almost surrounded by 30,000 of the / Provincials ; that there had been and was a / constant firing on both Sides.

Great Numbers are gone and going from / all our Towns above, and no doubt 50,000 / are now assembled.