Around 8 o’clock on Monday night, two soldiers were attacked by a group of townspeople. At first, I thought the ringing church bells meant there was a fire, but I soon realized they were being used to gather a crowd.
By 9 o’clock, I was warned that people were assembling to confront the troops. As captain of the day, I went straight to the main guard. On the way, I passed angry townspeople who were shouting threats against the soldiers.
Shortly after I arrived, about one hundred people moved toward the custom house, where the King’s money is kept. They surrounded the sentry and threatened him with clubs and other weapons.
A townsman told me the crowd planned to drag the soldier from his post. I feared they might also try to seize the money, so I sent an officer and twelve soldiers to protect the area. I followed closely behind, hoping to prevent any violence.
The soldiers pushed through the crowd and used their bayonets to keep people back. I had not given the order to load their weapons, and I had no plan to fire unless it became absolutely necessary.
The crowd kept growing. People shouted insults, slammed clubs together, and dared the soldiers to shoot. I stood between them, trying to convince the townspeople to leave peacefully, but they refused.
Some in the crowd struck the bayonets or grabbed the ends of the guns. A few asked me if the weapons were loaded. I told them yes, but I also said I had no intention of ordering the men to fire. I reminded them I was standing directly in front of the line and would be the first to fall.
Suddenly, shots rang out. When I asked the soldiers why they fired, they said they had heard the word “fire” and thought it came from me. I explained that I had shouted for them not to shoot, but with the noise from the crowd, it was difficult to hear anything clearly.
Later, as townspeople came to remove the bodies, the soldiers raised their weapons again. Believing they were under threat, they prepared to fire, but I stopped them by knocking their guns aside.
Soon after, someone told me that thousands were gathering nearby and had sworn to kill me and every man with me. I knew it was unsafe to remain where we were. I ordered the men back to the main guard and prepared them to defend themselves if needed.