[550] Bibliography of Charlestown, etc., p. 19. Taking precedence in time is that in the Boston Gazette of June 19, at this time printed at Watertown. The Massachusetts Spy (Worcester, June 21st) had the next account, and this is reprinted in Frothingham's Centennial. The Connecticut Journal printed an account the same day; and in New York a handbill was circulated, Fresh news just arrived, by an express from the provincial camp near Boston, giving an account by Capt. Elijah Hide, of Lebanon. See fac-simile in Mag. of American Hist., March, 1885, p. 282. Hide saw the battle from Winter Hill, and his account is printed by Ellis (1843), p. 142, and Dawson, p. 378. Frank Moore's Diary of the American Revolution (i. pp. 97, 102), which begins Jan. 1, 1775, gives most of these contemporary press articles, and so does Dawson. Several of these newspaper accounts were reproduced in fac-simile in 1875.
[551] This was first printed by Frothingham (Siege, etc., p. 395), and is also in Dawson, p. 390, and in his Battles, i. p. 70. A paper usually called The Prescott MS., said to have been prepared under Colonel Prescott's supervision, in part at least, abridged in Graydon's Memoirs (1846), is printed in Butler's Groton (p. 337) and in Dawson. A memoir prepared by Judge Prescott, son of the colonel, derived in part from his recollection of his father's accounts, is printed in Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc., xiv. 68, and in Frothingham's Battle-Field, p. 18.
[552] The MS. of this account is in the Am. Antiq. Society's Collections at Worcester, and was printed in Dawson, p. 381. Cf. Belknap Papers, ii. 163, 166. Frothingham (Siege, p. 385) gives Thacher's indorsement of the MS. This narrative and that of Gordon, mainly following it, were the basis of some elaborate papers in the Analectic Magazine (Feb. and March, 1818), which, however, present some important differences of view, supported by documents.
[553] It is signed by J. Palmer, and dated July 25, 1775, and was transmitted to Arthur Lee. It is printed in the Journal of the Third Prov. Congress; Analectic Magazine, May, 1818, p. 261; Force's Archives, iv. 1,373; Ellis (1843), p. 131; Frothingham's Siege, 382; Dawson, 387, and his Battles, i. p. 68. The provincial congress had already (June 20) sent an account to the Continental Congress (Ellis, p. 140; Dawson, p. 371). There are other official accounts sent to Albany and New Hampshire (Dawson, 380; N. H. Hist. Coll., ii. 143.)
[554] These may be named in an approximate chronological order thus thus:—
June 17. Dr. Holyoke saw the smoke at Salem, and wrote to his wife the reports which reached him. (Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., xiii. 212.)
June 18. David Cheever wrote from Watertown to the provincial congress of New Hampshire (N. H. Prov. Papers, vii. 521). Abigail Adams, at Braintree, wrote her impressions (having heard of Warren's death) to John Adams, in Philadelphia. She supposed the battle was then (3 P. M., June 18) still unended. She wrote farther June 25 and July 5 (Familiar Letters of John Adams and his Wife, pp. 67, 70, 72). Josiah Bartlett, at Kingston, N. H., learned the news by express, and B. Greenleaf repeated the news (N. H. Prov. Papers, vii. 520). On this day Ezra Stiles, then at Newport, made his first entry in his diary as the news came in (Dawson, 391). Loammi Baldwin's letter (Frothingham's Battle-Field, P. 43). General Greene to Governor Cooke, of R. I. (copy in Sparks MSS., vol. xlviii.).
June 19. Andrew Eliot to Isaac Smith, then in England (Ellis, 151; Dawson, 369; Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc., 1878, p. 288). Col. John Stark, from Medford to the N. H. congress (Ellis, 145; Dawson, 370; N. H. Hist. Soc. Coll., ii. 144; N. H. Prov. Papers, vii. 322-23). Job Bradford, from Hingham to Col. B. Lincoln (Rivington's N. Y. Gazetteer, Dawson, 370; N. H. Prov. Papers, vii. 523). Bradford had come out of Boston on the 18th.
June 20. Colonel Stark to the Continental Congress (Ellis, Dawson, N. H. Hist. Soc. Coll., ii.). James Warren to John Adams (Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc., xiv. 79). Letter from Providence (N. Y. Gazetteer, June 26; Dawson, 372). William Williams to the Connecticut delegates in Congress (Frothingham's Battlefield, 41).
June 21. Professor Winthrop to John Adams (Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., xliv. 292). John Bromfield (Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc., Feb., 1870, p. 226). James Warren to Sam. Adams (Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc., xiv. 80).