We, Capt. Nathan Barrett, Lts. Jonathan Farrer, Joseph Butler and Francis Wheeler, Ensign John Barrett, John Brown, Silas Walker, Ephraim Melvin, Nathan Buttrick, Stephen Hosmer Jr, Samuel Barrett, Thomas Jones, Joseph Chandler, Peter Wheeler, Nathan Peirce and Edward Richardson of Concord, County of Middlesex, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, testify that about an hour after sunrise, we assembled on a hill near the meeting house. About an hour afterward we saw them approaching. On which we retreated to a hill about eighty rods back and the troops then took possession of the hill where we were first posted. Presently after this we saw them moving toward North Bridge about one mile from the meeting house. We 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 onehalf of these two hundred at the bridge and proceeded with the rest toward Col. Barrett’s, about two miles from the bridge. We then, seeing several fires in the town, thought our houses were in danger. Immediately marched back toward the bridge and the troops, who were stationed there, observing our approach, marched back over the bridge and took up some of the planks. We hastened our steps toward 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, upon which and not before (having orders from our commanding officer not to fire until we were fired upon) we fired upon the regulars and they retreated. At Concord and on their retreat through Lexington, they plundered many houses, burnt three at Lexington together with a shop and a barn and committed damage more or less to almost every house from Concord to Charlestown.

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