On Monday night about 8 o'clock two soldiers were attacked and beat..... About 9 of the guards came and informed me that the townspeople were assembling to attack the troops, and that the bells were ringing as the signal for that purpose -- and not for fire -- and a light high in the church steeple was to be lit to bring in the distant people.
On my way there I saw the people in great commotion, and heard them use the most cruel and horrid threats against the troops...... They immediately surrounded the guard posted there, and with clubs and other weapons threatened to execute their vengeance on him. I was soon informed by a townsman their intention was to carry off the soldier from his post and probably murder him.
The soldiers soon rushed through the people, and using their bayonets, kept the people at a distance. The mob still increased and were more outrageous, striking their clubs one against another, and calling out “come on you rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels, fire if you dare, damn you, fire and be damned, we know you dare not” and much more such language was used. At this time I was between the soldiers and the mob, using all in my power to persuade the crowd to retire peaceably, but to no purpose.
The mob advanced to the sharp points of the bayonets, struck some of them and even the muzzles of the pieces, and seemed to be trying to close in on the soldiers. When some well behaved person asked me if the guns were loaded, I replied yes. They then asked me if I intended to order the men to fire. I answered no, by no means.... While I was thus speaking, one of the soldiers having received a severe blow with a club, was knocked off balance and instantly fired, on which turning to and asking him why he fired without orders, he said, “I was struck with a club on my arm, which for some time deprived me of the use of it. If that blow had been placed on my head, it would have destroyed me.”
On this a general attack was made on the soldiers by a great number of heavy clubs and snowballs being thrown at them, by which all our lives were in imminent danger. Some person at the same time from behind us called out, “damn your bloods - why don't you fire!” Instantly three or four of the soldiers fired, one after another, and directly after three in the mob in the confusion and hurry. The mob then ran away.