I, William Wyatt, of Salem, testify and say, that last Monday evening, being the fifth day of March of this year, was in Boston. I was down at Treat's Wharf, where my ship was lying. Hearing the bells ring, I thought there was a fire in the town. I quickly ran up to the Town house, on the south side of it, where I saw an officer of the army leading seven or eight soldiers out of the guard house. He quickly led them down to the Custom house on the north side of King Street, where I followed them. When the officer had got there with the men, he ordered them to turn around.
I stood just below them on the left wing. The officer ordered his men to load their guns, which they did accordingly with the utmost dispatch. Then they stood there for about six minutes, with their firelocks rested and bayonets fixed, but not standing in exact order. I observed a considerable number of young boys, and here and there a man amongst them, about the middle of the street. They were facing the soldiers, but not within ten or twelve feet distance from them. I observed some of them had sticks in their hands, laughing, shouting, and crying “fire!”I could not see that any of them threw anything at the soldiers, or threatened any of them.
Then the officer stepped behind his soldiers, towards the right wing, and told the soldiers, “Fire!” When they did not begin firing, he again told 'em “Fire!” They still didn’t fire, at which he stomped his boot and said, "Fire, be the consequence what it will!" The second man on the left wing fired off his gun. Then, after a very short pause, the soldiers fired one after another as quick as possible, beginning on the right wing. The last man's gun on the left wing flashed, then he loaded his gun again. With the people being withdrawn from before the soldiers, most of them further down the street, he turned his gun toward them and fired at them. Immediately after firing started, I saw three of the townspeople fall down in the street.
After the last gun was fired off, the officer, who had commanded the soldiers to fire, sprung before them, waving his sword or stick, said, "ye, rascals, what did ye fire for?" He grabbed the gun of one of the soldiers who was loading again, whereupon they seemed confused and fired no more. I then went up behind them to the right wing, where one of the people was lying, to see whether he was dead. There were four or five people around him, one of them saying he was dead. And I remember as the said officer was marching down with the soldiers towards the Custom house, a gentleman spoke to him and said, " Captain Preston, for God's sake keep your men in order, and mind what you are about."