Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 320
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3
Account of the Battles of Lexington & Concord & Aftermath Newspaper, 5 Days Before Bunker Hill! Also Runaway Slaves
Account of the Battles of Lexington & Concord & Aftermath Newspaper, 5 Days Before Bunker Hill! Also Runaway Slaves
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3
Description:

Lexington and Concord Revolutionary War
Philadelphia, PA, June 12, 1775
Account of the Battles of Lexington & Concord & Aftermath Newspaper, 5 Days Before Bunker Hill! Also Runaway Slaves
Newspaper

[LEXINGTON AND CONCORD.] Dunlap's Pennsylvania Packet, or, The General Advertiser, June 12, 1775 (No. 190). Philadelphia: John Dunlap. 4 pp., 12.125" x 18.5". General toning, and scattered staining and foxing.

This edition of Dunlap's Pennsylvania Packet, published in Philadelphia, includes anecdotes of the bravery of American soldiers and the commitment of the American people to sustain them, as well as early praise for George Washington in his rise to fame and glory. Other pieces offer rewards for the return of runaway slaves or indentured servants, while at least one notice offers a slave for sale.

Excerpts
"The following Anecdote, we are assured, is authentic. It was communicated by a Gentleman from the neighbourhood of Boston.
"An American soldier who had received a wound in his breast, in pursuing General Gage's troops on the 19th of April, supported his body against a tree. A brother soldier came up to him and offered him his assistance, ‘I am beyond your assistance, (said the wounded man) Pursue the Enemy;' with these words on his lips, he fell back and died.
"A Gentleman who travelled lately through Connecticut, informs us, that he met an old gentlewoman who told him, that she had fitted out and sent five sons, and 11 grandsons to Boston, when she heard of the engagement between the Provincials and Regulars. The Gentleman asked her, if she did not shed a tear at parting with them? ‘No, (said she) I never parted with them with more pleasure.' But suppose (said the Gentleman) they had all been killed; ‘I had rather (said the noble matron) this had been the case, than that one of them had come back a coward.'" (p3/c3)

"The Generals Burgoyne, Howe, and Clinton, sailed yesterday for America.
"It was last year reported, that Sir Jeffery Amherst had said, that with five thousand English regulars he would engage to march from one end to the other of the continent of North-America. Col. Washington who was present, declared, that with 1000 Virginians he would engage to stop Sir Jeffery Amherst's march.—It is the fashion at St. James's to despise the Americans, to call them cowards, poltroons, &c. and the resolution seems to be taken to put their courage to the proof. The very able, spirited, and prudent conduct of this gallant officer when he covered and preserved the remains of the English army after one of their defeats last war in North America, has endeared him to every brave man, and stamped with the name of being a most able officer."

"TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD. RAN AWAY on the night of the 3d instant (June) from the subscribers, living in Penn's Neck, Salem County, West New-Jersey, the two following servants, viz. an English servant lad.... The other a Negro man named BEN, stout and well made, six feet two inches high, straight clean limbed, not very black, and has been used to the water for many years.... He appears to be about twenty-two years of age. It is thought they are gone away by water and made down the river Delaware, and it is probable will go towards Carolina or some of the Lower Counties.... It is thought they went off in a very large batteau with a sheet for a sail. Whoever will secure the said servants in any of his Majesty's goals, shall have the above Reward for them and batteau, or EIGHT DOLLARS a piece for either and FOUR DOLLARS for the batteau...." (p1/c1)

"TO BE SOLD. A STRONG, hearty Negro Man, about thirty years of age, by trade a cooper, but has worked for some time as a striker for a smith. Enquire of the Printer." (p3/c4)

"In Provincial Congress, of New-Jersey, Trenton, June 3, 1775. Resolved, That this Congress do earnestly recommend to the inhabitants of every religious denomination, throughout this province, that Thursday the 29t day of June inst. be observed by them as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer (unless the Continental Congress shall, before that time, appoint some other day) in order to deprecate the displeasure of Almighty God, in this season of public calamity; and humbly to implore his divine blessing on such measures as may be used for supporting our invaluable rights and privileges, and restoring concord and harmony between Great Britain and her American colonies." (p4/c4)

Historical Background
General Thomas Gage was the military governor of Massachusetts and commander-in-chief of British troops in North America, with approximately 3,000 soldiers garrisoned in Boston, supported by the British navy. In the spring of 1775, through rapid strikes from Boston, he sought to destroy supplies stockpiled by Patriot militias.

On the night of April 18, some of the British soldiers marched for Concord, approximately 16 miles northwest of Boston, where the Patriots had stored arms. Meanwhile, Paul Revere and William Dawes left Boston to warn Patriot leaders in Lexington of the British expedition. While traveling further west, accompanied by Samuel Prescott, to warn Patriots in Concord, Revere and Dawes were stopped by a British patrol that arrested Revere. Dawes fled back to Lexington, and Prescott escaped to continue to Concord.

At sunrise on April 19, the advanced British forces men a large force of Patriots on Lexington Common. Neither side was prepared to engage, but when the British charged, the colonists fired on them. The conflict left eight Lexington men dead and ten wounded before the British forces continued to Concord. There, the militiamen of Concord and Lincoln were soon reinforced by minutemen who streamed in from towns further west. The British forces found and disabled three cannon and threw 550 pounds of musket balls into the millpond. Patriot militia engaged a smaller detachment of British regulars at the North Bridge over the Concord River, driving them back toward the center of town, where the British soldiers completed their search for military supplies, ate lunch, and began their march back to Boston.

During that march, Patriot militia repeatedly ambushed the column. The British were running out of ammunition by the time their reinforcements reached Lexington, around 2 p.m. After a brief rest, they resumed their march back to Boston, facing continuing attacks from the colonial militia. By sundown, when the British reached the safety of Charlestown, they had lost 300 men killed, wounded, and missing. Colonial losses totaled fewer than 100 men. By the next morning, more than 15,000 colonial militia had arrived to surround the British, beginning the Siege of Boston, which lasted for nearly a year before the British were forced to evacuate in mid-March, 1776.

Additional Content
This issue also includes "Some THOUGHTS on the Constitution of the British Empire; and the Controversy between Great-Britain and the American Colonies" (p1/c3-p2/c1); news from Europe (p2/c1-3); observations on the Quebec Bill (p2/c3); preparations for the defense of forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, New York (p2/c4); news from London, including proceedings of the House of Commons (p4/c1-3); and a variety of advertisements and notices, including many offering rewards for the return of any of more than a dozen indentured servants who had run away from various masters (p1/c1-2; p3/c4; p4/c4).

The Pennsylvania Packet, or the General Advertiser (1771-1800) was founded by John Dunlap (1747-1812) in late 1771 as a weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, though it relocated to Lancaster during the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777-1778. In 1776, Dunlap became the official printer for the Continental Congress, and he printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence. On May 30, 1783, Benjamin Towne turned the Pennsylvania Evening Post into the first daily newspaper in the United States. However, with Towne branded a traitor and forced to hawk his own papers on the street, the newspaper collapsed the following year. John Dunlap and David Claypoole (1757-1849) then made their Pennsylvania Packet the first successful daily newspaper beginning on September 21, 1784. It was the first newspaper to print the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and the first to publish George Washington's Farewell Address in 1796. It underwent numerous name changes in the 1790s until sold in 1800 and renamed Poulson's American Daily Advertiser.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 12.125" x 18.5"
  • Medium: Newspaper

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 4, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000