“Being informed that General Gage has proposed a Treaty”

On 22 Apr 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren, chair of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress’s committee of safety, wrote a letter to the Boston selectmen approving an arrangement that would let civilians leave the newly besieged town.

As transcribed by Warren biographer Samuel Forman, the doctor’s letter said:

Joseph Warren to the Select Men and Inhabitants of the Town of Boston

Gentlemen—

The Committee of Congress being informed that General [Thomas] Gage has proposed a Treaty with the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, wherein he stipulates that the Women and Children with all their Effects shall have safe Conduct without the Garrison and their Men also, upon Condition that the Male Inhabitants within the Town shall on their Part solemnly engage that they will not take up Arms against the King’s Troops, within the Town, sh:d an attack be made from without:

We cannot but esteem those Conditions to be just & reasonable, and as the Inhabitants are in Danger of suffering from the want of Provisions, which in this time of general Confusion cannot be conveyed into the Town: we are willing you should enter into and faithfully keep the Engagement aforementioned said to be required of you, and to remove yourselves, the Women, Children & Effects as soon as may be—

By Order of the Committee of Congress—

Joseph Warren, Chairman

Cambridge 22nd April 1775

It’s significant that Warren and his committee believed Gen. Gage had proposed this arrangement. This letter doesn’t hint at how they came to believe that.

Warren’s letter didn’t hint at any other concessions besides a promise not to attack the redcoats. He wrote that families could leave “with all their Effects.” He noted “the want of Provisions” inside Boston without suggesting the Patriot forces might let food into the town. He didn’t say he still hoped for a peaceful resolution.

Originally Warren told the selectmen, ”we would earnestly pray your acceptance of his proposals,” before toning that down to “we are willing you should enter into and faithfully keep the Engagement aforementioned said to be required of you.” Again, the committee of safety thought that Gage had set forth his conditions.

It’s not clear whether that letter reached the town meeting on 22 April in time to influence the discussion there. However, on that Saturday, Bostonians approved a long statement to Gage that “the selectmen in behalf of the town engaged for the peaceable behaviour of the inhabitants.” Their resolutions then went on at more length reminding Gage of his past promises of good treatment.

When the town’s high-powered committee visited the royal governor, however, he had another condition. Perhaps Gage had had that proviso in mind all along, but to the Bostonians it may have seemed like a new requirement. A “long conference” between the general and the committee resulted, as reported in the 26 June Boston Gazette.

Gen. Gage asked that Bostonians agree to “lodging their arms in Faneuil-hall, or any other convenient place, under the care of the Selectmen.” That way, men couldn’t attack the soldiers with those guns or hand them over to besieging militiamen. Only then would he let families leave the town.

Thus, when the committee returned to the town meeting on Sunday, 23 April, they were recommending the people accept a condition that neither that meeting nor the committee of safety had officially discussed before.

TOMORROW: Decision time.