The Standoff at Salem's North Bridge - Leslie's Retreat скачать в хорошем качестве

The Standoff at Salem's North Bridge - Leslie's Retreat

On February 26, 1775, There was a standoff between Salem's Militia Men and British Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Leslie and 250 British Soldiers. This is the Story of Leslie's retreat. In the winter of seventeen seventy-four, a man of resolve, Colonel David Mason of Salem, procured nineteen French cannons. A local blacksmith was tasked with mounting them on carriages, and by February the following year, they were primed for the imminent face-off with the British. News of this arsenal reached Governor Thomas Gage, who dispatched Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Leslie with a two hundred and forty strong regiment to seize them. But their stealthy approach was thwarted by an alert guard. Despite this, Leslie, adorned with a smirk, marched on, his troops playing 'Yankee Doodle.' As they neared Salem, the tolling church bells and the missing planks from the south bridge signaled their cover was blown. Unperturbed, they fixed the bridge and marched into the public square, muskets at the ready. The cannons' location was divulged by sympathizers, and Leslie made for the North Bridge. But David Mason alerted the town, and the militia, led by Captain Timothy Pickering, raised the drawbridge, halting Leslie's advance. A standoff ensued, with Leslie vowing to cross, even if it cost him his life. The word spread, and by the end of the day, ten thousand militiamen were ready to defend Salem. In the end, a compromise was reached. Leslie would cross the bridge, turn back, and return to Boston without the cannons. A momentous day, when a small town stood its ground against the mighty British Empire.