Page:Letter from a gentleman in Glasgow to his friend in the country.pdf/7

Rh eye-witnesses, it appears that the enemy which he was afraid of, was a mob consisting for the most part of women and boys, that of these a great many were drawn together out of curiosity, when the soldiers formed themselves into a square; that such of the mob as came thither with an evil design, had no arms nor other weapons; nor could they do any mischief to the soldiery but by throwing of stones; that they having thrown some stones at the soldiers, the captain advanced towards a young man who was doing no harm and beat him so unmercifully with his half pike that he brake it in pieces, upon which some more stones were thrown at them, but no danger done, no soldier either wounded or bruised: The King's proclamation was not read, but the captain swore by God, if they would not depart, he would fire upon them: And because his orders were not immediately obeyed, he was as good as his word; while the soldiers were presenting their firelocks, some of the mob run away, yet he gave command to fire, and by this first fire, two innocent persons who were not concerned in the tumult, but going about their lawful business, and who knew nothing either or his orders of his threatnings, were shot dead in the streets. Some gentlemen who were diverting themselves at bowls in the bowlling-green, hearing this first fire, came rushing out into the Candleriggs; though there was no mob in that street, and no stones thrown from thence, yet the platoon that faced that way fired upon them, and would have done execution, had not the gentlemen as soon as the soldiers were presenting their muskets, covered themselves under a house, yet by this fire a poor man was wounded who was crossing the street about his lawful business. A poor blacksmith with his cloak about him passing by the head of one of these streets, neither doing nor fearing any harm, was shot thro' the head by one of these officers, with a pistol which he had concealed under his cloaths, and the same officer advancing forward from his platoon, either with the same or another pistol, shot another poor tradesman who was passing by without doing or designing any harm. Tho' by these bloody and cruel executions the mob was all at once dispersed and the streets cleared, yet the soldiers Rh