Above is historic marker found in Ipswich MA. Notice the first words:"The first armed Resistance to the Royal Authority.
In February 1775, Parliament declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion. This declaration permitted soldiers to shoot suspected rebels on sight.
On Sunday, February 26, 1775, the 64th British Regiment of the Line, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Leslie commanding, landed at Marblehead from Castle William in Boston Harbor. The regiment, with loaded muskets and bayonets fixed, marched to Salem under orders to seize military stores concealed there.
According to Wikipedia: As soon as its destination was known, Major John Pedrick of Marblehead rode "across lots" to Salem, and gave the alarm. The troops arrived at Salem, where the movement was delayed at New Mills by the tearing up of the bridge over South River. The troops were guided by a Loyalist towards "North Fields," a section reached by a drawbridge over North River. Here they found the draw raised to arrest their progress. Some flatboats lying in the stream were promptly scuttled by their owners in the face of the troops. Across the river a large number of people were gathering, armed as opportunity offered.
And again from Wikipedia: The powers that be in Salem said that the draw would not be let down on his order, and that, as neither war nor martial law had been declared, he would advance at his peril. "Find the guns, if you can," said Derby. "Take them, if you can. They will not be surrendered." Leslie said his orders were to cross the river, and he would do so. Meanwhile the guns had been removed to a safer place, and a mounted messenger, Benjamin Daland, had posted to Danvers, spreading the alarm. The concourse of citizens was fast increasing, and help was arriving from Beverly and Danvers.
The prudence of British commanding officer Alexander Leslie and the persistence of the patriot leaders turned a standoff into a bloodless triumph for the colonists. What might have been a violent confrontation turned into a local victory, and the patriots gloated as news spread of “Leslie’s Retreat.”
Historic Ipswich has a very nice article about this incident at; https://historicipswich.net/2023/02/22/leslies-retreat-or-how-the-revolutionary-war-almost-began-in-salem/
This article has a bit of background information about this incident.
In 1774 Col. David Mason of Salem purchased 19 French cannons and had Captain Robert Foster, a blacksmith, mount them to carriages. They were secreted about the premises of Captain Foster’s shop on the north side of the North River, and by February, 1775 were ready for use against the British in the much-anticipated war. Gage had heard of this and had sent Col Leslie to confiscate the arms. And the painting below is also from the site. The artist seems to have recreated it from an early sketch.
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