eleven o'clock at night
Like Lot , young French was deeply interested in the affairs of the colonies , especially in what was occurring in and about Boston . He had planned to go to the Massachusetts colony and offer his services to the Committee of Safety there if war really became imminent , though he would go , Enoch saw , in a much different spirit from Lot 's . Lot was eager for a fight for the fight 's sake ; but French realized the root of the trouble and espoused the cause of the persecuted colonists from principle . It was eleven o'clock at night when the sheriff and his men attacked the Whig guards , and many of the latter were asleep . The uproar was great as the besieged tried to keep the Tories out of the building ; but the latter were reckless and knew that they had to do with a practically helpless enemy . They forced an entrance , though the Whigs rallied well and delivered some telling blows with their clubs . These blows doubtless had much to do with what followed , for the sheriff 's men became greatly incensed .