Church, all at once, started up. 'Dr. War-
ren,' said he, 'I am determined to go
into Boston to-morrow.' (It set them all
a-staring.) Dr. Warren replied : 'Are you
serious, Dr. Church ? They will hang you
if they catch you in Boston.' He replied :
'I am serious, and am determined to go
at all adventures.' After a considerable
conversation, Dr. Warren said: 'If you are
determined, let us make some business for you.'
They agreed that he should go and get medicine

for their and our wounded officers." 1
1 Revere's narrative.
224 The Siege of Boston

Church was the first American traitor.
Although possessed of all the Whig secrets,
he had for some months, perhaps longer,
been in communication with Gage. His jour-
ney to town was for the purpose of delivering
information, and for some time yet he managed
to carry on the double role. Nevertheless his
information, put in the hands of Gage, did
no harm. It throws but one more light upon
the incompetence of the general that, with
such information as Church now gave him, he
blundered so continually.
We learn from John Andrews' letters of
the agreement made between Gage and the
town. "Yesterday," he writes on the 24th,
"we had town meetings all day, and finally
concluded to deliver up all our arms to the
Selectmen, on condition that the Governor
would open the avenues to the town." In
this agreement the townspeople were advised
by the Committee of Safety to join. Accord-
ingly, there were delivered to the Selectmen,
and lodged in Faneuil Hall, "1778 fire-arms,
634 pistols, 978 bayonets, and 38 blunder-



Boston Beleaguered 225

busses." * These were marked with their
owners' names, and were later to be restored.
