Boston Massacre
In 1768 the 29th along with the 14th Regiment of Foot were sent to Boston, Massachusetts, where on the evening of 5 March 1770, men of the 29th Grenadier Company under the command of Captain Thomas Preston took part in the Boston Massacre. Five colonists died during the riot in front of the Boston customs house. Due to the incident, the regiment earned the nickname the Vein Openers for drawing first blood in the American Revolution. The men involved were tried for murder and were defended by John Adams (who later became President of the United States). Two of the men involved, Hugh Montgomery and Matthew Kilroy, were found guilty of manslaughter and branded on the thumb. Captain Thomas Preston and the other men involved were found not guilty. The 29th left Boston in 1771 for British controlled Florida before returning to England in 1773.
Read more about this topic: 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment Of Foot
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