There were many different descriptions of what happened at the Boston Massacre. At this time in the Colonies there was a great deal of tension built up between the colonists and the British troops. The Stamp Act got the colonists really stirred up and then it was repealed. Tension was again stirred up by other acts of parliament for taxing America and by the appointment of a Board of Commissioners. The colonist were also upset by the fact that they had to pay, house and feed these troops. The main confrontation of the Boston Massacre seems to stem from a dispute between the colonial rope-makers and some of the soldiers. A boxing match was challenged and the soldiers lost. The soldiers went back to their barracks and then returned later for much of the same. This went on several time giving the colonists something to brag about and something for the soldiers to fume about. On March 5, 1770 this all came to a head at the Customs House on King Street in Boston.
After going over the depositions of many people in the trial of Captain Thomas Preston of the 29th Regiment I believe that Captain Preston did not give the order to fire although I believe that he had plenty of time between the first shot and the second to give the order to stop the firing. To clarify this you have to believe as to where Captain Preston was standing when the firing took place. Most accounts of where Captain Preston was standing have him to the left and in front of the soldiers between them and the crowd. The people who believed this said that they clearly did not hear him give the order to fire although they did hear the order given. The people who believed that Captain Preston gave the order to fire said that he was standing behind the soldiers and was wearing a surtout (an overcoat worn over a uniform). Some of these people who stand behind this man giving the order to fire was not sure if this man was Captain Preston or another officer, a Corporal who accompanied Captain Preston to the Customs House.