In 1774, Massachusetts militia and minute man companies were scrambling to prepare for war. As part of their efforts, many companies began to adopt the same drill manual utilized by British troops stationed in Boston.  Known as "The Manual exercise as ordered by His Majesty in 1764", this drill manual instructed British troops on how to fire their muskets, handle their weapons, and maneuver on the field.
 
That same year, many Massachusetts printers began to publish and sell the drill manual to militia and minute man officers to aid in the training of their men. 
 
This PDF document is a scanned copy of the "Boston Edition" which was purchased, studied and utilized by many Massachusetts officers and NCOs on the eve of LExington and Concord.