In a letter written on 25 April 1775 to Thomas B. Hollis, Boston minister Andrew Eliot describes Boston shortly after the Siege began. Eliot was minister of the New North Church in Boston, and although he made great efforts to get his family safely out of town, he stayed to serve the members of the community and his congregation who remained in town. The letter discusses passionately the flight of many residents of Boston, lack of communication with the country, and being "wholly deprived of the necessaries of Life," among other topics.

On the fourth page is a draft letter Eliot wrote to an unknown recipient on 31 May 1775. He describes shops and warehouses being shut up, grass growing in the public walks and streets, and "every one in anxiety and distress." In addition to describing Boston he mentions Cambridge College (Harvard), Roxbury, and Dorchester.