|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 9
"Dr. Warren stayed in Boston," interrupted Pitts, "to keep the others
informed of the movements of the red-coats."
"Yes," continued Kinnison; "the royals, as Deacon Slocum used to call
'em, didn't hate Warren as much as they did John Hancock and the
Adamses. Well, when Captain Williams heard of what General Gage was
after, he told us we had better be prepared to march at a minute's
warning. Gage sent eight hundred troops, under Colonel Smith and Major
Pitcorn, on his rascally errand. They started from Boston about nine
o'clock on the night of the eighteenth of April, never thinking that
our men knew anything about it--but we were awake."
"Wait a bit," said John Warner, one of the veterans who had not yet
spoken. "I'll tell you something. I was in Boston when the red-coats
started, and knew that the country militia were ready to protect the
stores. I was standing on the Common, talking to a few of my friends of
my own politics, when I said rather loud, 'the British troops will miss
their aim.' 'What aim?' inquired a person behind me. 'The cannon at
Concord,' replied I as I turned to see who asked the question. The man
was dressed in British uniform, and he walked away as I turned to look
at him. One of my friends whispered to me that it was Lord Percy. Soon
after, guards were set at every avenue, and nobody was allowed to leave
the city."
"I suppose Lord Percy went to Gage and told him what he had heard,"
remarked Kinnison. "It must have galled him a little to find they were
so closely watched. Well, Captain Williams was first, aroused by the
sound of the bells ringing and cannons firing on the Lexington road, and
he ordered us out to march and join our friends near that place. It was
a moonlight night, and we marched rapidly. When we got about half-way to
Lexington, we met a man who told us that the minute-men of Lexington
were out, but he didn't think there would be much of a fight. Captain
Williams then thought it would be better for the company to march to
Concord and help defend the stores, but said that a few of us might go
to Lexington, and see now things went on. Accordingly, my brother
Sam--a ripe fellow Sam was--and three others, and myself, were allowed
to go to Lexington. We arrived there about half-past three in the
morning, and found the bells ringing, cannons firing, and about a
hundred minute-men drawn up in front of the meeting-house, waiting the
approach of the enemy. We joined them, and placed ourselves under the
orders of Captain Parker. Between four and five o'clock, we caught sight
of the red-coats coming along the road, with Pitcorn at their head. I
saw at once that we couldn't make much show against so many regulars,
and I believe all our men thought the same; but we stood firm, with our
loaded muskets in our hands. The red-coated troops were drawn up near
the meeting-house, just opposite to us, and loaded their muskets. For a
little while, it seemed as if neither party wanted to begin, and that we
both knew a long war hung on the first fire. At last, Major Pitcorn and
his officers rode forward, waving their swords and shouting, 'disperse,
you villains--you rebels! why don't you disperse?' As we didn't stir,
Pitcorn turned and ordered his troops to press forward and surround
us.--Just then, a few scattering shots were fired at us, and we Lebanon
men returned 'em at once. Then Pitcorn fired his pistol and gave the
word 'fire,' and they did fire. Four of our men fell dead, and our Sam
was wounded in the leg. We had to retreat, although I felt savage enough
to fight 'em all myself; and so I fired my musket, and took hold of Sam,
and helped him to get away with us. The red-coats continued to fire at
us as we retreated, and some of our men paid 'em in the same coin. Two
or three of the men were killed as they were getting over a stone fence,
and Captain Parker, who wouldn't run, was killed with the bayonet. I
hurried Sam into a house near by, saw him safe in the cellar, where the
owner of the house said he would attend to him, and then joined the
other Lebanon men, who were running towards Concord."
FIGHT AT CONCORD.
"You must tell us what took place at Concord, also," said young Hand.
"Certainly," replied Kinnison. "Now, that I've got into the thing, I
wouldn't mind telling you the whole war--but Concord will do for the
present. Well, after a hard run, we reached Concord, and found the
minute-men collecting from all quarters, and under the command of
Colonel James Barrett. The women and children were hard at work removing
the stores to a wood a considerable distance off. We joined Captain
Williams, and told him there had been a skrimmage at Lexington, and that
Sam was wounded. Colonel Barrett collected all the minute-men about the
place, and drew 'em up in two battalions, on the hill in the centre of
Concord. We had hardly formed, when we saw the red-coats coming up only
about a quarter of a mile off. Our officers held a short council. Some
were for making a bold stand where we were; but the greater number said
it would be best to retreat till we were reinforced. Accordingly, the
back-out advice was adopted, and we retreated over the North Bridge,
about a mile from the common. I saw the royals come up and enter Concord
in two divisions. Soon after, some of their companies took possession of
the bridges, while the others hunted the stores. About sixty barrels of
flour were broken open, a large quantity of cannon-balls thrown into the
wells, the liberty-pole cut down, and the court-house set on fire. But
the greater part of the stores were saved. In the meantime, the
minute-men had come in from Acton, Carlisle, Weston, Littleton, and all
around, and our force swelled to about four hundred men. I tell you,
when the men saw the houses in Concord burning, they got a _leetle_
excited--they did. Adjutant Hosmer made a speech to them, and they
wanted to go right down and attack the red-coats at the North Bridge.
Our company was very anxious to go, and it was settled that the attack
should be made. Major John Buttrick took command, and ordered us to
follow. There was about three hundred of us, the Acton company, under
Captain Isaac Davis, taking the lead. We marched in double file, with
trailed arms. I felt anxious to have a good fire at the rascals. They
were on the west side of the river; but when they saw us coming, they
crossed over and commenced pulling up the planks of the bridge. Major
Buttrick called out to them to quit, and told us to hurry on to save the
bridge. The red-coats formed for action, and, when we were near the
bridge, fired a few shots at us. Captain Davis and Adjutant Hosmer were
killed, and one Acton man wounded. Davis and Hosmer were both brave
men, and they died like heroes. Seeing these men fall, Major Buttrick
called out, 'Fire, for God's sake, men, fire!' and we did pour a volley
into the redcoats. I brought down one man, and he never got up again. We
were getting ready to give them another, when the cowards retreated. We
found three of the enemy had been killed, and the Acton company took
several of the wounded prisoners. I saw a mere boy, with a hatchet in
his hand, run up to a Britisher who wasn't quite dead, and kill him with
one blow. That I didn't like, though the boy's spirit and courage
pleased me."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|