Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-07-11

round and above them, they appear to an English
eye more like things in dreams than real dwell
ling places, so very airy, unsubstanal-ooking and
smokeless do they appear. And instead of the an
cient temple and its graveyard, arises an csqus-
! itoly neat church, white and pure looking as the
feathers Of an eagles wing--how il gliters in the
sunshine And bark from the classically pretty
/ turet the bell sounds as if an angel spoke" As
yet the venerable graveyard is not, for the builders
OF the temple are its contcmporarics-it has no
| PAST! Gaze within - how chaste are its adorn-
mcnis. There is no light from high arched wind
ows therein turning. The pavement TO gems, but
green blinds soften the glare, and produce pleas
onty" dim religious light" But whore have
been wandering Pit is high time that should re-
turn to the subject matter OF my sketch; and do
so, cnreating the readers pardon for having flown
off at tangent from the field par excellence of Lex
ngton.
After having partakcn Of the hospitality of our
friend we wandered TO the battle ground, which
indeed had visited for Cow noments before the
repast There 1t lay, quiet and calm in the sun
shine, looking as green and peaceful as if the
death-shriek had never rug over its grassy sur
face. A square, and rather rudely constructed
granite shaft, surrounded by pyramidically shaped
block of the same material, marks the spot where
lie the remains of the six individuals who first shed
their blood in the war for independence. On n
marble slab their names are engraved, together
with an inscription commemorative of their deeds.
written by the late Rev. Jonas Clark. The names
of those whose remains are enclosed in the sarco.
phagus under the monument. are as follows:
JONAS PARKER; RoBERT MUNRoE, SAMUEL
HAnLEY, JONATHAN IlARRINeToN JR. Isaac Muz-
zY, CALEB HARRINGTON, and JOHN BRowN.
We were shown house, on the north of the
common, near, the ground, in which one of the
larrngtons lived. 1t was related of him that after
lie was shot down, he started up and by diving
effort made his way towards his house, where his
wife was watching for him. He stretched out his
hand towards her as if for assistance and fell again.
Once more he rose and attempted to reach her,
but when he had crawed to the door he fell at her
feet and expired. Another spot was pointed out
to MS where Parker fell. This man had often de-
clared that let others DO as they might, he never
would run from the enemy. And he kept his word,
for when on his knees, and wounded as he was he
was trying to reo1d his musket, he was transfxod
by a bayonet, and thus died on the spot where he
first stood and fell.
Some. but a very few, eye-witnesses of that
memorable conflict are yet living, and on my eX-
pressing desire to see one of them my friend ac-
companied me to a house close by, where one. an
old gentleman, resided, who had witnessed the
occurrence Of the morning of the 18th of April,
70. My friend stated to a young woman, who
answered our knock at tho veterans door, our OBJ
jjcct and we were welcomed into the house.
Presently grey haired old gentleman entered
but little bowed by years, although eighty -four
of them had passed over his head. His features
must at one time have been handsome, and even
now, furrowed as they were, they gentle and
pleasant in their expression. AS he was hard of
hearing he took seat close by us, and on ascer-
tanning the our visit he cheeriully replied
to my questions.
AYE" said the old gentleman, al remember
that morning well as if it were only last week,
and better than if it had been yesterday and al
ways shall whiled have my reason"
''Twas Just between the dark and the light of
the morning" he continued, "and was standing
on the greon-I wasn't soldier then, but was
aiterward, and was at the taking of Burgoyne
and heard Pitcairn cry to his soldiers, God
DIN you, fire. So they did, but over the heads
of our people; and then | saw him ride up in
rage, and he cried out again, D. you, fire nj
them, and then saw several of our side fall"
/ asked him aboutthe precise spot where the col
oniss Stood and where the military stationed?
The old gentleman rose from his chair and
fetched from a drawer three very old colored en-
cravings of the butte-they were rather rude af-
fairs but he described them as being very correct
and with his trembling fingers, he indicated the
localities asked for
"And lust there" he added, 81 stood wasn't
a soldier then, but" and the old mans blue eye
glistened, was afterward, and was at the taking
of Bourgoyne."
continued he, "that's most likely, and Pve heard
that the day before the fighting here, that man
wrapped up in a cloak stopped at farm house a
few miles from this village, and asked the woman
there if Hancock and Adams were not at Clark's
I'arern. She said she didn't know of such place,
she suspected they were secreted at the Rev. Mr..
Clark's house) and the man was going away to-
wards Lexington, when the wind blew his coat
aside, and she saw beneath tia British officers uni
form. Well, this gave her hint, and she called
back the man, and told him she had forgotten be-
FORE hut there was such place as Clarks Tavern
and she went a little way to show him the road
to it but instead of sending him in the direc-
ton of Clark's house, she led him into the woods,
put him on the wrong track, and so prevented his
possible discovery of the iugitives.
After shaking hands with the old soldier we
strocd towards the Rev. Mr. Clark's house. where
/ Hancock and Adams lay in conceament. Passing
under q huge elm split in sunder its great limbs
! lying PROSTATE across half deserted garden, we
procured admission to the dwelling and were cour-
teously shown over it by some ladies, descendants
of its once venerable occupant. 1t was a very old
place for Amerca) and had wanscotted rooms
large sashed windows, monstrous fire places old
fashioned stair cases, and in one room an ancient
bedstead and canopy, which, lover Of old relics, as
| am, it gladdened my eyes TO look upon. And
there was the good pastors old arm chair, inst as
it was when he used to sit in it and the great old
cumbrous dining table, and many high back chairs
with knobbed legs; and on the kitchen shelves
were huge pewter plates looking so delightfully."-
old that | could have made myself hungry after an
Artillery Companys feast for the pleasure of eating
off them. The very paper on the walls was the
original paper, and rs | sat in the chair aforemen-
toned, | tancied Jonas Clark, with his grave
reverend look, and John Hancock the rich, elegant
patriotic, more than prncely John Hancock, and
Samuel Adams, the last Of the Puritans, the angel
ic voiced' Samuel Adams-all sitting in that room
earnestly waiting for tldings, and calmly waiting
the issue Of the event on whose success they had
staked so much But time flew on, and the ancient
clock in the corner warned us TO retire; so thank
ing the ladies' for their courtesy, we left the ole
house, Il hope it will never be pulled down. anG
stroled homeward.
In our way we visited Hancocks Grove, an(
stood on the spot where Adams and Hancock wit
messed the first blow struck for Freedom 1t is nov
ii circular space, where those who love pic mics onC
Fl swinging, do continually resort in the long sum
mer days. Here it was that Adams. on hearine