The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1856-05-24
THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON.
by z. 8. THOMAS.

by E. 8. THOMAS.
The British in possession Of Boston had
learned that quantity Of public stores were
deposited at Concord, nineteen miles distant,
and determined to destroy them. Another
and much more important object of the eXpe-
dition was to capture, if possible, John Han
cock and Samuel Adams, who were known to
be in that neighborhood and upon whose heads
price had been set
On the night of the 18th Of April, l775,
the British landed eight hundred men in
Charleston, who took up the line Of march
through Mentomy (now called West Cam
bridge) and Lexington, to Concord. 1t was
o calm starlight night, and they moved with
all possible stiffness; at West Cambridge they
passed my fathers house, and their tread
awoke him; he arose, stood at the window and
counted their platoons AS soon as they had
all passed, he seized his musket and started
across the country, every road of which was
familiar. In his progress he fell in with num-
bers on the same crrand-that was to get
ahead of the enemy, and alarm the country, in
both Of which they succeeded, SO that when
the British arrived at Lexington, eleven miles
from Boston, at five o'clock in the morning,
they found the militia assembled; they had
received intelligence Of the enemy's movements,
some hours BEFORE and were promptly assem-
bled at the beat of the drum. When the
British came within striking distance, Major
Pitcairn rode forward and called out, obs
perse, you rebels, dispersed and without wait
ing to see whether they would Or would not,
fired his pistol which was signal for volley
from the advance, which killed eight; the 9th
ers dispersed, and the British pursued their
way to concord, where they arrived without
interruption, but Hancock and Adams had
made their escape. They then commenced a
retreat, to do which they had to pass the north
bridge; at the foot Of it Capt. Davis had
drawn up his company, (the Concord Light
Infantry,) and then and there the first volley
was fred by the Americans in that cause
which gave Independence to America and
freedom to the world. In the meantime the
minute men were pouring in from all qnartars,
and the British found themselves so hotly
pressed, that had it not been for a reinforce
ment of about thousand men, with two filed
pieces, under Lord Percy, whom Gov. Gage
had dispatched to their assistance, not man
of the detachment would have reached Boston.
The reinforcement met the retreating column
near Lexington, greatly diminished, almost
exhausted, having taken no refreshment since
they left Boston, whence they were yet distant
eleven miles, and had to fight every inch Of
the way.
The plan then adopted by Lord Percy, was
one of the most savage warfare his troops fell
off from the front, entered the houses of the
Americans, plundered them Of whatever they
could carry, set fire to the houses and then
Joined the rear, thus giving an opportunity to
their whole force to plumber; but SO hot was
the pursuit, o large portion Of the fires were
extinguished before they had done much dam
age When they had passed the foot of the
rocks, they entered the plain Of West Cam.
BRIDGE seven miles from Charles River, and
quite village for about two miles; at least
found it SO when school-boy ten years after,
and there was no appearance Of any addition
to it since the Revolution.
It is proper here to remark, that there were
two taverns near West Cambrdge-one kept
bya Mr.. Cooper, the resort of Wings, the
other the resort of the Tories kept by Mr.
Bradish. There were three families on the
road within fourth of mile, by the name of
Adams, name hateful to the British; in one
Of those lady was confined the night before;
the enemy entered the house, took the bed on
which she lay with her infant OF the breast
and carried them into the yard and left them
there A little boy about five or six years
old had taken shelter under his mothers bed
his foot projected from beneath the drapery
"a British soldier thrust his bayonet through
it, and for minute pinned it to the floor; the
boy did not even utter cry; this fact | had
from his mother. They then plundered the
house and set it on fire, but the Americans
entered in few moments, extnguished the
fire, and restored the mother and infant to
their room and bed. Their next exploit was
at the Wing tavern, into which they fired
more than hundred bullets, the holes made
by them were filed up but the marks IRE yisi-