The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-08-15
From tAs.E:rsaiAg Pest.
An Old Mans "Reminiscences
OF the BATTLE or LEXINGTON.


Bunker Hill and Bennington, aud at tie
taking Of Burgoyue al Saratoga, received
orders a, midnight April 18Th, lII5, TO 60
ND TO Concord to remove the stores TO places
Of safety, and to &c, everybody to turn out
Messing, in his Field Noes, mentions one
B,own. whoa he calls Captain B.own. prob
ably this ysiy Diln os one OF The most ae'Ne
al this ,irnel E.ch one told his neishbOr
and 81 tho rows ,g..,inusd 10 spread with
the sxiflness o! thought, and like an onward
rolling tile, ill ia lew hOurs. TIE COUNTRY
was roussi zoe circuit OF hundiets Of
mics; all the oil frs-pitces were looked
up, aud men shouldering whatever sTEns ihey
could muster, were TO be found hurrying
forward from every quarter towards the road
which led irom Boston TO Concord, primed
with power and patriotism, ready Tor, they
hardly knew what, but ready to mairtain
their lights at all hazarts.
Meanwhile, the Biish regulars had
arnlsed the ferry, just before dark, AMI TAX
en- up their march to Concord, which was
distant ab Iui eighteen miles.
We !,yej two miles Iro,h Lexington meet
ing-house, whe,e the cilizsus, alarmed 10y
the Anticipated aua,S, were collected, with
oul ANY military rule, when the troops came
in sisG. llcc,oIorc they had me; with no
opposition. but now they found visible dem
ousiral:oas tina, the proyiucials were deter
miSed 10 oppose their progress.
The mo- ming had li.eu clear, and it babe
fair to be fine day, and so il proved. my
father raid.
By the Westinghouse the people were
together in clumPs, all about, and those who
could get them, with any weapons they had
been able ~ ,eizs-and here the detachment
b,lted. ard soon the ish; commenced. The
officer in command peremptoIily demanded
that the rebels should lay down their arms
and di,perse, or he would fire. Ii is be-
lieyed that The answer was return,l by Col.
Nnnroe-ihat they "were on their own land
should not leave !, till they were compelled
The firing now opened upon them, twice
with ball and twice with gJage-.hC, il was
This las, which did the muIder--and so poor
ly were they prepared for II, that il'ias o
the eigh, killed, only one had asun 10 n;
cxciIemen, was terrific, and all Wen, ~ i
individually, without leader or sy.'em.-
Those "mseably Yankees" as tho BRITISH
called us, knew well how to take aim-,hey
were used to il; hunters fom their youth
there were capital marksmen among ;hen
whose every shot told.
We were most aiIaid Of The cavalry, abou
two hundred horse in front; the foot in the
rear, il was well known, would no, be likely
10 break their ranks, so we followed them
clnse, and from behind every knoll, lenc,
an toe. arouud the corners Of barps ant
out houses, came Zee which was terribly
eii'c,ise in is results, cncumbeins them
with deaf aud wounded. They were boat
en- on all hands, and in their panic scarcely
kept from tak.n. to flight by their habits O
disolpliuc, and the shame aud yexalion Tel
at poing so annoyed rs moe raw recruits
uOski,ct IL ,sguis aIr.are.
For al yei,r, y0l reach Concord there
..a ril,e q. n hii,-;ho burying grounds
we're hgre-the roul ian parallel to 4, and
under this caver the detlichmcn, drew NJ
tie h1rsc were sen, Forward {, set or des-
troy s,o.cS, and the exhausted foot stopped
lOr re,, aud Ielrs>hmenl, while the officer:
rode ON to town, to JOnes's tavern, for ,heiI
breakfast.
Ta0ss lha, remained began 10 pull up The
fences Tor fre-put on lheir kettles, bot
did not stay to eat, for they soon disco' cred
all tie ineonysnieaccs OF their posiIi,n. The
elevation OF the land above proved "a b cast.
work Tor the Americans, who here rallied
and opened upOu item mes, destructive
battery.
Soon messengers arrived at Jones's with
wod Eom both euds cf The division, that
the county was rising ca masse, aud pour
lag in by thousands. Ths officers barely
stopped to pap ,heir bill, aud spmns through
the next room, 10 the back door, lor ,heir
horses. Here they found the boys running
bullei,. This was the wO;k that day for all
the lads around.
"what are these boys doing ~ askel ore
Of the officers Of the women who had wait
cd upon them.
"You see what they are doing" was her
dirIns answer.
"Bar what aio they rorr he still cues.
toned.
"TGat you will find out soon enough
was that cunt reply.
Meanwhile The soldiers who had been sent
on, reached Concord. and proceeding TO take
up the bridge To hinder any moe Of the
country people rom coming in from ne
wes'. were stopped before they had more
than tipped up two OF three OF ."e rlanSs,
whiSh we've replaced as soun a. removed,
aud ,her found themselves ia a closer and
more dangerous Struggle Than before. Two
OF the B,iiish were killed on this veSy bridge.
where ConcO,I Iiser comes in irom the
southwest, and runs-lhe main stream
northeast, being joined by a small branch
Just below the town where the mills were
situated (Concord is si,da'gd on TIC Con-
cord Rive, near the junction of,he Asabeit
AMI Sudbury Riyers.)
lisa mistake that there was much am.
muui,ion; the STORE were mostly pfoVis
ions, voluntary contributions, ~ case Of en-
ergeuey, with only few kegs Of rewde'
and some lead. Father rcckOuei there was
something like inesn hundred barrels OF