Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-06-16
s elPttfs g aIf.
The Nineteenth of April. 1775

do something for has own sake, for theirs
and for the preservation of " law and or
der" So, IN February, he sent a detach.
ment or troops, by water, to seize al Salem
But they had been removed, and Colone
Plcerlon, with his company, held the
bridge at Danyers. One or two other ey.
cursIonS were made, and some wauton de.
struction and mischief were done.
Towards midnight on the night Of
April Is, [l775, DR.. Joseph Warren
the soul OF the Boston Vigilance Commit
tee-receiyed word that eigh. hundred
regulars were being landed at Lechmere'
Point, IN Cambridge, to march on Con
cord where there was magazine of mn
nlllons and stores, collected there bv the
Committee Supplies. Warren at once
beat up Paul Revere, splendid Boston
/ mechanic, and sent him and William
Dawes 10 carry the ndings to John Han
cock and Samuel Adams, who were a.
Lexington. The messengers escaped all
! the patrols, and reached there in post
haste, gave the warning, and rode on to
! Concord.
Towards two o'clock, a party of the
mlnute-men had collected on the Lexing-
ton Green, and were dismissed with or
/ ders to keep within drum-beat
The regulars swiftly and silently nush-
/ ed along the road to Lexington, sure of
/ surprising and destroying the stores at
/ Concord; but as they came near Lexing-
ton, at daylight, the sounds of bells and
guns told them that they were foreseen.
The militia hurried together in confusion.
/ uncertain what they themselves were to
DO, except they were to make no attack
and 10 act on the defensive. Major Pit
| earn rode up 10 them, at the head of his
troops and shouted
Dlsperse, you Williams! Lay down
your arms, You rebelS -
And onward histrooped pressed. The
militia found themselves in the face Of =
strong force, and were uncertain whether
to stand or dIsperse, when a few random
shots settled it, and the regulars poured
in a vollev.
tight OF the mInute-men were killed,
and the regulars wounded. Jonathan
harrington was shot in front of his own
house, from the window of which his wife
saw him fall. The troops then pushed on
for Concord, and the minute-m spread
the alarm, and told how Parker, Muzzy.
Brown, Harrington, Hadley, Monroe. and
Porter were shot. Captain Parker, Of
Lexington militia, deposed that he order
ed his men to disperse, and that the Brit
lsh troops rushed in, and killed eight Of
them without provocanon.
Some of the stores had been removed
from Concord before the regulars reach
ed there and Colonel Barrett had to
collect a small body of the inhabitants to
act on the defensive. But when thew saw
the eight hundred red-coats, with glitter
ing arms, and bands, and banners, march
ing upon them (at7 o'clock ) they retir-
ed beyond the North Bridge to wait for
reInforccments.
The troops then hunted out the stores
for destruction; they threw the -four and
ammunition into the mill-pond, burnt the
carriages of the guns and generally de-
ported themselves roughly, as troops are
wont to do.
They proceeded to set fire to the Conrt
house, IN the upper part of which great
quantity OF powder was hidden. Mrs.
Moulton, an old woman of eighty rushed
among them and appealed to them not to
destroy 1t wantonly, and persuaded them
TO put out the fire. The tCvernkeeper
declared they should have nothing with
out paying for II, and stood up to his
words. One gentleman who had charge
OF some flour and stores invited tine officers
IN and treated them handsomely; they
proceeded TO break open his corn-house,
when he ran for the KEYS and laid his
hand on a bag of his own -four, saying,
/ Gentlemen, L am a miller, and this -four
L raised on any own farm, and here |
keep It for market; so | would not have
you destroy IT," The officer said, We'll,
}ou seem to be a pretty honest old chap,
and don't look as though you could hurt
much, so we wont meddle with YOU"
The minute-men seized their arms and
came IN from Carlisle, Chelmsford, Wes-
ton, Llttleton, and Acton, three hundred
strong, TO the north side of the bridge,
where Major Buttrick took the command,
assisted by Lieutenant Hosmer and Cap
talns Barret, Brown, Miles and Davis
BuuFick marched upon the bridge, and
directed his men not to give the first fire
not knowing what had happened at Lex
ngton. The regulars, under the COM
mand of Lawrie retreated across the
bridge, aud fired few shots, killing Cap
tam DAVIS, and one or two more then
ButtrIck shouted.
Fire fellow-soldiers for God sake,
fire"
So they did. and then rushed over the
bridge: Lawrie retreated, they followed.
Colonel Smith ordered retreat of the
regulars along the road to Boston; from
every fence, tree and barn, CALLING fire
was then p0{Ired into them as they hast
ened towards Lexington.
Colonel Smith had sent a messenger
for reinforcements, and Lord Percy, at
the head of nine-hundred men, marched
out in the morning TO meet him, playing
Yankee Doodle IN derision of the brag-
ging Yankees. These met the retreat
ing regulars at Lexington, and after ar
rest, they all commenced their march to
Boston The day was hot, and the sun
blazed down upon their brilliant ranks :;
and the sun was not SO hot that day as
the fire in the rear,