Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-20

mediate danger to the town The roll was
called and of militia and alarm men, about one
| hundred and thirty anSw cred their names
| The Captain, John Parker, ordered every one
to lead with powder and bali, but to take care
not to be the first to fire. Messengers sent
to look for British regulars, reported that
there were no signs of their approach. A
watch was therefore set, and the company dis
missed with an order to come together at beat
of drum. Some went to their own homes !;
some to the tavern near the southeast cor
ner of the Common.
| Adams and Hancock, whose prescription had
! already been divulged, and whose seizure was
! believed to be intended, were compelled by
persuasion to retire towards Woburn.
The last stars were vanished from night
when the foremost party, led by Pitcairn a
! Major of marines, was discovered advancing
quickly and in silence. Alarm guns were fired,
Ond the drums beat not call to village huS-
bandmen only, but the reVeille TO humanity
Less than seventy-perhaps less than sixty
obeYed the summons And in sight Cf half as
many boys and unarmed men were paraded in
two ranks a few rods north of the meeting
| house
How often in that building had they, with
renewed professions of their faith looked up
to God as the stay of their fathers, and the
! protector of their liberties How often on that
village green, hard by the burial place of their
/ forefathers, had they pledged themselves to
| each other to combat manfully for their birth
right Inheritance of freedom There they now
! stood side by side, under the provincial banner
with arms in their hands, silent and fearless,
willing to fight for their privileges scrupuons
/ nj,
| of immediate danger The ground on which
| they trod was the altar Of freedom, and they
were to furnish its victims
The British van hearing the drum and the
| alarm guns, halted to load The remaining
companies came up, and at half an hour be-
! fore sunrise, the advance party hurried for
ward at double quick time, almost upon a
run, closely followed by the grenadiers.-
! Pitcairn rode in front, and when within five
or six rods of the minute men cried out, obs
perse, We Williams ye rebels diSperse lay down
| your arms and disperSe p The main part of
the countrymen stood motionesS in the ranks,
! witnesses against aggression; too few to resist,
/ too brave to fly At this Pitcairn discharged
| his pistol, and with loud voice cried " Fire"
! The order was instantly followed, first by
! few guns, which dld no execution, and then,
by heavy, close and deadly discharge of
muSketry.
In the disparity of numbers the common
was as d field of murder not of battle Par
ker, therefore, ordered his men TO diSperse.-
! Then, and not till then, did few of them, on
their own impulse return the British fire. These
random shots of fugitives or dying men did no
harm, except that Ptcarn's horse was, per-
haps, grazed aud private Of the 10th light
infantry was touched slightly in the leg.
John Parker, the strongest and best wrestler
in Lexington had promised never to run from
British troops and he kept his VOW. A
wound brought him on his knees Having
discharged his gun, he was preparing to load
it again, when sound a heart as ever thrObbed
for freedom was stilIed by bayonet, and he
lay on the post which he took at the mornings
drum beat. SO fell Isaac Muzzey, and SO
died the aged Robert Munroe, the same in
1888 had been an ensign at LouiSburgh.-
Jonathan Harrington, jr., was struck in front
of his own house ON the north side OF the COM
mon. His wife was at the window as he fell.
With the blood gushing from his breast he
rose in her sight, tottered, fell again, then.cFaw
| led on his hands and knees towards his dwell
! linz she ran to meet him, but only reached
| MIN as he expired on their threSh-hold. Caleb
! Harrington, who had gone into meeting house
! for powder, was shot as he come ont. Samuel
! Hadlev and John Brown were pursued aud
killed, after they had left the green. Ashael
| Porter. of Woburn who had been taken
prisoner by the British, on the march, cndea-
voring to escape was SHOT within few rodS
! of the common.
Day came in all the beauty Of an early
sprinr. The trees were budding the grass
growing rankly full month before the time ;
tie blue bird and the robin gladdening the
genial season, and calling forth the beams Of
the sun which on that morning shone with
the warmth of summer; but distress and horror
gathered over the inhabitants of the peaceful
town There on the green, lay in death the
gray haired and the young the grassy field
was red with the innocent blood of their
brethren sIain," crying unto God for vengeance
from the ground.
Seven of the men Of Lexington were killed;
nine wounded; quarter part of those who stood
in arms on the green. These are she village
heroes who were more than OF noble blood pro-
wing by their spirit that they were race dl-
vine. They gave their lives in testimony to
the right of mankind, bcqueathlng to their
country an assurance Of success IN the Strug-
gle which they began. Their names are held
in grateful remembrance and the expanding
millions of their countrymen, renew and multi
ply their praise from generation to generation.
They fulfilled their duty not from the aecden-
tai impulse of moment; their action was
the slowly rpened fruit of Providence and Of
time. The light that led them on was com
bined of rays from the whole history of the
race from the traditions of the Hebrews in
the gray of the worlds morning from the
heroes and sages Of republican Greece and
Rome frcm the example of Him who laid
his life on the cross for the life of humanity /;
from the religions creed which proclaimed the
divine presence in man, and on this truth as in