San Andreas independent., 1858-07-10

their grievances, for not through their
neglect should the people be enslaved +"
A year later they spurned the use of tea.
In l774, at various town meetings, they
voted to "increase their stock of ammu-
milton, "to encourage military discipline,
and to put themselves in posture of de-
fence against their enemies" In Decem-
Der they distributed to the "train band
and alarm list" arms and ammunition, and
resolved to 'supply the training soldiers
with bayonets.' At two in the morn
ing, under the eye of the minister, and
Of Hancock and Adams, Lexington COM
mon was alive with the Minute Men; and
not with them only, but with the old
men also, who were exempts, except in
cases of immediate danger to the town
The roll was called, and of militia and
alarm men about one hundred and thirty
men answered to their names. The Cap
tain, John Parker, ordered every one to
take care not to be the first to fire. Mes
sengers sent to look for the British recu-
lars, reported that there were no signs of
their approach. A watch was therefore
set and the company dismissed, with or
ders to come together at beat of drum
Some went to their own homes, some to
the tavern near the southeast corner of
the common. Adams and Hancock, whose
prescription had already been divulged,
and whose seizure was believed to be in
tended, were compelled by persuasion to
retire towards Woburn.
The last stars were vanishing from
night, when the foremost party, led by
Pitcairn, major of marines, was discov-
cred advancing quickly and in silence
Alarm guns were fired, and the drums
beat, not call to village husbandmen
only, but the reyeille to humanity. Less
than seventy, perhaps less than sixty,
obeyed the summons, and in sight of halt
as many boys and unarmed men, were pa
raded in two ranks, few rods north of
the church. How often had they in that
building, with renewed professions of their
faith, looked up to God as the stay of
their fathers, and the protector of their
privileges 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
birthright inheritance of liberty There
they now stood side by side, under the
provincial banner, with arms in theil
hands, silent and fearless, willing to fight
for their privileges, scrupulous not to be-
gin civil war, and as yet unsuspicious 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
before sunrise the advance party hurried
forward 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, "Dlsperse, ye villains, ye rebels, dis
perse; lay down your arms; who don't you
lay down your arms and disperse?" The
main part of the countrymen stood mo.
tionless in the ranks, witnesses against
aggression; too few to resist, too brave to
fly. AT this Pitcairn discharged pistol,
and with loud voice cried "Fire.5 The
order was instantly followed, first by a
few guns, which did no execution, and
then by heavy, close and deadly dis
charge OF musketry. In the disparity of
numbers the common was a field of MUIR
der, not of battle /; Parker, therefore, or
dered 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 fugitiyes or dying
men did no harm, except that Pitcairn s
horse was perhaps grazed, and private
of the Tenth Light Infantry was touched
slightly In the leg. Jonas 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 dis
charged his gun, he was preparing to load
it again, when as sound heart as ever
throbbed for freedom was stilled by a
bayonet, and he lay on the post which
he took at the morning drums beat
So fell Isaac Mozzy, and so died the
aged Munroe, the same who, in 1853,
had been an ensign at Louisburg Jona-
than Harrington, junior, was struck in
front of his own house on the north of
the common His wife was at the win
dow as he fell With the blood gushing
from his breast, he rose in her sight, tot
tered, fell again, then crawled on hands
and knees towards his dwelling; she ran
to meet him, but only reached him as he
expired on their threshold. Caleb Har-
rington, who had gone into the meeting
house for powder, was shot as he came
out.
Samuel Hadley and John Brown were
pursued and killed after they had left the
green. Asubel Porter, of Woburn, who
had been taken prisoner by the British
on the march, endeavored to escape, was
shot within few rods of the common
Day came in all the beauty of an early
spring; the trees were budding, the grass
growing rankly full month before the
season, the blue bird and the robin glad
dening the genial season, and calling forth
the beams of the sun which on that morn
ing shone with the warmth of summer
hut 1tcfroco o,.1 1o,,,o~ o-x1-. Il.