The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-12-26
BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION

Ol II Vi NV 4ONh = 'iS S.S 81
day on which the Provincial Congress of Mass.
schusetts adjourn ed, Gen. Gage took the light
Infantry and grenadiers off duty, and secretly
prepared an expedition to destroy the colony's
stores. at Concord. But the attempt had for
several days been expected; astrict watch had
been kept; and signals were connectedato an
Irounce the first movements of troops for the
country. Samuel Adams and Hancock, who
had not left Lexingt,n for Philadelphia.
received a iimoly message from Warren, and
in consequence the COMMITTEES of Safety re-
moved a part of the public stores and secreted
the cannon. ~
On Tuesday; tha1ssn, N5s5rfnore sergeahts
in disguise dispersed themselves through CAIN
bridge and farther west, to intercept all COM
municatioh. In the following night, the
grenadiers and light infantry, not less than
eight hundred in number, the flower of the
army at Boston, commanded by the incompe-
tent Lieutenant Colonel Smith, crossed in the
boats of the transport ships from the foot of
the Common to East Cambridge There they
received Il days provisions, and near midnight,
after wading wet marshes, that are now COW
cred by a stately town, they took the road
through West Cambridge to Concord.
"They will miss their aim" said one of the
party who observed their departure. "What
aim r asked Lord Percy, who overheard the
remark. "Nhy, the cannon, at Concord" was
III answer. GREY nasIeDtu 10 OZ2C, III III
stantly directed that no one should be suffered
to leave the town.. But Warren had already
at ten o'clock di5pa'cied William DAVIS
through Roxbury to Lexington, and at the
same tin e desired Paul Revere to set off by
the way of Charlestown. Revere stepped on
ly to engage a friend to raise the concerted
signals, and five minutes before the s%entinels
got orders to prevent it, two friends -owed him
past the ,Samnerset nan of-war across Charles
river. All was still as suited the hour The
ship was winding with the young flood; the
waning moon Just pecred above the horizon;
while from a couple of lanterns in tie tower
of the North Church, the beacon streamed to
the neighboring town as fast as light could
travel. 4 little beyond Charleston Neck, Re-
we're was intercepted by two British officers on
horseback, but being himself well mounted,
he turned suddenly, and leading one of them
into a clay pond, he escaped from the other
by the road to Medford. As he passed on, he
lwaked the Captain of the Minute Men of that
town, and continued to rouse almost every
house on the way to Lexington. The troops
had not. advanced far, when the firing of guns
and the. ringing of bells announced that their
expedition had been heralded before them;
and Smith sent back to demand a reinforce
ment. ....t -,sEI.
On the morning of the 10Th eff April, be-
-a4se-
sage of Warren reached Adams and Hancock,
who OWNED at once the object of the expedi-
ton. Revere, therefore, and Dawes, joined
by Samuel Prescott, a "high son of liberty
from Concord, rode forward calling up the In
habitaEts as they passed along, till in Lincoln
they fell upon a party of British officers. Re.
we're and DAVIS were seized and taken back tt
Lexington, where they were released; but
Prescott leaped over a low stone wall and gal
loped on for Concord.
There, at about two in the morning, . rea
from the belfry of the meeting house called
the inhabitants of the placeto their town hall
They care forth, old and young, with thei
irelocks ready to make god the ~resolut'
words of their town debate. Among the mos
alert was William Emerson, the minister will
gun IN hand, his powder horn, and pouch 70
balls, slung over his shoulder. BY his ser
mons and prayers, he had so hallowed tn
enthusiasm of his flock that they held the de
+ fence of their liberties a part of their cove
nant with God; his presence with arms prove'
his sincerity and strenthened their sense O
I duty. From day-breck to sunrise the sum
mons ran from house to house through Actiol
Expires messengers and volleys from min
: ute men spread the alarm
, Lexington, in ITS, may have had 1000 ii
habitants, forming one parish, and having 70
their minister the learned and fervent Jane
f Clark, the bold writer of patriotic papers tina
n may yet be read on their town records. |
december, 1772, they had instructed thei
representatives to demand a radical redress ft
their grievances, for snot through their neg
lect should they be enslaved." A year late
q they spurned the use of tea. In 1774, at V.
rious town meetings, they voted to increas
. their stock of ammunition, "tto encourage mil
tary discipline, and to put themselves in
posture of defense against their enemies" l
December they distributed to { the train ban
, and alarm list arms and ammunition" and n
solved to supply the training soldiers wit
bayonets.
At two in the morning, under the eyes {
the minister, and of Hancock and Adam
Lexington Common was alive with the mir
ute men; and not with them only bur wit
many old men also, who were exempt, excer
in immediate danger to the town. The no
was called, and out of militia and alarm mel
about one hundred answered to their name
The Captain, John Parker, ordered every on
to load with powder and ball, but to take cal
not TO be the first to fire. Messengers ser
out to look out for the British regulars repor
,e ed that there were no signs of their apptoacl
n A watch was therefore set, and the company di
missed with orders to come together at be,
of the drum. Some went to their home
Il some to the tavern near the Southeast cornt
d of the common.
Adams and Hancock, whose, proscriptic
had already been divulged, and whose seizul
was believed to be intended. were ~compelle
by persuasion to retire towards " oburn.
ia The last stars were vanishing from sigl
f, when the foremost party, led by Pitcairn,
Major of Marines, was discovered advancin
IL quickly and in silence. Alarm guns WEI
fired, and the drums beat. LESS than sevent
d -perhaps less than si2ty-obeyed the SUIT
+ mons, and in sight of half as many arm,
g, men, were paraded in two ranks a few TO,
Il north of the meeting house:
IN The British van, hearing the drum, and IL
K alarm halted to load; and at half an hour b
IL fore sunrise the advance party hurried forwal
in in double quick time, almost upon a ru
Sc closely followed by the grenadiers. Pitcoi
i'll rode in front and when within five or six 70
:" of the minute men, cried out: "Disperse.
ee Williams; We rebels disperse lay down vol