Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-12-20


may yet be read on their town records In
December, l772, they had instructed their re-
presentatives to demand radical.redress for
their grievances, for "not through their neglect
should they be enslaved." A year later they
spurned the use of tea. In l774, at various
town meetings, they voted to increase their
stock of ammunition, "Io encourage military
/ discipline, and to put themselves in posture
of defenca against their enemies" In Dccem
| Der they distributed to 1.-The train band and
alarm list arm al ammunition" and resolved
! TO supply the training soldiers with bayonets.
At two in the morning under the eyes of the
minister, and of Hancock and Ad ans, LeXng-
! ton Common was alive with the minute men,
and not with them only, but with many old
men also, who were exempt except in cases Of
immediate danger to the town. The roll was
called, and out of the militia and alarm men,
about one hundred answered to their names
| The captain, John Parker, ordered every one
to load with powder and ball hut to take acre
not to be first to fire. Messengers sent to look
oat for the British regulars reported that there
was no signs of their approach A watch
was therefore set, and the company dismissed
with orders to come together at beat of drum.
Some went to their homes; some to the tavern
aear the southeast corner of the Common
Adams and Hancock, whose prescription
had already been dvnged, aud whose seizure
was believed to be intended, were compelled
by persuasion to retire towards Woburn.
The last stars were vanishing from sight
when the foremost party. led by Pitcairn, q
Major of Marines, was discovered advancing
Quickly and in silence Alarm guns were fired
and the drums beat Less than seveuty--per-
hapS less Il an sixty--obeyed the sun Mons,
and in siglt of half as many unarmed men,
were arad,d in two ranks, few rods north
OF the meeting house.
The British vain, hearing the drum and the
alarm guns. halted to load the remaining
companies came up, and halted 20 load and
at half an hour before sunrise the advance
party hurried forward at double quick time
almost upOn a run, closely followed by the
grenadiprs, Pitcairn rode in front and when
within five or six rods of the minute men cried
out "DiSperSP, ye Williams ye rebels dispersed
Lay down your arms and diSpPrSe T. The main
part of the countrympn stood motioniess in
the ranks, witnesses against aggression too
few to resist, too brave to hy. At this
Pitcairn discharged q pistol, and with loud
voice cried '' Ftre' The order was Instantly
followed, first by few guns, which did no eX
ecution, and by heavy close and deadly then
discharged OF musketry
In the disparity of numbers, the Common
was n field of murder, not OF battle Parker
therefore, ordered mis- men to disperse. Then.
and not till then, dill a few of them, On their
own impulse return the British fire. These
random shots of fugitive or dying men did no
harm, except that Pitcairn horse was perhaps
graz"d and a private OF the 10th light infantry
was slightly touched on the leg.
Jonas Parker, the strongest aud best wrestl
er in Lexington, had promised never to run for
British troops; and he kept his vow. A wound
brought him TO his knees Having diScharg-
ed bis gun, he was preparing to load it again
when as sound heart as ever throbbed for
freedom was Stifled by baynet and he lay on
the post which he took at the mornings drum
beat. SO fell Isaac MUzzev, and so died the
aged Robert Monroe, the same who in 1853
had been ensign at LonShnrg. Jonathan Har.
rington, Jr, was struck in front of his house
on the north Of the Common His wife was at
the window when he fell With the blood
gushing from his breast he rose in her sight,
tOttered, fell again, then crawled on his hands
and knees towards his dwelling she ran 10 !
meet him, bnt only reached him as he expired
on the threshold Caleb Harrington who had
gone into the meeting house for powder, was
shot as he came ont Samuel Hadey and
john Brown were pursued and killed after
they had left the green. AShael Porter, of
Wobnrn, who had been taken prisoner by the /!
march, endeayoring to escape, was shot within |.
a few rods of the Common.
Seven of the men of LeXing ton were killed /
nine wounded;-a quarter part of those who |
stood in arms on the green These are the /
village heroes who were more than of noble .
blood, proving by their spirit that they were .
OF race divine. They gave their lives in tcsti
mony to the rights of mankind, bequeathing to .
their country an assurance Of success in the
mighty struggle which they had begun Their
names are held in grateful remembrance, and
the expanding millions OF their countrymen
renew aud multiply their praise from generation
to generation. They fulfilled their duty not
from accidental impulse Of the moment their
H, ,,,,n ,,,n was the slowly ripened fruit of Provi-
dcnce an OF time
Needless Of his own danger. S:muei Adams
wi h the voice Of prophet, exclaimed, wen
he heard of the resistance a Lexington, Oh,
what glorious morning is this" for thus he
saw that his country's independence was hast
enng rapidly on, and like Columbus in the
tempest, knew that the storm did but bear him
more swiftly to the undiscovered world.
Picked ELEPHANTS Old Rowe keeps
hotel iu the northern part of the state OF New
Y ork which he boasted was the best in "those
parts, where, as he used TO say, you could get |