Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-04-26
MIS- CELIA N Y.
BATTLE OF LEXINGTON.

| On the afternoon OF the loth OF ApriI,
the day on which the Provincial Congress
Of Massachusetts, adJournej. General Gage
took the light infantry AMI grenader' otf
duty. and secretly prepared an expedition
to destroy the Colony's stores at Concord.
But the attempt had for several days been
expected: strict watch bad been KEEP, |:
and signal. were connected TO announce the
fret movcmen, Of troops for tho country.
samuel Adams and John Hancock, who
had no, yc, lsi, Lexington for Philadelphia,
received timely message from Warren.
and in consequences. the COMMITTEES OF Sale.
ty removed q par. Of the publii stores and
secreted the cannon.
On Tuesday. the is:h. ten or more ser.
scan,s in disguise. dispersed themselves o'.
cr Cambridge and farther west, TO intercept
all communication. In the following night.
the grenad,er, and light infantry. not less
than eight hundred strong. the flower OF
the army at Boston. commanded by tho in.
COMPETENT Lieut., Colonel Smith, crossed in
the boat. OF ,hs transport ships. from the
ioo, OF the Common to East Cambridge.
There they received days provisions. and
near midnight. after wadIns marshes that
are now covered by q stately town. they
took the road IRON we-, Cambridge to Con.
cord.
They will miss their aim. sad one Of
the party who observed their departure.
wha, aim ?" asked L,rd Percy. who over.
heard the remark. Why. tho cannon nj
Concord. was the answer Percy has,enej
to Gage. who instantly directed tha, no one
should DO suffered to leave town. Bat
Warren had already, a, ten O'Clock. dis.
patched William Dawes through RoIbuy
to Lexington, and a, the same time desired
Paul Revere - set on BY tho way OF
Ch.rlesiosn.
Revere stopped only TO engage friend 10
raise the concerted signals, and Eve min.
u,cs hcloie tie sen,inels 50, orders % PRO.
vent IL. two friends rowed him past the
Somerset man.of.war. across Charles River.
All va. .,ill. a. .ui,ci the hour. The ship
va. winding with the young noOl; tho VA.
ming moon just p,crci above the horizon {;
while from a couple OF lanterns In the tow
sr Of the old North Church, the beacon
steam ed to the neisbboring tows. Us fa',
~ Ugh, could travel.
A l,,,le beyond Charlestown Neck. he.
we're wa. intercepted by two British officers
ON horseback. bat heinz himself we'll mount.
ed. he turned .uddenly aud leading ohe in
to clay pond. he escaped from tho other
by the road to Medford. ~ he passed
along, be awakened the captain nf the min.
ute men Of that town, aai continued 10
rous, every family on the way to leIing'
ton. The troops had no, advanced very
far. when The firing Of guns and ringing OF
belle announced that their expedition had
been heraldcd before them and Smith sent
back to demand a reinforcement.
On the morning Of the i9ih Of April. be-
tween the hours of twelve and one. the mc-
sage Of " arren reached Adams ard Han.
cock. who OWNED a, once the Object Of the
expedition Revere. Therefore. aud Dawe.,
jolned by Samuel Prescott, "a high Son al
Liberty, from Concord. rode forward, cal.
lin. up the inhabitants Gs they passed
along, ,ill in Lincoln they fell upon q party
Of the British officers Resere and Dawes
wese seized agd taken hack TO lexington,
whero they were released; bu, pre'co,,
leapsd over low stone wall, and gallOped
on for Concord.
There. n, about two in the morning, a
peal from the belfry Of the meeting house
called the inhabitants Of the place TO their
town hall. They came for'h. youn: and
old, with their frc.locks, ready to make
good the re.olu,c words OF their town dc.
bates Among the mo.t alert was William
Emerson. tho minister. with gun in hand,
his powder horn and pouch for balls slubg
over his shoulder. by hi, sermons aud
prayers. he had 20 hal;owei tho enihus'
iasm Of hi' aock, that they held the do
fence OF their l,ber,ie. part OF their cove
nant with God hi. presence, with arms,
proved his sincerity and strengthened their
sense OF duty. From daybrcak to sunrise
the summons ran from house TO housO
through Acton. Express messengers and
,olleys from minute men spread the alarm
Lexington, IN l777. may have had seven
hundred inhabitants. forming ono parish
and having for their minister the learned
and fervcnt James Clark. the bold inditer
Of patriotic papers that may yet be read on
their town records. ln December, liz,
they had instructed their representatives. to
demand radical redress Tor their gris,an.
ces for not through their neglect should
tho people 10 enslaved.' \ yeas, later,
they spurned the use Of tea. 10 lI7i, at
various town meetings, they voted TO in
crease their stock Of ammunition, to en-.
courage military discipline. aud to put
themselves in q posture Of defence asains,
their enemies Ia December. they d.,ri.
buied to the train baud and alarm li.t.
and resolved to supply the training soldiers
with bayonets.
Al two IN the morning under tho eyes Of
tho minister, and Of Hancock and Adams,
Lexington Common Was alive With the min.
ute men; and not with them only. but
WITH many old men also, who we're exempt,
except IN cases Of immediate danger to the