Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-04-26
FRIDAY. APRIL 26. Is

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dep to come together at beat OF drum.
Some went TO their homes some TO the iav.
ern. near the southeast corner Of the CON-
mon.
Adam, and Hancock, whose prescription
had already been divulssd. and who's, Sci.
lurs was believed to be intended. were CON.
pelled by persuasion. to retire towards Wo-
burn.
The last stars were vanishing from sight
when the ioremo', party. led by Pitcairn. a
MAJOR Of Marines. vas discovered advancing
quickly and in silence. Alarm guns were
fred and the drum. beat. Lees than seven.
cn,y-perhap. lees than siIty-ob~yed the
summons. and in sight Of half as many boys
and unarmcd men, were Iaraded in two
ranks, . few rod. north Of the meeting.
house.
The British van. hearing the drum and
alarm guns. halted to load the remainins
companies came up: and at half an hour
before sunrise. tho advance party hurried
forward at double qiick tims. almost upon
run. closely followed by the rrsnadisr.
Pitcairn rode in front. and when within
Eve or -ix rods Of the minute men. cried out
Di.per.s. ye williams: yc rebels di.perse
lay dJwn your arms AMI dIsperser The
main part OF the eoun'ryncn stood motion.
lc.s in the ranks, witness asains, acgrcs.
sion: too few TO resist. too brave 10 fy.
A. this. Pitcairn discharged . pistol. and
with a loud ,oics. cried FIRE. The order
WAS instantly followed, fret by lew guns.
which did no execution. and then by q hea.
w. close. and deadly discharge Of mu'kst.
~.
In tho disparity of numbers. the Com.
mon va, field Of murder. not Of hattie (:
Parker therefore ordered his men to di..
per.e. Then and not till then. did few
OF them IN their own impulse. return the
British FIRE. Thee random shots OF iugi.
tive. or dying men did no harm. eIcep, tina,
Pi,eairp'- horse was p~rhsp. grared. a pri.
'a,c of the 10Th lish, infantry va. touched
slightly 10 the leg
Jonas Parker. the .irongcs, AMI hest
wrestler m lexington. had promised never
TO run from British troops; and he kept
his VOW A wound brough, him 10 his
knees. Having di.chRrgri his gun he va.
preparing 10 load !, aehIn. when as stout 4
heart a. ever throbbei Tor frce,iom WIS s,i.
lied hy bayons,. aud he lay On the pos,
which he took a, the mornings drum beat.
- fell Iaac MuIry. and so died tho aged
Robert Munros. the same who In 1853 had
been ensign at Ioulsburg. Jonathan liar.
rington. Jr. was struck IN front 81 his
house on the north Of Common. Ill. wife
was at the window when he fell. With
the blood gushing from his brcas, he ross
in her sight, to,'erel. fell again, then
crawlei on hi. hands and knee, toward. the
dwelling: she ran 10 meet him, bu, only
reached him a. hs expired on the threshold.
Caleb Harrington. who hai gone into the
meeting house Tor powder, va. shot ne he
came out. Samuel !Ianllcy and John
Brown were pursued and killed after they
had left the green. A.hacl Porter Of wo
burn, who had been taken prisoner by the
march. enieavorins TO escape, vas sho,,
within q few rods OF the Common.
Sven OF the men OF Lexington. were Kill.
led nine wounded quarter part of those
who stood or the green. These arp the vii.
lage heroo. who were Of more than noble
blood pro'in; by their spirit that they were
/ Of the race divine
They gave their lives in testimony TO
the rights OF mankind, bcqueathing to
their country an assurance Of success IN
the mighty struggle which they had bcgun.
Their names are held in grateful remem-
brance, and the expanding millions Of their
oountryrnsn, renew and multiply their
praise from generation to generation. They
fulGileS their duty no, frOm accidental i'm.
pulses Of the moment; their action was the
slowly ripened fruit Of Provid,nce and OF
time.
Ileedls,s Of bis own danger. Samuel Ad.
ans. with the voice Of prophet, exclaimed
when he heard Of the resistance at Le,ins.
ton, Oh what glorious morning is this
for thus he saw that hi, country's lndepen.
denee was rapidly fastening on. and like
Columbus in the tempest. knew that the
storm did not bear him the more swiftly
towards tho undiscovered world.