Litchfield enquirer., 1864-06-30
A Reminiscence of tlfe Revolution.

A Reminiscence of tEie Revolution
 At day-break, on the 18th of April, l775 the minute men of Acton crowded at the drum beat to the house of Isaac Davis, theil 1 captain, who "made haste to be ready" Just thirty years old, the father of four little ones' stately in his person, man of few words, ear nest even to solemnity, he parted from his wife, saying, "Take good care of the chil dren,' as though he had foreseen that his own death was near; and while she gazed after him with resignation, he led off his company to the scene of danger.
 Between nine and ten, the number of Amer jeans on the rising ground above Concord bridge, had increased to more than four hun. dred. Of these, there were twenty five min ute men from Bedford, with Jonathan Wilson for their captain others were from Westford, among them Thaxter, a preacher {; others from Littleton, from Carlisle, and from Chelmsford The Acton company came last and formed on the right. The whole was q gathering not so much of officers and soldiers as of brothers and equals; Of whom every one was man well known in his village, ob- served in the meeting-housc on Sundays, fa- miliar at town-meetings, and respected as a freeholder or freeholder's son.
 Near the base of the hill Concord river flows lsnguidly in a winding channel, and was approached by causeway over the wet ground of its left bank. The by-road from the hill on which the Americans had rallied, ran souther- ly till it met the causeway at right angles. The Americans saw before them within gunshot, British troops holding possession of their bridge; and in the distance still larger num- Der occupying the town, which, from the ris- ing smoke, seemed to be set on fire.
 The Americans had as yet received only un- certain rumors of the mornings events at Lexington. At the sight of the fire in the village, the impulse seized them "to march in to the town fer its defence.'' The officers meeting in front of their men, spoke few words with one another, and went back to tber places. Barrett, the Colonel, on horse- back in the rear, then gave the order to ad- vance, but not to fire unless attacked. The calm features of Isaac Davis of Acton, be- came changed; the town schoolmaster who was present, could never afterwards find words strong enough to express how his face redden- ed at the word of command. II have not a man that is afraid to go,' said Isaac Davis, looking at the men of Acton and drawing his sword, he cried, March, His company, being on the right, led the way towards the bridge, he himself at their head, and by his side Major John Buttrick of Concord, with John Robinson of Westford, Lieutenant Colo uel in Prescott's regiment, but on this day a volunteer without command.
 Thus these three men walked together in front, followed by minute men and militia, in double file, trailing arms. They went down the hillock, entered the by-road, came to it's angle with the main road, and then turned in- to the causeway that led straight to the bridge. The British began to take up the blanks; the Americans, to prevent it, quick cned their step. At this, the British fired one or two shots up the river; and then another, by which Luther Blanchard and Jonas Brown were wounded. A yolley followed, and Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer, the latter a son of the Deacon of Acton Church, fell dead. Three hours before, Isaac Davis had bld his wife and children farewell That afternoon, he was carried home and laid in her bed room. His countenance was little altered and pleasant in death The bodies of two others of his com pany who were slain that day were brought al- so to her house, and the three were followed to the village graveyard by concourse of neighbors for miles around. God gave her length of days in the land which his generous devotion assisted to redeem. She lived to see her country touch the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific, and when it was grown great in num- bers, wealth and power, the United States in Congress paid honors to her husbands mar. tyrdon,, and comforted her under the double burden of sorrow, and more than ninety years.
 BANCROFT.
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