Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-04-24
The Battles of Lexington and Con
cord.

The following verbatim report or that
portion of the address of Hon. George
William Curtis, delivered at the Concord
Centennial celebration on the 10th, diserip-
tive Of the battles of Lexington and Con-
cord, will be read with interest:
As the spring advanced, it was plain
that some movement would be made, and .
on Monday, the 18th of April, the Com ,
mittee of Safety ordered part of the stores .
deposited here to be removed TO Sudbury !
and Groton, and the cannon to be secreted |
On Tuesday, the 18th, Gage, who had 1e-
cided to send a force to Concord to de-
StroY the stores, picketed the roads from
Boston in to MiddleseX to prevent any re-
port of the intended march from spread
ing into the country. But the very air
was electric. In the tension of the popu-
lar mind every sound and sight was signi-
ficant. 1t was part of Cages plan to seize
Hancock and Adams, who were at Lex
| ington, and on the evening of the 18th
the Committee of Safety at Cambridge
sent them word to beware, for suspicious
officers were abroad. A British grcnadi:r
| in full uniform went intoa shop in Bos-
ton. He might as well have proclaimed
| that an expedition was on foot. In the
afternoon ono of the Governors grOOms
strolled into a stable where John Ballard
was cleaning horse. John Ballard was
a Son ofLiberty; and when the groom
idly remarked, in nervous English, that
';there would be hell to pay, tomorrow"
Johns heart leaped and his hand shook,
land, asking the groom to finish cleaning
the horse, he ran to a friend, who carried
the news straight to Paul Revere, who
told him he had already heard it from
two other persons. That evening, at ten
O'Clock, 800 British troops, under Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Smith, took boat at the foot
of the Common and crossed to the Cam
bridge shore. Gage thought that his
secret had been kept, but Lord Percy,
who had heard the people say on the Com
mon that the troops would miss their
aim, undeccived him. Gage instantly Or
dered that no OnG should leave the town.
THE ALARM.
But DR.. Warren was before him, and as
the troops crossed the river, Ebcnezer
Dorr, with a message from Warren to
E Hancock and Adams, was riding over the
neck to RoXbury, and Paul Revere was
rowing over the river further down to
, ECharlestown, having agreed with his
friend, Robert Newman, to show lanterns
from the belfry of the OldNorthChurch-
"One if by land, and two if by sea-
as signal of the march of the British
Already the moon was rising, and while
the troops were stealthily landing al
Lechmere Point, their secret was flashed
out into the April night, and Paul Revere
J springing into the saddle upon the Charles
town shore, spurred away into MiddcseX
GLOW far that little candle throws his beams!"
The modest spire yet stands, revered relit
of the old town of Boston, of those brave
men and of their deeds. Startling the
land that night with the warning of dan
ger, let it remind the land forever of thu
f patriotism with which that danger wa.
, avertcd, and for our children as for on
fathers still stand secure, the pharos 0
f American liberty.
PAUL REvERE's RIDE.
1t was brilliant night. The white
e had been unusually mild, and the sprin!
very forward. Tho hills were alread,
> green. The early grain waved in tn
f fields, and the air was sweet with bios
Soming orchards. Already the robin
D whistled the bluebird sang, and the ben
|. ediction Of peace rested upon the land
. scape. Under the cloudless moon tn
u soldiers silently marched, and Pau
S Revere swiftly rode, galloping throug
. Medford and West Cambridge, rousin!
y every house as he went, squirting for Lex
It ington and Hancock and Adams, an
evading the British patrols who had bee
u sent out to stop the news. Stop tn
C news! Already the village churche
! were beginning to ring the alarm, as tn
" pulpitS beneath them had been ringing fO
Q, many year. In the awakening house
>, lights flashed from window to window
II Drums beat family far away and on ever
d side. Signal guns flashed and eGhoeC
n The watch-dogS barked, the cocks crew
Stop the news Stop the sunrisel Th
II murmuing night trembled with the sun
mons SO earnestly expected, so dreaded
so desired. And as long ago as the voic
rang out at midnight along the Syria
shore, wailing that great Pan was deat
J, but in the same moment the Choiring al
n gels whispered, ''Glory to God in tn
highest for Christ is born" so, if tn
/. stern alarm of that April night seemed
!. many wiStful and loyal heart to porten
the passing glory of British dominion an
g the tragical chance of war, it whispere
d to them with prophetic inspiration
~ Goodwill to men; America is born"
=, THE WARNING GIVEN TO THE MEN G
~ ACTION AND CAPTAIN DAVIS.
y There is tradition that long before IL
n troops reached Lexington an unknow
j horseman Numbered at the door of Cap
Joseph Robbins, in Acton, waking cveI
f. man a@l woman and the babe in tt
= cradle, shouting that the regulars wei
marching to Concord, and that the rel
III devious was the old North Bridge Ca
ii tain Robbins son, a boy Of ten years, hear
!, the summOnSin the garnet where lie la
1, and in 8 few minutes was on his father
q old mare, young Paul Revere, gallopir
, along the road to rouse Captain lisa;
~ Davis, who commanded the Minute Me
IN of Acton. He was a young man of thirt
|, gunsmith by trade, brave and though
full, and tenderly fond of his wife and fol
Of children. The company assembled at h
IN shop, formed and marched a little wa
= when he halted them and returned for
vi moment to his house. He said to Il
I'd wife, "Takc good care of the children
kissed her. turned to his men, gave Il
III order to march, and saw his home ]
to more. Such was the history of that Eigl
% in now many homes! The hearts of tho
~ men and women of MiddleseX mig
IT.. break but they could not waver. TIL
n. had counted the cost; they knew VIII
-, and whom they served; and as the mi
III night summons came they started up al
ct answered "Herc am l p
ce THE ADVANCE OF TIE REDCOATS AND Ii
MASSACRE AT LEXINGTON.
~ Meanwhile the British bayonets, gliste
mt ing in the moon, moved steadily along t
20 road. Colonel Smith heard and saw tn
the country was arOu:ed, and sent ba
he to Boston for re-enforccments orderi
of Major Pitcairn, with six companies,