Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-04-24

eailel IN they turned aud suddenly fired upon the |
Americans. The Minute Men aud militia instantly
returned the hre and the battle began that lasted
until sunset. When Colonel Smith ordered the
rcireaf, although he and his officers may have
ASi soune nisgiving, they had probably lost them
in their contempt OF regulars for the militia. But
from The moment Of the firing at Merriam's Cor.
ncr, they were mdeceiyed.
FlB TRKFfBLE FIRE on THE RETREATING FOE
DEATH ALL ALONG THE ROAD.
The landscape was alive with armed men.
They swaumed through every wOod-path and by
way, across the pastures, and over the hills.
Some came up in order along the roads, as from
Reading and Sillerica, from Sudbury and Bed.
ford, and John Parker's company from Lexing-
ton waited in woody defile TO avenge the death
Of their comrades. The British column marched
steadily on, while from trees, rocks and fences,
from houses, barns aud sheds blazed the wther.
ing American iirs. Tee hills echoed and flashed.
Tho woods rang. The road was an endless am
buscade of flame. The Americans seemed to the
appalled, British troops to drop from the clouds,
to spring from the earth. With every step the at
tack was deadlier, the danger more imminent
For some time discipline and the plain extremity
of the peril sustained the order of the British line
But the sitting clouds of dust, the consuming
thirst, the exhaustion of utter fatigue the wagons
| full of wounded men moaning and dying, madly
pressing through the ranks to the front, the con.
slant falling of their comrades, officers captured
and killed. and through all the fatal and inces.
SAINT shot of an unseen foe, smote with terror that
naughty column, which, shrinking, bleeding wav.
ering, reeled through Lexington panic-stricken
and broken. The officers, seeing the dire extrem.
ity, fought their way to the front, and threatened
the men with death If they advanced. The break
ing line recoiled a little and even steaded under
one of the sharpest attacks of the day. For not
az yet were uessians hired to enslave Americans
for ii was English blood and pluck on both sides.
At , O'Clock in the afternoon, half mile beyond
Lexington meeting. house, just as the English
! officers saw that destruction or surrender was the
only alternative, Lord Percy, with a reinforce
ment of twelve hundred men, came up and, open
ing with two cannQns. upon the Americans, sue
cored his flying and desperate comrades, who fell
upon the ground among Percys troops, theil
} parched tongues hanging from their mouths. The
flower of General Cages army was now upon the
field but its commander saw, at once that its sole
hope of safety was to continue the retreat Aftel
f half an hours delay the march was resumed ant
with it the barbarities well as the sufferings
war. Lord Percy threw out fanking parties
which entered the houses upon the line of march
plundering and burning. The fields of Menotom
, a plain of blood and fire. But the American pur
suit was relentless, and beyond Lexington tn
lower counties and towns came hurrying to tn
battle. Many man afterward famous was con
spicious that day, and near West Cambridg
Joseph Warren was the inspiring soul of tn
, struggle. 1t was now past O'Clock. The BIRTHS
ammunition was giving out. The officers to
much exposed in the saddle, alghted and marcel
: cd with the men, who as they approached Charlie!
), town, encountered the hottest fire of the day
General Gage had learned the perious eXtremit
of his army from messenger sent by Percy, an
- had issued proclamation threatening to Ia
: CharlestOwn in ashes if the troops were attacke
. in the streets. The town hummed with the vagu
and appalling rumors of the events of the da,
II and just before shutdown the excited nhabitant
> heard the distant guns and soon saw the BIRTHS
troops running along the old Cambridge Road
Charestown Neck, firing as they came The
|, had just escaped the militia, seven hundre
r strong, from Salem and Marblehead-the flow,
d of EsseX-and as the sun was setting they ente
s ed Charlestown ond gained the shelter of the
l. frigate guns. Then General Howe ordered Il
d American pursuit to stop, and the battle was owe
g But all that day and night the news was flyin
% from mouth to mouth from heart to heart rousir
|, every city, town and solitary farm in the coon
and before the last shot of the Minute Men on Il
q British retreat from Concord bridge was fired,
l. the lastwounded grenadier had been rowed aero
It the river, the whole country was rising, Mass
d chusetts, New England, America were closiI
Is around the city, and the siege Of Boston and til
8 war of American Independence had begun.