The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-04-22
The Concord Fight.

The British, somewhat scattered
in small groups on the bridge and on
the wes; bank of the river. noticing
the advance Of the Americans, imme.
diately formed and crossed TO the
east bank, taking up some of the
planks Of the bridge as they passed
over. The soldiers under Captain
Lawrie, who had previously retired
to the hill, moved forward and joined
their companions on the right bank
Of the river. The attempt of the
British to dismantle the bridge at
tracted the attention Of Major But
trick rs the Americans were advaac-
ing, two and two, and turning the
corner Of the cross-road." He re-
monstrated against the act in = loud
and emphatic tone, and ordered his
men to march in = quick step. There
upon the enemy desisted from the
destruction. They became alarmed
At the mcnacing movement Of the
Americans; and It may have occur
red to them At the time that whatev-
er distractions we're placed in the
way Of the Americans would jeop-
ard the safety af fCaptain Parsons de-
tatChment.
1t was, according TO Captain Da-
vid Brown, "between nine and ten
of the clock in the forenoon The
British fired two or three guns in
quick succession. These were pre-
concerted signal-gu for the distant
detschments of the enemy to return
at once. When the Americans ar
rived within ten or fifteen rods of the
bridge, and we're rapidly moving for.
ward, one of the regulars, sharp
shooter, stepped from the ranks and
discharged his musket, manifes,ly
aimed at Major Buttrick or Colonel
Robinson, the bali from which, pass
ing under the arm of the latter, slight.
ly wounded Luther Blanchard, the
ffer of the Acton company, in the
side, and Jonas Brown, one of the
Concord minute men. This gun was
Immediately followed by volley,
which instantly killed Captain Isaac
Davis and private Abner Hosmer, of
Acton, ball passing through the
heart of the former. and another
through the head of the latter, and
slightly wounding Ezekiel Davis,
brother of Captain Davis, ball pass
ing through his hat and grazing his
head. When he saw that his ffer
was wounded, Captain Davis impul-
sively stepped to the wall by the
road, and was in the act of sighting
his gun, when he was hit by the eue-
my's shot. He sprang two or three
feet in the air, fell on the north side
of the wall, aud expired without ut
tering word. Joshua Brooks, Of
Lincoln, was struck with ball that
cut through his hat and drew blood
on his forehead. Itappeared as if he
had been cut with knife; and 81
concluded" said private Baker,
'that the British were firing jack
knives"
Major Buttrick, then in front of
Captain Browns company, instantly
jumped from the ground, and partly
claimed sFre, - soldiers 20 for
Gods sake, fire." discharging his
own gun at the same moment. Cap
tain Brown, who never before nor
after used profane word, exclaimed,
"God damn them, they are firing
balls. Fire, men, fre!" drew up his
own musket, deliberately aimed, and
fired. One of the dead British sold
iers, buried near the old monument,
was believed to have been the result
of that shot. Major Buttrick's order
ran along the line of militia and min
ute men, the word "Fire!" "Fire!"
came from a hundred lips, and gen.
eral discharge instantly followed from
the Americans. They fred as they
stood, and over each others heads
The fusilade continued Tor few
minutes only, when the British broke
and fled in great alarm and confusion.
Noah Parkhurst, one Of The Lincoln
men, said to one Of his comrades,
"Now the war has begun, and no one
knows when it will end.'
The FIRE of the Americans was de-
structive. Two British soldiers We're
killed. Four officers. Lieu
tenants Gould, Hall, Sunderland, and
Kelly, and a sergeant and six pri
Yates, were reported to have been
at the same time. 1t has
never been accurately ascertained
how many privates suffered in this
More than dozen had
their wounds dressed in the village
by Drs. Minot and Cummings, and, of
there were surgeons with the
expe ditionary force. Many of the
troops were covered with blood as
they passed the houses on their re-
treat to the village, and were seen in
this condition from the windows.
The sudden flight of such veteran sol
diers showed that the fire of the
must have been very Sc
vere.-From "The Concord Fight"
by Frederick Hudson, in Uar1'er's
Magazine for May.