The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-04-21


neighbor. Let it go on and go further.
We will all hold it's hat
Concord or Alamance?
To the Editor Of the World SIR: In
your leader, yesterday morning, on
''Local Centennial Celebrations" you
speak of the bnttle of Concord, Massa-
ohusetts, on the 10Th of April, ITS as
in one sense the natal day of American
independence. You define that lone
sense" rs ''the first armed resistance
made by their american readers) fore
fathers to the aggressions of the power
beyond the sea- -
Ny own studies in American history
have not brought me to the same conolu-
sion with you in regard to this fact. I
entirely agree with you rs to the "one
sense" in which you accept the phrase
''natal day of American independence, "
because it seems to mo tbnt the "tirst
armed resistance" to British troops.
rather than the formal indoors declara-
ton of independence, really marks the
blgth of the secession of the American
colonies.
have no doubt that immense impetus
was given, MS Jefferson suggests, to the
cause of secession. by the Lexington
Concord fight; but neither suppose nor
do imagine that Jefferson believed that
that affnir was in any sense the cause or
the occasion, or even the beginning of
the conflict, which resulted in American
independence. I am aware that Peter
Farley says that cat Lexington the con-
fiict Yrose;" but Peter seems to have
written his jingle mainly for the delecta-
ton of New England youth.
I The one point of difference between
your fact and mine is that understand
that the first armed resistance took place
| at q time and in. a place different from
those about to be celebrated On the 18th
| OF this April There are three points ut
which we may put the natal day-when
the first armed resistance to the British
\ regular soldiers was made by colonists in
| q body; when the second Continental
lCongreSs,i on the 10th Of May, I775, de-
ttermlned upon armed resistance, and mp
pointed Washington to be ..Commnnder-
ln-Chief OF all the forces raised or to be
raised tor the defence of the colonics;"
and when the Continental Congress, on
the 18th Of July, 1776, Mt Philadelphia,
adopted tho Declaration cf Independ-
ence. 8 ~ s.s
! You accept the first Of these. So do T.
You consider the Lexington Concord
skirmish as that first resistance. It seems
to me TINT the skirmish mt Alamance
Creek, in Alnmnncc County, N c., on
the 18th Of May, It'll, was that first
armed resistance made b. our foretnthcrs
to tho aggressions of the power beyond
the sen. That skirnIish arose in some
what this way: Governor Tryon, at New
burn, built him mansion, costing some
$50, 900, and levied tax OH his citizens
OF that Carolina colony to pay the sum.
The people formed military companies,
called regulators, for the purpose of re-
sisting the collection OF the tax levy, and
these companies were armed and drilled.
They went into cnmpat Alnmance Creek,
and thithcr the British troops within
I'ryon's command were sent to dispersc
them. skirmish ensued, in which the
regulators were defeated, with IL loss oi
somo 800 men.
In the two sklrmishes, mt Alamnnce
Creek in 177l and at Lexington and Con
cord IN ITO, the nssuilants were the
same British regulars; the opponents
were the same, organized rebels; the
cause was the same, to disperse the
rebels and to dcfeat the opposition; the
results were the same, save that Mt Ala.
nance Creek the rebels lost three times
as many of their number as those OF
Lexington and Concord lost. The
Organization of societies to resist British
tyranny had been formed year or two
before the Alamnnce Creek fight. The
famous Sons of Liberty, both North and
South, were such. The tea affairs both
In Charleston and in Boston had oconr.
red before that time; and it was q year
after the British Government had sent
over troopa to keep the .coloniats. in snb-
lection. I raise this historical point, not
In spirit Of captiousness, but with the
dosire to learn what is tho truth about
the matter. New England saw 30, little
Of the fighting during the revolutionary
war, that it may bo perfectly natural for
aeh se9 thst Rsniy sooR Saee ses
but is that reason why the rest of the
world should forget their lessons in his
ltory? JAMES WOOD DAVIDSON.
New, YORK, April IL. XII