The daily gazette., 1875-04-28

heard on every side. The force still
J pushed on, and as twilight made things
} olmly visible, Lexington Common
was reached; here they were opposed
oy Farker's little band, skirmish en-.
sued, resulting In the defeat ofthe Amer.
leans, but this was only the lntroduc.
tIonto disastrous defeat to the British.
onward their column marched to Con.
cord, where the invaders met the "em-
Dattled farmers" and were repulsed
ihewhoie line ofmarch being harrassed
Dy sharp-shooters, panic ensued, and
from thence they hastened to Charles
ton, under protection of their ships OF
war. Ih1s was an extraordinary battle.
from the fact that it was fought on our
slde, by forces destitute of a comman-
ger and of effective organization, and
from the fact that undisciplined men
came out of the fight with only one
! third the loss suffered by their well
trained and we'll commanded anita 20
nists.
This battle of Lexington and Con.
cord, fired the Americans heart The
dle was cast and men no longer hesita.
| ted to talk of independence.
The gigantic wheel of time has since
been revolving, America ever having
upon her ensign onward and upward
until 'one hundred years have passed
since the birth of American Indenen.
dence. And we come now to the cele.
6ration of that day known as the birth
gay OF our dependence-April 10Th.
l775. For some time Massachusetts
has been the scene of great preparation
for the observance of the 10Th in
manner which would reflect great
credit not only to herself, but to our
whole nation.
friday afternoon 10Th inst, tile
PRESIDENT and suite made their arrival
In Boston in readiness for the follow
ing Monday. Sunday morning he left
Boston for Concord. This evening in
concord passed of without sensation
werthy of comment All the evening
long and late into the night the arrival
OF carriages of every description were
lncessant asd every available space
was literally packed with vehicles,
waiting for the event of the morrow.
The first token of the day approach
ing was hailed with ringing of bells
and booming of cannons. As the sun
tinted the edge of the eastern sky. a
salute of one hundred guns was fired.
which awakenedthe town to knowledge
tnat the day for Concord had arrived
and the streets and squares were soon
thronged with people. The Marine
Dand OF Washington arrived at s o.
clock, and attracted great attention by
its nne music while parrading the SITS.
Between that time and noon sixty
thousand persons had assembled in the
Town, and locomotion became almost
Impossible finally. The windows of
the houses were packed with heads,
even telegraph poles and fences were
fesorted to as places of obsei vation by
enterprlsing young Americans. The
day advancing the weather grew cool
er and more bracing, and was unlike
In THIS respect the day one hundred
years ago, for we have from historians.
that the advent of spring had long
passed away and the days of green
nelds and spring flowers were at hand
ere the first shot for liberty was fired.
Early in the morning the sounds of
martial mu sic were heard from one
end of the town to the other. Old fasli-
10 led country teams, appropriately
decorated. were quite numerous. Cur
iosity and pleasure were visible in ev-
cry residents face, and the bucolic eel
ebrants appeared overfowlng with the
patriotism bequeathed to future gener.
atoms by their forefathers.
The decorations were not only pro.
fuse, but in keeping with the occasion
It is said having never been excelled
on the occasion of any public celebra.
ION in the State. Every where and Oh
every hand We're to be seen flags of
avery descriptive which blended with
streamers and national
emblems, every device belonging to
decoration art, made the scene of gen.
,ral attraction and beauty. All through
he town innumerable streamers and
inc of flags of all nationalities and
'olors, were gracefully looped up and
connected with the roofs of the build
ngs, golden eagles even graced the
windows of some residences. The
'ivil and military organizations were
assigned their places in the procession
$ fast as they.arrived. Owing to variou
divisions marching and dcounter-marcb.
ng through town, there was consider
Ible delay, but the signal for march
ng was finally given at 11:30 and the
treat procession began to move toward
he old battle ground. This was divi.
led into five divisions: The first was
of the Fifth regiment NJ.
Vol, 600 strong, and besides many dis.
inguished guests, among whom were
udge E. r. Hoar, president of the day;
aeorgc William Curtis, orator of the
ay; James Russell Lowell, poet of the
ay; aud Ralph Waldo Emerson. Tn
econd was headed by the United
tates Marine Band-45 men. Fist
arriage, His Excellency U. S. Grant.
Ion. Henry Wilson, Hon. Hamilton
'ish and Gen. Babcock. This baroucbe
'as drawn by four bay horses, many
carriages in the division cen
eyed the remainderof the Presidents
ompany, and the dignitaries of the
ay State. The other divisions con
lined the magistrates of other states.
'gether with many thousand of Light
lfantry and civil people. The last
agon in the fifth division was drawn