The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-05-07
The Echoes of Lexington and Con-
cord.


Colonies. and the spirit of independence
of the mother country grew to white
heat, though the formal declaration did
not follow till more than year after
ward
One of the most vigorous defenders of
the popular cause was found in the Nass
aehAsetts Spy, or American Oracle of Lib
erty." This journal was published at
Worcester, Massachusetts,, during the
whole of the year 1775, by Isaiah Thom
as, whose name is identified with the
early history Of printing and of Journal
ism in America. Every number of this
paper during the months of April, May,
June and July, 1775, bore a trumpet call !
at the head of its first page in the fol-
lowing headline: "AMERICANs. LIBER-
TY or DEATH JoIN OR DIE"
Isaiah Thomas, who was both editor |
and proprietor, established with charac-
teristic enterprise two expresses on horse
back, to bring news for his paper from
Cambridge, Boston, Providence and |
Newport. In the issue of the Massa-
chusetts Spy for May 81, 1875, it is an
nounced that "the Tories of this town
(Worcester), who have been aiding and
abetting the cursed plans of tyrannicaI
ruler and abandoned ministry, should be
disarmed, andrendered as incapable as
possible of doing mischief to this dis
tressed Province. Accordingly they were
notified to appear on Monday last, and
after surrendering their arms to the COM
mittee Of correspondence, and being
strictly ordered not to leave the town or
meet together without a permit, were
| dismissed"
A few weeks later the same paper an
nounces that the Grand American Con-
gress have voted 20, 900 men for the com
mon defense of the just rights of the
American Colonies. Also the sum of
$500, 600, 900, lawful money towards their
support.
Cn the 14th of June the Spy publish
es genuine letter from a British officer
at Boston to his friends in Dublin, which
had been intercepted, and in which the
writer frankly told the following tale
about American affairs:
| "We are in most deplorable situa-
tion, the inhabitants refusing to give us
any kinds of provisions. Even the ne
cessary though cheap article of straw is
denied, and the men are obliged to sleep,
in a manner, on dung. The report of
the Americans not being able to make
| 4. al L.. ,nI
farce. They are almost as well discip-
lined as we are. and are every day in the
field; every man is a soldier, and there
seems a determination in their looks as
if they meant to resist the enforcement
of any act contrary to the charter and lib
critics of their country. | solemnly de-
clare that it is my opinion that if ever
we meet the Americans as an enemy in
the field, half our troops on that day
will lay down their arms"
The New York Journal, of June 8,
1775, announced that although Sunday
last was the anniversary of his Majesty's
George III) birthday, there were no IL
luminations in the city on this anniver-
sary, except one house, the lights of
which, it is said, were, on the request of
the spectators, presently Withdrawn.
In the Pennsylvania Evening Post,
published three times week, there ap
peared on the 9th of June, 1775, let
ter to General Gage, addressed in the
following not very mild phrase:
'To the vlest Tool of the most profiigate and ty-
ranical Administration that ever disgraced
court:
"INHUMAN BUTCHER-If mediocrity
in wisdom, virtue and honesty be ineli-
gIble to some men, / think we have the
strongest evidence that any common de-
gree of mediOcrity, even in the contrary
qualities, is utterly displeasing to you.
After your detested principals, to main
tain their luxury and debauchery, had
conceived the scheme of extorting
tribute from a conquering people, and
found those people too wise to be impos-
ed upon, and TOO brave to be terrified in
to submission by few troops and ships
they changed the scene, and endeavored
to initiate their father, the devil, and
once more damn half mankind by tempt
ing female weakness with empoisoned
tea. Now, sir, waiving all that may be
said of your hypocrisy, cruelty, villainy,
treachery, perfdy, falsehood and incon-
sistency, are you not ashamed to throw
|
standing as to bid people to disarm
themselves till you and your butchers
murder and plunder them at pleasure?"
The Connecticut Courant for June s.,
1875, printed an intercepted letter from
a soldier in the British army in Boston,
written the week after she Lexington
J battle, in which the following account of
the fighting of the Yankees is given:
"They did not fight us like a regular
Army, only like savages, behind Trees
and Stone Walls, and out of the Woods
and Houses, wherein the latter we killed
numbers of them, as well as in the
J Woods and Fields. The engagement be-
gan between and in the Morning,
and lasted till s at Night. l can't be
sure when you will get another letter
from me, as this extensive Continent il
: all in Arms against us. These People.
I too are very numerous, and full as bad
as the Indians for scalping and emitting
the dead mems ears and noses of, and
those they get alive, that are wounded,
! and can't get off the Ground"
The fellow romances like a modern
GaScon. Another intercepted letter, da-
: ted Boston, April %, 1775, said:
"The rebels were monstrous numerous,
and surrounded us on every side. When
: they came up we gave them smart fire,
but they never would engage us proper
ly. We killed some hundreds, and burnt
some of their houses. The troops are in
l Boston, and surrounded on the land side
y by the rebels, who are very numerous,
a and fully determined to lose their hives
and fortunes rs ther- than be taxed by
: England
Another letter frora soldier, dated
: April %, 1775, says:
: '"The firing was very hot on both sides
e In the afternoon part of the artillery
. came up, which were of no use to us, as
!, the enemy were in the woods, and when
we found they were in houses we set
them on fire, and they ran to the woods
+ like devils. We were Obliged to retreat
4 to Boston again. over Charles River, our
ammunition being all fred away"
The Pennsylvania Packet, or General
Advertiser. of May l, IT'S, published
, | the follovvinO.