Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-05
APRIL 10, 1875.


The First Fight of Our Revolutionary War
Battle OF Lexington and C0ncord-Events
that Happened One Hundred Years Ago.
DR. Franklin, writing to his friend
Priestly on the 10th of May, IT'S, says
with that easy banter which was one of
his characteristics: .'tYou will have
heard before this reaches you of the
march stolen by regulars into the coun-
try by night, and of their expedition
back again. They retreated twenty
miles in six hours. The unsuccessful
raid, the series of skirmishes thus
lightly alluded to, had a more serious
significance In England.
THE INSTINCT OF MILITARY RESISTANCE.
The exact position of affairs at the
momentof this memorable event may be
briefly stated. :Che town of Boston was
in military possession of Gage. The
Massachusetts Congress- Han
cock, President, and Benjamin Lincoln,
afterwards a Major General, Secretary;
had all along protested their attach
ment TO Great Britain, their loyalty to
the King, and their love of peace and
order" It was of acts of Parliament
that they complained-of the military
occupation of Boston, and Of the des-
potic policy of the Ministry. A Com
mittee of Safety, of which Hancock was
the head, had been appointed with
'power to call out the militia There
was Committee raised to take measures
for the defense of the Province, and
another to procure military stores, to-
ward which the sum of SOC, 666 GEO.
00Ol was voted. Three Generals had
been commissioned-Pre of Fail
mouth, was an old militia officer; Ward,
who had been a Judge, and Pomeroy,
who had commanded a regiment at the
battle Of Lake George. The Province
was really in a state of instruction, in
spite Of its avowed loyalty. Its capital
had been occupied by foreign troops;
its military stores had been seized; and
all its protestations had been met by
Gage with nothing more satisfactory
than proclamations denunciatory of the
proceedings of the people. Already
battle had been imminent, and was pre-
vented only by the inactivity Of Gage.
point Of land within the limits of
Ch9lestovn, was seized by Royal
force, and 200 half-barrels trans
ferred TO the castle. Two field
pieces were also carried forcibly away
from Cambridge. Four thousand peo-
pie in very short time we're gathered
in that town-an orderly mob, earned
only with Sticks but with firearms In
reserve should they be needed. Gage
wisely determined to send no troops to
disperse them. If he had done SO, the
affair at Lexington might have been by
some months anticipated. Nothing
could be more sensitive than the mind
of the people. The news of the removal
of the powder started the militia of
Worcester county upon march to Bos-
ton. The volunteers of Hampshire
county were following. ''On the small
est computation" says Bancroft, Co.,
OOOmen were iD motion" When the news
reached Israel Putnam in Connecticut,
he summoned the neighboring militia
TO arms; and their march was prevented
only by an express announcing that at
present nothing would be attempted.
It will be seen, therefore, that the
idea of military resistance to the power
of the Crown was already familiar to
the inhabitants of New England. AL
ways they had been accustomed to
bear arms, and every generation had
been familiar with war. and sometimes
with war upon a considerable scale.
Nor must it be forgotten that, after a
long and acrimonious debate, the Par
Lament had declared Massachusetts, in
rebellion, and the whole force Of
Great Britain had been pledged TO its
reduction, while Chancellor, Speaker,
a majority Of the Lords and Com
mons, had proceeded in a body to the
Palace to assure George the Third of
their sympathy with his efforts 'to
open the eyes of his deluded Ameri-
cans.
PABL EEvEREs RIDE-THE ALARM.
The Provincial Congress of Massa
chusetts had adjourned; but the Com
mittee of Safety was still upon the alert.
The military stores of the people had
been deposited at Concord, about 13
miles from the town of Boston. To de-
stroy these, on the night of the 18th of
April, 1775, Gage dispatched force of
not less than 800 grenadiers and light
infantry-his whole army at this time
amounting ty 1850 men. The march
ing party, under commando Lieut. Col.
Smith, an incompetent officer, crossed
in the boats of the transport ships,
from the foot of the Common to East
Cambridge. It had been intended to
keep the expedition strictly a
secret, but the alarm had been
given. 1t was at first supposed
that the object of the British was to
seize the persons of Hancock and Sam
uel Adams, who were lodging at Lex
ington. Intelligence of the movement,
whatever its purpose, it was necessary to
send to the patriots in the country
Warren therefore dispatched William
Dawes through Roxbury to Lexington;
while Paul Revere, whose ''ride" has
been commemorated by the poet, set off
by way of Charlestown, having pre-
viously engaged friend to raise CON
certed signals of the movement