Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-04-19
AND CONCORD 1875
THE CENTENARY OF THE WAR OF IN

l775-LEXINGTON AND C0NC0RD-l875- |
THE CENTENARY OF THE WAR OF IN
DEPENDENCE.
A hundred years ago, to-day, the War of
American Independence began, although for
nearly year and quarter the armed struggle
did not become avowedy war for lndepend-
ence. The celebrations at Lexington and Con-
cord, to-day, mark the actual outbreak OF hos
tilities-the appeal to that arbtrament of force,
without which, as it seems, nations cannot be
born.
Tie actual conflicts in the two little Massa-
chusetts hamlets, Gas they then were , now,
the town-township-of Lexington has
2277, and Concord 2il2 people,
were but formal beginning OF war, an inter
change Of deadly shots on both sides that signi-
hed the purpose to fight. In the early morning
of April 18th, It's, the royal troops under COL
Smith, (this being only detachment of the
whole force sent out from Boston to destroy the
arms aud military stores gathered at Lexington
and Concord, by the minute men, )marched upon
the little triangular plat where the roads
" forked, in Lexington, and finding before them
squad of the militia, its ranks not in order,
some joining the line and some leaving, rushed
forward, shouting, and firing at random.
No one was hurt by this, but in mo-
ment they discharged yolley, which
was fatal. The militia line was swept away
by its deadly bullets. The two bodies had been
almost face to face on the little common when
Smith following, the example Of Pitcairn who
had been cursing the militia and or
derng them to disperse, had given the
word to fire, and in the single discharge thus or
dered several of the militia had been killed and
wounded. On their side, no shots had been
given. The order to them had been Don't
dre unless you are fired upon; then defend
yourselves This is just what they did Under
all the circumstances, Smiths order was cruel
and inexcuaable. Tho firing by his disciplined
soldiers was deadly. 1t constituted, even upon
the rcd pages Of War, a virtual murder.
Joined By other detachments of their forces,
the British moved Oh to Concord, six miles far
ther, and here, five hours and a-half later than
the massacre at Lexington, lit xas at half past
four the fighting at Concord began about lO,l
the militia attacked them. The beginning of
war had been made by the Kings men now the
Americans did not hesitate to pursue it, They
marched to drive the troops posted at the North
Bridge, and coming thus i'll martial array, with
the evident purpose of conflict were tired upon,
wounded at this first discharge Then they too
fred, and their deadly rifles never ceased to
ring till late that day, the British, exhausted
BY lighting and marching, reached Charlestown,
on their retreat into Boston. The Americans had
no. only returned their lire at the North Bridge
killing one and wounding Others but they had
then begun an Indian warfare, shooting the red
coated soldiers from behind trees, fences and
ne-wails--pickng them off one by one as they
marched. This murder for murder-the
penalty of blood for blood.
Reading, carefully, the most detailed accounts
of the two fights, several reflections are suggest
cd. The first is that the British troops general.
ly behaved we'll Col. Smiths order to
fire the chief perhaps the only.
stain on their record Iney did no more
damage to property than was required in the dis
charge of the duty assigned them. They seem
to have preserved the restrictions of good dis
cipline. The volley on Lexington common was
SMITHS, not his mems, and it arouses our pity
Tor the poor fellows in the ranks whose trade it
was, by the barbarous and anti Christian usage
OF mankind, to fight when and where they might
be ordered, to remember that as they retreated
The deadly bullets Of our countrymen cut them
down. one after another Many an English cot
tage whose inmates knew no grudge against
America was desoated by those deadly
Shots az, earlier in the day, the quiet homes Of
Lexington had been, By the bullets OF the inva-
ders One calls to mind the story OF
the poor Young British officer, as Haw-
thorne tells it in "septirlius Felton,
and apart from the patriotic associations Of
the day and the gaduesa with which We must
celebrate events that led to national independ-
ence and prosperity, there is in this, as in every
other record OF war, a reminder, written in
red, OF the price at which our liberties were OBJ
tained