The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-04-24
The Hundredth Anniversary Of The Bat.
ties of Lexington and Concord.

On the 18th of April, 111sJJ, the first shot
was fired, which commenced the war of the
Revolution. The centennial celebration of
the battles of Lexington and Concord took
place on Monday last, and great was the
enthusiasm and patriotism displayed by the
New England people on the occasion. The
speakers were among the most accomplished
and eloquent in the land. Geo. VIM. Cur
tbs made the principal address at Concord,
and Richard II. Dana performed the same
duty at Lexington. President Grant was
in the procession at Concord in the morn
ing, and then was taken in carriage to
Lexington eight miles Distant, where he
reviewed the military part of the process
sion. There was after dinner speaking at
both places by distinguished men. Among
the speakers at Lexington was Gov. Cham
berlin, of Sonth Carolina. A letter was read
from Mr.. Gladstone. At Lexington, stat
ues of John Hancock and Samuel Adams
were unveiled by Hon. Chas. Hudson.
REVOLUTIONARY RELICS.
A pair of pistols were exhibited at the
celebration, the property of Major Pitcairn,
who commanded the vanguard Of the Brit
sh force, which sailed out from Boston on
the night of April 49, 1775, to seize and
destroy military stores of the Americans
stored in the village of Concord. The in
habitants of the village of Lexington, on
the road between Boston and Concord were
informed of the approach of the British
detachment, and in the early morning the
mep, to the number of 60, armed them
selves and gathered on the Common. Half
an hour after sunrise the British troops
entered the village. Major Pitcairn was
riding on horseback at the head of his
troops, and upon seeing the Americans on
the Common ordered them to lay down
their arms and disperse. They did not dis
perse. Pitcairn then suddenly drew pis-
tol and commanded his troops to fire. He
fired his pistol, several witnesses of the
skirmish asserted, before the grenadiers
dis charged their muskets. He TINS fired
the first shot of the Revolutionary War
BY the musketry fire of the grenaders sew
eral Americans were killed, and the latter
thereupon fled. The British then pressed
forward to Concord, destroyed the military
stores, and began their retreat. During
this retreat they were attacked by the
American minute-men, lost many men in
killed and wounded, and with great diff
Guilty fought their way back to Boston.
Major Pitcairn was wounded OIL this re-
treat. and fell off his horse but was car
ried to Boston, and subsequently killed at
Bunker Hill. The animal galloped into
the fields and was captured by the Ameri-
cans, and was subsequently sold at Con-
cord. On his back were Major Pitcairn's
holters, containing the pistols referred to.
Capt. Nathan Barrett, who had command
ed one of the militia companies at Con
to George Washington, then in command
of the Provincial army surrounding Bos-
ton. Gen. Washington declined to accept
them. Capt. Barrett then presented them
to Gen. Israel Putnam, who used them till
the end of the war. They afterward came
into the possession of a son of the Gen.,
aud were by him willed to a grandson of
the Cen, John P. Putnum, residing in the
then Cambridge township, Washington
county, New York. The pistols are now
the property of John 2. Putnam's widow,
and, as has been stated, were exhibited
at the Centennial.
The pistols are about foot long, made
of steel that glistens like nickel, and have.
of course, the flint lock attachments of the
Revolutionary period.
S. Irenacus Prime, who exhibited the
pistols on Monday at the celebration, fur
nishes the above piece of interesting his
tory.
The following hymn was sung at the
Celebration: