The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-04-22
CEN7EnAIAL CELEBRATIONS

The various points Where inporahV o"-
gagements occurred will, doubtless. de-
sire to be recognized. The first OF the
series was on the 10Th at Lexington and
Concord, in Massachusetts,. The skirmish
at Lexington was only incident to the
movement of the British troops upon
Concord, the object of which was to de-
stroy some stores there belonging to the
Americans.
1t was decided by the British comman-
der to destroy the warliKe stores; and so
eight hundred troops were despatched
from Boston on that errand secretly about
midnight of April 18th. They reached
Lexington about daylight Of the 10th,
but the movement was known to the
Committee Of Safety" and messengers
we're sent out by DR., Joseph Warren, the
Chairman, to alarm the people along the
road to Concord.
When the Royal troops reached Lex
in ton, they found themselves opposed
by some seventy militia men drawn up
on the green. These men, "too feeble to
resist, too brave to fly" stood irresolute.
The British officer, Major Pitcairn, gave
the command to dispense and "lay down
their arms" He followed this command
with an order to his troops to fire. Eight
Of the militia men were killed and sew
eral were wounded. The Americans dis
persed. The British forces formed on
the green, fred volley, gave three
cheers, and marched on toward Concord.
No man in the British force was even Sc
riously wounded here
The two messengers despatched from
Boston, William Dawes and Paul Revere,
after various hair-breadth escapes, fell
into the hands of the British, but the
tidngs had flown before them, Another
patriot, DIR. William Prescott, was cap
tured with them, but made his escape,
and, leaping the walls and fences, sped
on to Concord, lie reached that place
by three o'clock, and while the affair
in Lexington WAS taking place the Con-
cord men were energetically at work re-
moving and concealing stores. William
Dawes and Paul Revere were released,
but scarcely would have been could the
British have foreseen the issue of that
day. paul Revere's Ride" is the sub
ject of a poem by Longfellow.
The British regulars found a small
militia force in Concord drawn up I'M
der the disparity of force the provincials
retreated and occupied hill beyond the
town, and separated from it by the river.
The British forces proceeded to hunt for
stores, but found little to destroy, SO
speedily had they been removed. Two
cannon were spiked, sixty barrels of flour
stove, and few hundred pounds of shot
thrown into a mill pond. A fire was
made of the liberty pole and some gun
carriages, The Americans posted on the
hill supposed the smoke arose from the
burning ofthe town, and they pushed for
ward for the defense of their homes. A
detachment of regulars disputed their
passage of the bridge. Shots were ex-
changed, and two were killed and sew
eral wounded on each side. The regulars
fell back to the main body, and the ad-
vance ofthe militia was checked. After
marching and countermarching, as if in
doubt what to do, the British forces, find
ing the country was aroused, commenced
their retreat. From Concord to Lexng-
ton, five miles, was almost route rather
than a retreat. But at Lexington the
regulars found reinforcement of from
nine to twelve hundred British troops
who had been despatched TO cover the
retreat Hunted and pursued, the two
British detachments reached Charles.
town late in the afternoon, with loss, in
killed, wounded and missing, of two
hundred and Seventy-three men. The
Americans loss was ninety, of whom
forty-nine were killed.
The :rain was fired, not to be extin-
guished till the treaty of 1888 should con.
cede independence 10 the United States.
John Hancock was President, and Sam
uel Adams member of he Provincial
Congress. They were lodging in Lexing-
ton on the night of the 18th, and in the
early dawn were compelled to leave by
their friends, for they had been pro-
scribed by name by General Gage. A.
Adams and Hancock, with their friends,
walked forth to take fields and by-ways
for place Of refuge, Adams said Itis
glorious morning. "NeFy pleasant,
indeed" some one replied. 81 mean" "
said Adams. that this is glorious day
for America p He had never disguised
from himself the certainty of the issue OF
arms. Among the ceremonies at Lex.
ington, on the anniversary on the 10Th
was the unVeiling of the statues of Han