The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-15
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
On the night OF the 18Th of April, 1875,
General Gage, commander Of his British
Majesty's forces in the colony OF Massachu-
sets, secretly sent eight hundred men from
his corps of three thousand stationed in Bos-
ton, to destroy some military stores the
American patriots-then called rebels had
collected at Concord, twenty miles from Bos-
ton.
At o'clock on the next morning, these
troops met q company of seventy of the rebel
lious subjects of George III at Lexington,
when Major Pitcairn, the second in command
Of the ''truly loil' forces, rode up to them
and ordered them to dispense. They refused
to obey, whereupon he fred his pistol at
them and ordered his soldiers to fire, which
they did, killing several Of the rebels, who
were compelled to retire, after which the
British soldiers went on to Concord
and destroyed part Of the stores
then and there gathered But as
they were returning to headquarters, they
were attacked by the rebel militia, who had
rapidly assembled as soon as they heard the
news, and who killed and wounded two hun
bred and seventy-three Of them, losing them
selves nearly one hundred men. This was
the FIRST GUN OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,
and its result was to rouse the colonies to
armed resistance from Maine to Georgia, and
toinaugurate the long and apparently hopeless
struggle which, under the leadership of Vir-
ginias matchless son, was to end in the &C
by the mother country Of the
Of the British colonies in
America.
When the first American Congress assem-
bled, shortly after the battle Of Lexington,
they declared that they had "no wish to
separate from their mother country, but only
to maintain their chartered rights. This
declaration was, Of course, spurned with con-
tempt BY the representatives Of the crown,
who stigmatized all the parties engaged as
traitors and outlaws, to whom no quar-
Ter should be given.
What ensued all the world knows and on
Monday next-exactly one hundred years after
his initial skirmish, called the battle of Licking
Grant, President of nation of
q, 100000 Of people, considerable portion Of
whom rose in rebellion, fourteen years ago,
md were treated by him as Gen. Gage vainly
attempted to treat their refractory ancestors,
will stand on that historical spot and render |
solemn tribute to the heroes and martyrs who |
'led and died for cause precisely similar to |
he one for successfully opposing which he
las attained his present high official position.
On this coming occasion we presume
irants long pent up oratorical powers will be
'ivsn full play, and if his memory
Ices not tail him, he will doubtless
leliver with the fuency Of promis-
ng school boy the Grafton prepared
Or him by Fish, or Williams, or his Cice-
oman friend Conkling. We shall hear a good
cal about the immortal principles Of 1776,
he rights of man, and that much enduring
ird, the American eagle Perhaps the pro.
riety and expediency Of elevating to high
flee and indefinitely retaining therein none
ut approved patriots will be coyly limited at,
18th an eye single, ofcourse, to the preservation
that Union which the Lexington worthless
'ught to establish, and which has proved
lch an unquestionable blessing to every one
1 general, and to Grant, Boss Shepherd,
andaulet Williams and Secor Robson in
articular. Perhaps that deadly enemy Of
lie South and of Lindley Murray, John A.
ogan. will spout one of those spread-eagle,
ood-and-thunder, and generally terrific ora
ons, which have won for him the we'll earned
'rname of the Ancient Pistol of the Ameri-
N Senate, and perhaps, also, that pious man,
enry Ward Beecher, will call down the
essings Of Heaven On the pure patriots
ound him. and everything will go
merry as marriage bell"
i'd if, perchance, some wretched Louisi-
"a = banditti = should happen to be about,
ing penance in sackcloth and ashes for .heir
ines, will not the coming Cesar turn mer.
ul eye upon them, and say of them
King Henry VI Of his ungrateful subjects:
rave not stoppd mine ears to their demands,
II posted off their suits with slow DELAYS.
pity hath been balm to heal their wounds. c
mildness hath allay'd their swelling griefs.
mercy dried their water-howing tears; Il
ave not been DESTROYS Of their wealth,
r much oppressd them with great subsidies,
r forward of revenge, though much they err
en- why should they love Edsard more than
me?
We desire to direct the attention Of the
'mbers OF the Jockey Club, and all others
o are admirers of fine animals to notice Of
another column Of the opportunity Of pur- m
lsing q fine thoroughbred Young mare Il