Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-28
CENTENNIAL PICTURES-XO. 9.
BY DANIEL WISE, D. D.

By DANIEL WISE, D. D.
THE FIST BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION.
The doings of the Boston tea-par-
ty were Witnessed by numerous spec
tators. Among them was the Ad-
miral of the British fleet, then
lying in the harbor. Seated in the
window of a loyalists house at the
head of Grifin's Wharf, that gentle
man saw the daring deed which he
had no authority to prevent. But
when the patriots came marching
back to town, to the shrill music of
a fife, and IN the clear moonlight, he
threw up the sash and said in sar-
castle tones, ''Well, boys, You have
had a fine pleasant evening for your
Indian caper, haven't You? But
mind, you have got to pay the I'D
dler yet"
A sharp retort from a man named
Lendall Pitts, shout from the peo-
pie, and lively air by the fifer, Eol-
lowed; and the patriots gayly re-
sumed their march. They knew, as
well as the Admiral, that they had
performed a deed which would rouse
the ire of the mother country. But
they and their compatriots had count
ed the cost. They had no doubt
that their refusal to be taxed by the
Parliament Of England was right,
and the tea floating down their har-
Dor only bore emphatic testimony to
their determination to resist such
taxation to the last extremity. They
knew that "they had passed the
river and cut away the bridge and
they bravely accepted every possible
consequence of their significant deed.
Those consequences soon began to
overtake them, like the black clouds
which roll across the summer skies,
gloomy precursors of a fearful storm.
That good, well-meauing, but mar
row minded and obstinate King,
George Ill, was incensed. He chose
to see in that tea-party an insult to
the authority of his crown. The ire
of his Parliament was also excited,
and for the moment popular feeling
in England joined in cry for main
tanning the right of Parliament to
levy taxes in the American Colonies.
American Tories, to their everlasting
shame, added fuel to this flame of
Indignation by their correspondence.
A bill was passed to "shut the port
of Boston," General Gage was sent
out with four regiments to enforce
this act, and to bring the ;,''ringlead-
ers to condign punishment" Other
penal measures affecting the liber-
ties of Massachusetts, were adopted,
and the spirit of vast majority of
Parliament was strikingly expressed
by a member named Van, when he
said:
"The town of Boston ought to be
knocked about their ears and des-
troyed =. If the people of America
oppose the measures of Government
that are now sent, I would burn and
set fire TO all their woods, and leave
their country open."
This spirit and these measures in
tensifed the determination of the
Americans not to submit to Parlia-
mentary oppression. Boston be-
came the center of correspondence
which led, in September, 1774, to a
Congress of all the Colonies, in which
the wrongs they were enduring, and
their high purpose not to yield the
liberties granted in their several
charters, were set forth with dignity
and firmness. But its address, in
stead of conciliating, as was intend
el, increased the irritation of Parlia-
ment, which then proceeded, in spite
of the protests of Lords North, Burke,
and few others, to pass an act de-
claring the inhabitants of Massachu-
sets rebelsl The response 70 the
publication of this outrageous act,
backed as it was by an addition of
ten thousand men to the military
forces in America, was that ''all the
province few to arms; indignation
became fury, obstinancy desPera-
ton. 'Warlike preparat ons began on
every side. Arms were obtained,
the militia drilled, and ammunition
stored in various towns, especially
at Worcester and Concord.
To seize the stores collected at the
latter place, General Gage sent 8
detachment of troops on the evening
of April Is, l775. Their march was
secretly begun, but the brave Doc
tor Warren contrived to gain infor-
nation of the movement, and to send
messengers to rouse the people.
Hence, when the British vanguard
appeard near Concord at FIVE o'clock
the next morning, they met about
seventy armed patriots-too few to
fight, yet too many to be disregard
ed. Major Pitcairn shouted, when
within hearing:
"Disperse, rebelsi lay down arms,
and dispersed"
Seeing that the patriots stood still,
the Major sprang forward, dlscharg-
ing his pistol, and shouted to his
men, 'tFirel"
He was obeyed, and the DEATH
dealing bullets fell thickly among
the patriots. They retreated at first;
but 6nding that the English continu-
ed firing, they finally faced about,
and returned their fire. And thus