The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-03-29
49, : A-'e' =" Z, T. "&@+' 49, #"H - d Ne I"'
The WAR OF I775-76.
Scenes, Incidents and Anecdotes
of the Great Revolution, not
Found in History.
Tales Of Adventure, Romance and
Heroism by the Men and
Women Who Fought
for Freedom.
BY BENSON J. LOSING, L. L D.
BY BENSON J. LOSING, L. L D.
THE FIFER At LEXINGTON:

Or girl, man or woman, has not heard or
read Of these little Massachusetts, villages,
where tn. first earnest blows for American
independence were struck and the hot flame
Of the Revolution first burst out, on the 10th
of April, 1856? Among the first objects Of
my pilgrimage were these two villages.
1t was q charming morning in October,
1848, when l travelled by railway from Bos-
ton to Concord, seventeen miles northwest
of the New England capital. There | spent
an hour with Major Barrett and his wife,
who "saw the British scamper," and had,
lived together almost sixty years. The
major seemed robust at eighty-seven, and
his wife, almost as old, seemed as nimble of
foot as a matron of middle life. She was o
vivacious little woman, we'll formed, and re-
tanned many traces of the beauty of her
young w~omanhood. They had much to tell
me of events their eyes had witnessed.
After visiting the place of the skirmish
at Concord, l rode in a private vehicle to
Lexington, six miles eastward, through a
picturesque and fertile country, and entered
the famous village at the Green, whereon
that famous skirmish occurred and a ON
memorative monument now stands. After a
brief interview with two or three aged per-
sons there, | drove to the house of Jonathan
Harrington, in East Lexington, who, a lad
seventeen years old, had heralded the open
ing Of the old war for independence with
the shrill notes of the fife.
As l halted before the house of Mr.. Har-
riugton, ct a little past noon, and saw on
old IMAM welding m axe vigorously in
splitting wood in his yard, l entered the
gate and introduced myself and my GRAND.
The old man w3s the venerable ffer.
"Come in and rest YOURSELF" he said
kindly, as he led the way into the house
Although he was then past ninety years
of age, he appeared no older than a nan of
seventy. His form was nearly erect; his
voice was firm; his complexion was fair;
his placid face was lighted by mild, blue
eyes, and had but few deep wrinkles; his
hair, not all white, was very abundant, and
in stature he was Of medium height and
slender. I took a seat on a chintz-covered
lounge, and he sat in q Boston rocking
chair.
IL have come I said, "to make some in.
quiries about the battle of Lexington
at wasn't q battle" he answered "only
a skirmish."
at was a sharp one" I said.
Eyes, pretty sharp, pretty sharp he re.
lplied, thoughtfully. Eight fine young men
out of a hundred were killed; two of them
my blood relations"
II understand you played the fife on that
morning." l said.
Gas well as l could" lie replied. 81
taught myself to play the year before, when
the Minute men were training, and l was
the only person in Lexington who knew how
to fife. That amt saying much. though,
for then there were only eight or ten houses
in the village besides the Westinghouse"
"Did you belong to the Minute-men?' l
asked.
Il was a Minute-boy. They asked me to
ffe, to help Joe Burton make music with his
drum, for Captain Parker's company. Poor
Joe! His drum-head was smashed and he
lost a finger in the fight. Captain Amos
Parker's company was drilled the night be-
fore, for Sol Brown, our nearest %neighbor,
came from Boston at sunset and said he had
seen nine British soldiers walking toward
Lexington. Sam Adams and John Hancock
were at Parson Clarke's house, where Dor
othy Quincy, Hancock's sweetheart, was
staying. Gage wanted to catch and hang
EN-, and it was believed the soldiers whom
Sol had seen had been sent out to seize EN-
that night. A guard of ten men, under
Sergeant Monroe who kept a tavern here
were stationed around Parson Clarke :
house. At a little past midnight Paul Re-
~vere-you've heard Of Paul-came riding
like mad from Cambridge, his horse all
afoan, for the weather was uncommonly
warm. He told Monroe he wanted to see
Hancock. He didn't want to be disturbed
by noise said the sergeant. Noise said
Revere, you'll have noise enough soon, for
the eg'lars are coming!' Hancock heard
him, and opening a window called out: Re.
we're, l know you; come in He went into
the house a moment, then came out, mounted
his horse, and started on a gallop toward
Concord. Very soon everybody in Lexing.
ton. was astir."
"Were you on duty then?" / inquired.
"No," he said; II went to bed at eleven
o'clock, and, as all boys should do, l slep'
soundly. Ny mother, who was sDunstel
and IL of the most patriotic women whe
ever lived, called out to me at three O'Clock
in the morning, Jonathan! jonathan! Ge1
up. The reg lars are coming and something
lnust be DONE I dressed quickly, slune
my light gun over my shoulder, took my
fife from a chair, and hurried to the parad,
near the Westinghouse where about fifty
men had gathered, and others were arriving
every minnie. By four o'clock a hundred
men were there, We did not wait lone
wondering whether reg'lars were real,
coming, for = man darted up to Captain
Parker and told him they were close by
The captain Immediately ordered Joe Il
beat the drum, and I flied with all my