Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-05-12
FIRST BLOOD OF WAR.
WHERE WAS 1T SPILLED IN I
EVOLUTIONARY DAYS.
Honor Is Claimed by Many-Ths Matter
Depends Solely Upon the Question as
to when the War Really Commenced
for Independence.

Vermonters have been wont to claim
that the first blood OF the revolutionary
struggle was shed at Westminster, VT,
on the 18Th OF March. 1775. when. ms the
inscription on his monument records.
William French was shot by the hands
OF Cruel Ministerial tools of Georg ye
I'd" But there are rival claims. Some
Massachusetts people assert that tho
first blood was shed Mt Salem on tho
2Gth of February. l775-flfteen days be-
fore the Westminster massacrc-when
Gen. Gage. having learned that tho pa
trlots were mounting some old cannon
taken In the French war at Salem. sent
thither n battalion OF 300 men under
Lieut.-Col. Leslie. who met In the town
mob SO large and threatening that
he thought 1t the proper plan to retraco
his steps to Boston. II In claimed that
bayonets were lowered and some OF tho
men who barred the way were pricked
with them. A much earlier collision
between a squad OF British soldiers and
mob In New York city In January,
ITO. has also been cited as the first
instance OF the shedding of blood In
the contest for independence. This lat
ter event has now come freshly into
notice. Within few weeks past
bronze tablet has been placed on tho
wall OF the Broadway corridor Of the
New York postofilce by the Daughters
OF the Revolution Of that city. Wheth-
er the blood spilled In this fracas can
properly be called the first martyr
blood OF the revolution" OF course de-
pends on the date when the American
revolution can properly be said to have
begun: Historians have not comraonly
placed that date earlier than tho year
1875. There was already serious fric- :.
tion between the colonies and the king
In ITO. The presence of British troops
to uphold the oppressive measures OF
the British government was obnoxious
to the men of the colonies. but they
had not us yet determined to throw OF
the yoke. The liberty they claimed
and for which the liberty pole on the
New York common stood was liberty
under the royal government, not in
dependence Of 1t.
II the collision between the New
York sailors and English sailors in
January. 1770, could be called parts OF
the revolution, then the similar occur
renee In Boston in March of that year.
known as "the Boston massacre. lin
which the soldiers fired on the mob,and
killed three citizens would have been
placed by historians among the overt
acts of revolution. But that event has
not been SO classed. The revolution
was impending. but had not begun.
When, however, the royal posse attack
ed the courthouse at Westminster, VT,
the revolt was in active preparation.
The first continental congress had as
sembled. the port Of Boston had been
closed by British ships and British
army assembled In Boston. The min
ute men of Massachusetts AID Connec-
ticut were casting the bullets which
few days later slew hundreds of red
coats at Concord bridge and Bunker
hill. The Green mountain boys had al
ready engaged to take Ticonderoga.
The revolution had begun. If a Brit
ish bayonet was stained with patriot
blood at Salem, Mass, in February,
1775. that may. perhaps, fairly be called
the first blood of the revolution, but 1t
Is not certain that any blood was then
shed. Mr.. Winsor, the Massachusetts
historian, in his Critical History of
America" calls 1t "a little alleged
pricking Of bayonets." and, according
to his view, the first blood was not
shed there, but at Lexington. 1.-THE
shot heard round the world" was fired
on the 18th of April, 1875, but William
French and Daniel Houghton, slain by
king Georges tory crew." at West
minister on the 14th of March. were
patriots arrayed against royal authori-
ty, and there Is still room for fair ar
gument that theirs was the first martyr
blood of the revolution.