The Red Cloud chief., 1898-05-20
FIRST BLOOD OF WAR.
WHERE WAS 1T SPILLED IN
REVOLUTIONARY DAYS.
Honor IL Claimed by Many-The Matter
Depends Solely Upon the Question AS
to when the War Really Commenced
for Independence.

Nermonters have been wont 10 claim
that the first blood of the revolutionary
struggle was shed at Westminster, Vt.
on the 18th of March. 1915, when. as the
inscription on his monument records.
William French was shot by the hands
of Cruel Ministerial tools of Georg We
3D." But there are rival claims. Some
Massachusetts people assert that the
first blood was shed at Salem on the
2Gth of February. ~l17j-ff,een days be-
fore the Westminster massacre-when
Gen. Gage. having learned that the pa
triots were mounting some old cannon
taken in the French war at Salem, sent
thi,her IL battalion OF 800 men under
l.icut-Col. Leslie, who met in the town
a mob so large and threatening that
he thought II the proper plan to retrace
his steps to Boston. II is claimed that
bay were lowered and some of the
men who barred the way were pricked
with them. 4 much earlier collision
between "A squad of British soldiers and
"A mob in New York city in January,
1910, 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 a few weeks past a
bronze tablet has been placed on the
wall of the Broadway corridor Of the
New York p%OstofiCc by the Daughters
of the Revolution of that city. Whcth-
er the blood spilled in this fracas can
properly be called the first martyr
blood of the revolution of curse de-
ponds on the date when the American
revolution can properly be said to have
begun. Historians have not commonly
placed that date earlier than the year
1775. There was already serious fric-
tion between the colonies and the king
in 100. The presence Of British troops
Ia uphold the oppressive measures of
the British government was obnoxious
To the men of the colonies. but they
had not as yet determined TO throw off
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 IT,.
II the collision between the New
York sailors and English sailors in
January, 100, could hc called parts of
the revolution. then the similar occur
renee in Boston in March of that year,
known as the Boston massacre in
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 classcd. The revolution
was impending. but had not begun.
When, however, the royal posse attack
rd 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 a British
army assembled in Boston. The min
nte men of Massachusetts and Connec-
iicut were casting the bullets which a
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 al Salem, Mass. in February.
1915, that may, perhaps, fairly be called
the first blood of the revolution, but it
is not certain that any blood was then
shed. Mr.. Winsor, the Massachusetts
historian, in his Critical History of
America calls il "a little alleged
pricking OF bayonets." and, according
TO his view, the first blood was not
shed there, but at Lexington. "The
shot heard round the world" was fred
on the 18th OF April, 1915, but William
French and Daniel Houghton, slain by
King Georges tory crew." at West
minister on the l4th of March. were
patriots arrayed against royal authori-
~, and there is still room for fair ar
rument that theirs was the first martyr
blood Of the revolution.