Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-06-29
THE FRS B A TILE.
IN THE WAR FOR OUR INDIE
PENDENCE.
How the American Farmers Drove the
British Back to Charlestown--The
i Latter Were Permitted to Fire tho
q Opening Guns


eighteen miles northwest of Boston
The gray-haired sires have gathered
their little flocks about them, read
chapter from the Good Book and pray
/, ed for King George and the Colony Of
Massachusetts,. The fires have beer
raked up in the open hearths, the can
dies have been extinguished and the
good people of the little village have
retired for their rest.
Suddenly the clatter Of horses
hoofs are heard, echoing along the
road, leading from Lexington and
young DR.. Prescott, who has spent the
evening in that village, gallops into
the town and sends up the cry: The
red-coats are coming! Awake!
Awake!"
The news which DR.. Prescott brings
is dire news indeed. One Paul Re-
we're and a man named Dawes have
galloped from Boston to Lexington
with the information that the British
regulars to the number of 500 under
Col. Francis Smith and Maj. Pitcairn
are on the march toward Lexington
and Concord. Their purpose is the
capture of Samuel Adams and John
Hancock, two colonial leaders whose
activity and fearlessness have made
them especially obnoxious to Gen.
Gage and the destruction of military
stores which Gage has learned are
hidden in Concord. The doctor reports
that he was present when Adams and
Hancock were aroused from their beds
at the HancockClark house and IN"
duced to fee; that he and Revere and
Dawes then started for Concord; that
the two Boston messengers were sur
rounded and captured, but that he
leaned his horse over stone wall and
managed to escape by riding hard
across the fields.
The people are thoroughly aroused
bv his story and messengers are sent
out afoot and ahorse to alarm the peo-
pie of other villages, while the local
ninute-men gather and parade in the
darkness of the Common. AS daylight
comes, Col. James Barrett, commander
of the militia, hurres hither and thlth-
er directing the work OF removing the
military stores to new hiding places,
the farmers gladly rendering their
huge wagons and OK teams to the SER
vice. Even the women carry away
ammunition and hide it in their feath-
er beds While Col. Barrett is thus
engaged, Maj. Buttrick leads the
minute-men. to the number Of fifty
or more, to the top of the Old Hill
burying ground, directly overlooking
the Common and the road from Lex
1ngton. There are some fiery spirits
among them, but the majority are
sober-minded men-men who do not
want war, who are still loyal subjects
Of his dull-brained majesty, King
George, but who would die rather than
yield one jot or title of what they be-
lieye to be their just rights. Moving
among them with prayers and words
of encourag ement is their beloved min
lister. Rev. William Emerson, whose
grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, is to
become famous the world over, CEN
fury later.
The devoted little band on the hill
await they know not what. Perhaps
the red coats will turn back when
they see the colonists are disposed
to oppose them in their work of des-
troying the military stores. They did
so at Salem and other places.
1t is about I o'clock when the scouts
whom Mai. Buttrick has sent out on
the Lexington road hurry back and re-
port that the regulars are almost on
them and that they are in great force
There are GOO light infantrymen and
200 grenadiers. Maj. Buttrick's little
company of minute-men has by this
time been swelled to perhaps $50, for
the alarm has been widely spread and
minute-men are constantly arriving in
twos. in dozens and in scores. Shall
they retreat and take up new posi-
ton? There is difference of opinion
among them. Rev. William Emerson
grand old preacher-patriot that he Is
argues against retreat.
Let us stand our ground he says;
eff we die, let us die here!'
How like is this to the command
which Parker had given his minute
men on Lexington Common only E
few hours previously: stand your
ground, Don't fire unless fired on
But if they mean to have war let i
begin here!'
AS the minute-men march away tt
the north the British troops enter tn
village Col Smith Immediately de
tails a number of men to search TO
and destroy military stores in the cen
ter of the village. To prevent the pos
sible arrival of companies Of minute
men from other towns he sends com
pany to guard the South bridge, an
orders Capt. Lawrence to take ST.
companies and proceed to the Mort
bridge. to which he learns the loca
minute-men have already retired. Ar
irving at the North bridge and seem
the minute-men grouped across tn
river, On the hill to the right, Cap
Lawrence leaves three companies un
der Capt. Laurie to guard the bridg
II ho co,,dc tho othor fhrpp rom