The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-04

was .causeway leading westeriy over
iow ground In the direction OF Acton.
Several companies of the American forces
took position on the west side Of this
bridge upon an eminence now called
battle Lawn where the enemys move
ments could be watched
The British entered the town at about
81 o'clock In the morning, marching IN two
columns-one IN the main road and the
other on the hill to the north. Reaching
the village without opposition they sent
forward a detachment to- secure the
bridges. while The main body went In pur-
suit of the stores. The patriots from
their point of vantage not only saw the
British gathered at the bridge. but also
saw smoke arising from the village. and.
fearing for the ia te nf their families de-
termined to recross the bridge In the face
of the enemy and march to the center OF
the town. The British. seeing the ,Ameri-,
cans approach. crossed to the east side
Of the bridge ard commenced taking up
the planks.
Seeing their sohieet.= the minute men
rushed forward, and. when within few
rods of the bridge were fred upon by the
British. one of their number being wound
ed The British immediately hred an
other volley, killing Captain Davis and
Abner Hosmer, Of the Acton company.
The provinclals returned the fire. killing
two British soldiers and wouuding- several
bridge, firing as they ran. and the British
detachment broke and fed precipitateiy
along the road toward the village joining
the main body of the Kings troops near
the meeting house.
By this time the wheIe surrounding
country was up in arms. The British.
thwarted ia their designs and seeing the
aggressive movements Of the provincials.
now greatly reinforced by arrivals from
neighboring towns. became uneasy as to,
their safety. and at noon began TO re
treat At Merriam's corner they were at
! tackled by he AmeEtcans With consider
/ able loss. FroRi -thfs spdtnts It became q
/ tight from every .hotse, sbhrn. wall or
covert, and finally the retreat became n
rout. Back. back they he'd, past the
Lexington green, the scene of the morning
battle dispirited and welEHlgh exhausted,
/ ana nothing but the timely arrival OF
Lord Percy with his Tfeihforce.neuts and
cannon saved them from utter destrue-
ton ~
This was about 2 o'clock IN the after
noon. The cannon we're planted on the
! high ground where the high school now
stands, and at this point u stone cannon
has been placed by the Lexington His
torleal Society to mark the spot where
Lord Percy came to the relief OF his fee
ing army.
Concord also has It's monument 10 the
minute men,, which is right and fitting.
As one stands upon Monument street aud
looks down an avenue Of noble trees he
sees today Daniel e.. Frenchs splendid
bronze static. "The Minute Men The
trees form such q canopy ia the summer
that one does not suspect the monument
is the other side OF the Concord RMer.
To get 10 II one must cross the North
Bridge where the battle was fought
and emerge upon the @Batt. Lawn,
where the patriots stood watching the ap-
proaeh Of the British on Ant nehoraBis
morning The statue stands near the
spot where the gallant Capiaan Davis fell.
pierced BY a British bullet. 8
The statue is wonderfully effective and
lifelikes simple ana noble Ia it's repose,
but IL las not the dramatic power OF the
Parker statue ut Lexington. still, It
may be III a sense more typical, as Il
stands beside tue plow, musket a hand.
1t is set upon splendid block VI granite,
which ruises IL high enough -, permit IL
to make an imposing picture from the
road on the orheE side Of the bridge On
the front OF the granite are cut these
! lines by the philOs0Dher-pOet Emerson,
whose residence IL Concord intensines its
historic interest:
BY the rude bridge that arched the Hood.
Their nag to ApTiis breeze unfurled,
| Here once the embattIed farmers stood.
And fred the shot heard round the wOxId.
Others beside Emerson, OF the genera
ton Of Americans following that OF the
/ patriot fathers. helped 10 nuke Concord
/ the objective point of pilgrims Here
lived Henry d. Ihoreau, the nature lover.
and the Halter OF sham and APPLICABILITY.
! Here lived and wrote Nathaniel Haw-
thorne and Louisa ID. Alcott, and here
was the famous school" Of the Transcen--
dentalists founded By Emerson Here
may still be visited the sOld Nanse'' In
which Hawthorne spent his honeymoon
and wrote bis Moses from an Old
! Manse," and onlv 4 short walk away. on
/ the Lexington road, Is the 'sWayaIde,s
into which Hawthorne. moved after 10
years OF residences in the '.Old Manse.''
! The 'fWaysldey was the Bronson Alcott
| home, and. Hawthorne purchased It in
| 1852 on his return to Concord after an
| absence Of several years. 1t Is at the
] foot Of long steep hill, thlckly grown
/ with hemiock and pine, a place especially
suited for one Of HRWthorne's solitary
| disposition and well calculated to permit
/ full scope to his imaginative faculty. Or
| the crest of hill near the house, which
| Mrs. Hawthorne called his Mount Of
| Vision" he was accustomed TO take a
solitary walks while he brooded over his
last romance. On the rnain structure he
| erected for his study a large square room
! which he called the Tower" This tower
was entered by a trap door, and upon this
door Hawthorne would place his chair
| when writing to secure hissseciusion from
1 ali intrude=s. 1ns.fsThe Weyside~ be re-
sided until his death in 1884
Here he was at work on -Septlmus Eel
ton" the scene Of which was The Way
side" and the period the Revolution.
when death overlook him and tho romancs
4 was left unfinished
Here IN seeIusion and remote from men
The wizard hand lies cold,
Which at its ropmost speed let fall the pa
j And left the tale half told. \"