The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-19
TODAY WE %cELgsRATE.

TODAY WE CELEBRATE.
New York Claims Honor OF lnauaur.
atfns the Revolution
.! In these warlike times the battles
of the past become Of more than usual
interest. and tits probable that more
people are studying history than ever
before In the worlds history. One
interesting conflict which is not gen.
orally included in the lists Of momen.
tous battles-which, indeed. is scarce.
ly known except to the specialist in
American colonial history-was the
battle" OF the Golden Hill, which
was fought in New York city las
years ago today, January 10, 1910. It
was currently described as a riot, and
in fact ii was nothing more, but It
marked the beginning Of a conflict
between the %colonists and the Brit.
ish authorities which was to result
in open revolution and the establish.
ment Of a new nation. Moreover, the
battle Of the Golden Hill is historic
because in IT was shed the first blood
of the revolution. It is this battle
which gives New York the right to
dispute the priority Of New England
in splitting blood for the revolution.
aryl cause.
The battle was fought near the
corner o fCliff and John streets, ia
lower Manhattan. on the afternoon
of Friday, January 10, 1870. "A bronze
tablet on a building at the corner Of
William and Ann streets proclaims
that spot to be the scene of the
First bloodshed in the Revolution, 7
but investigation has disclosed that
the tablet was long ago removed from
its original site. According to the
tablet, the fghttoccurred on January
18th, but this has been found TO be
an error.
The Sons OF Liberty had erected
"a liberty pole In the open field near
the present City Hall: British sol.
diers destroyed this pole, but another
was put in its place. This was also
destroyed. as were two others. On
January 10th the soldiers posted bills
in which the Sons Of Liberty were
warned to erect no more poles. The
language Of the warning was SO Wig.
orous as to excite many citizens to
wrath. Later some OF the soldiers
had printed a number Of bills ridi-
culing the Sons Of Liberty, and two
Of them were arrested for disturbing
the peace. The soldiers gathered
with the intention Of rescuing their
companions. and the Sons Of Liberty
assembled for the purpose Of uphold;
Ing the magistrates. The trops and
citizens clashed at Golden Hill. The
attitude Of the crowd became very
threatening, and one Of the soldiers.
"suspected to have been an officer
in disguise" gave the order to the
troops to draw their bayonets and
cut their way through.
The citizens resisted with sticks
and stones, and several Of the sol.
diers we're severely pummelled. The
blood that was shed was not that of
British troops, however. but Of citi.
Gems who were slashed by bayonets.
A part Of this historic blood issued
from the cut finger Of a fisherman.
A clearwater cartman" else shed gse1.
eral ounces Of blood from a wound
In his leg. and another man. des:
cribed simply as "a Quaker" was
slashed in the face. Several others
engaged in the riot received small
wounds, but the total OF the blood
shed in the battle" Of Golden Hill
would probably not have filed q tea.
cup. Most Of the Sons Of Liberty
took to their heels when the soldiers
charged, and the battle. was soon
over. Taken by and large, compared
with the battles new being fought in
Europe, the conflict on Golden Hin
was not Of avery serious nature; but
Il! gives the New Yorker the right to
sneer at the Bostonian's pretensions
Of priority In the matter Of fomenting
the struggle which made the United.
States a nation. Nearly four years
passed after the wounding Of the tea.
water cartman and his comrades be.
fore the Bostonians dumped the tea
into the bay. The out finger Of the
New York fisherman points In scorn,
at the belated patriots Of New Eng;
land.
Mannlsd.
Il was nc a concert. The eminent
pianist was smbarked upon an ambi:
tious -ciaasieaf nrosram The sin,leSin.