Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-04-19
Battle of Lexington
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fintO the village They did not follow
up the attack.
A little before noon, though none Of
the objects of the expedition had been
accomplished, Colonel Smith began 10
realize the danger of his position. and
started on his retreat TO Boston. His
men were in no mood for fight. They
had marched Is miles and had eaten
little or nothing for II hours. Strag
Cling combats ensued from time to
time; the ineessant, CALLING fire at
length threw them into hopeless con
| fusion Leaving their wounded scat
tered along the road, they had already
passed by the village green of Lex
ington in disorderly flight, when they
were saved by Lord Percy, who had
marched out through Brookline and
Cambridge to their assistance, with
1900 men and two field pieces. Form
ing his men in a hollow square, Percy
inelosed the fugitives, whO in dire ex-
haustion, threw themselves upon the
ground, "their tongues hanging out OF
their mouths, SAYS Colonel Stedman.
like those of dogs after a chase.
MANY had thrown away their muskets,
and Pitcairn had lost his horse, with
the elegant pistols which had fired the
first shot of the war of independence,
and which may be seen today, along
with other trophies, in the town IL
brary of Lexington.
Percy's timely arrival checked the
pursuit for an hour. and gave the
starved and weary men chance for
food and rest A few houses were
pillaged and set on fire, but at 3
clock General Heath and DR.. Warren
arrived on the scene and took com
mand of the militia, and the irregu
lar fight was renewed. When Percy
reached Mcnotemy (now Arlington), l.,
seven miles from Boston, his passage
was disputed by a fresh force of mi
litia, while pursuers pressed hard on
his rear, and it was only after an
obstinate fight that he succeeded in
forcing his way. When, at sunset,
the troops entered Charlestown, under
the welcome shelter of the fleet, it
was upon the full run. They were not a
moment too soon. for Colonel Pickering
with 700 Essex militia, on the way to
intercept them, had already reached
Winter Hill; and had their road been
blocked by this fresh force they must.
in all probability, have surrendered.
On this eventful day the British lost
273 of their number, while the Ameri-
cans lost 90. The expedition had been
a failure, the whole British force had
barely escaped capture, and it had
been shown that the people could not
be frightened into submission. 1t had
been shown, too, how efficient the
town system of organized militia might
prove on a sudden emergency. The
most interesting feature of the day
is the rapidity and skill with which
the different bodies of minute men,
marching from long distances, were
massed a those points on the road
where they might most etfectuallv
impede the British retreat. But though
the pursuit was then ended, these men
did not return to their homes. At
noon of that day the alarm had
reached Worcester. Early next morn
ing Israel Putnam was plowing field
at Pomfret, in Connecticut, when the
news arrived Leaving orders for the
militia companies to follow, he jumped
on his horse, and, riding 100 miles
in is hours, arrived in Cambridge on
the morning of the twenty first, just
in time to meet John Stark with the
first company from New Hampshire.
At midday of the twentieth the col
lege green at New Haven swarmed