The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1926-07-01

AA TIC lhuch-quoteu iineS
farmers stood
And fired tho shot heard round the
he made use of poetic license to take
sides In an historical controversy that
even yet has not been settled, CEN
fury and half after the so-ealled
Battle Of Lexington, to which 1t refers.
That controversy Is still warm and,
the chances are will always find par
takers, especially In the towns of Lex
lngton and Concord Mass. rivals for
the honors of patriotism. 1t was re-
vived by the recent historical celebra-
tion at Lexington.
Was there really "a battle" at Lex
ington, when Major PitcaIrn's British
troops killed eight American militia
menf The phase, fired the shot
heard round the world" would lead
one to believe that In the engagement
that marked the first outbreak Of hos
tilities the colonials offered stiff OPP
position, but the truth Is that right
after the fight they were very careful
to deny any shots whatever had been
fred on their side.
Treason Then.
Firing on British troops meant open
rebellion, and the colonists at this
time. 1775. were petitioning for their
rights, not fighting for freedom. In
dependence had hardly been thought
Of The battle" OF Lexington was
nothing less than treason.
! The Massachusetts provincial con-
gress, then meeting at WATERFOWL,
acted cannlly and lawyerlike says
the New York Herald The deposit
lions of 90 persons were taken TO
prove that the Colonlals were dlspers-
ing on Pitcairn's order and 1t was
admitted only by implication that the
"shot heard round the world" had
actually been fired. The report was
then rushed to England to beat Gen
eral Cages official report. The necks
of prominent citizens were at stake.
Different Later.
II was In 1924, almost a half cen
fury later, that the Lexingtonlans re-
versed themselves. The Marquis de
Lafayette, on a visit, was told the
Revolution started at Concord, and
the men of Lexington then Indignantly
came forward with the assertion that
the affair with the Minute men was
nothing less than pitched battle,
despite the existence of the CO deposit
lions fresh set of dispositions was
taken from the old-tlmers who remem-
bered the engagement to prove that
at Lexington the patriots offered tho
first resistance to the oppressor.
I Concord called up the past to prove
that the first determined resistance
had been offered there on Pitcairn's
retreat. But Lexington has been
awarded large share of the credit,
thanks largely to Emerson.
4 Historic Portsmouth.
The launching last year at Ports
mouth, N H., of a submarine boat
about twice as large as any ever built
before by our navy, and probably the
equal In power and efficiency of any
III the world, is in itself gratifying
incident. But in addition II recalls
some historic and patriotic assoeia-
lions of the old New Hampshire town
which are well worth eherishing, and
one of which, perhaps the greatest
and most significant of all, has been
far too much neglected.
II was four months before the
famous night ride to Concord and Lex
ngton, and the consequent shot
heard round the world" Paul Revere
came riding with desperate speed into
Durham to tell John Sullivan, for the
Boston Committee of Safety, that
! George III had put an embargo on
importations of arms and ammunition
into the colonies. and was sending
two regiments up from Boston to
occupy Portsmouth and its harbor
tort.
Seized Precious Powder.
That night John Sullivan got
busy" With John Langdon. Thomas
Pickering, Winborn Adams and per-
haps score more, he took one OF
those ungainly but capacious Down
East boats known as 'gondolas' and
went down the river nine miles to
the fort. He surprised the place, cap
tured 1t without shot or a blow, and
took all Its munitions-a hundred
muskets and hundred kegs of pow
der-back to Durham in the gondola
and hid them for future use under
meath the Durham meeting house.
Incidentally, he had all the men take
of their boots and wade ashore aud
enter the fort harefooted. so as TO
make no noise, and remain bare
footed In the boat all the way back,
lest nail In boot-heel strike fire
and explode the powder-and II was
mid December In New HAMPSHIRE
Led TO British Raid.
II was that exploit of Sullivan's
that provoked the British four months
later to try TO raid the patriot stores
/ at Concord, with momentous results.
Moreover. some of that very powder
carted from Durham down to Charles
town In John Demeritt's ox-cart, al