Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
BIZ RANDOLPH G. ADAMS.

NJ u
1t is pertinent to recall what
Americans have believed took
place. 1t is not always the facts that
count, SO much as what people believe
to be the facts. Years, often decades,
must elapSe before the findings of the
scientific investigator filter down into
the school textbooks--yet 1t is these
textbooks which often form our earliest
and most indelible impressions OF his
torical events
Consider the Battle OF Lexington,
which precipitated the Revolutionary
War. If one reads John Fishes "The
American Revolution" one gains this
general impression:
In the Winter of TITS, Gen. Thomas
Gage, commander of the British armies
in North America was acutely aware
of the fact some one was stirring up
rebellion. The two principal offenders
were one Samuel Adams and one John
Hancock. On being authorized from
London, Gage determined to arrest
these leaders and to stifle their activi-
ties. 1t was known to Gage that
Adams and Hancock were at Lexington
Move for Arrests Related.
eft would doubtless" (says Fiske),
'be easier to seize them there than in
Boston, and, accordingly on the night
of the 18th of April, TITS, Gage
Lieut. Col Smith, to march to Lexing-
ton, and, after seizing the patriot
leaders, to proceed to Concord, and
capture and destroy the military stores
which had for some time been collect
ing there.
The advance was commanded by Maj.
john Pitcairn of the British Marines.
On Lexington green they were met by
the American Minute Men. Fiske says
Pitcairn ordered the Americans to dis
perse land when they stood motionleSs
he (Pitcairn), gave the order to fire.
AS the soldiers hesitated to obey, he
discharged his own pistol, and repeated
the order, whereupon a deadly volley
wounded TO-" The war was on.
For more than century this was
the American idea of the beginning OF
the Revolution. What few musty and
ANTIQUARIAN scholars might believe made
no difference to patriotic textbook
writers and speakers at political gath
ering. Recently, however, the anti
quarians have become more vocal They
have questioned the accuracy of the
old story-not from motives of debunk-
ing history, but from sheer love OF
truth.
British Papers Found.
Nowhere have they received greater
support than in the discovery and the
return to America of the archives ana
papers Of the two British commanders
in chief, Gen. Thomas Gage and Gen.
Sir Henry Clinton. These generals
fought, and lost, the War Of the Reyo-
luton, but they did not lose their mill
tary papers. For q century and half
the Gage papers and the Clinton papers
slurnbered in private houses in England,
where they had been placed by the re-
turning and defeated generals.
No English historian wanted to dis
with glories Of Marlborough, yelling
ton or Lord Roberts to take up his at
tention? No American historian thought
Of such papers. Why should he, with
the mountains Of American archives on
the subject right In his own country?
A few adventurous Americans, Ike
Jared Sparks of Harvard, did ransack
English archives, but Sparks kept close
" to the public, not the private collec-
lions. And that was q life work, Of
which the present Harvard Library Is,
and may well be, proud.
Bought by American.
It remained, therefore; for q twen-
tieth century American business man to
ind and to bring back to America the
most important British papers on the
Revolution. From 1908 to 1928 Mich
1gan manufacturer collected an aston
ishing library Of rare and important
books relating TO American history from
the earliest times. In 1928 he gave the
entire collection to his alma mater, the
University of Michigan. Then he began
to collect historical manuscripts.
In 1926 he obtained the British head
quarters papers of Sir Henry Clinton.
In 1880 he bought from the present
~ H.
the papers of Gen. Thomas Gage, who.
as Fiske points out, started that expe-
dition out to Concord on the fateful
April 19, ITS. What news Of Lexing-
ton and Concord do these papers con-
tain?
On April 10 Gen. Gage was worried
and annoyed-not so much by those
buzzing hornets Adams and Hancock,
as by the positive information that the
rebellious Americans around Boston
were gathering arms and ammunition
and that they did not intend to go bird
shooting with that ammunition. There
fore, he drew toward him a sheet of
paper. On it he made out list of the
munitions he had learned the Ameri-
cans were storing at Concord. Upon
the lower half of the same sheet he
wrote an order to an officer under his
command to go out to Concord and de-
Stroy those stores.
Original Draft Discovered.
This draft, truly the piece Of paper
that started the American Revolution,
has just come to light. After 156 years
It has been brought back to America
among the thousands Of Gen. Cages
papers. Here It is:
GENERAL CAGES INSTRUCTIONS
TO LIEUT.. COL. SMITH
18th Of April, ITS
-Four Brass Cannon and two Mortars
or Cohorns with a number Of smaller
arms In the cellar or out Houses of
Mr.. Barrett a little on the other side
Of the Bridge where is also lodged
Quantity Of Powder and Lead.
Ten Iron Cannon before the Town
House and two within It which Town
House Is in the Center of the Town
The Ammunition said Guns within the
House.
Three Guns, "a Founders, lodged in
the Prison yard with q quantity of
Cartridges and Provision.
"A Quantity Of Provision and AM
Ynunition In other places the Principal
Deposits are the House Of MessrS. Hub
bard, near the Meeting. Butler. Jones
the tailor, near Hubbards, two men Of
the name Of Bond, and particularly at
Mr.. Whitneys who lives on the Right
Hand near at the entrance of the Town.
at a House plaistered white a small
yard in front and rallied Fence large
Quantity Of Powder and ball Is reported
70 be deposited in his stores adjoining
the house.
Secret March Ordered.
"sh,
"A Quantity Of Ammunition and