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 Phinney 
 
 History of the Battle at 
 
 Lexington
 
 OF THE 
 
 BATTLE AT LEXINGTON, 
 
 OX THE MORNING OF THE 
 
 19TH AFRX, 1775. 
 
 ELIAS PHINNEY. 
 
 PRINTED BY PHELPS AND FARNHAM, 
 
 No. 5, Court Street. 
 
 1825.
 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BATTLE AT LEXINGTON, 
 
 ON THE MORNING OF THE 
 
 19TH APRIL, 1775. 
 
 BY 
 
 ELIAS PHINNEY. 
 
 PRINTED BY PHELPS AND FARNHAM, 
 No. 5, Court Street. 
 
 1825.
 
 FBAXKLijf PEESS : 
 
 BAND, AVERT, 4 Co., BOSTON. 
 
 1875.
 
 TO THE 
 
 SURVIVING 
 OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LEXINGTON COMPANY OF MILITIA, 
 
 WHO RAISED THE FIRST STANDARD OF 
 
 OPPOSITION TO BRITISH TYRANNY, 
 
 ON THE EVER-MEMORABLE MORNING OF THE 
 
 THIS 
 HUMBLE, THOUGH SINCERE 
 
 TRIBUTE OF GRATITUDE 
 
 FOR THEIR 
 HEROICK DEVOTEDNESS TO THE CAUSE OF CIVIL LIBERTY, 
 
 DISPLAYED ON 
 THAT TRYING AND MOMENTOUS OCCASION, 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR.
 
 BELIEVING that the facts in regard to the first resistance to 
 British tyranny at Lexington on the morning of the 19th of April, 
 1775, may be of interest to the American public at the present 
 time, we publish this facsimile of a little volume faithfully and 
 truthfully prepared by an eminent citizen of the town in confornity 
 with a vote passed Dec. 13, 1824. 
 
 To this we add a cut of the battle, from an old well-authenticated 
 picture, showing the position of forces, buildings, &c. 
 
 C. A. WELLINGTON. 
 LEXINGTON, April, 1875.
 
 JVO apology, it is presumed, will be deemed necessary for plac- 
 ing before the publick, at this time, the following statement of 
 facts, relative to the affair at Lexington, on the morning of the 
 19th of April, 1775. Tho.-e, who have undertaken to relate the 
 events of that day, have omitted many important facts and cir- 
 cumstances, the tendency of which has been to diminish, in the 
 publick estimation, the importance to the country of the stand 
 made by the militia of Lexington on that morning. The charac- 
 ter of the evidence, upon which historians have relied for inform- 
 ation on this subject, may, no doubt, be ascribed as the cause of 
 this omission. This consisted, principally, of certain ex parte 
 depositions and individual statements, taken and made for parti- 
 cular purposes, immediately after the affair happened. Gen. 
 Gage, and other apologists of British outrage, had asserted, that 
 the people of Lexington commenced the attack upon the king's 
 troops. The records and statements* of the transactions of that 
 morning, which have been generally referred to, were made with 
 a view of contradicting these false accounts, of giving to the 
 conduct of the British soldiery at Lexington the effect of rousing 
 the just indignation of an oppressed and injured people, to 
 exonerate Capt. Parker, and the company under his command, 
 from the charge of rashness, or of having done more than was 
 actually necessary in self-defence, and also to persuade the 
 people of this country and of Great Britain, that the king's troops, 
 in the attack made upon the militia at Lexington, had been guilty 
 of an act of the most deliberate murder. The question, then, to 
 be decided was, whether the Americans fired FIRST, not whether 
 they fired AT ALL. Besides, the principle of law, that a person 
 was not bound to state any facts in evidence, which might tend 
 to criminate himself, was as well known at that day as at the 
 present. The struggle had just commenced, and the issue was 
 
 * Depositions of Capt. John Parker and others, Narrative by the 
 Rev. Jonas Clark, and A Letter of Rev. William Gordon to a Gentle- 
 man in England, published in this country in 1776.
 
 8 
 
 ing it highly probable, that the people of this colony would resist 
 the execution of their bloody and tyrannical proceedings, passed 
 another law, about the same time, providing, that, if any person 
 should be indicted for murder or other capital offence committed 
 in aiding magistracy, the governour might send such person to 
 another colony, or to Great Britain, to be tried.* This was pro- 
 viding a more summary mode than a publick mock trial, to take 
 the life of the accused citizen, and subjected him at once to the 
 Briti.-h bayonet. In the first place, it was not probable, that a 
 grand jury, thus selected by the sheriff, would indict the soldier, 
 who might be guilty of murdering a citizen ; but, if this unex- 
 pected event of being indicted should happen, the law provided 
 for him a retreat from danger. 
 
 Gen. Gage arrived in Boston the 13th May, 1774. On the 
 6th September following, the delegates of Suffolk county re- 
 solved, that no obedience was due to the said acts. Gen. Warren 
 is supposed to have written these resolves, which were afterward 
 expressly sanctioned by the Continental Congress. In the same 
 month, the Provincial Congress resolved to enlist men to turn out 
 at a minute's warning, and elected three generals, Preble, Ward 
 and Pomeroy. In November, they resolved to raise twelve 
 thousand men, and that a fourth part of the militia should be en- 
 listed as minute men, and notified the neighbouring colonies, and 
 the ministers of the several towns in the province, of these bold 
 and patriotick resolutions, and apprized them of the bloody 
 scenes, which they apprehended to be approaching. 
 
 In the same month of November, the king informed his Par- 
 liament, that he bad taken measures to carry these laws into ex- 
 ecution, which the House of Commons, in their answer, approved, 
 as did also the House of Lords. At this portentous moment, 
 Lord Chatham, who clearly perceived, that some catastrophe, 
 awful and tremendous to England, would soon take place in 
 Massachusetts, suddenly appeared in the House of Peers, and 
 exerted his utmost eloquence to have the British troops removed 
 from Boston ; but in vain. 
 
 On the 9th February, 1775, the Lords and Commons jointly 
 addressed the king, and requested him to enforce obedience to 
 
 * Eolmes's Annals, Vol. n. page 308.
 
 9 
 
 these laws, and assured him they would stand by him with their 
 lives and property.* 
 
 On the same 9th day of February, the Provincial Congress of 
 Massachusetts, then in session at Cambridge, resolved, that " Jede- 
 diah Preble, Artemas Ward, Sath Pomeroy, John Thomas, and 
 William Heath, be, and hereby are appointed general officers, 
 whose business and duty it shall be, with such and so many of 
 the militia of this province as r>hall be assembled by order of the 
 Committee of Safety, effectually to oppose and resist such attempt 
 or attempts as shall be made for carrying into execution an act of 
 the British Parliament, entitled ' An Act for the better regulation 
 of the government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New 
 England,' and who shall attempt the carrying into execution by 
 force another act of the British Parliament, entitled ' An Act 
 for the more impartial administration of justice in cases of per- 
 sons, who shall be questioned for any act done by them in the 
 execution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults 
 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay,' so long as the said mili- 
 tia shall be retained by the Committee of Safety, and no longer. 
 And the said general officers shall, while in said service, com- 
 mand, lead, and conduct in the said opposition, in the order 
 in which they are above named." Preble declined the service, 
 and, on the 15th February, John Whitcomb was appointed in his 
 place, f 
 
 The nature and object of the laws mentioned in this resolve, 
 have been before explained. This resolve, which is, in fact, little 
 short of a declaration of war against an empire, at that time, 
 perhaps, the most powerful in the eastern hemisphere, by one 
 of its provinces, is very remarkable for its calm language, mi- 
 nute details, and great precision. It indicates the great dignity 
 and the exalted patriotism of the Provincial Congress, and. at 
 the same time, is demonstrative of a consciousness, that the jus- 
 tice of their cause did not admit of a doubt. The contrast ex- 
 hibited by the king's speech, and the Parliamentary proceedings 
 of the same period, is equally remarkable. In them, violent de- 
 nunciations indicate the tumult and rage of unprincipled men, 
 
 * Holmes's Annals, Vol. II. t Heath's Memoirs. 
 
 2
 
 10 
 
 conscious, that they were exerting a mighty force in a wicked 
 and infamous cause. 
 
 The immediate cause, then, of the Battle of Lexington, was 
 the attempt of the British troops to carry into -execution these 
 arbitrary and detestable laws, directly, by seizing the persons of 
 some eminent patriots, and indirectly, by destroying the Provin- 
 cial stores. The issue, for the trial of which the appeal to arms 
 was finally made, was, whether the British king and his soldiers 
 should take the lives of our citizens at their pleasure. 
 
 The town of Lexington is about twelve miles north-west of 
 Boston, and six miles south-east of Concord. It was originally a 
 part of Cambridge, and, previous to its separation from that town, 
 was called the " Cambridge Farms." The act of incorporation 
 bears date March 20, 1712. The inhabitants consist principally of 
 hardy and independent yeomanry. In 1775, the list of enrolled 
 militia bore the names of over one hundred citizens. 
 
 The road leading from Boston divides near the centre of the 
 village in Lexington. The part leading to Concord passes to the 
 ]eft, and that leading to Bedford to the right of the meeting- 
 house, and form two sides of a triangular green or common, 
 on the south corner of which stands the meeting-house, 
 facing directly down the road leading to Boston. The road 
 is perfectly straight for about one hundred rods below the 
 meeting-house, and nearly level. The common is a pleasant, 
 level green, containing about two acres, surrounded by trees, 
 having, on the left, a gently rising knoll, on which stands a monu- 
 ment, of granite, " erected by the town in 1799, under the 
 patronage and at the expense of the Commonwealth," and bears 
 the names of those who " fell the first victims to the sword" of 
 British aggression, on the morning of the 19th of April, 1775. 
 The meeting-house, which was built in 1794, stands about twenty 
 feet north of the ground, on which the former house stood. At 
 the right of the meeting-house, and separated from it by the road 
 leading to Bedford, stands the tavern house, late Buckman's, 
 now Meriam's. On the north side of the green, in the rear of the 
 meeting-house, at about twenty rods distant, are a number of 
 buildings, standing nearly on a line, which forms the northern 
 boundary of the common. North of these is a tract of low,
 
 swampy ground ; behind which the land becomes hilly. The 
 other grounds in the neighbourhood of the village are hilly and 
 broken. 
 
 At a veiy early period of those controversies with the mother 
 country, which preceded the revolutionary war, the inhabitants 
 of Lexington took a firm and decided stand in favour of the 
 rights and liberties of the province. On all questions, which 
 agitated the publick mind, they unanimously acted with prompt- 
 ness and energy. Earnest in their professions of attachment to 
 the common cause, they cheerfully made every sacrifice, which 
 the common good required. Their pastor, the late Rev. Jonas 
 Clark, had been their minister from the year 1755. His alli- 
 ance, by marriage, to the family of John Hancock* led to an 
 intimacy between them, which subsisted as long as Gov. Han- 
 cock lived. To this circumstance may, in some measure, be at- 
 tributed the early participation, as well as the firm and spirited 
 patriotism manifested by Mr. Clark, on all subjects connected 
 with the liberty and independence of the country. Few men 
 could appeal to the hearts or understandings of their hearers 
 with better effect ; and no clergyman did more to strengthen the 
 hands and encourage the hearts of his people. To a mind well 
 endowed with practical knowledge, Mr. Clark joined an unusual 
 share of well directed zeal, and an ardency of character, which 
 would have gained him distinction in a sphere much more ele- 
 vated than the one, in which he was destined to move. His 
 spirited eloquence was employed, ou all proper occasions, in 
 rousing his hearers to a sense of the dangers, which threatened 
 their liberties, and in urging them to the adoption of measures, 
 which might either avert, or enable them to meet without dis- 
 may the impending crisis. 
 
 The records of the town of Lexington furnish ample and 
 honourable testimony of the interest which was felt, and the 
 zeal with which the inhabitants participated in those important 
 
 * Mrs. Clark's mother was the sister of Gov. Hancock. The Rev. 
 John Hancock, grandfather of Gov. Hancock, was the immediate pre- 
 decessor of Mr. Clark, in the ministry, at Lexington. His eldest son, 
 the Rev. John Hancock of Braintree, a highly accomplished preacher, 
 was father of the governonr.
 
 12 
 
 publick measures, -which resulted in our glorious revolution. 
 In 1765, the inhabitants, in publick town meeting, unanimously 
 expressed their disapprobation of the stamp act. They com- 
 plained, " that it was unequal, unjust, and imposing a yoke upon 
 them too heavy to be borne, a direct violation of the rights and 
 privileges secured to them by the charter." At the same time, 
 they instructed their "representative in the Great and General 
 Court not to encourage, aid or assist in the execution of said act ; 
 but to endeavour, as far as consistent with allegiance and duty to 
 their lightful sovereign, by all calm and dispassionate, but with 
 firm, explicit and resolute measures, to assert their charter rights 
 and privileges; and to have the same so entered upon record, 
 that the world might see, and future generations know, that the 
 present both knew and valued their lights, and did not tamely 
 resign them for chains and slavery." 
 
 At a publick meeting of the inhabitants of the town, in 1768, 
 called for the purpose of taking into consideration the distressing 
 situation of the province, after reciting the charter of William 
 and Maiy, by which all the rights and immunities of free and 
 natural subjects, which, were enjoyed by those born within the 
 realm of England, were granted to the inhabitants of this pro- 
 vince, and that the General Court therein constituted have the 
 sole right to impose all taxes necessary for the support of his 
 majesty's government of the province, and the protection of his 
 subjects therein, it was resolved, "that the attempt of tho 
 Biiiish Parliament to levy money within this province, in any 
 other manner than is pointed out by the said royal charter, is a 
 violation thereof." They protested against the right of the king 
 or Parliament to tax them, except by their own consent, or by 
 representatives of their own free election ; or to maintain stand- 
 ing armies among them in time of peace. At the same time, 
 they made choice of a suitable person " to join such as were, or 
 might be, sent from the several towns in the province, to consult 
 and advise what might be best for the publick good at that criti- 
 cal juncture." 
 
 In December, 1772, they earnestly recommended to their 
 representative in ' the Great Court of Inquest for the Province," 
 " to use his utmost influence, by all impartial and dispassionate
 
 13 
 
 measures, to effect a radical and lasting redress of their grievan- 
 ces, so that, whether successful or nob, succeeding generations 
 might know, that they understood their rights and liberties, and 
 were neither ashamed nor afraid to assert and maintain them ; 
 and that they might have the consolation, in their chains, that it 
 was not through their neglect, that the people were enslaved." 
 
 In December, 1773, the towu unanimously resolved, that 
 they would not, either directly or indirectly, be concerned in 
 buying, selling or using any of the teas sent out by the East 
 India Company, or that should be imported, subject to a duty 
 imposed by an act of Parliament made for the purpose of raising 
 a revenue in Ameiica; and that if any head of a family in that 
 town, or any other person, should, from that time forth, or until 
 the duty was taken off, purchase, use or consume any tea in their 
 families, they should be treated with neglect and contempt. 
 
 During the year 1774, numerous town meetings were held, at 
 winch it was "voted to renew and increase the town's stock of 
 ammunition ;" to encourage military discipline, and to put 
 themselves in a posture of defence against their enemies." It 
 was expected, at this time, that the British Parliament would 
 soon attempt to enforce their arbitrary and tyrannical law, 
 passed as before stated, " for the better regulation of the govern- 
 ment of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay." The " train- 
 ing band" and " alarm list" were desired to meet on the 12th 
 December, 1774, to receive arms and ammunition, which had 
 been provided at the expense of the town ; and, on the 28th De- 
 cember, it was voted to supply the " training soldiers" with 
 bayonets. 
 
 By these spirited, but cool and dispassionate measures, the 
 town of Lexington manifested their hatred to oppression, and 
 their devotcdness to the cause of liberty. Their proceedings 
 in town meetings were succeeded by deliberate preparations to 
 resist the encroachments of arbitrary power ; till at length they 
 came to the resolute determination, as their last and only resort, 
 to defend their rights at the point of the bayonet. 
 
 The Provincial Congress had been in session for some time 
 at Concord, and were about adjourning, on the 30th March, '75,
 
 14 
 
 when some representations, made by those, who had suffered by 
 the depredations of the British troops, on their recent excursion 
 to Jamaica Plains, kept them together until the 2d of April.* 
 On that day, they received information, by an arrival from Fal- 
 mouth in England, of the obnoxious proceedings of the king and 
 Parliament on the 9th of February. This information was com- 
 municated to the people before the governour had received his 
 despatches, which were brought by the vessel from Falmouth. 
 From some intimations, contained in an intercepted letter, by 
 the same vessel, from a Mr. Manduit in England to Commissary 
 Hallowell, it was reported, that some of the leading patriots of 
 the province were to be seized and tried under the provisions 
 of that wicked and sanguinary law of February, 1774, by which 
 the lives of our best citizens might be taken in a manner embrac- 
 ing the form of a trial, but, in fact, a mere judicial mockery. The 
 people of the province, then, were reduced to the alternative of 
 open hostilities, or cruel and abject slavery. Freemen, who knew 
 and valued their privileges, did not hesitate as to the course to 
 be pursued. They had been exhorted at trainings, and from the 
 sacred desk, to defend their constitutional rights, and to fight 
 manfully in the cause of " God and their country." 
 
 John Hancock and Samuel Adams were at this time attend- 
 ing the Provincial Congress. The active and inflexible patriot- 
 ism of these friends to liberty, had exposed them to the severe 
 animadversions of men in power. In consequence of the recent 
 measures of the king and Parliament, they were persuaded by 
 their friends not to return to Boston immediately after the ter- 
 mination of the session. They had passed their nights, during 
 the session, at the house of the Rev. Mr. Clark in Lexington ; 
 and they tarried there from the time it closed until the morning 
 of the 19th of April. 
 
 Under a pretence of teaching the grenadiers and light in- 
 fantry a new mode of exercising, Gen. Gage had detached 
 about eight hundred of these from the main body of his troops, 
 and marched them to another part of the town of Boston. The 
 real object of this movement was, however, suspected by Gen. 
 
 * Gordon's Letter.
 
 15 
 
 Warren, and immediately communicated to his friends in the 
 neighbouring country towns. This took place a few days before 
 they marched for Concord. 
 
 In the afternoon of the 18th, Gen. Gage sent out a number of 
 his officers, a part of them through Roxbury, and a part over the 
 ferry, through Charlestown, to reconnoitre and watch the move- 
 ments of the people, and, at a proper time, to seize and detain all 
 persons on the road, whom they might suspect of being engaged 
 in carrying intelligence of the intended march of his troops to 
 Concord. Solomon Brown, of Lexington, who had been to 
 market at Boston on the 18th, returned late in the afternoon, 
 and informed Col. William Munroe, then an orderly sergeant of 
 the militia company, that he had seen nine British officers, 
 dressed in blue great coats, passing leisurely up the road, some- 
 times before and sometimes behind him, armed, as he had dis- 
 covered by the occasional blowing aside of their great coats. 
 Munroe, suspecting their intention was to seize Hancock and 
 Adams, immediately collected a guaid of eight men, well armed 
 and equipped, and placed them, with himself at their head, at the 
 house of Mr. Clark, which was about a quarter of a mile from 
 the main road leading to Concord. The Committee of Safety, 
 then in session in the westerly part of Cambridge, also sent in- 
 formation to Hancock and Adams of the approach of these 
 officers. They passed through town early in the evening on the 
 road to Concord. 
 
 Small parties of British officers, in the spring of that year, 
 had frequently been seen* making excursions into the country, 
 early in the day, and returning before evening. But the unu- 
 sually late hour of their passing up, at this time, excited the at- 
 tention of the citizens, and drew together, at an early hour of 
 the evening, about thirty of the militia, well armed, and ready 
 for any emergency, to which the critical and alarming state 
 of things might suddenly call them. It had been currently 
 reported, that the British had threatened, that Hancock and 
 Adams should not stay at Lexington; and it was generally be- 
 lieved to be the object of the officers, who had passed up, to 
 return secretly, at a late hour of the night, and seize and carry 
 them to Boston. After some consultation, it was concluded
 
 16 
 
 by the persons present to send three of their number, Saunders, 
 Brown, and Loring, toward Concord, to watch the British offi- 
 cers, and endeavour to ascertain and give information of their 
 movements. In the borders of Lincoln, the whole three were 
 taken prisoners by the British officers, who were paraded across 
 the road. During the time they held our men in custody, they 
 took two other prisoners, Col. Paul Revere, and one Allen, a 
 one-handed pedlar. Shortly after they released Allen. They 
 also attempted to stop a young man, by the name of Prcscott, 
 belonging to Concord ; but, being well mounted, he turned from 
 the road into the field, and, putting spurs to his horse, escaped. 
 Several of the officers pursued, but could not overtake him. 
 
 At about ten o'clock in the evening of the 18th, a detach- 
 ment of British troops, consisting of grenadiers and light infan- 
 try, in all about eight hundred, embarked from Boston in boats, 
 and landed at Lechmere's Point in Cambridge, just as the moon 
 rose. To prevent discovery, they took a by-path leading to the 
 main road, which obliged them to wade through marshy places 
 and water to a considerable depth. 
 
 Soon after these troops had left, sentinels were posted at every 
 avenue of the town, to prevent carrying the intelligence of their 
 march into the country. Previously, however, Gen. Warren, 
 ever watchful and active in devising, as he was undaunted in 
 executing, the best measures for the safety of the country, had 
 despatched two messengers, Col. Paul Revere and a Mr. Lin- 
 coln, with information to Hancock and Adams. Revere passed 
 over the ferry to Charlestown, procured a horse of the late 
 Deacon Larkin, and rode with all speed to Lexington, where he 
 arrived a little after midnight. The family of Mr. Clark had 
 tired to rest. On the arrival of Revere, he was hailed by the 
 guard, and stopped. He desired to be admitted to the house. 
 Munroe, not knowing him, nor the object of his errand, refused to 
 let him pass, stating, that the family had just retired to rest, 
 and had desired, that they might .not be disturbed by any noise 
 about the house. "Noise!" said Revere, "you'll soon have a 
 noise, that will disturb you all. The British troops are on their 
 march, and will soon be among you." He passed without fur- 
 ther ceremony, and knocked at the door. Mr. Clark immedi-
 
 17 
 
 ately opened a window, and inquired who was there. Revere, 
 without replying to the question, said he wished to see Mr. 
 Hancock. Mr. Clark, with his usual deliberation, was going on 
 to observe, that it was a critical time, and he did not like to 
 admit people into his house, at that time of night, without first 
 knowing their business, when Hancock, who had retired to rest, 
 but not to sleep, knew Revere's voice, and cried out, " Come in, 
 Revere ; we are not afraid of you." Shortly after, Mr. Lincoln, 
 who had come by the way of Roxbury, arrived. They both 
 brought written communications from Gen. Warren, " That a 
 large body of the king's troops, (supposed to be a brigade of 
 twelve or fifteen hundred,) were embarked in boats from Boston, 
 and gone over to Lechmere's Point in Cambridge, and it was 
 suspected, they were ordered to seize and destroy the stores 
 belonging to the colony, then deposited at Concord." 
 
 It was immediately decided to alarm the militia ; and a num- 
 ber of the guard were sent off for that purpose. Two of their 
 number went toward Cambridge, to ascertain the movements of 
 the troops. For the better security of the persons of Hancock 
 and Adams, they were advised to retire to the house of a Mr. 
 Reed, at the north part of the town. To this Hancock objected 
 in the strongest terms, decl .ring, " it never should be said of 
 him, that he had turned his back upon the British." His preser- 
 vation was urged to be of the utmost importance to the country, 
 and, being destitute of arms, he could do but little in opposing the 
 British troops. He, at length, very reluctantly consented, and 
 Col. Munroe conducted him, in company with Adams, about 
 two miles to the northward of Mr. Clark's. Revere set off for 
 Concord to alarm the people of that town, but was taken 
 prisoner by the British officers, as before stated, near Brooks's in 
 Lincoln. They examined him very closely, asked many 
 questions, to all of which he gave evasive answers. They de- 
 tained him, with the other three prisoners from Lexington, till 
 near three o'clock in the morning, when, finding no prospect of 
 escape, Revere, in his turn, attempted to frighten them, by telling 
 them, in a very triumphant tone of voice, " Gentlemen, you 
 have missed your aim. I left Boston after your troops had 
 landed at Lechmere's Point, and if I had not been certain, that 
 3
 
 18 
 
 the people, to the distance of fifty miles into the country, had 
 been notified of your movements, I would have risked one shot, 
 before you should have taken me." Another told them, "The 
 bell's ringing, the country is alarmed, and you are all dead 
 men." This appeared, in some measure, to alarm the officers. 
 After a few moments' consultation among themselves, they set 
 off on their return to Lexington, keeping possession of their four 
 prisoners, till within a short distance of the meeting-house, when 
 they halted, and ordered their prisoners to dismount, and then, 
 after cutting in pieces the bridles and saddles of the horses, on 
 which the prisoners rode, they abandoned them, and rode off at 
 full gallop toward Boston. 
 
 The alarm had spread so rapidly through Lexington, that, by 
 two o'clock in the morning, the militia company had nearly all 
 assembled. Capt. Parker ordered the roll to be called, and 
 every man to charge his gun with powder and ball. After re- 
 maining on parade for some time, one of the messengers, who 
 had been sent toward Boston, returned and reported, he could 
 not learn that the regulars were coming This raised some 
 doubt as to the correctness of the account brought by Revere, 
 and, the weather being cool, the company were dismissed, with 
 orders to appear again at the beat of the drum. Some of them, 
 whose houses were in the immediate neighbourhood of the place 
 of parade, went home; but the greater part of the company 
 went into Buckman's tavern, near the meeting-house. 
 
 The march of the British troops was silent and rapid. One 
 of the messengers, sent by our people to ascertain if they were 
 coming, was surprised before he was aware of their approach, 
 and taken prisoner in Cambridge.* They thus continued their 
 march undiscovered, taking and detaining as prisoners every 
 person they met with on the road, till they had arrived within a 
 mile and a half of Lexington meeting-house. In order to se- 
 cure persons travelling upon the road, they would send two 
 soldiers at a considerable distance in advance of the main body, 
 with orders to secrete themselves, one on each side of the road, 
 and when any one approached, they would allow him to pass 
 
 * Rev. Mr. Clark's Narrative.
 
 19 
 
 them, so as to get between them and the troops, and then rise 
 and close upon him. In this way they had taken a number of 
 our men, who had been sent to get information of their approach. 
 Thaddeus Bowman, the last one sent on this business, was 
 riding pretty rapidly down the road, and had proceeded about a 
 mile and a half, when his horse became suddenly frightened, 
 stopped, and refused to go forward. In a moment he discovered 
 the cause. Two British soldiers were perceived just ahead, 
 sitting on opposite sides of the way, close to the fence. It was 
 then day-light. While Bowman was unsuccessfully endeavour- 
 ing, by all the means of whip and spur, to urge his horse forward, 
 not conceiving of their plan to entrap him, he caught a glimpse 
 of the main body of the British troops, then about twenty rods 
 off. He instantly turned his horse, and rode with all possible 
 speed to the meeting-house, and gave Capt. Parker the first cer- 
 tain intelligence of the approach of the king's troops. About 
 the same time that Bowman discovered them, a flanking party 
 made prisoner of Benjamin Wellington, who was within about 
 ten rods of the main road, on his way to join the company at the 
 meeting-house. They took his arms from him, and, on his promise 
 to return home, he was released. Wellington, however, took 
 a cross route to the meeting-house, and reached there soon after 
 Bowman. There was no longer any doubt, that the regulars 
 were coming. Capt. Parker ordered alarm guns to be fired, and 
 the drum beat to arms. The orderly sergeant, William Munroe, 
 was ordered to parade the men in two ranks a few rods north of 
 the meeting-house. Sixty or seventy had joined the ranks. At a 
 little before five o'clock in the morning, the enemy appeared, at 
 the distance of eighty or a hundred rods from our line. Hearing 
 the drum beat to arms, and supposing it to be a challenge,* and 
 seeing the militia parading in arms, they were ordered to halt, 
 charge their guns, double their ranks, and then to march at 
 double quick time. 
 
 That so small a number of raw and inexperienced militia 
 should have been, in some degree, appalled at the formidable ap- 
 pearance made by eight hundred regular troops,! is not surpris- 
 
 * Appendix, No. 2. 
 t Then supposed to be twelve or fifteen hundred.
 
 20 
 
 ing. Some of Capt. Paikcr's men, seeing the British load their 
 muskets, and noticing their quick movements, showed an inclina- 
 tion to quit the ranks; on which the captain gave orders for 
 every man to stand his ground, and said be would order the first 
 man shot, who should leave his post.* Others expressed their 
 determination "never to run." At the same time, they wore 
 strictly ordered by Capt. Parker not to fire, unless they were 
 attacked by the enemy. The British troops came up shouting, 
 and almost upon a run, till within about ten rods of our line. 
 Their commander, Lieut. Col. Smith, advanced a few rods, and 
 exclaimed, " Lay down your arms and disperse, you damned 
 rebels! Rush on my boys! Fire!" and fired his own pistol. 
 The order to fire not being instantly obeyed, he again called out, 
 brandishing his sword with great fury, "Fire, G d damn you ! 
 fire !" The first platoon then fired over the heads of our men. 
 Col. Smith repeating his order to " fire," a general discharge 
 from the front ranks was made directly into the American ranks. 
 On receiving the fire of the first platoon, the Provincials imagin- 
 ed (he regulars had fired nothing but powder, and did not offer 
 to return it; but, on the second discharge, seeing some of their 
 numbers fall, and others wounded, they no longer hesitated as 
 to their right to resist, and some of them immediately returned 
 the fire. Jonas Parker, John Munroe, and Ebenezer Munroe, Jun. 
 and some others, fired, before leaving the line. At the same 
 time, Solomon Brown, who was not enrolled in the militia, was 
 seen to fire from a wall near the left of our line, and* another 
 person was seen to fire from the back door of Buckman's house. 
 These and some others fired, immediately on receiving the 
 second fire from the British. Jonas Parker placed his ammuni- 
 tion in his hat, upon the ground, between his feet. He was 
 wounded and fell on the second fire from the enemy. After 
 this, he discharged his piece, and even attempted to load a 
 second time. He had been frequently heard to say, he " would 
 never run from the British troops." He redeemed his pledge, 
 though with the price of his life. While attempting to load his 
 piece a second time, the British soldiers came up, and run him 
 
 * Appendix, No. 8
 
 21 
 
 through with the bayonet. Ebenezer Munroe, Jun. aimed and 
 fired, after receiving one ball through his arm ; another had grazed 
 his cheek, and a third passed between his arm and body, marking 
 his coat. John Munroe, after having fired, retreated a few rods, 
 loaded his piece a second time with two balls, and discharged it 
 at the enemy. One of our men was seen firing from Buckman's 
 front door. The effects of the fire returned at him by the enemy 
 are now visible on the sides of the door. Nathan Munroe, Lieut. 
 Benjamin Tidd, and others, retreated a short distance, and fired. 
 The regulars continued to fire as long as they could see a man 
 of Capt. Parker's company in arnn. Jonas Parker, Isaac Muzzy, 
 Jonathan Harrington, and Robert Munroe, were killed on the 
 common, on and near where our line was formed ; Samuel 
 Hadley and John Brown, after they had gotten off the common. 
 Asahel Porter, of Woburn, who had been taken prisoner by the 
 British on their march to Lexington, attempted at this time to 
 make his escape, and was shot within a few rods of the common. 
 Caleb Harrington, who, with three others, had gone into the 
 meeting-house for the purpose of replenishing their stock of 
 powder, just before the British troops came up, was killed on 
 attempting to run from the house.* 
 
 Joshua Sirrronds was one of the four, that went into the 
 meeting-house for the above purpose. They had succeeded in 
 getting down two quarter casks of powder from the upper loft 
 into the first gallery, and had taken out the head of one of them, 
 when the troops arrived in front of the house. Harrington and 
 Comie determined to hazard an attempt to escape. The third 
 secreted himself in the opposite gallery. Simonds cocked his 
 gun, and, laying down, placed the muzzle of it on the open cask 
 of powder, determining, as he afterward frequently declared, to 
 blow up the house, in case any of the regulars had come into the 
 gallery. 
 
 The British suffered but little from the fire of the Ameri- 
 
 * John Robbin?, Solomon Pierce, John Tidd, Joseph Comie, Ebe- 
 nezer Munroe, Thomas Winship, Nathaniel Farmer, Jedidiah Munroe, 
 and Prince Estabrook, were wounded by the fire from the British in the 
 morning. Jedidiah Munroe, though wounded in the morning, followed 
 the enemy on their retreat, and was killed in the afternoon.
 
 22 
 
 cans. One of the tenth regiment of their light troops was 
 wounded by a shot through the leg, and another was wounded in 
 the hand.* When Munroe and others fired from the line, where 
 our militia were drawn up, they could not discern the enemy 
 by reason of the smoke. Solomon Brown and the person seen 
 to fire frgm Buckman's back door were on the right of the 
 British troops as they came up, and so situated as to have a dis- 
 tinct view of them, after they fired. Brown was seen to take 
 aim, and, probably, gave the wound received by the regular of the 
 tenth regiment, as bloodf was distinctly seen upon the ground, 
 soon after the battle, a few rods south of the meeting-house, 
 where the main column of the enemy stood when the Americans 
 fired, and in the direction, in which Brown was seen to aim his 
 piece. 
 
 Some of our militia retreated up the road leading to Bedford, 
 but most of them across a swamp, to a rising ground north 
 of the common. The buildings and fences, on the north side of 
 the common, afforded shelter, to a few, from the destructive fire 
 of the enemy. As soon as the Lexington company had dispers- 
 ed, and the firing ceased, the British troops drew up on the 
 common, fired a volley, and gave three huzzas in token of victo- 
 ry. They then marched on for Concord, the next village, about 
 six miles beyond, where they arrived without further opposition. 
 Some of the Americans, who had not withdrawn at a great dis- 
 tance, were on the battle ground immediately after the enemy 
 took up their march for Concord, and made prisoners of six re- 
 gulars,! who were in the rear of the main body. They were 
 
 * Hist. Coll. Vol. IV. Sec. Series, and Ebenezer Munroe's affidavit, 
 t Appendix, Nos. 1 and 9. 
 
 t The king's troops were delayed at Lexington from twenty to thir- 
 ty minutes. While there, it is supposed, these six of their soldiers, who 
 were taken prisoners, had gone into some of the houses in the village, 
 and were left behind by the main body. They were not in a body 
 when taken, not more than two being taken together. They were all 
 taken within half an hour after the main body of the enemy had left the 
 common. That there were prisoners taken on the morning" of the 19th, 
 does not admit of a doubt. The fact, that the number of six were taken, 
 rests upon the affidavit of James Reed of Burlington, an intelligent and
 
 disarmed, and put under guard, and conducted to Woburn Pre- 
 cinct, now Burlington ; thence they were taken to Chelmsford. 
 
 The Lexington company of militia, assembled on this trying 
 occasion, had little time to deliberate. They had not the advan- 
 tage of any special order or direction from any superior officer. 
 They knew it would not be right for them to commence the at- 
 tack upon the British ; yet they felt it a duty to be in arms, 
 to resist the execution of those obnoxious and wicked laws, by 
 which they were to be deprived of rights, held dearer than life. 
 Regardless of the event, as to themselves, they thought it was 
 required of them to raise the standard of opposition. Thus situ- 
 ated, the occasion seemed to call them to be offered an unre- 
 sisting sacrifice for the publick good. History affords few exam- 
 ples of men, called upon by their country to give such a sangui- 
 nary proof of unyielding courage and disinterested virtue. Yet 
 these gallant men showed themselves equal to this great trial. 
 Their purpose was accomplished. The " mighty struggle" was 
 begun.* 
 
 The report of the bloody transaction at Lexington was 
 spreading in every direction with the rapidity of a whirlwind. 
 The people were seen, in arms, moving swiftly to the scene of 
 action. 
 
 The alarm reached Concord about the hour of four in the 
 morning. The time was diligently improved by the inhabitants 
 in removing and concealing the publick stores. When the ene- 
 my approached the town, the Americans then collected retired 
 
 respectable farmer, of substantial, correct character, and of unquestiona- 
 ble veracity. See affidavits of John Munroe, Ebenezer Munroe, and 
 James Reed, in the Appendix. 
 
 * Gordon, Botta, Lendrum, Holmes, and others, expressly assert, 
 that, at the first attack of the British troops at Lexington, some of the 
 Americans returned their fire. All other historians, within the know- 
 ledge of the writer, impliedly assert the fact of there having been firing 
 on the part of the Americans. The writer knows of no historian, who 
 has described the events of that day, except Mr. Bradford, in his late 
 History of Massachusetts, that has asserted, that the Americans, on be- 
 ing "ORDERED" by the British commander "to disperse, did immedi- 
 ately retire."
 
 24 
 
 across the north bridge to the high ground beyond it, and there 
 waited for reinforcements from the adjacent country. 
 
 The enemy halted near the meeting-house, sent parties of 
 troops to various places in the town in search of publick stores, 
 and detached one hundred men to take possession of the bridge, 
 over which the militia had retreated. 
 
 Concord River, with a slow current, flows along the north- 
 westerly and northerly side of the village, at a short distance 
 from the houses. The north bridge was about half a mile from 
 the meeting-house to the north. The left bank of the river con- 
 sists of level, wet ground. From the bridge the road was a 
 causeway, leading westerly over the wet grounds toward Acton. 
 The road from the hills, where the Americans were stationed, 
 ran southerly, till it met the causeway at right angles. This 
 bridge across the river was long since taken away ; the abut- 
 ments and causeway, however, are still to be seen. 
 
 The Provincial militia, on the hills, perceiving the British 
 troops attempting to remove the planks from the bridge, were 
 encouraged by the brave Col. Robinson and Maj. Buttrick to ad- 
 vance, with orders not to fire, unless fired upon. They accord- 
 ingly marched toward the bridge with drums beating, the Acton 
 company, commanded by Capt. Davis, marching at the head of the 
 column, led on by Robinson, Buttrick and Davis. This compa- 
 ny exhibited a noble self-devotedncss, equal to that, which, on 
 the same morning, had been displayed by the Lexington compa- 
 ny, under circumstances peculiarly trying to the bravest men. 
 They had not then received intelligence of the events at Lexing- 
 ton, and, in their apprehension, the state of things required, that, 
 for the publick good, they must expose themselves to the enemy's 
 fire. 
 
 The British troops had formed on the right bank of the river, 
 and, when the Americans had advanced sufficiently near, they 
 fired across it, and Capt. Davis and one of his men were in- 
 stantly killed, and several wounded. The Americans returned 
 the fire with effect, killing two, and wounding several others. 
 They then rushed across the bridge, and drove the enemy back, 
 till they were met by a reinforcement. They then took a posi-
 
 25 
 
 tion on a hill north of the village, where other Provincials were 
 continually joining them. 
 
 The king's troops, having effected but in part their object, 
 in the destruction of publick property,* retreated in great haste 
 about noon. As the rear of their column entered on a causeway, 
 leading over a meadow, a little to the eastward of the village, 
 they received a heavy fire from the Reading minute men, under 
 Capt. John Brooks. t 
 
 The Americans, who had by this time collected in considera- 
 ble numbers, pressed upon the British troops with great fury, 
 and kept up a constant and well directed fire from every favour- 
 able position. Such positions occurred very frequently, the road 
 from Concord to Lexington being very hilly and crooked, and 
 having, at that time, many forests and thickets near it. The 
 enemy returned the fire of the Americans, but without much ef- 
 fect. In Lincoln they were met by the Lexington company un- 
 der Capt. Parker, who had collected most of his men, and was 
 proceeding to Concord. Capt. Parker turned aside into the 
 fields, and, as the enemy passed, they were exposed to a most 
 galling and deadly fire from his greatly exasperated men. The 
 pursuers had now mustered in such numbers, and hung so close 
 upon their rear, that the British officers could with difficulty 
 preserve the order of their troops. All was hurry and confusion ; 
 and so entirely were they exhausted, they must, no doubt, have 
 soon surrendered to the victorious Americans, had they not been 
 met at Lexington by a reinforcement, consisting of a thousand 
 fresh troops, with two field pieces, under Lord Percy. The 
 retreating troops halted a mile below the meeting-house, and, 
 having taken some refreshment, they proceeded, under cover of 
 
 * While at Concord, the enemy disabled two twenty-four pounders, 
 destroying their carnages, wheels and limbers; sixteen wheels for brass 
 three pounders ; two carriages, with wheels, for two four pounders ; about 
 five hundred weight of balls, which they threw into the river and wells ; 
 and stove about sixty barrels of flour, one half of which was afterward 
 saved. Gordon's Account. 
 
 t Afterward Gov. Brooks.
 
 26 
 
 their field pieces, to plunder, burn and destroy buildings and 
 property in that part of the town.* 
 
 After having dressed their wounded.f the king's troops re- 
 sumed their retreat toward Boston. No sooner were they in 
 motion, than the Americans again pressed upon them, with a 
 still more furious and intrepid attack. The Lexington company, 
 with unabated ardour, joined in the pursuit, and the firing on 
 both sides, with little or no intermission, continued until the 
 enemy ascended Bunker Hill at the close of the day. 
 
 * A dwelling house and barn belonging to Deacon Loring, Mrs. 
 Lydia Mulliken's house, and her son's shop, and a house and shop of Mr. 
 Joshua Bond, were laid in ashes. Several other buildings were set on 
 fire, but the flames were fortunately extinguished after the enemy left. 
 Property to a considerable amount, consisting of clothing, furniture, 
 provisions, &c. were wantonly destroyed. Mr. Claris Narrative. 
 
 t William Munroe's affidavit.
 
 The folloioing is a correct List of the Provincials, who were 
 killed, ivounded and missing in the Action of the 19^A of 
 April, and the towns to which they respectively belonged. 
 
 LEXINGTON. 
 
 Jonas Parker, 
 
 Robert Munroe, 
 
 Samuel Hartley, 
 
 Jonathan Harrington, Jun. 
 
 Isaac Muzzy, 
 
 Caleb Harrington, 
 
 John Brown, 
 
 Jedidiah Munroe, 
 
 John Raymond, 
 
 Nathaniel Wyman, 
 
 John Robbins, 
 
 Solomon Pierce, 
 
 John Tidd, 
 
 Joseph Comie, 
 
 Ebenezer Munroe, Jun. 
 
 Thomas Winship, 
 
 Nathaniel Farmer, 
 
 Prince Estabrook (colored) 
 
 Jedidiah Munroe, 
 
 Francis Brown, wounded in the afternoon. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 Killed in the 
 Morning. 
 
 Killed in the 
 Afternoon. 
 
 Wounded in 
 the Morning. 
 
 William Marcy, 
 Moses Richardson, 
 John Hicks, 
 Jason Russell, 
 Jabish Wyman, 
 Jason Winship, 
 Samuel Whittemore, 
 Samuel Frost, 
 Seth Russell, 
 
 I Killed. 
 
 Wounded. 
 y Missing. 
 
 CONCORD. 
 
 Charles Miles, 
 Nathan Barnet, 
 Abel Prescott, 
 
 Wounded. 
 
 Killed. "Wound. Missing
 
 28 
 
 NEEDHAM. 
 
 Killed. 
 
 Wound. 1 3 
 
 Lieut. John Bourn, 
 Elisha Mills, 
 Amos Mills, Killed. 
 Nathaniel Chamberlain, 
 Jonathan Parker, 
 Eleazer Kingsbury, Wounded. 
 Tolman, 
 
 5 
 
 2 
 
 SIJDBURY. 
 
 
 
 Josiah Haynes, ) KaM 
 Asahel need, ) 
 Joshua Haynes, Jun. Wounded. 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 ACTON. 
 
 
 
 Capt. Isaac Davis, ) 
 Abner Hosmer, > Kitted. 
 James Hey wood,* ) 
 
 3 
 
 
 BEDFORD. 
 
 
 
 Jonathan Wilson, Killed. 
 Job Lane, Wounded. 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 WOBURN. 
 
 
 
 Asahel Porter, ) -.^ , 
 Daniel Thompson, \ * 
 George Reed, } 
 Jacob Bacon, > Wounded. 
 Johnson, ) 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 MEDFORD. 
 
 
 
 Henry Putnam, ) -p-.-r, , 
 William Polly, } KlUed " 
 
 2 
 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 
 
 James Miller, / ) T^.J, , 
 C. Barber's son, } ****' 
 
 2 
 
 
 ^ * Killed in Lexington, at the house formerly owned by Benjamin 
 Fisk. He was coming to the house, and met a British soldier coming 
 out They both took aim and fired, and both fell.
 
 29 
 
 WATERTOWN. 
 
 Killed. 
 
 Wound. 
 
 Joseph Coolidge, % Killed. 
 
 1 
 
 
 FRAMINGHAM. 
 
 
 
 Daniel Heinenway, Wounded. 
 
 
 1 
 
 DEDHAM. - 
 
 
 
 Elias Haven, Killed. 
 Israel Everett, Wounded. 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 STOW. 
 
 
 
 Daniel Conant, Wounded. 
 
 
 1 
 
 ROXBURY. 
 
 
 
 Elijah Seaver, Missing. 
 
 
 
 BROOKLINE. 
 
 
 
 Isaac Gardner, Esq. Killed. 
 
 1 
 
 
 BILLERICA. 
 
 
 
 John Nickols, ) w , ^ j 
 iw ii_ t>i i. _i r Wounded. 
 Timothy Blanchard, ) 
 
 
 2 
 
 CHELMSFORD. 
 
 
 
 Aaron Chamberlain, ) Wounded 
 Oliver J3arron, ) 
 
 
 2 
 
 SALEM. 
 
 
 
 Benjamin Pierce, Killed. 
 
 1 
 
 
 NEWTON. 
 
 
 
 Noah Wiswall, Wounded. 
 
 
 1 
 
 DANVERS. 
 
 
 
 Henry Jacobs, 1 
 Samuel Cook, 
 
 
 
 Ebenezer Goldthwait, 
 George Southwick, } Killed. 
 Benjamin Daland, 
 Jotham Webb, 
 Perley Putnam, 
 
 7 
 
 
 Missing.
 
 30 
 
 Nathan Putnam, ) 
 Dennis Wallace, f 
 Joseph Bell, 
 
 Wounded. 
 Missing. . 
 
 Killed. 
 
 Wound. 
 
 Missing. 
 1 
 
 BEVERLY. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Reuben Kenyme, 
 Nathaniel Cleves. ~) 
 Samuel Woodbury, 
 William Dodge, 3d, ) 
 
 Killed. 
 Wounded. 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 
 LYNN. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Abednego Ramsdell, 
 Daniel Townsend, 
 William Flint, ( 
 Thomas Hadley, 
 Joshua Felt, 
 Timothy Munroe, ) 
 Josiah Breed, 
 
 Killed. 
 
 Wounded. 
 Missing. 
 
 4 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 49 
 
 36 
 
 5 
 
 The enemy lost 65 killed : 180 were wounded, and 28 taken 
 prisoners. Holmes' 's Annals. 
 
 An English account, published in the Historical Collections, 
 states their loss to have been 73 killed, 174 wounded, and 26
 
 A TS ^S 
 
 du If if 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 I, ELIJAH SANDERSON, of Salem, in the county of Essex, cabinet- 
 maker, aged seventy-three years, on oath depose as follows : 
 
 In the spring of 1775, I resided at Lexington, and had resided there 
 then more than a year. In the spring of that year, the officers of the 
 British regular troops in Boston were frequently making excursions, in 
 small parties, into the country, and often, in the early part of the day, in 
 pleasant weather, passed through Lexington, and usually were seen re- 
 turning before evening. I lived then on the main road, about three 
 quarters of a mile east of the meeting-house. 
 
 On the evening of the 18th April, 1775, we saw a party of officers pass 
 up from Boston, all dressed in blue wrappers. The unusually late hour of 
 their passing excited the attention of the citizens. I took my gun and 
 cartridge-box, and, thinking something must be going on more than com- 
 mon, walked up to John Buekman's tavern, near the meeting-house. 
 After some conversation among the citizens assembled there, an old gen- 
 tleman advised, that some one should follow those officers, and endeavour 
 to ascertain their object. I then observed, that, if any one would let me 
 have a horse, I would go in pursuit. Thaddeus Harrington told me, I 
 might take his, which was there. I took his, and Solomon Brown propos- 
 ed to accompany me on his own horse. Jonathan Loring also went with 
 us. We started, probably, about nine o'clock ; and we agreed, if we 
 could find the officers, we would return and give information, as the fears 
 were, thit their object was, to come back in the night, and seize Hancock 
 and Adams, and carry them into Boston. It had been rumoured, that the 
 British officers had threatened, that Hancock and Adams should not 
 stay at Lexington. They had been boarding some time at Parson Clark's. 
 
 We set out in pursuit. Just before we got to Brooks's in Lincoln, 
 while riding along, we were stopped by nine British officers, who were 
 paraded across the road. They were all mounted. One rode up and 
 seized my bridle, and another my arm, and one put his pistol to my 
 breast, and told me, if I resisted, "I was a dead man. I asked, what he 
 wanted. He replied, he wanted to detain me a little while. He ordered 
 me to get off my horse. Several of them dismounted and threw down the 
 wall, and led us into the field. They examined and questioned us where 
 we were going, &c. Two of them staid in the road, and the other seven 
 with us, relieving each other from time to time. They detained us in 
 that vicinity till a quarter past two o'clock at night. An officer, who 
 took out his watch, informed me what the time was. It was a bright 
 moon-light after the rising of the moon, and a pleasant evening. During 
 our detention, they put many questions to us, which I evaded. They 
 kept us separately, and treated us very civilly. They particularly in- 
 quired where Hancock and Adams were; also about the population. 
 One said, "You've been numbering the inhabitants, hav'n't ye?" I 
 told him how many it was reported there were. One of them spoke up
 
 32 
 
 and said, " There were not so many, men, women and children." They 
 asked as manv questions as a yankce could. 
 
 While we "were under detention, they look two other prisoners, one 
 Allen, a one-handed pedlar, and Col. Paul Revere ; also, they attempt- 
 ed to stop a man on horseback, who, we immediately after understood, 
 was Dr. Prescott's son. He was well mounted, and, after turning from 
 the road into the field toward Us, he put spurs to his horse and escaped. 
 Several of the officers pursued him, hut could not overtake him. 
 
 After they had taken Revere, they brought him within half a rod of 
 me, and I heard him speak up with energy to them, " Gentlemen, you've 
 missed of your aim !" One said, rather hardly, " What of our aim !" Re- 
 Tcre replied, "I came out of Boston an hour after your troops had come 
 out of Boston and landed at Lechmere's Point, and if I had not known 
 people had been sent out to give information to the country, and time 
 enough to get fifty miles, I would have ventured one shot from you, be- 
 fore I would have suffered you to have stopped me." Upon this, they 
 went a little aside and conversed together. They then ordered me to un- 
 tie my horse, (which was tied to a little birch,) and mount. They 
 kept us in the middle of the road, and rode on each side of us. We 
 went toward Lexington. They took all of us, (Revere, Loring, and 
 Brown, and myself.) My horse not being swift, and they riding at con- 
 siderable speed, one of the officers pressed my horse forward, by striking 
 him with his hanger. When we had arrived" within fifty or one hundred 
 rods of the meeting-house, Loring (as he afterwards informed me) told 
 them, " The bell's a ringing, the town's alarmed, and you're all dead 
 men." They then stopped conferred together. One then dismounted, 
 and ordered me to dismount, and said to me, "I must do you an injury." 
 I asked, what he was going to do to me now ? tie made no reply, but 
 with his hanger cut my bridle and girth, and then mounted, and they 
 rode in a good smart trot on toward Boston. We then turned off to pas9 
 through the swamp, through the mud and water, intending to arrive at 
 the mceting-honse before they could pass, to give information to our peo- 
 ple. Just before they got to the meeting-house, they had halted, 
 which led us to hope, we should get there first ; bnt they soon started off 
 again at full speed, and we saw no more of them. 
 
 I went to the tavern. The citizens were coming and going; some 
 went down to find whether the British were coming; some came back, 
 and said there was no truth in it. I went into the tavern, and, after a 
 while, went to sleep in my chair by the fire. In a short time after, the 
 drum beat, and I ran out to the common, where the militia were parading. 
 The captain ordered them to fall in. I then fell in. 'Twas all in the ut- 
 most haste. The British troops were then coming on in lull sight. I had 
 no musket, having sent it home, the night previous, by my brother, before 
 I started for Concord ; and, reflecting I was of no use, I stepped out 
 again from the company about two rods, and was gazing at the British, 
 coming on in full career. Several mounted British officers were forward ; 
 I think, five. The commander rode up, with his pistol in his hand, on a 
 canter, the others following, to about eight or ten rods from the company, 
 perhaps nearer, and ordered them to disperse. The words he used were 
 harsh. I cannot remember them exactly. He then said, "Fire!" and he 
 fired his own pistol, and the other officers soon fired, and with that the 
 main body came up and fired, but did not take sight. They loaded again 
 as soon as possible. All was smoke when the foot fired. I heard no parti- 
 cuhir orders after what the conmander first said. I looked, and, seeing no- 
 body fall, thought to be sure they couldn't be firing balls, and I did'nt 
 move off. After our militia had dispersed, I saw them firing at one man, 
 (Solomon Brown,) who was stationed behind a wall. I saw the wall 
 smoke with the bullets hitting it. I then knew they were firing balls.
 
 33 
 
 After the affair was over, he told me he fired into a solid column of them, 
 and ; then retreated. He was in the cow yard. Tlie wall saved him. He 
 legged it just about the time I went away. In a minute or two after, the 
 British musick struck up, and their troops paraded, and marched right off 
 for Concord. 
 
 I went home after my gun, found it was gone. My brother had it. I 
 returned to the meeting-house, and saw to the dead. I saw blood where 
 the column of the British had stood when Solomon Brown fired at them. 
 This was several rods from where any of our militia stood; and I then 
 supposed, as well as the rest of us, that that was the blood of the British. 
 
 I assisted in carrying some of the dead into the meeting-house. 
 
 Some days before the battle, I was conversing with Jonas Parker, who 
 was killed, and heard him express his determination never to run from 
 before the British troops. 
 
 In the afternoon I saw the reinforcement come up under Lord Percy. 
 I then had no musket, and retired to Estabrook's Hill, whence I saw 
 the reinforcement meet the troops retreating from Concord. When they 
 met, they halted some time. After this, they set fire to Deacon Loring's 
 barn ; then to his house ; then to widow Mulliken's house ; then to the 
 shop of Nathaniel Mulliken, a watch and clock maker ; and to the 
 house and shop of Joshua Bond. All these were near the place where 
 the reinforcements took refreshments. They hove fire into several other 
 buildings. It was extinguished after their retreat. 
 
 During the day, the women and children had been so scattered and 
 dispersed, that most of them were out of the way when the reinforce- 
 ments arrived. 
 
 I now own the musket, which I then owned, and which my brother 
 had that day, and told me he fired at the British with it. 
 
 ELIJAH SANDERSON. 
 
 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
 
 ESSEX, ss. December \ltk, 1324. Then the above-named Elijah San- 
 derson, a gentleman of truth and respectability, subscribed and made 
 oath to the above-written affidavit, before 
 
 BENJ. MERRILL, Just. Peace and Quorum. 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 I, WILLIAM MUNROE, of Lexington, on oath do testify, that I acted as 
 orderly sergeant in the company commanded by Capr. John Parker, on 
 the 19th of April, 1775; that, early in the evening of the 18th of the 
 same April, I was informed by Solomon Brown, who had just returned 
 from Boston, that he had seen nine British officers on the road, travelling 
 leisurely, sometimes before and sometimes behind him ; that he had dis- 
 covered, by the occasional blowing aside of their top coats, that they 
 were armed. On learning this, I supposed they had some design upon 
 Hancock and Adams, who were then at the house of the Rev. Mr. Clark, 
 and immediately assembled a guard of eight men, with their arms, to 
 guard the house. About midnight, Col. Paul Revere rode up and re- 
 quested admittance. I told him the family had just retired, and had re- 
 quested, that they might not be disturbed by any noise about the house. 
 "Noise!" said he, "you'll have noise enough before long. The regulars 
 are coming out." We then permitted him to pass. Soon after, Mr. Lin- 
 coln came. These gentlemen came different routes. Revere came over 
 the ferry to Clmrlestown, and Lincoln over the neck through Roxbury ; 
 
 5
 
 34 
 
 and both brought letters from Dr. Warren in Boston to Hancock and 
 Adams, stating, that a large body of British troops had left Boston, mid 
 were on their march to Lexington. On this, it was thought advisable, 
 that Hancock and Adams should withdraw to some distant part of the 
 town. To this Hancock consented witli great reluctance, and said, as 
 he went off, "If I had my musket, I would never turn my back upon 
 these troops." I however conducted them to the north part of the 
 town, and then returned to the meeting-house, where I arrived at about 
 two o'clock on the morning of the 19th. On the arrival of Col. Revere, 
 the alarm had been given, and, on my return, I found Capt. Parker and 
 his militia company paraded on the common, a little in the rear of the 
 meeting-house. About that time, one of our messengers, who had been 
 rent toward Cambridge to get information of the movement of the regu- 
 lars, returned and reported, that he could not learn, that there were any 
 troops on the road irom Boston to Lexington, which raised some doubt 
 as to their coming, and Capt. Parker dismissed his company, with orders 
 to assemble again at the beat of the drum. Between day-light and sun- 
 rise, Capt. Thaddcus Bowman rode up and informed, that the regulars 
 were near. The drum was then ordered to be beat, and I was com- 
 manded by Capt. Parker to parade the company, which I accordingly 
 did, in two ranks, a few rods northerly of the meeting-house. 
 
 When the British troops had arrived within about a hundred rods of 
 the meeting-house, as I was afterwards told by a prisoner, which we took, 
 "they heard our drum, and supposing it to be a challenge, they were 
 ordered to load their muskets, and to move at double quick time." 
 They came up almost upon a run. Col. Smith and Maj. Pitcairn rode 
 up some rods in advance of their troops, and within a few rods of our 
 company, and exclaimed, "Lay down your arms, you rebels, and dis- 
 perse !" and immediately fired his pistol. Pitcairn then advanced, and, 
 after a moment's conversation with Col. Smith, he advanced with his 
 troops, and, finding we did not disperse, they being within four rods of 
 us, he brought his sword down with great force, and said to his men, 
 " Fire, damn you, fire !" The front platoon, consisting of eijrht or nine, 
 then fired, without killing or wounding any of our men. They imme- 
 diately gave a second fire, when our company began to retreat, and, as 
 1 left the field, I saw a person firing at the British troops from Bnckman's 
 back door, which was near our left, where I was parading the men when 
 I retreated. I was afterward told, of the truth of which I have no 
 doubt, that the same person, after firing from the back door, went to the 
 front door of Buckman's house, and fired there. How many of our 
 company fired before they retreated, I cannot say; but I am confident 
 some of them did. When the British troops came up, I saw Jonas Par- 
 ker standing in the ranks, with his balls and flints in his hat, on the 
 ground, between his feet, and heard him declare, that he would never 
 run. He was shot down at the second fire of the Biitish, and, when I 
 left, I saw him struggling on the ground, attempting to load his gun, 
 which I have no doubt he had once discharged at the British. As he 
 lay on the ground, they run him through with the bayonet. In the course 
 of the day, I was on the ground where the British troops were when they 
 first heard our drum beat, which was about one hundred rods below the 
 meeting-house, and saw the ends of a large number, I should judge two 
 hundred, of cartridges, which they had dropped, when they charged their 
 pieces. About noon, I was at the north part of the town, at the house of 
 a Mr. Simonds, where I saw the late Col. Baldwin, who informed me, 
 that he had the custody of some prisoners, that hnd been put under his 
 charge, and requested to know of me what should be done with them. 
 I gave my opinion, that they should be sent to that part of Woburn, now 
 Burlington, or to Chelmsford. On the return of the British troops from
 
 35 
 
 Concord, they stopped at my tavern house in Lexington, and dressed 
 their wounded. I had left my house in the care of a lame man, by the 
 name of Raymond, who supplied them with whatever the house afforded, 
 and afterward, when he was leaving the house, he was shot by the 
 regulars, and found dead within a few rods of the house. 
 
 WILLIAM MUNROE. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, 7th March, 1825. Then personally appeared the afore- 
 said William Munroe, and made oath to the truth of the aforegoing affida- 
 vit, bv him subscribed, before me, 
 
 AMOS MUZZY, Justice Peace. 
 
 No. 3. 
 
 I, JOHN MUNROE, of Lexington, a collector of tolls for the Middlesex 
 Turnpike, being in the seventy-seventh year of my age, on oath do depose 
 and say, that I was a corporal in the Lexington company of militia, which 
 was commanded by the late Capt. John Parker, in- the year 1775; that, 
 for some weeks previous to the 19th of April of that year, the company 
 was frequently called out for exercise, and desired to furnish ourselves 
 with arms and ammunition, and to be in constant readiness for action. 
 
 On the morning of the 19th, at about two o'clock, as near as I can recol- 
 lect, Francis Brown, who was sergeant in the same company, called me 
 out of my bed, and said, the British troops had left Boston, and were on 
 their march to Lexington. I immediately repaired to the place of parade, 
 which was the common, adjoining the meeting-house, where sixty 
 or seventy of the companv had assembled in arms. Capt. Parker 
 ordered the roll to be called, and every man to load his piece with 
 powder and ball. After remaining on parade some time, and there 
 being no further accounts of the approach of the regulars, we were 
 dismissed, but ordered to remain within call of the drum. About 
 day-light, Capt. Parker had information, that a regiment of British 
 troops were near, and immediately ordered the drum beat to arms. 
 I took my station on the right. While the company were collecting, 
 Capt. Parker, then on the left, gave orders for every man to stand 
 his ground until he should or-ler them to leave. Many of the company 
 had withdrawn to a considerable distance, and, by the time sixty or seventy 
 of them had collected, the drum still beating to arms, the front ranks of 
 the British troops appeared within twelve or fifteen rods of our line. 
 They continued their march to within about eight rods of us, when an 
 officer on horseback, Lt. Col. Smith, who rode in front of the troops, ex- 
 claimed, '' Lay down your arms, and disperse, you rebels !" Finding our 
 company kept their ground, Col. Smith ordered his troops to fire. This 
 order not being obeyed, he then said to them, " G d damn you, fire !" 
 The front platoon t'hen discharged their pieces, and, another order being 
 given to fire, there was a general discharge from the front ranks. After 
 the first fire of the regulars, I thought, and so stated to Ebenezer Munroe, 
 Jun. who stood next to me on the left, that they had fired nothing but 
 powder ; but, on the second firing, Munroe said, they had fired something 
 more than powder, for he had received a wound in his arm ; and now, 
 said he, to use his own words, "I'll give them the guts of my gun." We 
 then both took aim at the main body of the British troops, the smoke pre- 
 venting our seeing any thing but the heads of some of their horses, and 
 discharged our pieces. After the second fire from the British troops, I 
 distinctly saw Jonas Parker struggling on the ground, with his gun in his 
 hand, apparently attempting to load it. In this situation the British 
 came up, run him through with the bayonet, and killed him on the spot.
 
 36 
 
 After I had fired the first time, I retreated about ten rods, and then load- 
 ed my gun a second time, with two balls, and, on firing at the British, the 
 strength of the charge took off about a foot of my pun barrel. 
 
 Such was the general confusion, and so much firing on the part of the 
 British, that it was impossible for me to know the number of our men, 
 who fired immediately on receiving the second fire from the British 
 troops ; but that some of them fired, besides Ebenczcr Munroe and 
 myself, I am very confident. The regulars kept up a fire, in all directions, 
 as long as they could see a man of our company in arms. Isaac Muzzy, 
 Jonathan Harrington, and my father, Robert Munroe, were found dead 
 near the place where our line was formed. Samuel Hadley and John 
 Brown were killed after they had gotten off the common. Asahel Por- 
 ter, of Woburn, who had been taken a rrisoner by the British on their 
 march to Lexington, attempted to make his escape, and was shot within 
 a few rods of the common. Caleb Harrington was shot down on attempt- 
 ing to leave the meeting-house, where he and some others had gone, 
 before the British soldiers came up, for the purpose of removing a quan- 
 tity of powder that was stored there. 
 
 On the morning of the 19th, two of the British soldiers, who were in 
 the rear of the main body of their troops, were taken prisoners and dis- 
 armed by our men, and, u little after sun-rise, they were put under the 
 care of Thomas R. Willard and myself, with orders to march them to 
 Woburn Precinct, now Burlington. We conducted them as far as Capt. 
 James Read's, where they were put into custody of some other per- 
 sons, but whom I do not now recollect. JOHN MUNROE. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. December 28lh, 1824. Then the above-named John 
 Munioe made oath to the truth of the foregoing affidavit, by him sub- 
 scribed, before me, 
 
 NATHAN CHANDLER, Justice of the Peace. 
 
 No. 4. 
 
 I, EBENEZER MUNROE, of Ashburnham, in the county of Worcester 
 and commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the seventy-third year of my 
 age, on oath depose and say, that I was an inhabitant of Lexington in 
 the county of Middlesex in the year 1775 ; that, during the night of the 
 18th of April of that year, I was alarmed by one Micah Naglcs, who 
 stated, that the British troops were on their march from Boston, and that 
 Lieut. Tidd requested myself and others to meet on the common as soon 
 as possible. I accordingly repaired to the common, the usual place of 
 parade, where I found Capt. Parker, and, I should think, ahout forty of the 
 company had collected. The weather being rather chilly, after calling 
 the roll, we were dismissed, but ordered to remain within call of the drum. 
 The men generally went into the tavern adjoining the common. In the 
 mean time, persons were sent toward Boston to get some intelligence, if 
 possible, of the regulars. The last person sent was Thaddeus Bowman, 
 who returned between day-light and snn-rise, and informed Capt. Parker, 
 that the British troops were within a mile of the meeting-house. Capt. 
 Parker immediately ordered the drum beat to arms. I was the first that 
 followed the drum. I took my station on the right of our line, which was 
 formed from six to ten rods back of the meeting-house, facing south. 
 About seventy of our company had assembled when the British troops 
 appeared. Some of our men went into the meeting-house, where the 
 town's powdur was kept, fur the purpose of replenishing their stock of 
 ammunition. When the regulars had arrived within eighty or one hun- 
 dred rods, they, hearing our drum beat, halted, charged their guns, and
 
 37 
 
 doubled their ranks, and marched np at quick step. Capt. Parker or- 
 dered his men to stand their ground, and not to molest the regulars, 
 unless they meddled with us. The British troops came up directly in 
 our front. The commanding officer advanced within a few rods of us, 
 and exclaimed, " Disperse, you damned rebels ! you dogs, run ! Rush on 
 my boys !" and fired his pistol. The fire from their front ranks soon 
 followed. After the first fire, I received a wound in my arm, and then, 
 as I turned to run, I discharged my gun into the main body of the enemy. 
 As I fired, my face being toward them, one ball cut off a part of one of 
 my ear-locks, which was then pinned up. Another ball passed between 
 my arm and my body, and just marked my clothes. .The first fire of the 
 British was regular ; after that, they fired promiscuously. As we retreat- 
 ed, one of our company, Benjamin Sampson, I believe, who was running 
 with me, turned his piece and fired. When I fired, I perfectly well recol- 
 lect of taking aim at the regulars. The smoke, however, prevented my 
 being able to see many of them. The balls flew so thick, I thought 
 there was no chance for escape, and that I might as well fire my gun as 
 stand still and do nothing. I am confident, that it was the determination 
 of most of our company, in case they were fired upon, to return the fire. 
 I did not hear Capt. Parker's orders to his company to disperse. When 
 the British came up in front of the meeting-house, Joshua Simoncls was 
 in the upper gallery, an open cask of powder standing near him, and he 
 afterward told me, that he cocked his gun and placed the muzzle of it 
 close to the cask of powder, and determined to "touch it off," in case the 
 troops had come into the gallery. After our company had all dispersed, 
 and the British had done firing, they gave three cheers. After they had 
 marched off for Concord, we took two prisoners, who were considerably 
 in the rear of the main body. I carried their arms into Buckman's 
 tavern, and they were taken by some of our men, who had none of their 
 own. I believed, at the time, that some of our shots must have done ex- 
 ecution. I was afterward confirmed in this opinion, by the observations 
 of some prisoners, whom we took in the afterncon, who stated, that one 
 of their soldiers was wounded in the thigh, and that another received 
 a shot through his hand. EBENEZER MUKROE. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. 2d April, 1825. Then personally appeared the afore- 
 said Ebenezer Munroe, and made oath to the truth of the aforegoing 
 statement, before me, 
 
 STEPHEN PATCH, Justice Peace. 
 
 No. 5. 
 
 I, WILLIAM TIDD, of Lexington, in the county of Middlesex, do 
 testify and declare, that I was a lieutenant in the company of Lexington 
 militia, commanded by Capt. John Parker, in the year 1775; that, pre- 
 vious to the 19th of April of that year, it was expected the British woul 
 soon commence hostilities upon the then Provincials ; that said company 
 frequently met for exercise, the better to be prepared for defence; that, 
 on the evenin"- previous to the 19th, a number of the militia met at my 
 house for the above purpose ; that, about two o'clock on the morning 
 the 19th, I was notified, that, the evening previous, several of the Brit 
 officers had been discovered riding up and down the road leading t 
 Concord; that thev had detained and insulted the passing mha 
 and that a body of the regulars were then on the march from Boston to- 
 wards Lexington ; I then immediately repaired to the parade ground ot 
 said company, where, after its assemblage and roll call, we were di 
 missed bv Capt. Parker, with orders to assemble at the beat 
 drum ; that, at about five o'clock of said morning, intelligence was i
 
 38 
 
 ceived, that the British were within a short distance ; and, on the beat to 
 arms, I immediately repaired to where our company were fast assembling: ; 
 that when about sixty or seventy of them had taken post, the British 
 had arrived within sight, and were advancing on a quick march towards 
 us, when I distinctly heard one of their officers say, " Lay down your 
 arms and disperse, ye rebels !" They then fired upon us. I then re- 
 treated up the north road, and was pursued about thirty rods by an offi- 
 cer on horseback, (supposed to be Maj. Pitcairn.) calling out to me, 
 " Damn you, stop, or you are a dead man !" I found I could not escape 
 him, unless I left the road. Therefore I sprang over a pair of bars, made 
 a stand, and discharged my gun at him; upon which he immediately re- 
 turned to the main body, which shortly after took up their march for 
 Concord. WILLIAM TIDD. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. December 29, 1824. William Tidd, aforementioned, 
 personally made oath to the truth of the foregoing declaration, by him 
 subscribed, before 
 
 NATHAN CHANDLER, Justice of the Peace. 
 
 No. 6. 
 
 I, NATHAX MUNROE, of Lexington, in the county of Middlesex and 
 state of Massachusetts, do testify and say, that I was enrolled as a soldier 
 in the company commanded by Capt. John Parker of said Lexington, in 
 the year 1775 ; and, knowing that several British officers went up the road 
 towards Concord in the evening of the 18th of April of said year, I, with 
 Benjamin Tidd, at the request of my captain, went to Bedford in the 
 evening, and notified the inhabitants through the town, to the great road at 
 Meniam's Corner, so called, in Concord, and then returned to Lexington. 
 When arrived at the common, the bell was ringing, and the company 
 collecting. I immediately got my arms and went to the parade. Capt. 
 Parker gave orders to us to load our guns, but not to fire, unless we were 
 fired upon first. About five o'clock in the morning, the British made 
 their appearance at the cast end of the meeting-house, near where our 
 men were, and immediately commenced firing on us. I got over the 
 wall into Buckman's land, about six rods from the British, and then turn- 
 ed and fired at them. About the middle of the forenoon, Capt. Parker, 
 having collected part of his company, marched them towards Concord, 
 I being with them. TVe met the regulars in the bounds of Lincoln, 
 about noon, retreating towards Boston. We fired on them, and continu- 
 ed so to do until they met their reinforcement in Lexington. 
 
 NATHAN MUXROE. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. LEXIKGTON, December 22, 1824. Then the above- 
 named Nathan Munroe made oath to the above, and subscribed his name 
 to the same, before me, 
 
 AMOS MUZZY, Justice of the Peace. 
 
 No. 7. 
 
 I, AMOS LOCK, of Lexington, in the county of Middlesex, testify and 
 declare, that, between two and three o'clock on the morning of April 
 the 19th, 1775, I heard the bell ring, which I considered as an alarm, 
 in consequence of a report, that, John Hancock and Samuel Adams were 
 at the house of the Rev. Jonas Clark, and that it was expected, the Bri-
 
 39 
 
 tish wonld attempt to take them. Therefore Ebenezer Lock and myself 
 both being armed, repaired, with all possible speed, to the meetinghouse! 
 On our arrival, we found the militia were collecting; but, shortly after, 
 some person came up the road with a report, that there were not any 
 regulars between Boston and Lexington. Consequently we concluded 
 to return to our families. We had not proceeded far, before we heard a 
 firing; upon which we immediately returned, coming up towards the 
 easterly bide of the common, where, under the cover of a wall, about 
 twenty rods distant from the common, where the British then were, we 
 found Asahel Porter, of Woburn, shot through the body; upon which 
 Ebenezer Lock took aim, and discharged his gun at the Britons, who 
 were then but about twenty rods from us. We then fell back a short 
 distance, and the enemy, soon after, commenced their march for Concord. 
 
 AMOS LOCK. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. December 29, 1824. Then the above-named Arnos 
 Lock personally appeared, and made oath to the truth of the foregoing 
 affidavit, by him subscribed, before me, 
 
 NATHAN CHANDLER, Justice of the Peace. 
 
 No. 8. 
 
 I, JOSEPH UNDERWOOD, of Lexington, in the seventy-sixth year of my 
 age, on oath do testify, that, on the evening of the 18th April, 1775, in 
 consequence of a report, that some British officers had passed through 
 town toward Concord, about forty of the militia company assembled, early 
 in the evening, at Buckman's tavern, near the meeting-house, for the pur- 
 pose of consulting what measures should be adopted. It was concluded 
 to send persons toward Concord to watch the motions of the British offi- 
 cers ; and others towards Boston, to ascertain if there were any movements 
 of the British troops. A guard was stationed at the house of the Rev. Mr. 
 Clark, for the purpose of protecting Hancock and Adams, who were then 
 residing at Mr. Clark's. The first certain information we had of the ap- 
 proach of the British troops, was given by Thaddeus Bowman, between four 
 and five o'clock on the morning of the 19th, when Capt. Parker's company 
 were summoned by the beat of the drum, and the line formed. When the 
 regulars had arrived within about one hundred rods of our line, they charg- 
 ed their pieces, and then moved toward us at a quick step. Some of our 
 men, on seeing them, proposed to quit the field ; but Capt. Parker gave 
 orders for every man to stand his ground, and said he would order the first 
 man shot, that offered to leave his post. I stood very near Capt. Parker, 
 when the regulars came up, and am confident he did not order his men 
 to disperse, till the British troops had fired upon us the second time. 
 
 JOSEPH UNDERWOOD. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. 7 March, 1825. Then personally appeared the said 
 Joseph Underwood, and made oath to the within statement, by him sub- 
 scribed, before me, 
 
 AMOS MUZZY, Justice of Peace. 
 
 No. 9. 
 
 I, ABIJAH HARRINGTON, one of the representatives to the General 
 Court from the town of Lexington, on oath do testify, that, in April, 1/75, 
 I lived about a mile and a quarter below the rneeting-house in Lexington. 
 After hearing the firing, on the morning of the 19th, and not getting any 
 certain information whether the British had killed any of our men, 1 
 went up to the meeting-house, soon after the regulars had marched
 
 40 
 
 Concord, and, at the distance of about ten or twelve rods below the 
 meeting-house, where I was told the main body of their troops stood, 
 when they were fired upon by our militia, I distinctly saw blood on the 
 ground, in the road, and, the ground being a little descending, the blood 
 had run along the road about six or eight feet. A day or two after the 
 19th, I was telling Solomon Brown of the circumstance of my having seen 
 blood in the road, and where it was. He then stated to me, that he fired 
 in that direction, and the road was then full of regulars, and he thought 
 he must hare hit some of them. 
 
 I further testify, that I have heard the late Deacon Benjamin Brown 
 repeatedly say, that he took a British soldier prisoner, on the morning of 
 the 19th, a few rods below the meeting-house, immediately after the regu- 
 lars left the common for Concord, and took his gun from him. 
 
 ABIJAH HARRINGTON. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. 4th April, 1825. Then personally appeared tho 
 aforesaid Abijah Harrington, and made oath to the aforegoing affidavit, 
 before me, 
 
 AMOS MUZZY, Justice of Peace. 
 
 No. 10. 
 
 I, JAMES REED, of Burlington, in the county of Middlesex and com- 
 monwealth of Massachusetts, do testify and declare, that, soon after the 
 British troops had fired upon the militia at Lexington, on the morning of 
 the 19th of April, 1775, and had taken up their march towards Concord, I 
 arrived at the common, near the meeting-house, where I found several of 
 the militia dead, and others wounded. I also saw a British soldier march up 
 the road, near said meeting-house, and Joshua Reed of Woburn met him, 
 and demanded him to surrender. He then took his arms and equipments 
 from him, and I took charge of him, and took him to my house, then in Wo- 
 burn Precinct. I also testify, that E. Welsh brought to my house, soon after 
 I returned home with my prisoner, two more of said British troops ; and 
 two more were immediately brought, and I suppose, by John Munroe and 
 Thomas R. Willard of Lexington ; and I am confident, that one more was 
 brought, but by whom, I don't now recollect. All the above prisoners 
 were taken at Lexington immediately after the main body had left the 
 common, and were conveyed to my house early in the morning; and I 
 took charge of them. In the afternoon five or six more of said British 
 troops, that were taken prisoners in the afternoon, when on the retreat 
 from Concord, were brought to my house and put under my care. To- 
 wards evening, it was thought best to remove them from my house. I, 
 with the assistance of some others, marched them to one Johnson's in 
 Woburn Precinct, and there kept a guard over them during the night. The 
 next morning, we marched them to Billcrica ; but the people were so 
 alarmed, and not willing to have them left there, we then took them to 
 Chelmsford, and there the people were much frightened ; but the Com- 
 mittee of Safety consented to have them left, provided, that we would 
 leave a guard. Accordingly, some of our men agreed to stay. 
 
 JAMES REED. 
 
 MIDDLESEX, ss. January 19, 1825. Then the within-named James 
 Reed subscribed and swore to the aforenamed statement, before 
 
 AMOS MUZZY, Justice of Peace.
 
 
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