USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > History of the town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts : from its earliest settlement to 1832; and of the adjoining towns, Bedford, Acton, Lincoln, and Carlisle; containing various notices of county and state history not before published. > Part 11
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Concord > History of the town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts : from its earliest settlement to 1832 : and of the adjoining towns, Bedford, Acton, Lincoln, and Carlisle > Part 11
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over the wall; and, taking a circuitous route through Lincoln, he proceeded with all possible expedition to Concord. Elijah Saun- derson, Solomon Brown, and Jonathan Loring of Lexington, who had been sent out to watch the movement of the British officers, and several others passing on the road, were taken prisoners a short time before 10 o'clock by another party. After detaining them till 2 o'clock, and asking many questions about the magazines at Concord, whether any guards were posted there, and whether the bridges were up, they conducted them back to Lexington, where they were released. Hancock and Adams, having re- mained at the Rev. Mr. Clark's, around whose house a guard had been placed, after consultation now proceeded towards Wo- burn.
Between 12 and 1 o'clock the same night, information was brought from the Hon. Joseph Warren, that the king's troops were march- ing to Lexington, and soon after the militia were alarmed and or- dered to assemble. An express was sent to Cambridge, and return- ed between three and four o'clock, without obtaining any intelli- gence of the movements of the enemy, upon which the militia were dismissed for a short time. The commanding officer, however, thought best soon to call them together again, " not," says the Rev. Mr. Clark, " with the design of opposing so superior a force, much less commencing hostilities ; but only with a view to determine what to do, when and where to meet, and to dismiss and disperse."
" Accordingly, about half an hour after four o'clock, alarm guns were fired, and the drums beat to arms ; and the militia were collecting together. - Some, to the number of fifty or sixty, or possibly more, were on the parade, others were coming towards it. - In the mean time the troops, having thus stolen a march upon us, and to prevent any intelligence of their approach, having seized and held prisoners several persons, whom they met un- armed upon the road, seemed to come determined for murder and bloodshed ; and that whether provoked to it or not ! When within about half a quarter of a mile of the meeting-house, they halted, and command was given to prime and load ; which being done, they marched on till they came up to the east end of said meet- ing-house, in sight of our militia (collecting as aforesaid) who were about twelve or thirteen rods distant. Immediately on their appearing so suddenly, and so nigh, Captain Parker, who com-
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manded the militia company, ordered the men to disperse and take care of themselves and not to fire. Upon this our men dispersed ; but many of them not so speedily, as they might have done, not having the most distant idea of such brutal barbarity and more than savage cruelty, from the troops of a British king, as they immediately experienced. For no sooner did they come in sight of our company, but one of them, supposed to be an officer of rank, was heard to say to the troops, 'Damn them ; we will have them !' Upon which the troops shouted aloud, huzza'd, and rushed furiously towards our men. About the same time, three officers (supposed to be Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairn, and another officer) advanced on horseback to the front of the body, and com- ing within five or six rods of the militia, one of them cried out, ' Ye villains, ye rebels, disperse ; damn you, disperse !' or words to this effect. One of them said, "Lay down your arms ; damn you, why don't you lay down your arms !' The second of these officers, about this time fired a pistol towards the militia as they were dispersing. The foremost, who was within a few yards of our men, brandishing his sword, and then pointing towards them, with a loud voice, said to the troops, 'Fire ! by God, fire !' which was instantly followed by a discharge of arms from the said troops, succeeded by a very heavy and close fire upon our party dispersing, so long as any of them were within reach. Eight were _ left dead upon the ground ; ten were wounded." 1
The British troops then passed on without molestation to Con- cord, six miles further. In the mean time Prescott had arrived there ; and the guard, the committee of safety, the military officers, and principal citizens, had been alarmed. The church bell rung a little before three o'clock. Major John Buttrick requested Mr. Reuben Brown to proceed towards Lexington, obtain what in- formation he could, and return. Another messenger was sent to Watertown on the same errand. Mr. Brown arrived at Lexington just before the British troops fired on the devoted Lexington mili- tia, and immediately returned to Concord, without waiting to ascer- tain what effect their firing had produced. On his arrival Major Buttrick inquired if they fired bullets. " I do not know, but think
1 " Plain and faithful Narrative of Facts," by the Rev. Jonas Clark, min- ister of Lexington, published as an appendix to his Sermon, preached at the anniversary of these events in 1776. - See APPENDIX.
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it probable," was the answer. It was supposed at that time, that they fired nothing but powder, merely to intimidate the people, though various reports were circulated of a different character. The provincials were unwilling to be the aggressors, and could not then believe the mother country was in earnest, and intended to murder the inhabitants of her colonies. The object was conceived to be, to destroy the public stores. The people, however, wished to be prepared for any event. Mr. Brown proceeded by the direction of Colonel Barrett to Hopkinton to alarm the people in that direction. Other messengers were sent at the same time to other towns with the intelligence ; and the alarm spread like electric fire from a thousand sources, and produced a shock that roused all to action.
The committee of safety in Concord had been engaged the pre- ceding day, according to the direction of the provincial committee, in removing some of the military stores to the adjoining towns, and immediately gave directions for removing and securing such as yet remained. This occupied the attention of Colonel Barrett and a large number of citizens a considerable portion of the morning. Four cannon were carried to Stow, six to the outer parts of the town, and some others covered with hay, straw, manure, &c. Loads of stores of various kinds were carried to Acton, and other towns, and many others were concealed in private buildings and in the woods. The utmost activity prevailed in preparing for the approaching crisis.
The road from Lexington to Concord enters the town from the southeast along the side of a hill, which commences on the right about a mile below the village, rising abruptly from thirty to fifty feet above the road, and terminating at the northeasterly part of the public square. The top is plain land, commanding a pleasant view of the village and vicinity. Here, in the rear of Reuben Brown's, stood the pole on which the flag of liberty was first un- furled. The meeting-house stood in its present situation ; the court- house was near the county-house, now occupied by the jailer ; Cap- tain Timothy Wheeler's store-house was near Mr. Stow's. There was no house between Elisha Tolman's and Abel B. Heywood's. The main branch of Concord river flows sluggishly in a serpentine direction on the westerly and northerly side of the village about half a mile from the principal houses. This river was then passed
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by two bridges, one by Deacon Cyrus Hosmer's, called the " old South Bridge," the other near the Rev. Dr. Ripley's, called the North Bridge, about half a mile from the meeting-house. The river, which before ran easterly, turns at this place and runs northerly. The road, just beyond Dr. Ripley's, turned nearly at right angles, and passing over the bridge went parallel with the river over wet ground below the house then owned by Captain David Brown, and by Humphrey Hunt's, to Colonel Barrett's, who lived about two miles from town. This road was entered by an- other, about thirty rods above the bridge nearly at right angles, leading from the high lands at Colonel Jonas Buttrick's, also about fifty rods direct from the bridge, on which the main body of the provincial militia paraded. This bridge was taken up in 1793, and two others, one above and the other below the old site, were erected. - Guards were stationed at the north and south bridges, below Dr. Heywood's, and in the centre of the village. Jonathan Farrar was then commander of the guard. In case of an alarm, it was agreed to meet at Wright's tavern, now Deacon Jarvis's. A part of the company under Captain Brown paraded about break of day ; and being uncertain whether the enemy was coming, they were dismissed, to be called together by the beat of drum. Soon after- ward the minute-men and militia, who had assembled, paraded on the common ; and after furnishing themselves with ammunition at the court-house, marched down below the village in view of the Lexington road. About the same time a part of the minute com- pany from Lincoln, who had been alarmed by Dr. Prescott, came into town, and paraded in like manner. The number of armed men, who had now assembled, was about one hundred. The morning had advanced to about seven o'clock ; and the British army were soon seen approaching the town on the Lexington road. The sun shone with peculiar splendor. The glittering arms of eight hun- dred soldiers, " the flower of the British army," were full in view. It was a novel, imposing, alarming sight. What was to be done ? At first it was thought best that they should face the enemy, as few as they were, and abide the consequences. Of this opinion, among others, was the Rev. William Emerson, the clergyman of, ' the town, who had turned out amongst the first in the morning to animate and encourage his people by his counsel and patriotic ex- ample. "Let us stand our ground," said he ; " if we die, let us
14
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die here !" Eleazer Brooks of Lincoln was then on the hill. "Let us go and meet them," said one to him. "No," he an- swered, " it will not do for us to begin the war." They did not then know what had happened at Lexington. Their number was, however, very small in comparison with the enemy, and it was concluded best to retire a short distance, and wait for reinforce- ments. They consequently marched to the northern declivity of the burying-ground hill, near the present site of the court-house. They did not, however, leave their station till the British light infantry had arrived within a few rods' distance.
Major Buttrick went to one of the companies then under com- mand of Lieutenant Joseph Hosmer, the other officers not then be- ing at their posts, and requested him to act as adjutant. He remon- strated by telling him " his company would be left alone if he did." " It must be so then," said Buttrick; " you must go." He accordingly left his company, and officiated as adjutant the remain- ing part of the morning. About the same time Colonel James Barrett, who was commander of the regiment of militia, and who had been almost incessantly engaged that morning in securing the stores, rode up. Individuals were frequently arriving, bringing dif- ferent reports. Some exaggerated the number of British troops ; some said that they had, and others that they had not killed some Lexington militia men. It was difficult to obtain correct information. Under these circumstances he ordered the men there paraded, being about one hundred and fifty, to march over the north bridge, near the present residence of Colonel Jonas Buttrick, and there wait for reinforcements. " This shows," says Murray, " that they did not intend to begin hostilities at this time, otherwise they would have disputed the ground with the light infantry."
In the mean time the British troops entered the town. The six companies of light infantry were ordered to enter on the hill, and disperse the minute men whom they had seen paraded there. The grenadiers came up the main road, and halted on the com- mon. Unfortunately for the people's cause, the British officers had already been made somewhat acquainted, through their spies, and the tories, with the topography of the town, and the situation of many of the military stores. On their arrival they examined as well as they could, by the help of spyglasses from a post of observation on the burying-ground hill, the appearance of the
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town, condition of the provincials, &c. It was found that the pro- vincials were assembling, and that no time was to be lost. The first object of the British was to gain possession of the north and south bridges to prevent any militia from entering over them. Accord- ingly, while Colonel Smith remained in the centre of the town, he detached six companies of light infantry, under command of Capt. Lawrence Parsons of his own regiment, to take possession of the north bridge, and proceed thence to places where stores were de- posited. Ensign D'Bernicre, already mentioned, was ordered to direct his way. It is also intimated that tories were active in guiding the regulars. Captain Beeman of Petersham was one. On their arrival there, three companies under command of Cap- tain Lawrie of the 43d regiment were left to protect the bridge ; one of those, commanded by Lieutenant Edward Thornton Gould, paraded at the bridge, the other, of the 4th and 10th regiments, fell back in the rear towards the hill. Captain Parsons with three companies proceeded to Colonel Barrett's to destroy the stores there deposited. At the same time Captain Mundey Pole of the 10th regiment was ordered to take possession of the south bridge, and destroy such public property as he could find in that direction. The grenadiers and marines, under Smith and Pitcairn, remained in the centre of the town, where all means in their power were used to accomplish the destruction of military stores.
By the great exertions of the provincials the principal part of the public stores had been secreted, and many others were pro- tected by the innocent artifice of individuals. In the centre of the town the grenadiers broke open about sixty barrels of flour, nearly one half of which was afterwards saved ; knocked off the trunnions of three iron twenty-four pound cannon, and burnt sixteen new carriage-wheels, and a few barrels of wooden trenchers and spoons. The liberty-pole on the hill was cut down, and suffered the same . fate. About five hundred pounds of balls were thrown into the mill-pond and into wells. "The shrewd and successful address of Captain Timothy Wheeler on this occasion deserves notice. He had the charge of a large quantity of provincial flour, which, together with some casks of his own, was stored in his barn. A British officer demanding entrance, he readily took his key and gave him admission. The officer expressed his pleasure at the discovery ; but Captain Wheeler with much affected simplicity,
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said to him, putting his hand on a barrel ; "This is my flour. I am a miller, Sir. Yonder stands my mill .. I get my living by it. In the winter I grind a great deal of grain, and get it ready for market in the spring. This,' pointing to one barrel, 'is the flour of wheat ; this,' pointing to another, 'is the flour of corn ; this is the flour of rye ; this,' putting his hand on his own casks, 'is my flour ; this is my wheat ; this is my rye; this is mine.' 'Well,' said the officer, 'we do not injure private property '; and with- drew leaving this important depository untouched." 1
Captain Ephraim Jones kept the tavern now owned by Hart- well Bigelow, and had the care of the jail near by. Henry Gard- ner, Esq., the province treasurer, had boarded with him during the session of the Congress, and had left in his custody a chest contain- ing some money and other important articles. Captain Jones was taken by the British, and placed under a guard of five men with their bayonets fixed and pointing towards him. After being thus detained a short time he was released to furnish refreshment at his bar. In the mean time they entered his house in search of public stores, and went to the chamber where Mr. Gardner's chest was deposited. Being about to enter, Hannah Barns, who lived in the family, remonstrated, telling them it was her apartment, and con- tained her property. After considerable parleying, they left her and the chamber unmolested.
The court-house was set on fire, but was extinguished by Mrs. Martha Moulton, a near resident, assisted by a servant of Dr. Minott. They remonstrated, saying to the British, " The top of the house is filled with powder, and if you do not put the fire out, you will all be killed." On this they lent their aid. They seized and abused several unarmed inhabitants who remained in the village.
The party at the south bridge entered several adjacent houses, where at their request milk, potatoes, meat, and other refresh- ments, as a breakfast, were provided. They entered the house of Ephraim Wood, Esq. and endeavoured to take him prisoner. He was town clerk and a distinguished patriot. Being actively en- gaged in directing the important events of the day, and assisting in removing the stores, he was not at home and escaped detec-
1 Holmes's Annals, vol. ii. p. 326.
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tion. At Mr. Amos Wood's they paid a guinea apiece to each of the female attendants to compensate them for their trouble. They searched the house ; and an officer observing one room fastened, significantly inquired of Mrs. Wood, " whether there were not some females locked up there ?" By her evasive answer he was led to believe it was so, and immediately said, " I forbid any one entering this room !" - and a room filled with military stores was thus fortunately preserved. This party remained here till they heard the firing at the north bridge, when they recrossed the river, took up the planks of the bridge to render it impassable, and has- tened to join the main body in the middle of the town.
After Colonel Barrett had ordered the militia to march over the bridge, he rode home to give some directions respecting the stores at his house. He set out on his return to the militia companies just before the party of British troops arrived. They said to Mrs. Barrett, " Our orders are to search your house and your brother's from top to bottom." Leave was granted. The soldiers here, as at other places in town, requested and were provided with refresh- ments. One of the sergeants asked for spirit, but it was refused ; and the commanding officer forbid it, as it might render him unfit for duty, saying, " We shall have bloody work to day, - we have killed men at Lexington." The officers offered to pay Mrs. Barrett, but she refused, saying, " We are commanded to feed our enemies." They then threw some money into her lap. Hesi- tating some time, she accepted it with the remark, -" This is the price of blood." They assured her of good treatment, but said they must execute their orders. Mrs. Barrett had concealed some musket-balls, cartridges, flints, &c., in casks in the garret, and had put over them a quantity of feathers, which prevented dis- covery. They however took fifty dollars in money from one of the rooms. On seeing Stephen, a son of Colonel Barrett, the offi- cer demanded his name. Being answered " Barrett," they called him a rebel, and taking hold of him said, " You must go to Bos- ton with us, and be sent to England for your trial." Upon Mrs. Barret saying, " He is my son, and not the master of the house," they released him. They collected some gun-carriages in order to burn them ; but before they executed their intention the firing at the bridge was heard, and they immediately retreated.
While the British were thus engaged, our citizens and part of
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our military men, having secured what articles of public property they could, were assembling under arms. Beside the minute-men and militia of Concord, the military companies from the adjoining towns began to assemble ; and the number had increased to about two hundred and fifty or three hundred.
-There were at this time in this vicinity, under rather imperfect organization, a regiment of militia, and a regiment of minute-men. The officers of the militia were James Barrett, colonel ; Eze- kiel How of Sudbury, lieutenant-colonel ; Nathan Barrett and George Minott of Concord, Joseph Robbins of Acton, John Moore of Bedford, Samuel Farrar of Lincoln, and Moses Stone and Aaron Haynes of Sudbury, captains. The officers of the minute-men were Abijah Pierce of Lincoln, colonel ; Thomas Nixon of Framingham, lieutenant-colonel ; John Buttrick of Con- cord, major ; Jacob Miller of Holliston, 2d major ; Thomas Hurd of East Sudbury, adjutant ; David Brown, and Charles Miles of Concord, Isaac Davis of Acton, William Smith of Lincoln, Jon- athan Wilson of Bedford, John Nixon of Sudbury, captains. There were also two small companies of horse, one in Concord, and one in Sudbury ; but they were out among the foot companies at this time. Joseph Hosmer, David Wheeler, Francis Wheeler, and James Russell of Concord ; John Hayward, Simon Hunt, and John Heald of Acton ; Samuel Hoar of Lincoln ; Moses Abbott of Bedford ; and Jonathan Rice, David Moore, Asahel Wheeler, and Jabez Puffer of Sudbury, were lieutenants. All these, how- ever, were not present at the engagement at the North Bridge.1
1 It has been customary in giving notice of deceased revolutionary sol- diers, who met the British at any time on that day, or marched to meet them, to say they were present at the North Bridge. This in many in- stances is doubtless incorrect. Scarcely any, except those from Concord and the towns immediately adjoining, were or could be present, though - troops came with celerity and bravery from a greater distance, and were in the engagement on the retreat. Two companies from Sudbury, under How, Nixon, and Haynes, came to Concord ; and having received orders from a person stationed at the entrance of the town for the purpose of a guide, to proceed to the north instead of the south bridge, arrived near Colonel Barrett's just before the British soldiers retreated. They halted in sight, and Colonel How observed, " If any blood has been shed, not one of the rascals shall escape ;" and disguising himself rode on to ascertain the truth. Before proceeding far, the firing began at the bridge, and the Sudbury companies pursued the retreating British.
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The officers of the minute companies had no commissions. Their authority was derived solely from the suffrages of their companies. Nor were any of the companies formed in regular order. John Robinson of Westford, a Lieutenant-Colonel in a regiment of minute-men under Colonel William Prescott, and other men of distinction had already assembled. The hostile acts and formida- ble array of the enemy, and the burning of the articles they had collected in the village, led them to anticipate a general destruc- tion.
Joseph Hosmer, acting as adjutant, formed the soldiers as they arrived singly or in squads, on the field westerly of Colonel Jonas Buttrick's present residence ; the minute companies on the right and the militia on the left, facing the town. He then, observing an unusual smoke arising from the centre of the town, went to the officers and citizens in consultation on the high ground near by, and inquired earnestly, " Will you let them burn the town down ?" They then, with those exciting scenes before them deliberately with noble patriotism and firmness " resolved to march into the middle of the town to defend their homes, or die in the attempt ; " and at the same time they resolved not to fire unless first fired upon. "They acted upon principle and in the fear of God." 1
Colonel Barrett immediately gave orders to march by wheeling from the right. Major Buttrick requested Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson to accompany him, and led them in double file to the scene of action. When they came to the road leading from Cap- tain Brown's to the bridge, a part of the Acton minute company under Captain Davis passed by in front, marched towards the bridge a short distance, and halted. Being in files of two abreast, the Concord minute company, under Captain Brown, being before at the head, marched up the north side, till they came equally in front. The precise position, however, of each company cannot now be fully ascertained. This road was subject to inundations, and a wall was built with large stones on the upper side, in which posts were placed, connected together at their tops with poles to aid foot-passengers in passing over in times of high water.
The British, observing their motions, immediately formed on the east side of the river, and soon began to take up the planks of the
1 " History of the Fight at Concord," by the Rev. Dr. Ripley.
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bridge. Against this Major Buttrick remonstrated in an elevated tone, and ordered a quicker step of his soldiers. The British desisted. At that moment two or three guns were fired in quick succession into the river, which the provincials considered as alarm- guns and not aimed at them. They had arrived within ten or fifteen rods of the bridge, when a single gun was fired by a British soldier, the ball from which passing under Colonel Robinson's arm slightly wounded the side of Luther Blanchard, a fifer in the Acton company, and Jonas Brown, one of the Concord minute men. This gun was instantly followed by a volley by which Captain ยท Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer, both belonging to Acton, were killed, a ball passing through the body of the former, and another through the head of the latter. On seeing this, Major Buttrick instantly leaped from the ground, and partly turning to his men, exclaimed, " Fire, fellow-soldiers, for God's sake, fire"; discharging his own gun almost in the same instant. His order was instantly obeyed ; and a general discharge from the whole line of the provincial ranks took place. Firing on both sides continued a few minutes. Three British soldiers were killed ; and Lieutenants Sunderland, Kelley, and Gould, a sergeant, and four privates were wounded. The British immediately retreated about half way to the meeting- house, and were met by two companies of grenadiers, who had been drawn thither by " the noise of battle."
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