USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lexington > History of the town of Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1868, Volume I > Part 19
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The British were again attacked with great vigor and fatal effect in a wood near the old poor-house in Lexington. Their ammunition began to fail, and the troops were so oppressed with thirst and fatigue as to be almost unfit for service. Their flight was so rapid that their killed were left where they fell. Their wounded, whom they attempted to take with them, created great embarrassment, and many were left behind. The troops broke, and, disregarding all order, each one looked out for himself. This was the condition of the British when they passed Lexington Common, on which they had shown such a haughty demeanor and so much martial pride some eight or nine hours before. They were fatigued, dis- pirited, and almost exhausted; and nothing but the timely arrival of Lord Percy with a reinforcement saved the detach- ment from utter ruin. 4
1 Ripley, Shattuck, and Frothingham. The horse captured at Fiske Hill was with his trappings taken to Concord and sold at public auction. Captain Nathan Barrett bought the pistols, and afterwards offered them to General Washington, but he not accepting them they were given to General Putnam. They are now at the Hancock-Clarke House at Lexington. Ed.
2 On Massachusetts Avenue, nearly opposite Wood Street. Ed.
3 The powder-horn worn by Hayward, and through which the fatal British ball passed, has been carefully preserved by the family.
4 The following letters from Letters of Hugh, Earl Percy, from Boston and New York, 1774-1776, edited by C. K. Bolton (Boston, C. E. Goodspeed, 1902, pp. 49-53), are of interest: -
TO GOVERNOR GAGE OF MASSACHUSETTS (Official Account of the Retreat from Lexington)
Boston, 20 April, 1775.
In obedience to your Excelle orders I marched yesterday morning at 9 o'clk, with the first Brigade and 2 Field-pieces, in order to cover the retreat of the Grenadiers & Light Infy, on their return from The Expedition to Concord.
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THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON
The British accounts admit that the condition of Colonel Smith was perilous in the extreme when Percy joined him. Mahon, an English historian, says of Smith's detachment, "Their utter destruction would have ensued had not General Gage sent forward that morning another detachment under Lord Percy to support them." 1 All accounts agree that the day was unusually warm for that season of the year, and so hotly were the British troops pressed on their retreat that
As all the houses were shut up, & there was not the appearance of a single inhabitant, I could get no intelligence concerning them till I had passed Menotomy, when I was informed that the Rebels had attacked His Majesty's Troops, who were retiring, overpowered by numbers, greatly exhausted & fatigued, & having expended almost all their ammunition. And about 2 o'clk I met them retiring through the Town of Lexington.
I immediately ordered the 2 field-pieces to fire at the Rebels, and drew up the Brigade on a height. The shot from the cannon had the desired effect, & stopped the Rebels for a little time, whoimmediately dispersed, & endeavoured to surround us, being very numerous. As it began now to grow pretty late, & we had 15 miles to retire, & only our 36 rounds, I ordered the Grenadiers and Lgt Infy to move off first, & covered them with my Brigade, sending out very strong flanking parties, wh were absolutely necessary, as there was not a stone-wall, or house, though before in appearance evacuated, from whence the Rebels did not fire upon us.
As soon as they saw us begin to retire, they pressed very much upon our rear-guard, which for that reason I relieved every now & then. In this manner we retired for 15 miles under an inces- sant fire all round us, till we arrived at Charlestown, between 7 & 8 in the even, very much fatigued with a march of above 30 miles, & having expended almost all our ammunition.
We had the misfortune of losing a good many men in the retreat, tho' nothing like the number wh, from many circumstances, I have reason to believe were killed of the Rebels.
His Majesty's Troops during the whole of the affair behaved with their usual intrepidity & spirit. Nor were they a little exasperated at the cruelty and barbarity of the Rebels, who scalped & cut off the ears of some of the wounded men who fell into their hands.
I am, etc. Signed PERCY
Acting Brig Gen.
To the Honble Gov" Gage
TO GENERAL HARVEY (Part of an unofficial account of the retreat from Lexington)
Ap1 20, 1775. Boston.
. I therefore pressed on to (the) relief (of the British troops) as fast as good order & not blowing the men would allow. . . . The rebels were in great no", the whole country having col- lected for 20 m around ... I ordered the Gren(adier)s & L(ight) I(nfantry) to move off, covering them with my Brig(ade), & detaching strong flanking parties wh was absolutely nec'y, as the whole country we had to retire thro' was covd with stone walls, & was besides a very hilly, stony country. In this manner, we retired for 15 m under an incessant fire, wh like a moving circle surrounded & fold us wherever we went, till we arrived at Charlewtown at 8 in the ev'g, . . & having expended almost every cartridge. You will easily conceive that in such a retreat, harassed as we were on all sides, it was impossible not to lose a good many men.
The following is an acct of them: 65 k(illed), 157 w(ounded), & 21 m (issing), besides 1 offf k(illed), 15 w(ounded), & 2 w(ounded) & taken prisoners. . . . During the whole affair the Rebels attacked us in a very scattered, irregular manner, but with perseverance & resolution, nor did they ever dare to form into any regular body. Indeed, they knew too well what was prop- er, to do so.
Whoever looks upon them as an irregular mob, will find himself much mistaken. They have men amongst them who know very well what they are about, having been employed as Rangers agst the Indians & Canadians, & this country being much covd w. wood, and hilly, is very advan- tageous for their method of fighting.
Nor are several of their men void of a spirit of enthusiasm, as we experienced yesterday, for many of them concealed themselves in houses, & advanced within 10 yds. to fire at me & other officers, tho' they were morally certain of being put to death themselves in an instant.
You may depend upon it, that as the Rebels have now had time to prepare, they are deter- mined to go thro' with it, nor will the insurrection here turn out so despicable as it is perhaps imagined at home. For my part, I never believed, I confess, that they wd have attacked the King's troops, or have had the perseverance I found in them yesterday.
I have myself fortunately escaped very well, having only had a horse shot. Poor Lt .- Cols Smith & Barnard, are both wounded, but not badly. . . . [Ed.]
1 History of England, Vol. VI, p. 55.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
they were well-nigh exhausted. Stedman, the British his- torian who attended Percy in this expedition, not only ad- mits that "the British were driven before the Americans like sheep," but he says that, when they arrived within the hollow square formed by Percy's brigade to receive them, "They were obliged to lie down upon the ground, their tongues hanging out of their mouths, like those of dogs after a chase." 1
It has already been stated that Colonel Smith, on his way to Lexington from Boston, became alarmed and sent a mes- senger to General Gage for a reinforcement. His message was received early in the morning, and about nine o'clock Gage dispatched three regiments of infantry 2 and two divisions of marines with two field-pieces, under Lord Percy, to support him. Percy marched out through Roxbury3 to the tune of Yankee Doodle.4 To prevent or impede his march, the select-
1 American War, Vol. I, p. 118. ·
? Forty-seventh Regiment, Fourth Battalion, Royal Artillery, Twenty-third Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Ed.
3 In the Letters of Hugh, Earl Percy, from Boston and New York, 1774-1776, edited by C. K. Bolton (Boston, C. E. Goodspeed, 1902), a footnote states (Ed.): "Percy marched through Brookline, and it is the tradition that he was taunted with verses from Chevy Chase. Curiously enough, Horace Walpole, on hearing of the encounter, wrote to Sir Horace Mann, from Strawberry Hill, June 5: 'So here is this fatal war commenced!
'The child that is unborn shall rue The hunting of that day!'"
4 As the tune of Yankee Doodle was employed by the British in derision, at the commencement of the Revolution, it may be desirable to learn something of its origin and character. Strictly speaking, it is not to be classed with our national airs; yet it is played so often, is so associated with our national life, and so entwined with our free institutions that no liberty-loving American is willing to discard it. Though its faults may be obvious, they are all pardonable. Cynics may snarl, and wits may satirize it, but the people take it to their bosoms. The lovers of scientific music may denounce it as low and vulgar, and unworthy of a refined and delicate taste; but the truly democratic reply is "the sovereign people do not so understand it." They love the gay old tune, and will not give it up. They hail it as one of our free institutions, and are ready to stand by it. And the singular fact that it has no acknowledged words only gives it a versatility which adapts it to every subject and fits it for all occasions. The poetry in which it naturally flows can be composed by almost every rhymester, and the tune luxuriates as freely in a low doggerel as in the sublime stanzas of our greatest poets. It is equally at home in
"Jove on high Olympus sat, And awed the world with thunder";
or in
"Yankee Doodle came to town, Riding on a pony";
and it is never embarrassed in whatever dress it appears. It is also adapted to all
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THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON
men of Cambridge caused the planks of the old bridge, over which he was obliged to pass, to be taken up; but instead of removing them to any distance, they unwisely left them upon the causeway on the Cambridge side of the river. Hence Percy found no difficulty in replacing them so as to enable his troops to cross. But a convoy of provisions under a sergeant's guard was detained until it was out of the protection of the main body, and measures were taken to cut it off, which was effectually done in Menotomy. Gordon the historian, who visited the scene of action immediately after the events oc- curred, ascribes the leadership in this movement to Rev. Dr. Payson, of Chelsea, while others ascribe it to one David Lamson, a half-breed Indian. Probably both statements are founded in fact. It is admitted that a courier came from Old Cambridge, informing the people of West Cambridge that these supplies were on the way and urging their interception;
occasions, and can with equal grace and propriety cheer on the brave or lampoon the laggard. In fact,-
"Yankee Doodle's all the run, With every theme uniting; 'T is fit for marching, frolic, fun, And just the thing for fighting."
Rev. Elias Nason, a distinguished antiquary, in a Lecture on National Music, fraught with instruction and humor, says of Yankee Doodle: -
"The tune, you know, is a 'Daughter of the Regiment,' coming to us by adoption. Its par- entage is involved in obscurity; many cities, as in the case of Homer, claiming it. Some con- sider it an old vintage song of France; the Spaniards think their voices have echoed to its notes in early days; the Magyars with Louis Kossuth recognize in it one of their old national dances. England entertains some shadowy tradition of it, both before and during the times of Cromwell; and the Dutchman claims it, as a Low Country song of tithes and Bonnyclabber, giving the original words -
'Yanke didel, doodal, down, Didel, dudel, lanter; Yanke viver, vover, vown, Buttermilk and tanther (tithes).'
"But whatever may have been the origin, this 'Daughter of the Regiment,' so far as I can learn, first appeared in America, on the banks of the Hudson in June, 1755, and was introduced into the American camp by one roguish Dr. Richard Shuckburg, of the British Army, in this amusing way. Our Colonial companies, under Governor Shirley, encamped on the left of the British, meanly disciplined and poorly clad, and marching after music quite two centuries old, increased of course the ridicule of their well-equipped and fashionable transatlantic brethren. To keep the sport along, this mischievous Dr. Shuckburg, wit, surgeon, and fiddler as he was, tells the Americans that the music is too ancient, and that he will get up a tune in the modern style - and so he gave them Yankee Doodle. The American soldiers called it 'mighty fine.' It struck a strong chord in the American heart, and was heard immediately, and nothing else was heard, throughout the camp and throughout the Colonies.
"This tune became our battle-march, through the Revolution; and though the British gave it to us in June, 1755, we gave it back to them with compound interest in June, 1775, at Bunker Hill; and we baptized the bantling, which they gave us in derision, in the blood of heroes, placed upon it the name of FREEDOM, rocked it in Faneuil Hall, and took it home to dwell with us for- ever! 'Independence now and forever' rings through every note of it, and one never feels half so much like '76 itself as when he hears it rolling. Hence the leaders of the Rebellion, after the pitiful policy of European kings, descend to the mean expedient of ostracising our national songs, in order to keep their wicked cause in countenance with the people. Yankee Doodle must be silenced before our brave old flag can be cut down; so long as its old rollicksome notes roll out, the Stars and Stripes must and will float over us."
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
and that the people rallied and made Lamson their leader at that place. Payson may well have been the instigator and an active leader at some other point. A few of the citizens of West Cambridge 1 assembled, and under the leadership of Lamson took a position behind a bank wall of earth and stone. When the convoy made its appearance near the meeting-house in that parish, they demanded a surrender, which being refused, they discharged a volley killing several of the horses. The affrighted drivers and guard made their escape as best they could. The wagons were taken possession of by the citizens, and removed to a place of safety. It is said that six of the men attached to the teams were afterwards taken prisoners.2
Percy met the fugitives some half a mile below Lexington Common about two o'clock. One of his field-pieces was placed on a bluff or mound near the present site of the Town Hall,3 which has since been levelled for the erection of the building and the repairs of the highways; and the other upon the high ground 4 above the Munroe Tavern and back of the residence of the late Deacon Nathaniel Mulliken. By this
1 E. Chase, Beginnings of the American Revolution, Vol. III, pp. 107-10. Ed.
2 Smith's West Cambridge Address. After stating that six of these grenadiers surrendered to "an old woman digging dandelions," Mr. Smith says, "So to West Cambridge belongs the honor of making the first capture of provisions and stores, and also of prisoners, in the American Revolution." Granting the marvellous achievement of the old lady, which some may be disposed to question, the truth of history compels us to say that he must have been misled in supposing that these were the first prisoners taken that day. Percy did not leave Boston till about nine o'clock that morning, and coming out over the Neck, through Roxbury and Brighton, could not have reached West Cambridge before about the middle of the day, as he did not reach the Munroe Tavern in Lexington till nearly two o'clock. His baggage was in his rear and was detained so long at the bridge or by other misfortunes as to be separated from the troops. It must have been twelve or one o'clock before they could have reached the centre of West Cambridge. Now, it is a well-authenticated fact that several British soldiers who fell in the rear of their main body were captured at Lexington soon after the British left for Concord, which must have been as early as seven or eight o'clock that morning. See Depositions of William Munroe, John Munroe, Ebenezer Munroe, and James Reed of Burlington, to whose house the prisoners were sent. These deponents were all actors in the scene of that morning and knew what they related.
Gordon, who wrote a History of the Revolution, and whose means of information were good, gives the following account of what happened at West Cambridge: "Before Percy's baggage reached the place, a few Americans, headed by Rev. Mr. Payson, of Chelsea, who till then had been extremely moderate, attacked a party of twelve soldiers carrying stores to the retreating troops, killed one and wounded several, made the whole prisoners, and gained possession of their arms and stores without any loss to themselves." Vol. I, p. 313.
3 Now occupied by the High School building. Ed.
4 Corner of Washington and Warren Strcets. Ed.
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THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON
accession to the British force and by the presence of the artil- lery, the Americans were, for a short period, kept in check. Shots were fired from the field-pieces in every direction where any Provincials could be discovered. Several shots were thrown into the village - one of which passed through the meeting-house and out at the pulpit window. The ball lodged in the back part of the Common; it was preserved for some time, when it was passed over to Harvard College. By some neglect it was taken away, and as far as we know is lost. Another ball was ploughed up some years after on the farm owned and occupied by the late Benjamin Fiske, Esq., on Lowell Street.
There must have been many cases of extreme bravery, of wise caution, of great exertion, and of cruel suffering that day. Nor is glory due to the men alone. The women and children performed and endured their full share of labor and of suffer- ing.1 We would joyfully give some instances of rare courage or personal foresight; but the moment you go beyond the record you have such floods of traditionary lore, some prob- able and some improbable, that you cannot distinguish fact from fiction; and we would rather omit some incidents toler- ably well authenticated than to falsify history by inserting the extravagant accounts of some credulous persons, who, to magnify the worth of a family or the honor of the town, would swell mole-hills into mountains.
We will state, however, what is true in general, that after the British had passed on to Concord there was great appre- hension for the safety of families; and many who resided on the line of the great road left their houses in dismay and fled to distant neighbors, or in some cases to the woods, taking with them some valuables from their houses, 2 -- and what is still more trying, in some cases mothers with their babes but a few days old, and the sick and infirm who had been confined to their beds, were hurried away to places of safety.
1 See paper by Miss E. W. Harrington, Proc. Lex. Hist. Soc., Vol. I, p. 48; and by George O. Smith, ibid., p. 59. Ed.
2 See letter of Miss Betty Clarke, Proc. Lex. Hist. Soc., Vol. Iv, p. 91: -
" How many Descendants can I count from the venerable Hancock down to this day, which is sixty six years since the war began on the Common, which I now can see from this window us here I sit writing, and can see, in my mind, just as plain, all the British Troops marching off the Common to Concord, and the whole scene, how Aunt Hancock and Miss Dolly Quinsy, with their cloaks and bonnets on, Aunt Crying and ringing her hands and helping Mother Dress the children, Dolly going round with Father, to hide the Money, watches and anything down in the potatoes and up Garrett, and then Grandfather Clarke sent down men with carts, took your Mother and all the children but Jonas and me and Sally a Babe six months old." Ed.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON
During this respite the harassed troops were enabled to rest themselves, and, by entering the houses in the immediate neighborhood and seizing whatever they could lay their hands upon, to obtain some refreshment. But after pillaging the houses, not only of what their hunger and thirst required, but of such articles of clothing, etc., as they could comfortably carry away, they wantonly destroyed the furniture and other property in and about the buildings; and to complete their works of vandalism, they set fire to several buildings, which were entirely consumed. Joseph Loring, who resided on the place 1 directly opposite the present Town House,2 had his house and barn, valued at £350, laid in ashes, and other prop- erty to the amount of £370 was wantonly destroyed. Lydia Mulliken had her house and shop, valued at £128, and other property to the amount of £303, destroyed. Joshua Bond lost his dwelling-house and shop, and other property valued at £189 16s. 7d. William Munroe lost in household furniture, goods in retail shop, etc., destroyed, £203 11s. 9d.3 The whole amount of property in Lexington thus ruthlessly de- stroyed was valued at the time at £1761 2s. 3d.4
The conduct of the King's troops, after they were met by Percy, was marked by a vandalism totally unworthy the character of a soldier.5 In addition to a wanton destruction
1 346 Massachusetts Avenue. Ed. ? Now the High School site. Ed.
3 In the list transcribed from the Journals of Each Provincial Congress, by E. Chase (Beginnings of the American Revolution, Vol. III, p. 89) this loss is appor- tioned to Marrett Munroe, and William is given a loss of only £9; but in view of the known damage to the Munroe Tavern, it is clear that Mr. Hudson's record must be correct. Ed.
4 See original accounts as reported by a committee. The sufferers in Lexington were: Joseph Loring, £720; Jonathan Harrington, £103 7s .; Lydia Winship, £66 13s. 4d .; John Mason, £14 13s. 4d .; Mathew Mead, £101; Benjamin Merriam, £223 43 .; Nathaniel Farmer, £46 10s .; Thomas Fessenden, £164; Benjamin Fiske, £9 7s .; Jeremiah Harrington, £11 13s. 11d .; Robert Harrington, £12; Joshua Bond, £189 16s. 7d .; Benjamin Brown, £42; Hepzebah Davis, £5 13. 6d .; Benjamin Estabrooke, £12; Samuel Bemis, £4 8s. 8d .; Nathan Blodgett, £18; Elizabeth Samson, £10; Jonathan Smith, £13 12s. 8d .; John Williams, £36 15s .; John Winship, £12; Mar- garet Winship, £22 10s .; Marrett Munroe, £5; William Munroe, £203 11s. 9d .; Amos Muzzy, £18 4s .; Lydia Mulliken, £431; Heirs of William Munroe, £9 .; Benjamin Lock, £4 4s. 6d .; Nathan Fessenden, £66 10s.
5 A short Recital & an Imperfect one of the wanton Cruelty and Barbarity of the British Troops in the Town of Lexington on the 19 of April 1775 as Follows (viz) The Second Brigade under the Command of Lord Percy meeting the first Brigade upon their return from Concord aboute half a mile Below the Meeting house in Said Town near the mansion house Dea: Joseph Loring where theay made a halt and fireing their field peices in order to Clear of the Inhabitants of ye Severel Towns Collected to Together to prevent their Destroying all before them Even when none of the Melitia was near them theay Began to Burn first the house & Barn & other out Buildings of Dae: Joseph Loring also the house & Barn & shop of Mrs. Lidia Mulliken & the house & Shopp of Mr. Joshua Bond The proceding of the British Troops in Said Town on Said day Appeared to the Distressed Inhabitants to be Attended with wanton Cruelty & Barbarity
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of property, they practised a system of personal insult, treachery, and murder, which reflects disgrace and infamy upon the commanders and the men. A party entered the Munroe Tavern, and helping themselves, or rather compel- ling the inmates of the house to help them to whatever they wanted, they treacherously and with ruthlessness shot down John Raymond, an infirm man residing in the family, only because he, becoming alarmed at their roughness and brutal conduct, was about leaving the house to seek a place of greater safety. The brutality here commenced was continued throughout the remainder of their retreat.1
As the events crowded into the memorable 19th of April were numerous as well as important,2 and are naturally di-
after burning the Several Buildings above mentioned as Said Troops Marcht Through the remaining Part of Said Town they Continued plundering the houses of many of their valuable Effect, Breaking of windows, & Doors and all kinds of Mischeif they had time Accomplish till theay passed the Town.
JOHN CHANDLER BENJA ESTABROOK | Selectmen FRANCIS BROWN WILLIAM MUNRO
of Lexington.
LEXINGTON Jany 24th 1782
The above was appended to An Account of the Loss & Damage sustained by the Inhabitants of the Town of Lexington by the British Troops on the 19 of April, 1775, in State Archives, Vol. 138, p. 377, etc. Ed.
1 On the other hand, Earl Percy states (Percy Letters): "His Majesty's Troops during the whole affair behaved with their usual intrepidity & spirit. Nor were they a little exasperated at the cruelty and barbarity of the Rebels, who scalped & cut off the ears of some of the wounded men who fell into their hands." Shattuck, History of Concord, p. 303. Zaccheus Brown and Thomas Davis, Jr., testified that "the man was not scalped, neither had his ears been cut off." Ed.
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