attempt._"[185]
Col. Barrett then gave the order to Major John Buttrick to lead
an advance over the Bridge and to the centre of the town. And his
instructions were like those of Captain Parker a few hours before,
not to fire unless fired upon.
It was then between nine and ten o'clock.[186] Col. Barrett retired
to the rear on higher ground,[187] and Major Buttrick hastened to
execute his order. His choice for a company to lead was naturally
one from Concord, but the Captain of that one replied that he would
rather not.[188] We wonder at the reason, for Concord seemed to be
the most deeply concerned just at that hour. However, it could not
have been for lack of courage, for the Concord companies were a part
of that advance. Then Buttrick turned to Capt. Davis, and asked him
if he was afraid to go. Davis promptly responded:
"No, I am not; and there isn't a man in my company that is."[189]
He immediately gave the command to march, and the men of Acton
wheeled from the left of the line to the right, and were the first to
march upon the invaders.
Major John Buttrick of Concord led in person this little army down
the slope towards the river, but not until he had offered the command
to a superior officer who happened to be present, but without a
command, Lieut.-Col. John Robinson of Prescott's Regiment. Robinson
lived in Westford, and had responded to the alarm. Magnanimously he
refused the honor to lead, but with characteristic bravery, begged
that he might march by Buttrick's side, which the latter acceded to.
These were the two men in front of all the American host to first
march against the soldiers of their King.
Then came Captain Isaac Davis and his company of thirty-seven men
from Acton. Then next, a Concord company under Charles Miles. Then
two more Concord companies under Capt. David Brown and Capt. Nathan
Barrett.[190] Another company from Acton, then fell into line, the
one commanded by Capt. Simon Hunt. They were just turning the corner
of the main road when the firing at the bridge took place.[191] By
order of Col. Barrett the companies from Bedford and Lincoln next
fell into line. The march was by twos, and to the tune of "The White
Cockade," played by two young fifers, Luther Blanchard of Davis's
Acton company, and John Buttrick of Brown's Concord company.[192]
Down the road, now discontinued, in a southerly direction to the
point of the triangle, then back towards the Bridge in an easterly
direction, in all about a quarter of a mile, they marched.[193] The
British watched the advance keenly, and when the southerly point of
the triangle was reached, and the columns wheeled left towards the
Bridge, they commenced to pull up the planks. Major Buttrick, in a
loud voice, ordered them to desist, whereupon they left the Bridge
and hastily formed for action in the road just beyond the easterly
end. Then came the report of the first hostile gun in the battle of
Concord, fired from the British ranks. Solomon Smith,[194] a member
of Davis's Acton company, saw where the ball struck the river, on his
right, which then ran nearly parallel to the road. This was quickly
followed by two others, but they were not thought by the Americans to
be aimed at them either.
Still onward marched Major Buttrick and his little band. They soon
came nearly to the Bridge, when a sudden volley from the British
indicated their serious intention to check the American advance.
Luther Blanchard, the fifer from Acton, was slightly wounded.[195]
Major Buttrick heard his cry of anguish, and almost jumping into the
air, exclaimed:
"Fire, for God's sake, fire!"
The order was obeyed. The British responded, killing Capt. Davis and
one of his privates, Abner Hosmer. Davis on realizing that Blanchard
was wounded had taken a firmer position on a flat stepping-stone, and
while aiming his gun received a bullet through his heart. Hosmer was
killed by a bullet through his head.[196] Ezekiel Davis, brother of
the Captain, and a private in his company, was wounded, as was also
Joshua Brooks of Lincoln, whose forehead was slightly cut by a bullet
which continued through his hat.[197]
The opening volley of the Americans was also effective, killing one
private, and wounding Lieut. Hull of the Forty-third Regiment;
Lieut. Gould of the Fourth; Lieut. Kelly of the Tenth; Lieut.
Sutherland of the Thirty-eighth; and a number of the rank and file.
The Americans under Major Buttrick advanced and the three British
companies, under Lowrie, gave way, and retreated towards Concord
village. They were met on the way by reinforcements consisting of
two or three companies headed by Lieut.-Col. Smith himself, who was
responding to a very urgent request for assistance from Capt. Lowrie,
sent just before the engagement began. Smith being a "very fat, heavy
man," according to the testimony of one of his officers, who has left
an interesting diary for our perusal,[198] instead of reaching Lowrie
at the Bridge met him but a little way out of the village.
From the moment of that heroic advance of the Americans over the
bridge, military discipline among them ceased.[199] They rushed
after the retreating British but a few rods, then proceeded to an
eminence on the east side of the road back of Elisha Jones's house,
taking position there behind a stone wall, and perhaps an eighth of
a mile from where the British halted when they were met by their
reinforcements.[200]
Why the Americans turned aside instead of pursuing their enemies
into Concord village as they had resolved to do, can only be
surmised. Why they gave no heed to the small force still behind
them up the river, engaged in destroying American property at Col.
Barrett's, excites our wonder, too. Not lack of personal courage
surely, but rather a lack of military experience.
While these scenes were being enacted at the North Bridge, the
British force above alluded to, and consisting of three companies
under Capt. Parsons, had gone up the river, to the home of Col.
Barrett, nearly two miles from the Bridge. They were under the direct
guidance of the spy, Ensign De Bernicre, who had previously gone
over the road, and made himself familiar with its topography, and
particularly with the hiding of military stores among the homes along
the way. He knew thoroughly well of those at Col. Barrett's, and that
place above all others was the principal objective.
Early that morning the men in the Barrett family had busied
themselves in securing the Colonial stores. They had plowed a tract
of land about thirty feet square, south of the old barn and later
used as a kitchen garden. One guided a yoke of oxen, in turning over
the furrows, into which others dropped the muskets that had been
stored in the house. Succeeding furrows covered them nicely. Musket
balls were carried to the attic, put into the bottoms of barrels
which were then filled with feathers.[201] Other munitions were
hidden in the adjoining woods.[202]
When the soldiers reached there they found the homestead in care
of the venerable wife of Col. Barrett. Capt. Parsons explained his
mission, and assured her it was his aim to destroy public property
only, and to capture Col. Barrett.[203] They commenced their search,
but did not find as much as expected.[204] Nor did they capture the
commander of the minute-men.
While this work was in progress, Col. Barrett's son, Stephen, a young
man of about twenty-five years, returned from his mission, up the
river road to Price Plain, to intercept minute-men expected from
Stow, Harvard, and other towns in that vicinity. He wished to inform
them of the danger surrounding his own home, that they might travel
by some other road into Concord.
Reaching the kitchen door of his own home he was met by a British
officer, who, thinking he might be Col. Barrett, placed him under
arrest. Upon learning from Mrs. Barrett, however, of his mistake,
that he was her son, the young man was released.[205] Another son,
James, Jr., being lame and inactive, did not attract any hostile
attention.[206]
So successfully had Col. Barrett and his numerous assistants secreted
the large amount of provincial property left in his charge, that
Capt. Parsons found but little to confiscate or destroy. He seized
and burned a few gun-carriages in the road near the house.[207]
This was the remotest point of the British invasion. The three
companies at Col. Barrett's had by far the longest route of any, by
several miles. After a night without sleep, and so long a march they
were hungry and thirsty, and Mrs. Barrett was requested to supply
their wants. She was in no position to refuse. Some, if not all, were
willing to pay for what they had, but the good lady refused, saying:
"We are commanded to feed our enemy if he hunger."
Some, however, insisted, and on leaving tossed their money into her
lap. She could only exclaim:
"It is the price of blood!"[208]
The object of their mission being accomplished, so far as within
their power, they set out for a return march to the village by the
same roundabout route over the North Bridge, as they came. When at
Widow Brown's Tavern at the cross roads, within about a mile of the
Bridge, they halted and three or four officers entered the house
for drink. The soldiers sat at the roadside, and drink was carried
out to them. Pay was offered to Mrs. Brown by the officers, but she
declined to receive it. Charles Handley, a youth in his thirteenth
year, and a native of Concord, was living there, and has left his
sworn statement, that he then heard the guns at the Bridge, but that
the British did not appear to notice them. It was then generally
understood that they knew nothing of the engagement until their
arrival at the scene, and saw the British slain.[209] There were
two, one having been killed instantly, and the other, at first
wounded, and while helpless, despatched with a savage cut in the head
with a hatchet. It seems that after the British had been driven from
the Bridge and the Americans had also passed in pursuit, a young man
employed by Rev. William Emerson, at the Old Manse (still standing,
1912), came forth to view the field of strife. He saw the wounded
Briton attempting to arise, and in a thoughtless moment, conceived it
his patriotic duty to kill him. He did so, as the soldier was on his
knees, in a futile attempt to stand. The hatchet sank deep into his
skull, and the blood gushed forth, and covered the top of his head,
as he sank back to Concord battle ground. A little later the British
force under Capt. Parsons passed him on their way to the village.
They could only shudder, and bear away the impression, which was
subsequently published, that the Americans had scalped and cut off
the ears of their enemies.[210] The young man who did the deed lived
many years, and often confessed that his conscience had been sorely
troubled.[211]
The men under Captain Parsons were thus permitted to join the main
body of British very much to their surprise, and which was forcibly
expressed by Ensign De Bernicre in his account of the battle.[212]
As we have seen, the main body of the Americans halted on the high
ground to the eastward of the Elisha Jones house. From that moment to
the arrival of the British at Charlestown Neck, no one seemed to be
in command, and discipline of any kind was not attempted.
While Military critics cannot endorse the kind of warfare employed by
the Americans on that day, almost if not quite of a guerilla nature,
yet it must be confessed that their death roll was much smaller and
their success, in some respects much greater, than it would have been
had they fought as an army, in the open, under some brave commander.
The British, on the other hand, were ever in the highway, standing
or marching in a solid formation. The Americans were never more than
a dozen or a score, side by side, and usually not more than two
or three. Their selected position was a sheltered one; behind the
walls; among the trees; even within the houses. Often the vigilant
flank-guard, which Lieut.-Col. Smith counted upon so intelligently,
came upon them unawares, and so added to the American death roll. Had
they known the value of the flanking movements, and still fought as
individuals as they did from the North Bridge to Charlestown Neck,
but few would have been slain.
As we have seen, the Americans halted on the high ground to the
eastward of Elisha Jones's house. They felt that when the retreating
British were reinforced, they would return and renew the struggle.
In their strong position behind the stone wall they had no cause to
fear an assault, for the advantage would be greatly with them. But
Lieut.-Col. Smith also realized as much and turned his troops back
into Concord village.
Several of the minute-men then returned to the North Bridge, and
conveyed the bodies of Capt. Isaac Davis and private Abner Hosmer
to the home of Major Buttrick, which stood near the spot from which
they started on their fatal march.[213] Later in the day they were
conveyed to Acton.
Such was the baptism of Concord soil with the blood of its brave
defenders.
Captain Mundy Pole of the Tenth Regiment with one hundred men, had
been detailed by Lieut.-Col. Smith for guard duty at the South
Bridge. He was also instructed to destroy any public stores that he
might find in that vicinity.
The Bridge is nearly a mile southerly from the village, and in an
opposite direction from the North Bridge, the two being nearly two
miles apart.
Captain Pole reached there about eight o'clock, and promptly placed
a guard at the Bridge to prevent any one passing into or out of the
village. Then he foraged the immediate neighborhood for food and
drink for his force, which was easily accomplished, as most of the
able bodied men were absent on patriotic duties.
They searched the houses of Ephraim Wood, Joseph Hosmer and Amos
Wood, but with slight success, for most of the stores once there
had been secreted elsewhere. The Britons demeaned themselves nicely
in this neighborhood and were generous enough to pay for what food
they took. Each of the women at Amos Wood's house was presented
with a guinea. In this home was one room pretty well filled with
goods that were sought for. It was locked, but the gallant officer
believing that women were hiding within, issued orders that none of
his soldiers should enter it.
Capt. Mundy Pole's little expedition to this part of Concord, was
not entirely without results, however. He succeeded in knocking off
the trunnions of three iron twenty-four pounders, burning their
carriages, destroying a small quantity of flour, and several barrels
of trenchers and wooden spoons.[214]
Some of his soldiers ascended Lee's Hill, about one hundred feet[215]
higher than, and overlooking, the river down to North Bridge. From
there they could plainly see the growing excitement, as evidenced by
the moving about of the minute-men, and the constant accession to
their numbers. Finally there came echoing up the valley, the signal
gun, then two more, then the volley; and they knew the scene on
Lexington Common was being re-enacted.
They descended the Hill, and gathered with the others at the South
Bridge, removed the planks therefrom to protect their retreat, and
marched rapidly back to the main body in the village.[216]
Lieut.-Col. Smith now commenced to realize his distance from Boston
and the dangers that might lurk along the way. He had his entire
force assembled in Concord village very soon after ten o'clock, but
his many wounded soldiers required attention before he could begin
his return march. Some of them were attended by Dr. Cumings and Dr.
Minot, of the village.[217] As no provision had been made by the
British commander for the transportation of his disabled soldiers,
the people of Concord were called upon to supply the deficiency.
A chaise was confiscated from Reuben Brown, and another from John
Beaton. Bedding from near-by houses was added for the comfort of the
riders. Several horses were taken, among them one belonging to Capt.
Smith of the Lincoln Company, which he had, for some reason, left at
Wright Tavern, before he marched for North Bridge. Lieut. Hayward
of Concord, recaptured Reuben Brown's chaise from the regulars in
Arlington, and with it a horse, bedquilt, pillow, etc., for the
owners of which he advertised in the _Essex Gazette_ of Aug. 10,
1775.[218]
Besides his wounded, Lieut.-Col. Smith had his able-bodied men to
consider also. They had been without sleep since the time of starting
from Boston Common, at half past ten o'clock the evening before, and
possibly back to the night before that. They had already marched over
seventeen miles to Concord village, and those who had gone to Col.
Barrett's, and to the North and South Bridges, so much farther yet.
They had passed through the exciting scenes of bloodshed at Lexington
Common and North Bridge, which must have added agitated minds to
weary bodies. His soldiers needed rest and Smith knew it, and was
justified in granting the two hours that he did.
Aside from those reasons Smith had another good one for not
starting, at once. It will be remembered that when he had reached
Arlington (Menotomy) realizing his march had aroused the entire
community, he had sent back an urgent request to Gen. Gage for
strong reinforcements. He could reasonably expect them to reach any
place that he had, within three hours at least, of his time. But
unfortunately for Smith the forces under Percy had not started until
nine o'clock that morning, and were then less than five miles on the
way, and coming over a longer route than he had taken.[219]
The destruction of the public military stores, according to the
report of Lieut.-Col. Smith, hardly balanced his loss of prestige
even, to say nothing of the British lives that had been and would
be given up in the cause. He gives his men credit for knocking the
trunnions off from three field pieces of iron ordnance; destroying by
fire some new gun carriages, and a great number of carriage wheels;
and throwing into the river considerable flour, some powder, musket
balls and other small articles. De Bernicre in his account, adds
to the list, by mentioning barrels of trenchers and spoons of wood
destroyed by Capt. Pole.
While the bonfire was consuming the cannon wheels, it was discovered
that the Court House, facing the Green, was on fire. It was noticed
by Mrs. Martha Moulton, an elderly widow who lived close by, and
who had not fled with the younger part of the population as the
enemy approached. She felt that her years, seventy-one, would be
her protection, as indeed they were. She has left an interesting
statement of the events of those few hours,--how her home was invaded
by the soldiers for food and water; how Pitcairn and other officers
sat before her door, watching the soldiers in their destructive
work; how she discovered the Court House on fire, and how earnestly
she pleaded with them to put it out, even bringing water for them
to do so. At first they were indifferent, but finally yielded, and
extinguished the flames. Thus was the Court House saved, and possibly
some of the adjoining homes, by Martha Moulton.[220]
The provincial Congress, in their published account of the damages
sustained in Concord, aside from the public stores, set the value at
£274, 16s. 7d. of which £3, 6s. was for broken locks in His Majesty's
Jail.[221]
FOOTNOTES:
[180] U. S. Geological Survey, 1886.
[181] The road forming one side of the triangle, and leading from the
bridge, has been discontinued and now appears only as a part of the
river meadow.
[182] Lemuel Shattuck as quoted by Josiah Adams, page 27.
[183] Statement of Aaron Jones, a member, in Adams's Address, page 21.
[184] Affidavit of Amos Baker, a member.
[185] Survivors testified that both Major Buttrick and Capt. Davis
used these words. See Ripley's History of the Concord Fight.
[186] Journal of Capt. David Brown, Commander of one of the Concord
companies, as quoted by Adams, page 32.
[187] Ripley.
[188] Deposition of Bradley Stone.
[189] Depositions of Bradley Stone and Solomon Smith.
[190] Corporal Amos Barrett of Brown's Company indicates Davis's as
first and his own company as third. The exact order of the other
participating companies I am unable to give.
[191] Statement of Aaron Jones, a member, to Mr. Adams. See Adams's
Address, page 21.
[192] Frederic Hudson.
[193] Doolittle picture. Adams, 1835. Frothingham, 1851.
[194] Deposition of Solomon Smith.
[195] Deposition of Solomon Smith.
[196] Frederic Hudson.
[197] Deposition of Amos Baker.
[198] A British Officer in Boston in 1775. See also Rev. Mr.
Emerson's account, who speaks of the "marches and counter-marches for
half an hour," and their "great fickleness and inconstancy of mind."
Smith can hardly be blamed for nervousness at that moment with part
of his eight hundred men at Col. Barrett's, five hundred Americans
between, and another part of his force at the South Bridge.
[199] "Our company and most of the others pursued, but in great
disorder." Deposition of Thomas Thorp of the Acton Company. "The loss
of our Captain was the cause of much of the confusion that followed."
Deposition of Solomon Smith of the Acton Company.
[200] Deposition of Solomon Smith.
[201] Sidney, Margaret. Old Concord, Her Highways and Byways.
[202] Rev. Mr. Emerson's Narrative.
[203] Sidney.
[204] De Bernicre.
[205] Sidney, page 23.
[206] Frederic Hudson. The Concord Fight in Harper's New Monthly
Magazine, May, 1875.
[207] Ripley.
[208] Frederic Hudson.
[209] Charles Handley's Deposition.
[210] Deposition of Zechariah Brown and Thomas Davis, Jr., who buried
the two soldiers in a common grave near where they fell. A memorial
stone marks the spot.
[211] I have his name, but do not think it best to insert it in this
narrative. Revenge was deeply impressed on his mind by the bitterness
of public feeling against the mother country. He was too young to
exercise proper judgment in separating the soldier from his King.
[212] See De Bernicre's Account.
[213] Deposition of Solomon Smith.
[214] De Bernicre.
[215] U. S. Geological Survey, 1886.
[216] Frederic Hudson.
[217] Frederic Hudson.
[218] Frederic Hudson.
[219] In the Diary of A British Officer in Boston in 1775, and who
was with Smith in the Concord expedition, he writes of the return to
Lexington and the expected reinforcements: "We had been flatter'd
ever since the morning with the expectation of the Brigade coming
out, but at this time had given up all hope of it, as it was so late."
[220] Petition of Martha Moulton, Concord, Feb. 4, 1776, to the
Honorable Court of the Province of Massachusetts Bay for recognition
of her services on that occasion.
[221] Journals of Each Provincial Congress.
LIEUT.-COL. SMITH'S RETREAT THROUGH CONCORD.
It was about twelve o'clock when Lieut.-Col. Smith gave the order to
march. As the neighboring hills were covered with provincials,[222]
he ordered out even larger bodies of flankers, and farther away from
the main body in the highway. The march along the Lexington road for
a little more than a mile to Meriam's Corner, was uneventful, but at
that place the struggle was renewed. There the men of Concord, Acton,
Lincoln, and Bedford, came within rifle shot of the highway. They had
passed along the Great Meadow, so called, northerly from the range of
hills near the highway, and reached Meriam's Corner at about the same
time that Smith did.