Lieut. Crosby with twelve men; Capt. Edward Farmer, thirty-five men;
and Capt. Jonathan Stickney, fifty-four men. Chelmsford sent Capt.
Oliver Barron, sixty-one men, and Colonel Moses Parker's company,
forty-three men. Framingham sent Capt. Simon Edget, seventy-six men;
Capt. Jesse Emes, twenty-four men; Capt. Micajah Gleason, forty-nine
men.[223] Reading sent Capt. John Bacheller, sixty-one men; Capt.
Thomas Eaton, sixty-three men; Capt. John Flint, seventy-nine
men, and Capt. John Walton, eighty-eight men. Some of the Reading
companies, at least, marched from home under Major, afterwards
Governor, John Brooks. Rev. Edmund Foster accompanied Capt.
Bacheller's company, as a volunteer, and has left an interesting
narrative of what he saw. Sudbury sent Capt. Nathaniel Cudworth,
forty men; Capt. Aaron Haynes, forty men; Capt. Isaac Locker, thirty
men; Capt. John Nixon, fifty-four men; Capt. Joseph Smith, fifty
men, and Capt. Moses Stone, thirty-five men. Woburn sent Capt. Samuel
Belknap, sixty-six men; Capt. Jonathan Fox, seventy-two men; and
Capt. Joshua Walker, one hundred and seventeen men.
The American reinforcements coming in at Meriam's Corner numbered
eleven hundred and forty-nine, making a total of fifteen hundred and
seventy-seven enrolled men in the ranks of the Provincials if all at
the North Bridge still remained in the fight.
There were many other minute-men anxious to be in the first struggle,
but who lived too far away. Stow sent a company of militia belonging
to Col. Prescott's regiment, commanded by Capt. William Whitcom,
numbering eighty-one men. They did not reach North Bridge until
about noon, too late to be in the action there, but in ample time
to be active in the pursuit. We are told that another company from
Stow under Capt. Hapgood, also joined, but I find no returns in the
Massachusetts State Archives.
Three companies from Westford reached the North Bridge too late, but
were active afterwards. They were respectively under the command of
Capt. Oliver Bates, thirty-six men; Capt. Jonathan Minot, thirty-six
men; and Capt. Joshua Parker, forty-one men.
As the Reading men came along the road from Bedford, and nearing
Meriam's Corner, they discovered the flank guard of the British just
descending the ridge of hills. There were from eighty to one hundred
red-coats, and they were marching slowly and deliberately down the
hill, without music and without words. The Americans were but a
little over three hundred feet away. They halted and remained in
silence watching their foes. The British flankers soon gained the
main road, at the Corner, and passed along a few hundred feet towards
Lincoln and Lexington, over the little bridge that spans Mill Brook.
The Americans gathered around the Meriam house. As the British passed
the bridge they wheeled suddenly and fired in volley, but too high,
so no one was struck. Then the Americans returned the fire with
better aim, and two Britons fell on the easterly side of the little
stream, while several were wounded, among them Ensign Lester of the
Tenth Regiment.[224]
Less than half a mile along that road, from Meriam's Corner, is the
northerly corner of the town of Lincoln. Along on the edge of Lincoln
the highway continues; still in an easterly direction, for less than
another half mile, this stretch being on rather higher ground, the
northerly side of the road in Concord, the southerly side in Lincoln.
On the Lincoln side is the Brooks Tavern (still standing, 1912). This
little elevation is called Hardy's Hill, and is about sixty feet
higher than Concord village.[225] Along the summit the skirmishing
was actively renewed, and continued down its easterly slope into
Lincoln.
This ended the struggle in Concord, but her sons and the others were
not mindful of the boundary line. To them it was more than the Battle
of Concord; it was the Battle of April Nineteenth.
The patriots who died in Concord were Capt. Isaac Davis, and private
Abner Hosmer, both of Acton. The wounded were Luther Blanchard and
Ezekiel Davis also of Acton; Jonas Brown of Concord and Joshua Brooks
of Lincoln. These were all at the North Bridge. Abel Prescott, Jr.,
of Concord was wounded while in the village. The British killed were
two privates at North Bridge, and two at Meriam's Corner bridge.
Their wounded were Lieut. Gould of the Fourth Regiment, Lieut. Kelly
of the Tenth Regiment, Lieut. Sutherland of the Thirty-eighth, and
Lieut. Hull of the Forty-third, and a number of privates; all at the
North Bridge. At the little bridge near Meriam's Corner Ensign Lester
of the Tenth Regiment and several privates were wounded.
FOOTNOTES:
[222] De Bernicre thought there could not have been less than five
thousand rebels on the hills about Concord. His anxiety greatly
multiplied the real number.
[223] Massachusetts Archives.
[224] Rev. Edmund Foster and Ensign De Bernicre.
[225] U. S. Geological Survey, 1886.
LIEUT.-COL. SMITH'S RETREAT THROUGH LINCOLN.
At the foot of the easterly slope of Hardy's Hill is a little stream
crossing the road in a northerly direction. It is in Lincoln, and on
most maps is put down as Mill Brook, the same that curves around and
crosses the road near Meriam's Corner, rather more than a mile back.
At Hardy's Hill it has sometimes been called Tanner's Brook.[226]
The British had now reached this point, and were marching rapidly,
keeping their flankers out parallel to the highway.
[Illustration: BATTLE ROAD THROUGH CONCORD AND LINCOLN.
1. Col. Barrett. 2. North Bridge. 3. South Bridge. 4. Meriam's
Corner. 5. Bloody Angle. 6. Sergt. John Hartwell. 7. Sergt. Samuel
Hartwell. 8. Revere Captured. 9. Nelson. 10. Hastings.]
Over the bridge and up another slight rise and then the road turns
at a sharp angle to the left, northeasterly, to still higher ground
about eighty feet higher than Concord village. On the northwesterly
side of that road was a heavy growth of trees and on the opposite
side a younger growth. On each side of the road, in those two
forest growths, many American minute-men were posted.[227] They had
anticipated the passing of the British, by hurrying across the Great
Fields, so called, from the Bedford Road near Meriam's Corner. Among
these were the Bedford company under Capt. Willson. This forest lined
road was only about a half of a mile in extent before it turned again
to the eastward.
When the foremost British reached this location the Americans poured
in a deadly volley, that killed eight and wounded many others.
The contest was by no means one-sided. The attention of the Americans
here, as all along the line to Charlestown, was too firmly fixed on
the ranks of the enemy marching in the road. The British flankers
were unnoticed and unthought of. Silently and rapidly they swung
along, on their parallel lines, and very often closed in on those
little tell-tale puffs of smoke that arose behind the trees and
walls, and among the bowlders. Thus were many Americans surprised and
slain--more, probably twice or thrice over, than were killed by the
soldiers in the highway.
It was at this bloody angle of Battle Road, that Capt. Jonathan
Willson of Bedford met his death. And so did Nathaniel Wyman, a
native of Billerica, but a member of Capt. Parker's Company. Daniel
Thompson, of Woburn, was also killed here. Another son of Bedford,
Job Lane, was severely wounded and disabled for life.[228]
The next day five of the British killed were removed to the little
cemetery, near Lincoln village several miles away, for burial. Not
many years ago the Town of Lincoln caused to be placed over their
common grave, a neat and appropriately lettered Memorial Stone.
After the northeasterly angle the road turns again easterly towards
Lexington. Half or three quarters of a mile along are the two
Hartwell houses, still standing (1912), on the northerly side of the
road, and but a few hundred feet apart.
In the westerly, or first one, lived Sergt. John Hartwell, and in the
easterly one, Sergt. Samuel Hartwell, both members of Capt. Smith's
Lincoln Company. Both were absent on duty then, but the wife of
Samuel was at home. She has furnished a vivid narrative of what she
saw and experienced, that afternoon and the following morning. Her
first alarm of the coming Britons was reports of musketry, seemingly
in the vicinity of the Brooks Tavern. Then nearer and nearer, to the
bloody angle. Then the hurrying red-coats themselves, anxious and
wild in their demeanor, as they hurried along past her house. And how
one, in his insane anger, fired into their garret, though he could
see no foeman there.[229]
For another mile along the Lincoln road the British must have had
some relief, for the country is comparatively level, the fields
extending away smoothly on either side. It was not a complete lull in
the battle, however, for an American bullet terminated the life of
one Briton at least. The remains were uncovered a few years ago when
the road builders were widening and grading anew the highway. He was
re-interred over the bordering wall in the field to the southwest of
the highway, a short distance westerly from Folly Pond.[230]
Then comes an easterly bend in the road, though still continuing
nearly level, and for about a quarter of a mile, to the Nelson
house.[231] Here lived Josiah Nelson, the Lincoln patriot, who, as
we have written, alarmed his neighbors in Bedford the night before.
Around it were many picturesque bowlders, large enough to shelter
venturesome minute-men. And they were there. William Thorning, one
of Capt. Smith's Lincoln company, had fired on the British from some
hiding place in this neighborhood, and they had returned his fire and
chased him into the woods. As he was thus escaping the main body,
he met the ever vigilant flank-guard, and but narrowly escaped them
also. Later as they passed along, he advanced to one of the Nelson
bowlders and fired again, at the British, probably with fatal effect.
Across the road from the house is a little knoll which is called
"The Soldiers' Graves,"[232] even to this day, for therein sleep
two British soldiers whose summons undoubtedly came from behind the
Nelson bowlders.
About a sixth of a mile yet farther along, stood the home of Samuel
Hastings, near the Lexington boundary line, yet within the town
of Lincoln. Hastings was a member of Capt. Parker's Lexington
Company,[233] and was present and in line for action when Pitcairn
gave that first order to fire. As the British column swept along, one
of the soldiers left the ranks and entered the house for plunder,
unmindful of the dangers lurking in the adjoining woods and fields.
As he emerged and stood on the door-stone, an American bullet met
him, and he sank seriously wounded. There he lay, until the family
returned later in the afternoon, and found him. Tenderly they carried
him into the house, and ministered to his wants as best they could,
but his wound was fatal. After his death they found some of their
silver spoons in his pocket. He was buried a short distance westerly
from the house.[234]
It was in Lincoln that Captain Parker's Lexington Company, numbering
in all one hundred and forty men, again went into the action,
probably not far from the Nelson and Hastings homes; and also the
Cambridge Company under Capt. Samuel Thatcher, seventy-seven men,
joined the pursuit from there.[235]
The American fatalities in Lincoln, as we have seen, were Capt.
Jonathan Willson, of Bedford; Nathaniel Wyman of Billerica, who was
a member of Capt. Parker's Lexington Company; and Daniel Thompson of
Woburn. Job Lane of Bedford was slightly wounded.
The exact British loss in Lincoln cannot be stated. It is known that
eight were killed at the Bloody Angle, and at least four more along
the road from there to the Hastings house. Many were wounded but no
statement or estimate has ever been given. The distance across that
part of the town is about two miles, and the fighting severe for more
than half the way.
FOOTNOTES:
[226] Frothingham's Siege of Boston. Rev. Mr. Foster's Account.
[227] Foster's Account.
[228] Stearns, Jonathan F. Bedford Sesqui-Centennial, page 26.
Ripley, page 21, seems to think that Lane was wounded a little
farther along at the Hartwell barn.
[229] Beneath Old Roof Trees, by Abram English Brown, page 221.
[230] Statement of Mr. George Nelson, near-by resident, who saw the
remains and pointed out to me in 1890 the locations of the old and
new graves.
[231] Standing until a few years ago, although in a shattered
condition. It had been abandoned as a habitation for many years. A
conflagration completed its destruction, and now only the scar of its
cellar-hole, and a pile of bricks that formed its mammoth chimney and
hospitable hearth, mark where it stood.
[232] Statement to me in 1890, of Mr. Nelson, owner of the old ruins
with the surrounding fields, and who pointed out "The Soldiers'
Graves."
[233] See his deposition in Journals of Each Provincial Congress of
Mass., but I do not find his name in any other place as a member.
[234] I am indebted to the great-grandchildren of Samuel Hastings,
Cornelius and Charles A. Wellington, for this statement. They were
residents of Lexington, but since both have died.
[235] See Massachusetts State Archives where twenty-eight miles is
the distance charged for by most of his men.
LIEUT.-COL. SMITH'S RETREAT TO LEXINGTON VILLAGE.
As the British forces again invaded Lexington soil undoubtedly they
looked for vengeance from the hands of the little band that stood
before them in the early morning. If they did anticipate as much they
were not disappointed, for as we have stated Captain Parker and his
men had come out into the edge of Lincoln to meet them.
Just over the line into Lexington, and a few rods north of the road,
the land rises about fifty feet rather abruptly and with a ledgy
face. This little summit commands a grand view up and down the road,
for quite a distance, and therefore was an ideal location for the
minute-men. Many were there awaiting the passing of the British, and
when they were opposite, poured down on them a volley. At least one
fell, an officer, for a few years ago a sword was taken up from the
depth of about four feet, evidently from his grave. It was almost
consumed with rust, but enough remaining to identify it as of British
make and of that period. The reports of muskets, and little puffs of
blue smoke betrayed the location of the marksmen, and the British
at once returned the fire. Their aim was without effect. One of
their bullets flattened against the ledge, and was also found by the
present owner of the land, buried in the decayed leaves and refuse at
the base of the ledge.[236]
Not more than a quarter of a mile farther along the road, stood
Bull's Tavern,[237] in later times known as Viles Tavern. Nothing
now remains of it but the cellar-hole and that is not so deep as
once. The soldiers ransacked the house for food and drink, but left
no recompense. A few rods more the road turns northeasterly around
a bluff twenty feet high, perhaps. The struggle was renewed there
furiously, for the British flankers could not manœuvre to protect
the main column so well, and they suffered severely for half a mile
or more towards Fiske Hill. Lieut.-Col. Smith was wounded by a
bullet passing through his leg.[238] Major Pitcairn's horse becoming
unmanageable through fright, threw him to the ground, and escaped
into the American lines, where he was captured, together with
equipments, including the Major's beautiful brace of pistols.[239]
Many British were wounded, and many killed, along this part of Battle
Road. A little way from the bluff, over the wall on the opposite
side of the road and in a southerly direction, are graves of two. No
memorial stone marks the exact spot, and even the mounds, too, have
long since dissolved away.[240]
The contending forces were now climbing Fiske Hill, about sixty feet
higher than the bluff.[241] The road at that time passed higher up
than at present, and near the summit fighting was more severe again.
One Briton, at least, fell there and was buried in the little strip
of ground between the old and new road. A heap of small stones once
marked the spot, but they have disappeared.[242]
Down the easterly slope of Fiske Hill stands a modest little
farmhouse, on the southerly side of the road. It was then the home of
Benjamin Fiske. The entire family had fled, and the stragglers from
the British columns entered for pillage. One in his greed stayed too
long. Brave James Hayward of Acton, willing to fight though exempt
from military service because of a partially dismembered foot, met
him at the door, laden with booty. The Briton recognized in Hayward
an enemy, and raising his gun, exclaimed,
"You are a dead man!"
"And so are you," responded Hayward as he raised his gun also. Both
fired--both fell, the British instantly killed and Hayward mortally
wounded, the ball piercing his bullet-pouch and entering his side.
He lived eight hours and was conscious to the last. Calling for his
powder horn and bullet-pouch, he remarked that he started with one
pound of powder and forty bullets. A very little powder and two or
three balls were all that were left.
"You see what I have been about," he exclaimed, calling attention
to the slight remainder. "I am not sorry; I die willingly for my
country."[243] And so Concord and Lexington, too, reverently treasure
the memory of brave Acton men, whose life blood stained the soil of
each.
Up the westerly slope of Concord Hill, an elevation named after
her sister town, marched the British. Their ranks were broken and
disordered. Many had been wounded, many had been killed, and many
had fallen exhausted by the wayside. It was then about half past
one o'clock, and they had marched rather more than twenty-three
miles. At that time their ammunition began to give out, which added
to their discomfiture. Their enemies seemed to be countless and
everywhere. De Bernicre, the spy, who was with them, has left a vivid
word picture of how anxious they were getting. "There could not be
less than 5,000," he says in his account, "so they kept the road
always lined, and a very hot fire on us without intermission....
We began to run rather than retreat in order." Lieut.-Col. Smith,
says, in his report, that the firing on his troops, which began in
Concord, "increased to a very great degree and continued without the
intermission of five minutes, altogether for I believe upwards of
eighteen miles."
Such was the impression on the minds of Smith, and his weary soldiers
as they hurried along down Fiske Hill and up Concord Hill. If he
entertained any idea of surrendering, though I have no evidence
that he did, he must have realized the hopelessness of that, for no
one seemed to be commanding the multitude before him, beside him,
and behind him. They constituted a large circle of individuals, but
made no attempt to stay his march or guide it in any way. They just
followed along, seemingly intent only on hunting down the King's
soldiers. Had some master mind been in charge of the patriot army,
Smith's entire force could easily have been taken prisoners. But this
was the first day of the war, and was only a contest between soldiers
and citizens. And so Smith was allowed to march along.
Near the foot of the westerly slope of Concord Hill stood the home of
Thaddeus Reed.[244] He was one of Captain Parker's Company. After the
British passed along the Americans picked up three severely wounded
soldiers and carried them into the house, where they all died. They
were buried not far away, a few feet westerly of Wood St., on the
northerly side of a stone wall still standing, and but a few rods
from Battle Road. Their graves are unmarked and almost unknown.[245]
The British flankers were now so thoroughly tired out that they could
hardly act in that capacity, and were of but little use as protectors
of the main body. The severely wounded were abandoned to some extent.
Many of the slightly wounded were carried along somehow, but they
greatly impeded the march. Hopes of reinforcements were practically
abandoned.[246]
And so they proceeded up the hill, the summit of which is fully
forty feet higher than Fiske Hill and at least eighty feet higher
than Lexington Common,[247] now in view less than a mile away. They
must have been anxious to reach and pass that little field. Down
the easterly slope of Concord Hill they almost ran, in more or
less confusion and intense excitement. The Americans were actively
keeping up their firing, and so more Britons were killed and wounded,
three of the latter so severely that they were abandoned by their
fellow soldiers, fell into the hands of the Americans and were taken
into Buckman Tavern.[248] One subsequently died and was buried with
the British slain in the old cemetery near by. Their graves are
unmarked.[249]
The British did not stop to disperse any rebels on Lexington Common,
for none were there to oppose their retreat, but passed off the
southeasterly point, as the Americans came promptly after them on the
northwesterly side. It was between two and three o'clock when they
reached the site of the present Lexington High School, a trifle more
than half a mile from the Common. There they met the long-wished for
reinforcements, under Lord Percy, who opened his ranks, and enclosed
them in his protecting care. Many sank immediately into the road
where they halted, for their physical condition was pitiful in the
extreme. One of the contemporary English historians, an officer in
the British Army in America, has described them as lying prone on the
ground, like dogs with protruding tongues.[250]
Percy then quickly wheeled about his two field pieces,[251] and
opened fire up the road, towards the Common, where he could see the
Americans were gathered. It was not fatal in its effect, but served
to scatter them and do considerable damage to the meeting-house, one
ball passing through it. Col. Loammi Baldwin, of Woburn, was one who
had been standing in sight of the British, but he sought shelter
behind the sacred edifice when he realized the enemy had opened fire
with artillery. When a ball passed through the meeting-house and came
out near his head he retreated northwesterly to the meadow.[252]
Not many of the Americans had been killed thus far, in the retreat
of the British through Lexington. We have spoken of James Hayward of
Acton, killed on the easterly side of Fiske Hill, and must add the
name of Deacon Josiah Haynes of Capt. Nixon's Sudbury Company, who
met his death somewhere along the road from Fiske Hill to Lexington
Common.[253] He was a venerable man, in his seventy-ninth year,[254]
and had marched from his home down to Concord village, up through
Lincoln, and into Lexington. He was thoroughly in earnest in his work
of driving the British back to Boston, and in an unguarded moment
exposed himself to one of the King's riflemen.
On the Lexington part of Battle Road, many British were killed and
many wounded. Among the latter were Lieut. Hawkshaw, Lieut. Cox, and
Lieut. Baker, all of the Fifth Regiment; Ensign Baldwin and Lieut.
McCloud, of the Forty-seventh Regiment; and Captain Souter and
Lieut. Potter of the Marines.[255] I have previously mentioned the
wounding of the commander, Lieut.-Col. Smith, on the westerly slope
of Fiske Hill.
After the British had departed from Lexington immediate attention
was given to the Lexington patriot dead who were slain on the Common
in the early morning. From the field of battle they had been borne
to the meeting-house, and there a simple service held over them,
consisting of a prayer by Rev. Jonas Clarke. Then they were carried
to the little church-yard, where one broad grave received them all.
It had been a day of terror in Lexington, and some fear was felt that
the enemy might return and wreak yet further vengeance, even upon the
dead. So the grave was made in a remote part of the yard, near the
woods, and the fresh mound of earth itself hidden beneath branches
cut from the neighboring trees.[256] And not forgotten three score
years later, their grateful fellow townsmen removed their remains to
the field where they died, and erected a monument to their memory.
FOOTNOTES:
[236] The sword and bullet were found by Mr. John Lannon about 1895,
and from whom I obtained them. He was then as now owner of the farm.
In removing a bowlder from his garden it was necessary to dig around
it and on one side to a depth of about four feet. There he found
the sword and a little of its rust-eaten scabbard, and quite likely
in the grave by the side of its wearer. The bullet once round, now
not half that, had struck the ledge rather than the American on its
summit, and fell harmlessly at the base.
[237] Rev. Mr. Foster called it Benjamin's Tavern.
[238] De Bernicre's Account.