into Boston; and the people hurried away into the country, with such effects as they could conveniently remove, and thus escaped that alarming scene which was before them.

When the doings of Parliament reached Gen. Gage, he sent on to New-York and Philadelphia, to purchase in a private manner, all articles that could possibly be applied to the use and service of a camp. Sundry merchants of New-York made actual sales, to a large amount; but that Capt. Sears, who had headed the whigs on the day they triumphed over the tories, and procured a representation to Congress, raised a hue and cry upon the occasion, and prevented further sales; urging, that America might want those articles for her own service. The merchants of Philadelphia nobly withstood the temptation, and unanimously refused to sell. The general practised the same `arts in several other large towns, and made some purchases before his views were discovered.

Thus prepared and thus balanced, both parties calmly and anxiously awaited the issue, each alive to the contest; and thus the destinies of America were suspended upon a thread, which the meanest ruffian was liable every moment to break, and drench the land in blood.

In this state of anxious suspense, a communication was made to Mr. Samuel Adams, and Mr. Hancock at Lexington, that Gen. Gage would send out a detachment into the country in a few days. This intelligence was soon circulated amongst the sons of liberty in Boston; many took the alarm, and removed their families and effects into the country; the committee of safety secured the stores, and munitions of war, in places of safety; these were supposed to be the objects of the enterprise.

On the 18th of April, a number of provincial officers dined together at Cambridge, as a station most favourable to watch the motions of the enemy, and give such an alarm as their movements might require. About midnight

the detachment, consisting of eight hundred grenadiers and infantry, (the flower of the British army,) under the command of Lt. Col. Smith and Maj. Pitcairn, embarked at the foot of the common, crossed over and landed at Phipps' farm, and took up their march for Concord, in quest of the American stores.

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April 19. The movement of this detachment had reach. ed Lexington, and caused an alarm in that town, and throughout the neighbouring country. The captain of the Lexington company of militia beat to arms, and assembled his men for duty, (to the number of 130,) upon the green, near the meeting-house, at 2 o'clock in the morning. No further intelligence of the enemy being received, the company was dismissed, after roll-call, to assemble upon parade at beat of drum. About four in the morning the approach of the enemy gave the alarm, the drums beat to arms, and those who were near, again assembled upon parade, (about 70,) amidst a concourse of spectators, who were drawn together by the alarm. When the militia were in the act of forming, Maj. Pitcairn rode up, at the head of his division, and with an imperious command exclaimed, "Disperse you rebels, throw down your arms and disperse." Struck with surprise at such a salutation, and not being disposed to obey such orders, and in a stile so novel to them, these sons of liberty continued to form, when Maj. Pitcairn advanced to the charge, fired his pistol, flourished his sword, and ordered his detachment to fire; the order was obeyed, accompanied with a shout of huzza, and the militia instantly dispersed; but when the fire was repeated, the militia returned a scattering fire as they fled, and took shelter under cover of the adjoining stone walls, from whence they continued their fire. The enemy killed three upon the green, at their first fire, and five others when under cover of the stone walls.

The scene of horror, so long expected, and so long dreaded, was now opened, and the great, the magnanimous kingdom of Britain, had thus shed the blood of the sons of the pilgrims, upon those very fields their illustrious sires had wrested from the savage of the wilds of New-England, one hundred fifty years before, to secure an asylum for themselves and their posterity, from the barbarous oppressions of the same tyrannical power of Britain. The detachment next marched for Concord, to seize the American stores, which had been the principal object of destination. The conflict at Lexington had given the alarm at Concord, and the militia assembled and stood in their defence; but upon the approach of so strong a regular force, they retired behind the river, and waited for aid from the neighbouring towns.

In the mean time, Colonel Smith with his whole force, advanced, and commenced the destruction of the military stores of Concord. Two 24 pounders were disabled, their carriages destroyed, besides the wheels of seven others, of a smaller size, 500 lb. of shot were thrown into the river, wells, &c. and about 60 barrels of flour broken in pieces, and half destroyed.

At this time, the militia of Concord were reinforced from the adjacent towns, and advanced upon the enemy, under the command of Major Butteric; a conflict began at the bridge, the enemy fired, and killed Captain Davis, and one of his privates; the provincials returned the fire, and the enemy retreated, with the loss of several killed and wounded.* This detachment soon joined the main body, and Colonel Smith attempted to lead back his troops to Boston; but the whole adjacent country was in arms, and pressed upon his rear, whilst the provincial sharpshooters galled his flanks, from the adjacent stone walls,

* One of the wounded enemy was killed with a hatchet by a straggling pursuer, which gave rise to very extravagant reports from the British, who had never witnessed those scenes of Indian war, which these sons of liberty had been called to pass through, for the defence of their fires, and thier altars.

and hedges, and other coverts, which greatly endangered, and alarmed the officers, who were more immediately the objects of their revenge, and victims of their vengeance. Alarmed for his safety, Major Pitcairn (whose pistol burnt the first powder in this awful, this eventful struggle) dismounted; led his division on foot, and suffered his horse to fall into the hands of the provincials, together with his pistols, in their holsters. The enemy committed many ravages, and barbarities on their retreat.

To check these depredations, even the Reverend Mr. Payson of Chelsea, headed a small detachment of militia, and killed, wounded, or captured a small detachment of the British, and recovered the supplies they were carrying to the retreating troops.

About sunset, the fugitives secured their retreat over Charlestown neck, and arrived at Bunker's Hill, harassed, and worn down with the fatigues, and distresses of the day; (having performed a march of 30 or 40 miles ;) where they passed the night. The next morning, they made good their retreat to Boston. Colouel Smith, who had the honor to receive a wound in the expedition, had also the honor to report to his Excellency General Gage, that in obedience to his orders, he had marched to Concord, and destroyed such stores as were to be found; engaged the Yankees in several skirmishes, in which they had suffered severely; but being overpowered by numbers, had been able to make good his retreat back to Boston, with the loss of only 65 killed, 180 wounded, and 158 made prisoners.

As soon as regular returns could be made of the loss of the provincials, it was found to amount to 50 killed, 34 wounded, and 4 missing; total 88; which deducted from 273, left a balance of success in favour of the provincials of 185; besides the exulting triumph, of pursuing, and harassing the fugitives, about 20 miles, and thus driving these marauders into close quarters. This was a glorious

day for America, horrible as was the idea that Britain had kindled a civil war with her American colonies, and distressing as was the scene that those fields which their fathers had consecrated to the religion of the Prince of Peace, and which they had protected about 150 years, with the choicest blood, and treasure, were now stained with the blood of their sons, by the murderous hands of those very Britons, whose fathers had driven out the pilgrims by their bloody, and cruel persecutions, from their own dear native land, to dwell with the wild beast, and savage of the forest, and plant the Church of the Puritans, in the wilderness of the west. The news of this conflict flashed like lightning through the country, and kindled a spirit of revenge in these hardy sons of liberty, who rushed to the conflict in their rustic dresses, regardless of their fields and their fire sides, to take vengeance on the insulting foe, who had dared to open the conflict by shedding the first blood in the fields of Lexington. The heroes of the old war put themselves at the head of their injured brethren, and enrolled themselves in the ranks of their country, to wipe out the stain, by the blood of the British. All hopes of peace and reconciliation had now fled forever; Massachusettes had now become the theatre of civil war, and the colonies became alive to the contest, from Georgia to Maine.*

General Ward, an old experienced officer, took the command, (agreeable to his appointment,) of the troops at Cambridge, as they were collecting, from the neigh

*The following heroes, who suffered in the glorious conflict of the ever memorable 19th of April, 1775, ought to be enrolled in the temple of immortal fame, that their names may never die. Viz. Isaac Gardner, Esq. Captain Isaac Davis, and Jonathan Wilson, Lieut. John Bacon, Sergeant Elisha Mills, and Deacon Josiah Haynes, killed; Captain Eleazer Kingsbury, Samuel Williams, Charles Mills, Oliver Barnes, Deacon Aaron Chamberlain, and Nathaniel Barrot, and George Minot, wounded. These sons of liberty rept the first rewards of glory, as martyrs in defence of the fires and the altars of their injured country, and of the church in the wilderness.