tachment is faid to have confifted of 900 men, prepared and appointed for the purpose. This body of troops embarked on the night preceding the 19th of April, and landed at a place called Phipps's Farm, about fix miles north-west from Charlestown Ferry ; from thence they proceeded in their march with great filence and expedition, towards Concord. This town ftands on the east side of the river of the fame name, fometimes also called Billerika, which runs into the river Mirimak, a little below the falls of Pantucket. On the road to Concord stands Lexington, about five miles towards the east; thither the troops marched with great expedition. Several officers upon horseback fecured the country, and fecured all the people which they found in their way at that early time, lest they fhould give the alarm to the inhabitants, who would be ready to rife in arms to oppose their defigns. This precaution, though it was abundantly prudent, did not prevent the town and country people from receiving notice of their approach, which they foon difcovered by the firing of guns and ringing of bells. They were now affembling in the neighbouring villages before day-light, and making preparations for the event which they feared. Upon the troops arriving at Lexington at five in the morning, they found the company of militia belonging to the town, affembled upon a green near the road; upon which an officer in the van called out," Difperfe ye rebels; throw down your arms and difperfe;" the foldiers at the fame time, running up with loud huzzas, fired fome fcattering fhot, and then gave a general discharge, by which eight of the militia were killed, and feveral wounded. This was the firft fhedding of blood that happened in this unhappy and unnatural contest. Much pains have been taken on both fides of the question to prove Kk k the the others the aggreffors upon this occafion. The gazette affirmed, that the troops were fired upon from fome neighbouring houfes; but for this there does not appear to be the smallest evidence. The gazettes about that time were fo inconfiftent and badly compofed, often contradicted by the friends of government that were upon the fpot, that the public have fince given very little credit to them. It appeared from the whole tenor of the evidence, as well as of our own people who were taken prifoners, as from many of the provincials, all whofe depofitions were taken by proper magiftrates, that the firing both at Lexington and Concord, was begun by the king's troops. It is not at all probable that thofe in the houfes would have expofed the lives of their friends in the militia, who were standing in a manner under the muzzles of the guns of the foldiers, by firing upon the troops from their covers. The few militia who troops, may be con were now in the power of the ceived as fufficient pledges to prevent any outrage from their friends and neighbours in the adjoining houses. After this execution, the detachment proceeded to Concord, the commanding officer having previously difpatched fix companies of light infantry, to poffefs two bridges which lay beyond the town, upon the Sudbury and North Concord, with a defign to prevent any of the ftores from being carried away, or the two devoted rebels, Adams and Hancock, from efcaping. It happened, however, that they were disappointed in both their views; for they could not find these two obnoxious perfons, and except three old cannon, and a finall quantity of flour, they found nothing of confequence. They indeed did execution upon the cannon by rendering them unferviceable, and and most heroically threw the barrels of flour into the river. About a year after that flour would have been of fome fervice to the fame troops, when they were cooped up in Bolton. It argues a great malignity of temper to deftroy the bounties of providence, for fear that our enemies fhould enjoy them. We have certainly a right, provided we are in want of provisions, to prefer ourselves to our enemies; but wantonly to deftroy corn and flour, for fear others should use it, is a warring with providence, and declaring, we have no confidence in the juftice of our cause. Weapons of war, and inftruments of hoftility, may lawfully be destroyed in the hands of our foes, or taken away from them whether we need them or not, but to destroy that food which is the general support of all men, for fear those we call enemies fhould use it, affords a different moral reflection: Befides, at this time thefe colonists had not fhewn any acts of enmity against the troops; they were therefore both feeking to ftarve and murder their friends and countrymen. The colonists appear to have industriously avoided engaging in hoftilities on this occafion; for a body of militia, which occupied a hill in the way between Concord and the bridge, retired, and paffed along it at the ap proach of the troops, which immediately took poffeffion thereof. This fhews that they did not intend to have begún hoftilities at this time, otherwife they would have difputed the p affage of the bridge with the light infantry, which they might eafily have done. The mili tia had not retired far till they perceived feveral fires in the town, which they imagined were houfes_in flames; they therefore returned towards the bridge which they had paffed, which lay directly in their way. Upon this the light infantry retired on the Concord fide of the river, and began to pull up the bridge; but upon upon the approach of the militia, who feemed industriously to avoid beginning the attack, and made as if they intended to pafs as common travellers, the fol-diers immediately fired and killed two men. The provincials returned the fire, and a skirmish ensued at the bridge, in which the kings troops were put into fome confufion, and were forced to retreat, having feveral men killed and wounded, and a lieutenant and fome others taken prifoners. This fully proves that the provincials had no intention of beginning hoftilities at this time; for they might have at firft difputed the bridge with the troops, had they defigned to have come to blows, more eafily than to drive them from the poffeffion of it. The country now arose upon the king's troops; they were attacked on all quartert, and skirmish fucceeded fkirmish. A continued, though fcattered and irregular fire, was maintained through the whole of a long and very hot day. The troops did not find it so easy in marching back as they did in marching from Boston. All the way between Concord and Lexington the houses, walls, and coverts were lined with armed men, who conftantly annoyed the troops, and they were purfued and attacked in the rear by the militia which defeated them at the bridge. They were now in a very critical fituation, and much diftreffed, which evils they had brought upon themselves, by their rafhnefs in fhedding blood when they had no occafion; they were now likely to fuffer feverely, when Lord Percy arrived at Lexington with a strong reinforcement for their relief and affiftance. General Gage, either through fufpicion of what would happen, or from knowing what orders he had given to Colonel Smith, had, early in the morniug, sent off Earl Percy with fixteencompanies of foot, a detachment of marines, and two pieces of cannon, to to fupport the operations of the Colonel. This reinforcement was just arrived as the fatigued troops re turned to Lexington. This fresh affiftance was the more acceptable and feafonable, as the troops are faid to have run fhort of all kinds of ammunition; but suppose that had not been the cafe, it was impoffi ble for them to have escaped being cut off, or being taken, in the journey of fifteen miles they had to make before they arrived at Boston. This powerful fupport gave them a breathing, and the cannon was of great fervice to them. These kept the purfuers at fome distance, as they had no ordnance of the fame kind to answer them. But when the troops refumed their march, the attack became more fierce and violent; the country affembled on all fides, and attacked the forces with the utmoft fury. Many were killed in the retreat by people that watched the approach of the troops behind walls, hedges, and ditches, and the danger encreased until fun-fetting, when they arrived at Charlestown in a moft fhattered and fatigued fituation. All things confidered, both officers and men, who did not fall by the way, made an exceeding swift and expeditious march back to Bofton. What on this occafion was exceedingly fingular was, the troops accused the provincials of cruelty, and upbraided them with cowardice; though their behaviour to their prifoners fhewed the accufation to be false, and the defeating the king's troops fhewed their affertion of cowardice to be unjuft. It had long been the tone of military men, that the colonists were cowards and would not fight, but they began now to experience to their coft, that they had been greatly miftaken. Courage is a thing that may be acquired and is not confined to those who When men are perfuaded more ways of |