But yet across the common, And just beyond the church, We form’d a line to check there The crown’s illegal search. At double quick, and onward, With bayonets fix’d, they came; Then wide and wild their red coats About us burst like flame. Before them rode their leader, And cried with many a curse: “Lay down your arms, you villains![15] You villains you, disperse!” But, true to law and country, Scarce one his musket dropt[16]; And then their column falter’d, Broke up, moved slower, stopt. “You rebels!” roar’d the leader, While up his pistol came—[17] A hint his minions welcomed; We saw them all take aim. We saw them, but we waited, Till “Fire!” their leader cried,[17] And shot, and howl’d, “Surround them!” And round us turn’d to ride. They fired and surged about us,[18] Ah me, a fiery flood!— All overwhelm’d, our brothers Were falling, drench’d in blood. “Serve God before the Briton!” Cried Parker,[19] where he bled; And nine of us were wounded; And seven of us were dead.[20] “Away!” a voice repeated,[21] “Away while yet we may. To stay were now but murder! To wall and fence away!” Off sped we then to shoot them, Like Indians, one by one, But walls, in smoke between us, They deem’d it wise to shun. They cheer’d[22] and left for Concord. Our wounded home we bore: Then we too left for Concord, To meet them there once more.[23] FOOTNOTES [1] April 18, 1775. “Gage ... secretly prepared an expedition to destroy the colony’s stores at Concord.... Warren ... at ten o’clock despatched William Dawes through Roxbury to Lexington, and Paul Revere ... by way of Charlestown. Revere ... five minutes before the sentinels received the order to prevent it ... rowed ... across Charles River ... beyond Charlestown Neck ... intercepted by two British officers ... he ... escaped to Medford. As he passed on he ... continued to rouse almost every house on the way to Lexington.”—_Bancroft’s Hist. U. S._, vol. vii., ch. 27, pp. 288, 289. [2] “The privilege of its harbor was to be discontinued, and the port closed against all commerce ... until the king should be satisfied that ... it would obey the laws.”—This the Boston port bill.—_Idem_, vol. vi., ch. 52, p. 511. [3] For contributions in food and money sent at this time to Boston, see _Lossing’s Pic. Field Book of the Am. Rev._, vol. i., p. 535. [4] “The second penal bill ... abrogated so much of its charter as gave to its legislature the election of the council, abolished town meetings ... and ... intrusted the returning of juries to the dependent sheriff.”—_Bancroft’s Hist. U. S._, vol. vi., ch. 52, p. 525.