“The north bridge,”—argued Hosmer[10]; “Keep back from it the foe!” “No man of mine from Acton,” Said Davis,[10] “fears to go.” And then our leader Barrett[11] The order “Forward!” gave, Where moved the men of Acton[11] Behind their captain brave. With arms beside them trailing, In double file and slow,[12] Not daunted by the danger, These farmers faced their foe. The British ran to ruin The bridge, and then retire.[13] “Hold!” cried our Major Buttrick[14]; They answer’d but to fire. Dead Davis fell, and Hosmer.[15] “In God’s name,” Buttrick[16] cried, “Fire, fire!”—and two fell dying Upon the British side. Thus Heaven, where hung the purpose A grander man to mould, Had Saxon hurl’d on Saxon, The new world on the old. Our foe in haste retreated.[17] Their colonel, where they sped, March’d forth to reinforce them; Then all for Boston led.[18] But now our men from Reading[19] And Sudbury hurried out, And Woburn, wild to flank them: Their march became a rout.[19] We had but half their number[20]; But, wrongs avenging thus, Their red coats had been safer With Spanish bulls than us. Though guards at every turning, Would cover well their flanks; Our smoke, from ambush leaping,[21] Shot, ghost-like, through their ranks. From Dedham, Essex, Danvers, From Chelsea, Marblehead, From Dorchester, and Brookline,[22] Our men to meet them sped. Back slunk their line before us, A weary, wounded snake: Up hill, down dale, round river, It wound and bled and brake. The whole reserve in Boston[23] Pour’d out to help them back; But all the trees and houses Were haunting now their track. They turn’d to shoot our mothers; They turn’d our babes to kill; Our vengeance rose at Cambridge,[24] And raged at Prospect Hill.[25] Down sweeping, Heath and Warren A charge to break them led; Then Pickering’s men from Salem[25] Burst, flood-like o’er their head.[26] Full night had known its fullest, Ere all their fears were still’d; Full ninescore had we wounded, And more than threescore kill’d.[27] Nor, till they touched the river,[28] And by the fleet had pass’d, Our eyes that faced the danger Were once behind us cast. And then, alas to view it! Hot, bitter tears we shed; Full thirty found we wounded, And wellnigh sixty dead.[27] Our wives had lost their husbands; Our mothers lost their boys; Our homes were fill’d with mourning, And gone were all our joys. Yet, when we clasp’d those corpses, As over Huns of old, It seem’d the skies were filling With souls for ours enroll’d.