Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
After a plan in Hudson's _Lexington_, p. 173. The British approached
from Boston up the road, past the Munroe Tavern, still standing (C),
past Loring's house and barn (I J); and opposite Emerson's house (H)
they sighted, looking beyond the meeting-house (L), the Lexington
militia, under Capt. John Parker, drawn up along the farther side of
the triangular green, in front of the houses of Daniel Harrington
(E) and Jonathan Harrington (D, still standing) (who was one of the
killed), which were separated from each other by a blacksmith's shop
(G). The house on the opposite side of the common (F) was Nathan
Munroe's (still standing), and on the third side was Bucknam's Tavern
(B, still standing), where Parker's company was mostly assembled
when the order was given to form on the common. When the minute-men
scattered, most of them ran across the swamp; but some fled up the
Bedford road, in the direction of the Clarke House (A), still standing,
where Adams and Hancock had spent the night, but from which they were
now hurrying towards Burlington for better protection.
On the return of the British from Concord, they met Percy's column
on the road between Munroe's Tavern and Loring's. Percy now kept the
provincials at bay by planting his field-pieces at M and N, while some
of the wounded were carried into the tavern, which is still standing.
The buildings (I J) were set on fire and burned down. Balls from
Percy's cannon have been dug up since in the town. One went through the
meeting-house (L). Several of these balls are preserved. While Percy
was halting, General Heath arrived among the provincials and assumed
the command. Cf. the plans in Josiah Adams's _Address at Acton_;
Moore's _Ballad History of the Revolution_.
There are views of the Clarke House in Hudson's _Lexington_, 430;
Drake's _Landmarks of Middlesex_, 364-368; Lossing's _Field-Book_, i.
523; and of the Munroe Tavern in Hudson, part ii. p. 161.]
The _Memoirs_ of General Heath are, of course, of first importance; for
he was on the ground soon after Percy took the command on the British
side.[533]
[Illustration: CONCORD, 1775.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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