The battle of April 19, 1775

Front matter

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To FRANK WARREN COBURN

Preface To The First Edition

There have been many histories of the Battle of Lexington and of the Battle of Concord, some of them excellent to the extent of that part of the contest to which they were devoted. From time to time gifted orators have gone to the one town or to the other, and eloquently portrayed the heroic deeds of men within that town on the opening day of the American Revolution. No fault should be found with any of those, designed as a healthy stimulus to local pride, and to foster sentiments of national patriotism.

But the student in American local history needs a more extensive view of the operations of that day. He needs to be better informed as to the various scenes of carnage that were waged along all of those nearly twenty miles of highway. Men were slain in Lexington and in Concord; but there were many others slain in Lincoln, in Arlington, in Cambridge, and in Somerville. Nor should we forget the youngest martyr of the day, but fourteen years of age, who fell in Charlestown.

For the purpose, then, of presenting to such as may be interested, I have assembled here the most comprehensive account that has ever been offered, and one that aims to be a history of the entire day.

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I have endeavored to make it not only complete and interesting, but just and reliable, recognizing fully the rights of my own ancestors to rebel, and also recognizing the rights of the mother country to prevent such rebellion — even by an appeal to arms. Since those days we have grown to be a mother country ourselves, and have had reason, on more than one occasion, to exercise that accepted right of parental control.

This narrative is based upon official reports, sworn statements, diaries, letters, and narratives of participants and witnesses; upon accounts of local historians and national orators; and, in a few cases, upon tradition, if such seemed authentic and trustworthy.

But I am sorry to say that in more than one instance, I have found even the sworn statements at variance with each other. I am satisfied that the authors did not intend to mislead in any way, but simply tried to tell to others what appeared to them. Their mental excitement naturally added a little of that vivid coloring noticeable in most war narratives of a personal nature. My work has been to harmonize and simplify these, and to extract simply the truth.

In 1775 the greater part of the present town of Arlington was a part of Cambridge, and known as the Menotomy Precinct. Later it was incorporated as a separate town and called West Cambridge. Later still its name was changed to Arlington. Somerville, in that year, was a part of Charlestown. What remained of Charlestown eventually became a part of Boston, though still retaining its ancient

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name. In writing of the events that happened within the boundaries of each, I shall speak of them as of Arlington, of Somerville, and of Charlestown. I am glad to add that the bitterness and hatred, so much in evidence on that long-ago battle day, no longer exist between the children of the great British Nation.

Frank Warren Coburn.

Lexington, Mass., April 19, 1912.

Preface To This Edition

The first edition of this book was published in 191 2. In due time each copy found its new owner, and many subsequent calls could not be favorably answered. For that reason it has been thought best to prepare a new edition. The opportunity will allow of a few minor corrections and several important additions.

Among the latter is a Muster Roll of the seventy-seven men of Captain John Parker's Lexington Company, who responded to the first alarm in the early hours of that April morning, and formed in battle line on Lexington Common. Four hundred soldiers of the King were enough to win the struggle which followed, and Captain Parker withdrew his remaining force of seventy from the field, leaving seven slain, who were the first of the American Revolution.

Naturally, Lexington is proud to own that sacred spot. It is my wish and hope, and the wish and hope of those who are associated with me in this work, that its pride may take a real and tangible form, in the shape of an enduring tablet naming those seven who voluntarily made that supreme sacrifice, and those seventy who stood with them equally as brave and willing.

Pilgrims numbering thousands yearly come here to stand upon the exact spot where they stood, and

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now must depart without even knowing the names of those whose memory they would delight to honor.

For one hundred and forty-five years those names were never assembled in one Roll. It was my pleasure to gather them, and their first appearance in such was in The Boston Daily Globe of April 19, 1920. There were seventy-five in that first list. The accidental omission of one name called for the corrected list, which appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe of May 9 following. One more name was subsequently found, making the seventy-seven, and this Roll as completed was first printed in a little book of mine, "The Battle on Lexington Common," published in March, 1921.

The very limited edition of that work is my excuse for reprinting the Roll here.

Of equal importance are the names of those who, a little later in the day, were the first to march against the King's soldiers at Concord North Bridge. I cannot give them all, but have found those of two companies from Concord; one from Acton; two from Bedford; and one from Lincoln.

During the day nearly 3,800 Americans, enrolled in seventy-four companies, the contributions of twenty-four towns, assembled somewhere along Battle Road, and assisted in driving the British back to Boston. In a special edition of the first issue of this work I enumerated those of sixty-eight companies, numbering over 3,600 men. That work is now out of print, but may be found in some public libraries.

There are quite a few new illustrations in this edition, most of them of real use to the reader, but

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some only relatively so, as those of the old homes of the men who were defending them on that day.

My thanks are due and gratefully given to the Lexington Historical Society, the publisher of the present edition; to its President, Edwin B. Worthen; to members of its Publishing Committee, Miss Marian P. Kirkland and Mr. Hollis Webster; and to Mr. J. Henry Duffy, a member. Their advice and practical assistance have been of material value to me. Nor should I forget those readers of the first edition who were interested enough to forward to me their kindly criticisms and helpful suggestions. All were gratefully received and many woven into this narrative.

Frank Warren Coburn.

Lexington, Mass., Nov. 29, 1921.

Contents

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Authorities . xxiii

In Parliament I