Some of

days, and grew more and more unpopular.
them afterwards changed their opinions and became
patriots: others left the United Colonies and went to
those British Provinces which had refused to take part
in the Revolution, especially to Nova Scotia. Some
finally fought against their country in the royal armies.
But for a time they only discouraged the revolutionists
by pointing out all the evils that would follow their
"mad attempt," as they called it. The Tories said,
and with truth, that King George would not change his
policy, and that more and more troops would be sent
from England. They pointed out that these would be
trained troops, and that the colonies had only raw
militiamen to put against them.

patriots.

To this the colonists answered, that there were now Confidence two million Americans, perhaps three millions, and of the that one-fifth were fighting-men. They said that many of these were trained in Indian warfare, and some had helped take Louisburg and Quebec. Moreover, in Braddock's expedition, they had seen the red-coats run for their lives before the French and Indians, when the Virginia riflemen stood their ground; each man taking to a tree, and exchanging shot for shot. As for officers, did King George suppose that General Putnam, who had been tied to a tree by Indians, and had seen the fire blaze up around him, without flinching, was likely to flinch before English muskets? Had not young Colonel Washington saved Braddock's army from total destruction, and afterwards taken Fort Du Quesne, which Braddock could not take? This is the way the patriots talked in those days; perhaps ending with the words of the brave Dr. Warren, “The contest may be severe : the end will be glorious."

Provincial

Congress.

IN

CHAPTER XVIII.

CONCORD, LEXINGTON, AND BUNKER HILL,

TN the midst of all this excitement, General Gage, the royal governor, called the legislature of Massachusetts together, and then, changing his mind, dissolved it, before it had met, by a proclamation dated Sept. 28, 1774. Upon this, all the members elected to the legislature came together, by agreement, without asking his leave, and organized themselves as a Provincial Congress. They at once began to get the militia into good. working-order; and a quarter of the militiamen were called “minute-men," and were bound to assemble at the very shortest notice. Then the Provincial Congress saw to the collecting of arms and ammunition, and stored these at Concord and Worcester; and, in short, the governor found himself in more trouble than if he Watchful had allowed the legislature to meet. Meanwhile Brittroops kept arriving in Boston; and General Gage kept sending out spies in disguise, to find where the military stores of the patriots were deposited; and they, in turn watched him. By and by he sent a body of soldiers to Salem (Feb. 26, 1775) to seize such stores, but so many minute-men gathered at once for resistance that the troops retreated. The patriots kept close watch at Charlestown, agreeing that if any large

ness of the colonists.

ish

force of troops were ordered out by night in Boston, a lantern should be hung from the North Church.

Revere.

One night the watchers on the Charlestown side of Paul Charles River saw the lantern gleaming in the steeple. Instantly all were in motion; and messengers went riding in all directions. Other messengers had meanwhile been sent across in boats from Boston; and one of these, named Paul Revere, mounted a horse immediately after landing, and galloped out through Medford, to a house where the patriotic leaders, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, were sleeping.

"Do not make so much noise," said the soldier on guard before the house.

"Noise!" said Paul Revere. "You'll have noise enough before long. The regulars are coming out." So he galloped on from house to house, awakening all the principal farmers; and we may well suppose that there was no more sleep in any house that night after Paul Revere had passed by.

Lexington

Meantime some eight hundred British soldiers, em- Battle of barking in boats at the foot of Boston Common, crossed to what is now East Cambridge. They marched silently along the marshes; when suddenly the bells of the country towns began to ring, and it was plain that the alarm had been given. Paul Revere and the other scouts had done their work well. The commanding officer of the British then sent back for more troops; and Major Pitcairn was sent forward with two or three hundred infantry, having orders to secure the two bridges at Concord. But when Pitcairn passed through Lexington, at four in the morning, April 19, 1775, he found sixty or seventy militia collected on the green, commanded by Capt. John Parker.

The Concord fight.

"Ye villains, ye rebels, disperse !" cried the English officer. "Why don't ye lay down your arms?"

Then the British soldiers fired; and the Americans fired in return, but did little damage. Eight of the Americans were killed and ten wounded; and this was the first blood shed in the Revolutionary War.

66

After this the British, or regulars," marched on towards Concord, giving three huzzas. By this time the - main body had come up, and joined them. While this went on, the Concord people were removing their military stores to the woods for safety. Then the minutemen, who had been hurrying towards Concord, - to the number of about four hundred and fifty in all,took up a position on the high ground near what is called the "North Bridge," which is just out of the village. They could see the British soldiers moving about the streets, destroying military stores and provisions, cutting down the liberty-pole, and setting the courthouse on fire. Then the officers of the minute-men decided to march down to the bridge, and at least drive away the British soldiers who were stationed there. Capt. Isaac Davis of Acton said proudly, “I have n't a man that is afraid to go;" and he and his company marched at the head.

When they reached the bridge, the British soldiers fired; and Davis fell dead. Then Major Buttrick called, "Fire! for God's sake, fire!" Then the Americans fired; and the regulars retreated in great disorder, one man being killed, and several wounded. But the Americans knew that they were too few to attack the main body, until it should have set out on its return.

When the British troops had destroyed all the mili

of the British.

tary stores they could find at Concord, they prepared The retreat to return, carrying with them their wounded. They were now sixteen miles from Boston, and they were not to go back as easily as they came. The guns and bells had roused the whole country round; and men came hurrying from all directions, commonly in their shirtsleeves, without order or discipline, but with guns in

RETREAT OF THE BRITISH FROM CONCORD.

their hands; and every man was ready to shelter himself behind a stone wall or a tree. A British officer wrote afterwards, that it seemed as if men had dropped from the clouds. Sometimes there were companies of minutemen, and at other times only single farmers. Every mile that the tired English soldiers marched from Concord to Lexington, they had more and more opponents,