pebble at a mastiff, and are surprised it was not frightened."

In the meantime, the news of the arbitrary proceedings of the British legislature had greatly increased the ferment in America. All eyes, as formerly, were turned toward Massachusetts, and especially toward the people of Boston. In that city a dismal winter had been passed by the British regiments, on the one side, in inglorious inactivity, and by the leading men of the province in providing firearms, collecting military stores, and increasing their militia, or minutemen, who now amounted to several thousands. The sight of the soldiers fortifying Boston Neck had kept their exasperation constantly alive. A mere accident the loss of a single life in a scuffle-might at any moment kindle civil war throughout the whole continent of America.

Spring had scarcely set in, before such an occasion actually occurred. Intelligence having reached General Gage that a large magazine of military stores had been formed by the Americans at Concord, an inland town, about twenty miles from Boston, he determined, at the repeated solicitations, it is said, of the American loyalists in Massachusetts, at once to effect either its capture or destruction. Accordingly, on the night of the 18th of April, a secret expedition, consisting of about eight hundred grenadiers, light infantry, and marines, under the command of

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Lieutenant-Colonel Smith of the Tenth Regiment, were carried in boats across the Charles River to East Cambridge. They will miss their aim," said a mysterious voice from amongst the bystanders. "What aim?" hastily inquired a British officer, Earl Percy. "Why, the cannon at Concord," was the reply. Lord Percy instantly flew to communicate the words to General Gage, when immediate orders were given for preventing any American quitting the town, but it was found impossible to carry them into effect. Already two high-spirited young men, mounted on fleet horses, were making the best of their way to Concord; knocking at the house-doors of the different villages through which they galloped, and communicating to the inhabitants the intelligence of the advance of the British troops. Already, with far greater rapidity than the speed of horses, a mysterious light, streaming from the steeple of one of the Boston churches, was promulgating, far and wide, that peril was at hand. Then, too, fell on the ears of the astonished soldiery the sound of the ringing of bells and the distant firing of cannon. Even to the youngest soldier, it must have been evident that their purpose had transpired; that the sounds to which he listened were the signals for rousing up the minutemen from their beds; and that, before daylight, an overpow

1 So called, it is said, from their being pledged to rush to the post of danger at a minute's notice.

ering force might possibly attack them and even cut off their retreat. Nevertheless, Colonel Smith, in pursuance of his orders, continued his eventful march.

The troops had pushed on some miles beyond Boston, when Colonel Smith deemed it prudent to send forward six companies of light infantry, under the command of Major Pitcairn, of the royal marines, for the purpose of securing one or two bridges which it was indispensable for his men to cross. It was five o'clock in the morning when the advanced party reached the village of Lexington, at that time containing about seven hundred inhabitants. Here, by the dim light which was just beginning to dawn, Major Pitcairn perceived a body of militia, to the number of about seventy men, drawn up on the village green by the roadside, armed and wearing military accoutrements. With what object they were there, with this hostile demonstration, unless for the purpose of attacking, or of inviting an attack, from the British, it

'The Massachusetts Committee of Safety and Supplies had, by their votes on the 14th of the preceding month, provided for such an occasion as now occurred. "Voted, That Members from this Committee belonging to the towns of Charlestown, Cambridge, and Roxbury, be desired, at the Province expense, to procure at least two men for a Watch every night to be placed in each of those towns; and that the said Members be in readiness to send Couriers forward to the Towns where the Magazines are placed, when sallies are made from the Army by night." It was also voted that similar instructions should be sent to Colonel Barret at Concord.

is difficult to determine. Even their historians, though they insist that their intentions were peaceful, do not deny that their pieces were loaded. Under all the circumstances, it seems only natural that Major Pitcairn should have ridden up to them and inquired the object of their being thus assembled. This, according to the American accounts, he did in an insufferably insolent manner, crying out to them, "Disperse, you rebels! D-n you! Throw down your arms and disperse!" This demand, it is said, not being instantly complied with, Pitcairn, having first of all discharged his own pistol, gave the order to his men to fire, an order which was only too promptly and effectually obeyed. "Then, and not till then," writes their historian, "did a few of them, on their own impulse, return the British fire. These random shots of fugitives, or dying men, did no harm, except that Pitcairn's horse was perhaps grazed, and a private of the 10th Light Infantry was touched slightly in the leg." Seven of the militia were killed, and nine wounded.

Such is the American account of the skirmish at Lexington-an account certainly differing very materially from that which was subsequently drawn up by Colonel Smith for the information of General Gage and of the British government. "I understand," writes the colonel, "from the report of Major Pitcairn, and from many officers, that they found on a green, close to the road, a body

of the country people drawn up in military order, with arms and accoutrements, and, as appeared after, loaded; and that they had posted some men in a dwelling and meeting-house. Our troops advanced toward them, without any intention of injuring them, further than to inquire the reason of their being thus assembled, and, if not satisfactory, to have secured their arms. But they in confusion went off, principally to the left; only one of them fired before he went off, and three or four more jumped over a wall, and fired from behind it among the soldiers, on which the troops returned it, and killed several of them. They likewise fired on the soldiers from the meeting and dwelling house. We had one man wounded, and Major Pitcairn's horse shot in two places." Accounts so different there is certainly great difficulty in reconciling. In the first place, that a body of halfdisciplined countrymen should have commenced an attack on a detachment of British troops, who were not only highly organised, but superior to themselves in number, is, to say the least, improbable; while, on the other hand, no less difficult is it to question the veracity of an official report of a British officer of high position; more especially as

'Major Pitcairn," according to another account, "called upon them to disperse, and on attempting to surround and disarm them, they fired upon our troops; upon which the light infantry, without being ordered, fired, and killed several of the country people." These statements tend altogether to exonerate Major Pitcairn from the charge of rash and violent conduct.