"'Friends! Brethren! Countrymen! That worst of plagues, the detested tea shipped for this port by the East India Company, is now arrived in the harbor; the Hour of Destruction, or manly opposition to the Machinations of Tyranny, stares you in the face; every Friend to his Country, to himself, and to Posterity, is now called upon to meet at Faneuil Hall, at nine o'clock This Day (at which time the bells will ring), to make united and successful resistance to this last, worst, and most destructive measure of administration.'
"'Friends! Brethren! Countrymen! That worst of plagues, the detested tea shipped for this port by the East India Company, is now arrived in the harbor; the Hour of Destruction, or manly opposition to the Machinations of Tyranny, stares you in the face; every Friend to his Country, to himself, and to Posterity, is now called upon to meet at Faneuil Hall, at nine o'clock This Day (at which time the bells will ring), to make united and successful resistance to this last, worst, and most destructive measure of administration.'
"That was the handbill; its date was November 29, 1773."
"Was that the 'vite to the tea-party?" asked little Elsie.
"Not to what proved to be the principal one," he answered.
"In response to the call they met that day at Faneuil Hall, but the excitement was so great and brought so many people together that they adjourned to the Old South Meeting-house which was larger.
"At that meeting it was resolved that the tea should not be landed, that no duty should be paid on it, and that it should be sent back in the same vessel it had come in; also they notified the owner and the commander of the vessel that to land and enter the tea was at their own peril, ordered the ship to be moored at Griffin's Wharf, and appointed a guard of twenty-five men to watch her.
"At the meeting a letter was received from the consignees offering to store the tea till they could hear from England; but the people were determined not to allow it to be landed, so rejected the offer with scorn.
"Then the sheriff read a proclamation from the governor ordering them to disperse; but it was received with hisses, and they went on with the business that had called them together.
"They passed a resolution ordering the vesselsof Captains Coffin and Bruce, which were hourly expected to arrive with their loads of tea, to be moored at Griffin's Wharf."
"Did they come, Papa? and did the men watch all the ships that had tea?" asked Elsie, who was listening with a look of interest and intelligence that seemed to say she understood a great deal, if not all her father had been saying.
"Yes; and about two weeks afterward another meeting was held in the Old South Church, when it was resolved that Mr. Roch must immediately apply for a clearance for his ship and send her out to sea again. But the governor had already taken measures to prevent him from doing that, ordering Admiral Montague to fit out two armed vessels and station them at the entrance to the harbour, and Colonel Leslie, who was in command of the Castle, not to allow any vessel to pass out under the guns of the fortress, unless she could show a permission signed by himself."
"I should think," remarked Max, "that Mr. Roch and Captain Hall must have been quite puzzled to know how to act to suit all parties."
"What happened next, Papa?" asked Gracie.
"Two days later there was another meeting in the Old South,—the largest meeting that had then ever been known in Boston; for the people were greatly excited.
"Several persons made addresses, but Josiah Quincy was the principal speaker. He advised the people to weigh and consider before they took measures that would bring on a trying and terrible struggle such as had never been seen in this country."
"Why, Papa," exclaimed Lulu, "I thought Mr. Quincy was one of the patriots!"
"So he was, my child; but he wanted the people to look before they leaped.
"When he had finished his speech the question was put, 'Will you abide by your former resolutions with respect to not suffering the tea to be landed?'"
"And what did they say?" asked Gracie.
"That they would; the whole vast assembly speaking as with one voice."
"I hope Mr. Roch was there to hear them," said Lulu.
"No," said her father. "The governor was at his country-house, a few miles out of Boston, and Mr. Roch had been sent to him to ask a permit for his vessel to leave the harbour.
"He returned late in the afternoon, before the meeting at the Old South had broken up, and reported to them that the governor refused a permit until a clearance should be shown him; and the collector refused that until the tea should be landed."
"What a fuss about nothing!" exclaimed little Elsie, with a look of disgust.
"Oh, no," her father said, stroking her hair as she leaned upon his knee; "some day when my little girl is older and wiser, she will understand that it was very far from being about nothing.
"The people were very much excited. It was beginning to grow dark in the old church and somebody called for candles; but just then somebody in the gallery showed himself disguised like a Mohawk Indian, raised the Indian war-whoop, and was answered in the same fashion by some one outside the building,—for the throng a good deal more than filled the church; then another voice in the gallery shouted, 'Boston harbour a teapot to-night! Hurrah for Griffin's Wharf!'
"At that there was an instant motion to adjourn, and the people crowded into the streets.
"It was a clear, moonlight evening, still quite early, and the British squadron not more than a mile away; British troops were near too, but neither interfered with what was going on.
"It is probable that everything had been arranged beforehand; and seeing several persons disguised as Indians going toward Griffin's Wharf, the people hurried thither. Some fifteen or twenty were so disguised, but about sixty boarded the vessels in the first place; and it issaid that as many as a hundred and forty were engaged in the work before it was finished.
"A man named Lendall Pitts acted as leader; and under his direction the 'Dartmouth' was boarded first, the hatches were taken up, and her cargo of one hundred and fourteen chests of tea brought on deck, where the boxes were broken open and the tea was thrown into the water.
"Then the other two vessels were boarded and their cargoes of tea also thrown into the harbour."
"And that's what is called the 'Boston Tea Party,'" remarked Max with satisfaction. "I'd wish I'd been there to help, only that I'd rather be here now."
"That's just the way I feel about it," said Walter.
"You may be thankful, my dear boys, that you live in these days," remarked Grandma Elsie, smiling kindly upon them. "War times are more interesting to tell about, but far harder to live in. Our hearts may well be filled with thankfulness to God for the success of our fathers in securing the blessings of liberty for not themselves only, but for us also. We assuredly have more to be thankful for than any other nation, and ought therefore to be better and more earnest Christians, doing all we possibly can to spread abroad through all the earth the glad news of salvation by Christ, and to helpthe down-trodden and oppressed to share with us the inestimable blessings of freedom,—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as our Declaration of Independence has it."
But the "Dolphin" was fast approaching the city, and there was so much to look at and talk about, relating to the present, that for a time the past was well-nigh forgotten, except when the Captain pointed out as nearly as he could, the precise spot where the never-to-be-forgotten "tea party" had been held.
When he had done so, Max broke out into a song to the tune of "Yankee Doodle," the other young folks joining in with a will on the chorus.
"Once on a time old Johnny Bull flew in a raging fury,And swore that Jonathan should have no trial, sir, by jury;That no elections should be held across the briny waters;And now said he, 'I'll tax the Tea of all his sons and daughters.'Then down he sate in burly state, and blustered like a grandee,And in derision made a tune called 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.'Yankee doodle,—these are facts,—Yankee doodle dandy!My son of wax, your tea I'll tax; you—Yankee doodle dandy!"John sent the tea from o'er the sea, with heavy duties rated;But whether hyson or bohea I never heard it stated.Then Jonathan to pout began,—he laid a strong embargo,—'I'll drink no Tea by Jove!' so he threw overboard the cargo.Then Johnny sent a regiment, big words and looks to bandy,Whose martial band, when near the land played 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.'Yankee doodle,—keep it up,—Yankee doodle dandy!I'll poison with a tax your cup;you—Yankee doodle dandy!"A long war then they had, in which John was at last defeated;And 'Yankee Doodle' was the march to which his troops retreated.Cute Jonathan, to see them fly, could not restrain his laughter;'That time,' said he, 'suits to a T. I'll sing it ever after.'Old Johnny's face, to his disgrace, was flushed with beer and brandy,E'en while he swore to sing no more this 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.'Yankee doodle,—ho, ha, he,—Yankee doodle dandy!We kept the tune, but not the tea; Yankee doodle dandy!"I've told you now the origin of this most lively ditty,Which Johnny Bull dislikes as 'dull and stupid'—what a pity!With 'Hail Columbia' it is sung, in chorus full and hearty.On land and main we breathe the strain John made for his 'tea party;'No matter how we rhyme the words, the music speaks them handy,And where's the fair can't sing the air of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'?Yankee doodle, firm and true,—Yankee doodle dandy!Yankee doodle, doodle do, Yankee doodle dandy!"
"Once on a time old Johnny Bull flew in a raging fury,And swore that Jonathan should have no trial, sir, by jury;That no elections should be held across the briny waters;And now said he, 'I'll tax the Tea of all his sons and daughters.'Then down he sate in burly state, and blustered like a grandee,And in derision made a tune called 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.'Yankee doodle,—these are facts,—Yankee doodle dandy!My son of wax, your tea I'll tax; you—Yankee doodle dandy!
"John sent the tea from o'er the sea, with heavy duties rated;But whether hyson or bohea I never heard it stated.Then Jonathan to pout began,—he laid a strong embargo,—'I'll drink no Tea by Jove!' so he threw overboard the cargo.Then Johnny sent a regiment, big words and looks to bandy,Whose martial band, when near the land played 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.'Yankee doodle,—keep it up,—Yankee doodle dandy!I'll poison with a tax your cup;you—Yankee doodle dandy!
"A long war then they had, in which John was at last defeated;And 'Yankee Doodle' was the march to which his troops retreated.Cute Jonathan, to see them fly, could not restrain his laughter;'That time,' said he, 'suits to a T. I'll sing it ever after.'Old Johnny's face, to his disgrace, was flushed with beer and brandy,E'en while he swore to sing no more this 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.'Yankee doodle,—ho, ha, he,—Yankee doodle dandy!We kept the tune, but not the tea; Yankee doodle dandy!
"I've told you now the origin of this most lively ditty,Which Johnny Bull dislikes as 'dull and stupid'—what a pity!With 'Hail Columbia' it is sung, in chorus full and hearty.On land and main we breathe the strain John made for his 'tea party;'No matter how we rhyme the words, the music speaks them handy,And where's the fair can't sing the air of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'?Yankee doodle, firm and true,—Yankee doodle dandy!Yankee doodle, doodle do, Yankee doodle dandy!"
A few days were spent in Boston, principally in visiting places of historical interest,—Christ Church on Salem Street, where as the Captain told the children, Paul Revere's signal was hung out from the steeple, in the Revolutionary War, by Captain Pulling, a Boston merchant; and the Old South Church, about which they had already heard so much.
"In 1775," the Captain said, as the little group stood gazing about it in deep interest, "the British soldiers desecrated this place by using it for cavalry drill, having first torn out the galleries and covered the floor with earth. It is now no longer used as a church, but, as you see, is a historical museum. Now we will go to Faneuil Hall,—'the cradle of liberty.'"
They did so; and next visited the Old State House.
As the Captain told them, the Boston Massacre occurred in the street before it; and there, during the excitement in regard to the Stamp Act, the stamped clearances were burned by the mob. From the balcony the Declaration of Independencewas read. Many town-meetings were held there, and many patriotic speeches made,—among them those of Otis, who foretold probable war, and urged resistance to tyranny "even unto blood" if necessary.
"Who was Otis, Papa?" asked Lulu.
"A Boston lawyer of that time, a patriot,—as evidenced by even the few words of his I have just quoted. He was advocate-general with a good salary at the time when the revenue officers in Boston took out search-warrants to look for smuggled goods, and called upon him to defend their cause; but he at once resigned his office and took the other side,—that of the merchants of Boston, who were protesting against the writs. They offered him a large fee, but he refused it, saying, 'In such a cause I despise all fees.'"
"That case was tried in this old State House; and Otis made a grand speech of such length that it took him five hours to deliver it."
"What was it all about, Papa?" asked Gracie.
"It was on the question whether Americans were bound to obey laws which they had no share in making, and all the arguments in the wonderful speech answered doggedly, 'No.'
"John Adams, who heard the speech, afterward said that on that day 'the child Independence was born;' and no doubt the argument assisted the popular leaders very much in furnishing them with weapons for their work."
"Weapons, Papa?" Grace asked with a puzzled look.
"Yes, daughter; arguments with which to show the people what the English Government was doing to take away our liberties.
"Otis afterward, when Governor Bernard called upon the General Assembly of Massachusetts to rescind the resolution it had passed against the right of the English Parliament to tax the colonies without their consent,—which they boldly disregarded,—made a powerful speech in which he said, 'When Lord Hillsborough knows that we will not rescindouracts, he should apply to Parliament to rescindtheirs.Let Britons rescind their measures, or they are lost forever!' He went on speaking in that way for nearly an hour, till even the Sons of Liberty began to tremble lest he should go too far, and be charged with treason."
"And did he fight for the country, Papa?" asked Gracie.
"No, poor fellow!" replied the Captain, with a slight sigh; "before the war had fairly begun he became insane from injuries inflicted by one Robinson, a commissioner of customs, who, with several army or navy officers set upon, beat, and otherwise injured him, inflicting a sword-cut on his head from which he never recovered."
"And he didn't have the pleasure of seeinghis country free and separated from England?" Lulu said, half inquiringly.
"No; he was killed by a stroke of lightning in 1778, which you will remember was several years before the war was over."
Our little party next visited Lexington and Concord.
"How far must we travel to get there, Papa?" queried Gracie, as they took their seats in the car.
"Only a few miles to Lexington, and a little farther to reach Concord," he answered.
"That won't seem very far by rail," remarked Max; "but it must have seemed quite a distance to the soldiers who marched there in Revolutionary times."
"I find we are early," the Captain said, looking at his watch; "and as we have the car nearly to ourselves, it may be well for us to talk over what occurred in 1775 at the places we are about to visit. I think it will make the visit more interesting to you."
"Oh, do tell us the whole story, Papa," requested Gracie, with a look of pleased anticipation.
The others all joined in her petition, and the Captain good-naturedly complied.
"Matters had been growing worse and worse between the British Government and the colonies," he said, "till a struggle seemed almostinevitable. General Gage discovered that the patriots were privately conveying arms out of Boston, that some brass cannon and field-pieces were at Salem; and on a Sunday in February, 1775, he sent some troops to seize them.
"An express from Marblehead arrived at Salem while the people were in church, with the news that British troops were landing from a transport at that place, and were about to march to Salem.
"The congregations were at once dismissed, and, led by Colonel Pickering, stopped the British at a drawbridge. Pickering succeeded in effecting a compromise, and the troops marched back again to Marblehead without having done the errand upon which they had been sent.
"Let me see," continued the Captain, meditatively; "I think I can recall some lines by Trumbull, referring to that incident:—
"'Through Salem straight, without delay,The bold battalion took its way:Marched o'er a bridge, in open sightOf several Yankees arm'd for fight;Then, without loss of time or men,Veer'd round for Boston back again,And found so well their prospects thrive,That every soul got back alive.'
"'Through Salem straight, without delay,The bold battalion took its way:Marched o'er a bridge, in open sightOf several Yankees arm'd for fight;Then, without loss of time or men,Veer'd round for Boston back again,And found so well their prospects thrive,That every soul got back alive.'
"It was some two months after this that the battles of Lexington and Concord took place. On April 18, the patriots learned that the nextday British troops were to visit Concord for the purpose of destroying some military stores there, and passing through Lexington seize the persons of John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were both in that town at the house of the Rev. Jonas Clark.
"Gage had tried to keep all this a profound secret, but somehow the patriots had learned what he was attempting, and were making their preparations accordingly. Warren and his friends had gone, Paul Revere and William Dawes had just rowed across the river to Charlestown, taking a message from Warren to Adams and Hancock. They were very near being captured by the guard at Charlestown, but escaped, and reached Lexington a little after midnight.
"They went at once to Mr. Clark's house, but found a guard of eight minute-men placed about it to protect Adams and Hancock.
"These refused to let Revere and Dawes into the house, as orders had been given not to allow the inmates to be disturbed by noise.
"'Noise!' exclaimed Revere, 'you'll have noise enough before long; the regulars are coming!'
"They were quickly admitted then, roused Hancock and Adams, and knowing how unlikely to escape being taken prisoners they were, should they remain in Lexington, persuaded them to retire to Woburn.
"Then Revere and Dawes pushed on to Concord to give the alarm there.
"By two o'clock in the morning a hundred and thirty of the Lexington militia were collected at the meeting-house upon the green. The roll was called; then, as the early morning air was very chilly, they were dismissed with orders to remain within drum-beat."
"Papa, the British marched very quietly, didn't they?" asked Max.
"Yes, in perfect silence; hoping and believing that none of the Americans were aware of their movements."
"Ha, ha, how mistaken they were!" laughed Max.
"Yes," his father said, "there were vigilant eyes upon them. As they passed through West Cambridge they were seen by Lee, Gerry, and Orne,—members of the Provincial Congress,—and as I have told you, others learned the secret also.
"As the British neared Lexington their ears were greeted by the sound of bells and guns, warning them that their expedition was known."
"I s'pose they didn't like that," observed Gracie, "but what did they do about it, Papa?"
"Colonel Smith dispatched six companies of troops under Major Pitcairn, with orders to press on to Concord and secure the two bridges.He also sent a messenger to Boston for reinforcements.
"Pitcairn hastened on toward Lexington, capturing several persons on his way. One of them—a man named Bowman—escaped, hurried into Lexington on horseback, and notified Captain Parker, commander of the minute-men, that the enemy was approaching."
"And did they make a great fuss and wake up all the people, Papa?" asked Gracie.
"They rang the bells, fired guns, and beat the drum, so that doubtless everybody was soon aroused.
"It was between four and five in the morning. About one hundred of the militia were quickly collected on the green; but being raw troops, and uncertain how large a force was coming against them, they were in some confusion.
"And indeed it was an overwhelming force they presently saw marching toward them, their scarlet uniforms gleaming out through the early morning mist.
"The British halted within a few rods of the meeting-house and loaded their pieces. But the Americans stood firm and undismayed.
"Their orders were not to pull a trigger till fired upon by the enemy, and for a moment there was silence and hesitation on both sides; neither Americans nor British seemed willing to become the aggressors.
"But it was only for a moment; Pitcairn and other officers galloped forward, waving their swords over their heads, and followed by their troops in double-quick time.
"'Disperse you villains!' they shouted, 'lay down your arms and disperse. Why don't you disperse, you rebels? Disperse!' And as the patriots did not instantly obey the command, Pitcairn wheeled his horse, waved his sword, and gave orders to press forward and surround the militia.
"At that instant some random shots were fired by the British, and promptly returned by the Americans."
"Oh, Papa, was anybody killed?" asked Gracie.
"Not by those shots," replied her father; "but the next minute Pitcairn drew a pistol and discharged it, at the same time shouting 'Fire!'
"His troops instantly obeyed that order. Four of the patriots were killed, and the rest dispersed. They were fired upon again while retreating, and several of them halted and returned the shots, then concealed themselves behind buildings and stone walls.
"Eight Americans were killed, three British soldiers and Major Pitcairn's horse were wounded."
"I thought you said only four Americans wereshot, Papa," said Gracie, looking up inquiringly into his face.
"Four by the first discharge of musketry, and as many more while trying to escape over the fences," he answered.
"Did the British care for having killed those poor men?" she asked, tears of sympathy shining in her eyes.
"If so they gave no evidence of it," her father replied. "They hurried on to Concord in high spirits. But the news of their approach had been communicated, and a formidable body of militia was waiting to receive them."
"Oh, yes!" said Rosie, "I remember that Dawes and Revere had hurried on to warn them after doing the Lexington people the same service."
"Yes," the Captain said, "but on the way they were taken prisoners by some British officers. They had stopped to tell the news to Dr. Samuel Prescott, who escaped over a wall, they being captured. Prescott made his way to Concord, reaching there about two o'clock in the morning, and gave the alarm. Then the bells were rung, and the people armed themselves, so that before daylight they were ready to receive the British."
"They knew what the British were after, and made haste to conceal the stores of powder, shot, and so forth,—didn't they, Papa?" asked Max.
"Yes; the whole male population and some of the women assisted in that work, and succeeded in concealing them in a safe place in the woods before the arrival of the British."
"That was good," remarked Gracie. "And didn't the British get anything at all, Papa?"
"Yes, a little. They knocked off the trunnions of three iron twenty-four-pound cannon, cut down a liberty-pole, set the Court House on fire, and burned a few barrels of wooden trenchers and spoons, and sixteen new carriage-wheels. Also they threw five hundred pounds of balls into a mill-pond, and broke open about sixty barrels of flour; but the people succeeded in saving a good deal of that, and Mrs. Moulton put out the fire in the Court House before much damage was done."
"But was there no fighting, Papa?" Gracie asked.
"There was fighting," the Captain answered. "While the British were at the mischief I have been telling you of, the American party was rapidly increasing by the coming in of minute-men from the neighbouring towns. They formed into line as fast as they came. There were nearly four hundred of them.
"From the place where they were forming they could see the fire the British had started in the centre of the town, and of course the sight greatly increased their excitement.
"Joseph Hosmer, the adjutant, made a stirring appeal, after a brief consultation with prominent citizens and members of the Committee of Safety, who were present, and ready to take part in repelling the British.
"It was agreed to dislodge them from the North Bridge. Captain Davis saying, 'I haven't a man that's afraid to go.'
"They wheeled into marching order, and joined by other companies, pushed forward to the bridge, under the command of Major John Buttrick, of Concord.
"The British guard were on the west side of the river, but crossed to the east on seeing the Americans approaching, and began taking up the planks of the bridge.
"Major Buttrick called to them to stop, and urged his men on to try to save the bridge.
"The British formed for action as the Americans drew near, and some of the regulars fired, killing Captain Davis, Abner Hosmer, and wounding another man.
"Then Buttrick shouted, 'Fire fellow soldiers! for God's sake fire!' and instantly they gave the British a full volley.
"In a few minutes the British retreated, and the Americans took possession of the bridge.
"Their volley had killed three British soldiers, two of whom were left on the ground. The Americans afterward buried them, and we shallfind their graves only a few feet from the monument."
But other passengers had entered the car, and the train was now in motion.
"There, that must do for the present," the Captain said; "the story will have to be finished after we leave the train."
Their first halt was at Lexington where they viewed with much interest the ground where the skirmish took place, the monument commemorating the devotion of those who fell, and everything to be found that had any connection with the events which have made the place famous in the annals of our country.
Evelyn Leland gazed long at the inscription on the monument, then read aloud,—
"Sacred to the Liberty and the Rights of Mankind!!! The Freedom and Independence of America—sealed and defended with the blood of her sons—This Monument is erected by the Inhabitants of Lexington ... to the memory of their fellow citizens ... the first victims of the sword of British Tyranny and Oppression, on the morning of the ever-memorable nineteenth of April, A. D. 1775. The Die was Cast!!! The blood of these Martyrs in the Cause of God and their Country was the Cement of the Union of these States, then Colonies, and gave the Spring to the Spirit, Firmness and Resolution of their Fellow citizens. They rose as one man to revenge their Brethren's blood and at the point of the sword to assert and defend their native Rights. They nobly dared to beFree!!! The contest was long, bloody and affecting. Righteous Heaven approved the Solemn Appeal; Victory crowned their Arms, and the Peace, Liberty and Independence of the United States of America was their glorious Reward. Built in the year 1799."
"Sacred to the Liberty and the Rights of Mankind!!! The Freedom and Independence of America—sealed and defended with the blood of her sons—This Monument is erected by the Inhabitants of Lexington ... to the memory of their fellow citizens ... the first victims of the sword of British Tyranny and Oppression, on the morning of the ever-memorable nineteenth of April, A. D. 1775. The Die was Cast!!! The blood of these Martyrs in the Cause of God and their Country was the Cement of the Union of these States, then Colonies, and gave the Spring to the Spirit, Firmness and Resolution of their Fellow citizens. They rose as one man to revenge their Brethren's blood and at the point of the sword to assert and defend their native Rights. They nobly dared to beFree!!! The contest was long, bloody and affecting. Righteous Heaven approved the Solemn Appeal; Victory crowned their Arms, and the Peace, Liberty and Independence of the United States of America was their glorious Reward. Built in the year 1799."
"You didn't read it all, Eva," said Walter; "you skipped the names."
"Yes," she said, "because I didn't want to take time to read it all; though I'd be ever so unwilling to rob the poor, dear, brave fellows of any of the credit that belongs to them."
From Lexington our little party went on at once to Concord. There they saw the monument, and near it the graves of the two British soldiers of whom the Captain had spoken as having fallen in the fight.
"The British entered Concord in two divisions," he said; "one by the main road, the other passing over the hill north of it. Captain Beeman, of Petersham, and other Tories had given them information in regard to the stores secreted in Concord, and Captain Parsons with six companies was sent to destroy them."
"Sent where, Papa?" asked Lulu.
"To the house of Colonel Barrett," replied her father. "Captain Lawrie, with three companies was stationed at the North Bridge, just here. The monument stands upon the very spot where the British stood, and on yon plain across the river is where the American militia were when the fire of the British killed Hosmer and Davis.
"Colonel Smith, in the village, heard the firing, and sent a reinforcement to Lawrie's help; but seeing that the militia were increasing in numbers,they turned about and joined in the retreat. Then the party under Captain Parsons, who, you will remember, had gone to Colonel Barrett's to destroy the secreted stores, returned, and were allowed by the militia to pass the bridge unmolested."
"Why didn't they attack them, Captain?" asked Eva, "weren't they strong enough?"
"Yes; but war had not yet been declared, and the colonists had been enjoined to act only on the defensive and let Great Britain be the aggressor.
"Besides, the militia at Concord had not yet heard of the slaughter of their brethren at Lexington. They themselves had just killed three British soldiers, to be sure, but it was purely in self-defence."
"The British started back to Boston pretty soon after that, didn't they, Papa?" asked Lulu.
"Yes; Colonel Smith thought it prudent, seeing how rapidly the militia were gathering, to return at once, and a little after twelve o'clock began his retreat toward Lexington, covering his main column by strong flanking guards.
"As you may suppose, the people had become intensely excited by this time, and I dare say very many were burning to avenge the slaughter of their comrades. They no longer adhered to the cautious counsels given them at Concord, andsecreting themselves behind barns and fences, fired upon the British troops as they passed. All along the line of march to Lexington the British were terribly galled in this way. Guns were fired with sure aim from every house, barn, and stone wall. As we noticed in coming here the road between this town and Lexington passes through a hilly country, as well calculated as possible for such work. At almost every wooded defile numbers of the British were picked off by concealed marksmen, and at Hardy's Hill there was a severe skirmish.
"There was no longer any military order among the Americans, but each man fought as he deemed best. Some of them were killed by the British flankers coming suddenly upon them in their places of concealment, but their numbers were comparatively small.
"Several of the British were shot near the battle-ground of the morning at Lexington, and Colonel Smith was badly wounded in the leg at Fiske's Hill, near the town."
"So they didn't have a very good time on their march back to Boston," remarked Max.
"No, very far from it," replied his father. "You will remember they had been marching the night before, marching and fighting pretty much all that day, and attacked every now and then by a concealed foe, who shot down one after another; they became at last so fatigued thatthey must have surrendered to the Americans if reinforcements had not reached them.
"I have said a request for help had been sent to General Gage from Lexington early in the morning, and he had responded with about nine hundred men under Lord Percy,—three regiments of infantry and two divisions of marines. These left Boston about nine o'clock in the morning and marched toward Lexington.
"As they passed through Roxbury they played 'Yankee Doodle' in derision, having before used it as a Rogue's March."
"Papa," Gracie asked, "did the Roxbury people know about the fight at Lexington and Concord?"
"They had heard vague rumours of a fight at Lexington, and the marching in that direction of these Boston troops confirmed their worst fears."
"What an excitement the marching of those British troops must have caused all along the way as they went!" exclaimed Eva.
"Yes," replied Captain Raymond, "one of their officers said, 'they [the Americans] seemed to drop from the clouds.'"
"Percy's brigade met them about half a mile from Lexington. He formed a hollow square, and for its defence, planted a cannon on high ground near Monroe's tavern, and received into his enclosure the wearied troops of Smith. Someof them were so heated and worn out that they lay exhausted and panting upon the ground, their tongues hanging out of their mouths, as a dog's does when he is tired and overheated.
"But Percy did not dare allow them to rest long, for the militia had gathered from all quarters, and the woods were swarming with minute-men. They were given a little refreshment, a brief rest, then hurried on their way, committing as they went deeds of ruffianism of which they had reason to be heartily ashamed; property was destroyed, houses were plundered, and several innocent persons were murdered.
"Of course the Americans were filled with indignation as well as grief for the sufferings of friends and neighbours, some of them their near kindred."
"Yes; oh, it was just dreadful, Papa!" exclaimed Gracie, her eyes filling with tears. "I think the British of those days were very, very cruel."
"Very true," replied her father; "there were very many deeds of blood and violence, for which there was no excuse, committed by them during that war. Rawdon, Tarleton, and even Cornwallis showed themselves men of savage cruelty."
"Yes," exclaimed Rosie, "I perfectly detest and abhor that brutal Tarleton! No Indian was ever more heartless and cruel than he!"
"I think that is true," the Captain said. "He treated American prisoners so unfortunate as to fall into his hands, with most inhuman cruelty; also he was so vain, conceited, and untruthful that in a 'History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America,' which he wrote after his return to England, he distorts events for his self-glorification to such a degree as has seldom been paralleled. Yes, take him all together he was, I think, one of the most despicable characters of the Revolution."
"I have always been so glad over his defeat by Morgan at the battle of the Cowpens," said Eva, "and have always admired the reminders of it given him by some of the Southern ladies, particularly of the wound on his hand that Colonel Washington gave him in chasing him from that battle-field."
"Yes, I remember," said Rosie. "The ladies were great admirers of Colonel Washington, talked a great deal about him, and at least two or three times gave that vain, boastful, cruel Tarleton a rub about that wound."
"Yes," said the Captain, "those sallies of wit were expended on him by two sisters,—daughters of Colonel Montfort, of Halifax County, North Carolina. When Cornwallis was there on his way to Virginia, Colonel Washington was the subject of conversation one evening; and Tarleton,nettled doubtless by the admiration freely expressed by the ladies, began talking against him, saying that he was an illiterate fellow, hardly able to write his own name.
"The remark was made in the presence of Mrs. Willie Jones, one of the sisters I have spoken of, and she replied, 'Ah, Colonel, you ought to know better, for you bear on your person proof that he knows very wellhow to make his mark.'"
"I shouldn't have liked to be in his place," remarked Max. "I dare say he felt like shooting Mrs. Jones for her compliment."
"That is not at all unlikely," said his father. "It is said that when her sister, Mrs. Ashe, twitted him in like manner, he showed his temper plainly. He had been talking again, sarcastically of Colonel Washington, in her presence, and finally said with a sneer, 'I would be happy to see Colonel Washington.' To which she instantly replied, 'If you had looked behind you, Colonel Tarleton, at the battle of the Cowpens, you would have enjoyed that pleasure.'"
"That was just good for him!" exclaimed Lulu. "I wonder what he said to it,—if he answered her at all."
"He was very angry (for no doubt the words stung him) and laid his hand on the hilt of his sword, while he regarded her with a frown," replied the Captain. "But General Leslie, hissuperior officer said, 'Say what you please, Mrs. Ashe; Colonel Tarleton knows better than to insult a lady in my presence.'"
"Did Tarleton ever insult a lady, Papa?" asked Gracie.
"I have read that he once insulted an American woman,—one who was large and strong,—and that she knocked him down upon the floor, seized him by the throat, and choked him till he was black in the face; she probably would have killed him if some one had not come to his assistance and pulled her off."
"Surely he must have been proud ofthatencounter," laughed Max.
There were several more souvenirs of the Revolution shown the young people by Captain Raymond that morning,—among them Boston's "Liberty Tree," or rather the sculptured representation of it set within a niche on the front of a house, and exactly over the spot on which the tree stood before its destruction by the British during the siege of Boston.
"It was under that tree the association calling themselves 'Sons of Liberty' used to hold their meetings," he said. "They met there in the summer of 1765 when there was a great excitement over the passage of the Stamp Act by the British Parliament, and continued to do so until the destruction of the tree by the British during the siege of Boston, 1775. It was called 'Liberty Tree' and the ground under it 'Liberty Hall.'
"A newspaper of that time, the 'Essex Gazette,' of Aug. 31st, 1775, describes the destruction of the tree. It says, 'They made a furious attack upon it and after a long spell of laughing, grinning, sweating and foaming with malice diabolical they cut down the tree because it bore thename of Liberty. A soldier was killed by falling from one of its branches during the operation.'"
It was dinner time when our party reached the hotel, where they had left Grandma Elsie and Violet with the little ones and their maids. The ladies had not cared to join in the morning's excursion as they wanted to do a little shopping, and had already seen Concord, Lexington, and the places of historical interest in the city itself.
But Bunker Hill was to be visited that afternoon, and from that little trip neither lady asked to be excused. They all went together, starting directly after leaving the table.
Every one greatly enjoyed the view from the top of the monument: it was like a vast painting, showing them the city of Boston with its harbour, where could be seen vessels from almost every part of the world, and the many towns and villages in its vicinity, each with its own story of its struggles for liberty in "the days that tried men's souls." Far in the northwest the higher peaks of New Hampshire's White Mountains were visible: on the northeast they could discern the peninsula of Nahant, while still farther in the distance was Cape Ann.
The Captain gave them a brief account of the erection of the monument.
"It was not till 1824 that a movement was made to that end," he said. "General La Fayettewas at the time the nation's guest, and was invited to lay the corner-stone, which he did on the 17th of June, 1825, the fiftieth anniversary of the battle.
"The Hon. Daniel Webster made an oration on the subject to an immense crowd which had gathered for the occasion. There were forty of the survivors of the battle present, and probably La Fayette met more of his fellow-soldiers of that war then than at any other time or place."
"Was it finished in that year, Papa?" asked Lulu.
"No, indeed, my child; not for seventeen years. The last stone was raised about six o'clock on the morning of the 23d of July, 1842, and with it—waving the American Flag as he went up—was Mr. Edward Carnes, Jr., of Charlestown, the roar of cannon at the same time announcing the event to the surrounding country."
"But that wasn't the anniversary of the battle?" remarked Rosie, in a tone of inquiry.
"No," the Captain said; "but on the next anniversary,—June 17th, 1843,—the monument was dedicated. Daniel Webster was the orator on that occasion also, addressing a vast audience composed of citizens and soldiers."
"Oh, how I would have liked to hear his speech, if only he could have waited till I was in this world and old enough to understand what he was talking about!" exclaimed Rosie.
A remark which called forth a good-humoured laugh from her hearers.
"Now, Papa, the next thing is to tell us about the battle of Bunker Hill,—isn't it?" Lulu said with a bright, coaxing look up into his face.
"I suppose so," he replied, with an indulgent smile. "But first let us look at these cannon,—the 'Hancock' and the 'Adams;' you will readily understand for whom they were named. They belonged formerly to the Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company. This one—the 'Adams'—you see is not sound; it was burst in firing a salute. You also see that they bear an inscription, which I shall read aloud for the benefit of the company:—