tity of military stores at Concord, an inland town, about eighteen miles from Boston, Gen. Gage determined to destroy them. For this purpose, he, on the night preceding the 19th of April, detached Lieutenant Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn, with 800 grenadiers and light infantry; who, at 11 o'clock, commenced a silent and expeditious march for Concord. Although a number of British officers, who had dined at Cambridge the preceding day, had taken the precaution to disperse themselves along the road leading to Concord, to stop any expresses that might be sent from Boston to alarm the country, yet such was the vigilance of the Americans, that the expedition was discovered, and the alarm rapidly spread by church bells, signal guns, and volleys. When the British troops arrived at Lexington, about five in the morning, they found about seventy men, belonging to the minute company of the town, under arms. jor Pitcairn, who led the van, galloping up to them, called out, "Disperse, disperse, you rebels; throw down your arms and disperse." Not being obeyed, he advanced nearer; fired his pistol; flourished his sword, and ordered his troops to fire. A discharge of arms from the British soldiers, with a huzza, immediately succeeded; several of the Americans fell, and the rest dispersed. The firing continued after the dispersion, and the fugitives stopped and returned the fire: eight of the Americans were killed, three or four of them by the first fire of the British; the others after they had left the parade. A number also were wounded.. Ma The British now proceeded to Concord, disabled two twenty-four pounders; threw 500 pounds of ball into the river, and destroyed about sixty barrels of flour. The Americans being reinforced, a skirmish ensued between them and the regulars. The whole detachment was soon obliged to retreat with precipitancy, closely followed by the people of the adjacent country, who were by this time all aroused, and in arms. Some fired from behind stone walls and other coverts; others pressed on their rear; and thus harassed, the British retreated six miles back to Lexington. Here they were joined by Lord Percy, who, most fortunately for them, had ar rived with a detachment of nine hundred men, and two pieces of cannon." The enemy having halted an hour or two at Lexington, re-commenced their march; the provincials continu ing to harass them by firing from stone walls, &c. A little after sunset, the British reached Bunker Hill, where, being exhausted by excessive fatigue, they remained during the night, under the protection of the Somerset man of war; and the next morning went into Boston. During this excursion 65 of their number had been killed, 180 wounded, and 28 made prisoners; total 273. The Americans had 50 killed, and 38 wounded and missing. 56. Taking of Ticonderoga by Col. Allen. The seizure of the important fortress of Ticonderoga, by Col. Ethan Allen, on the 10th of May, 1775, is thus related by himself:— "The first systematical and bloody attempt at Lexington, to enslave America, thoroughly electrified my mind, and fully determined me to take a part with my country. And while I was wishing for an opportunity. to signalize myself in its behalf, directions were privately sent to me from the then colony, now state of Connecticut, to raise the Green Mountain Boys, and, if possible, with them to surprise and take the fortress of Ticonde This enterprise I cheerfully undertook; and af ter first guarding all the several passes that led thither, to cut off all intelligence between the garrison and the country, made a forced march from Bennington, and arrived at the lake opposite Ticonderoga, on the evening of the ninth day of May, 1775, with two hundred and thirty valiant Green Mountain Boys; and it was with Lord Percy formed his detachment into a square, in which he' inclosed Col. Smith's party, "who were so much exhausted with fatigue, that they were obliged to lie down for rest on the ground, their tongues hanging out of their mouths, like those of dogs, after a chase.' Stedman. the utmost difficulty that I procured boats to cross the lake. However, I landed eighty-three men near the garrison, and sent the boats back for the rear guard, commanded by Col. Seth Warner; but the day began to dawn, and I found myself necelated to attack the fort before the rear could cross the lake; and as it was hazardous, I harangued the officers and soldiers in the manner following: Friends and fellow soldiers,-You have for a number of years past, been a scourge and terror to arbitrary powers. Your valour has been famed abroad, and acknowledged, as appears by the advice and orders to me from the general assembly of Connecticut, to surprise and take the garrison now before us. I now propose to advance before you, and in person conduct you through the wicket gate; for we must this morning either quit our pretensions to valour, or possess ourselves of this fortress in a few minutes; and inasmuch as it is a desperate attempt, which none but the bravest of men dare undertake, I do not urge it on any contrary to his will. You that will undertake voluntarily, poise your firelocks. The men being at this time drawn up in three ranks, eac poised his firelock. I ordered them to face to the right; and at the head of the centre file, marched them immediately to the ket gate aforesaid, where I found a. ntry posted, v stantly s his fusee at me. I ran immediate owards Lind he retreated through the covered y y into the p.de within the garrison, gave a ha loo, and an under b proof. My party, who followed me into the fort, I formed on the parade in such a manner as to face the barracks which faced each other. The garrison being asleep, except the sentries, we gave three huzzas, which greatly surprised them. One of the sentries made a pass at one of my officers with a charged bayonet, and slightly wounded him. My first thought was to kill him with my sword, but in an instant I altered the design and fury of the blow, to a slight cut on the side of the head; upon which he dropped his gun and asked quarters, which I readily granted him; and demanded the place where the commanding officer kept. He showed me a pair of ned |