32. "I'm glad; now come to Aunt Jo." And Daisy took him by the hand with a pretty, protecting air, which made Nat feel at home at once.

Dusk'y. Somewhat dark; obscure. | Tan'tal-iz-ing. Tormenting with

Be-guil'ing. Amusing; diverting.
In'do-lent. Lazy; not industrious.
Rack'et. A confused, clattering
noise; disturbance.

false hope; teasing.

Det'ri-ment. Damage; mischief;

injury.

Re-cum'bent. Leaning; reclining.
Un-a-bat'ed. Undiminished.

XLIX. THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON, CONCORD, AND CAMBRIDGE.

TH

HE birthday of our country was the Fourth of July, 1776; for on that day the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the people by their representatives declared "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

2. But it was not until after seven years of war that England agreed to their independence. It was eight years from the real beginning of the war of the Revolution to the time when its close was officially proclaimed to the army. Both events occurred on the nineteenth of April, the former in the year 1775, the latter in the year 1783.

3. But the causes which led to the war were working

The

for a long time before there was a resort to arms. government of England had made laws for the Colonies which the people here thought very unjust and oppressive, while they were denied certain rights to which they thought themselves entitled.

4. They were greatly attached to their mother-land and were willing to be loyal to her government; but they had the spirit of those who in other days had secured and maintained the liberties of England, and they were not willing to surrender their liberty, although it should cost them their lives to preserve it.

5. It did cost them a very great price to carry out the principles they had declared, but they succeeded in their endeavor, and we are enjoying the results of their toils. and sacrifices.

6. When the King and government of England found that the Colonies would not submit to their demands, they took measures to enforce submission. For this purpose the number of British troops here was increased, so that by the middle of April, 1775, General Gage, the commander-in-chief of the forces and the royal governor of Massachusetts, had about four thousand men under his command.

7. But the people were watchful and determined. Massachusetts made arrangements to raise an army of twelve thousand men, one fourth of whom were to be minute men, that is, men ready for service at a minute's notice.

8. Committees were appointed to take care of the interests of the people in these perilous days, and military stores were collected and kept in readiness for a time of need. Such a collection was made at Concord, a pleasant town about twenty miles from Boston.

9. General Gage planned an expedition to destroy the military stores at Concord. He meant that this should be a secret enterprise; but when a secret is intrusted to many persons, it is very hard to keep it from going

farther.

10. The preparations which were made attracted the attention of the watchful patriots, who sent out men to alarm the country. Paul Revere, the famous Boston mechanic, crossed the Charles River to Charlestown, and William Dawes went out through Roxbury.

11. They met at Lexington, where John Hancock and Samuel Adams were in waiting. The messengers hurried on to carry the tidings to the people beyond, who at once made preparation for the coming enemy. Many persons concealed their valuable property, often hiding it in a well.

12. The women and children, the old and infirm, were removed to secure places, and the men awaited their foes. This was on the eighteenth of April.

13. At ten o'clock in the evening of that day some eight hundred British troops embarked at the foot of Boston Common, and crossing the river landed in Cambridge, near what is now called Lechmere Point. They struck across the marshes and proceeded along the old road from Charlestown to that part of Cambridge which was then called Menotomy, and is now the town of Arlington.

14. They found to their surprise that the country was alarmed. It was almost two o'clock in the clear, chilly morning of the nineteenth that they halted at Menotomy. Finding that their task was harder than they had anticipated, they sent back to Boston for reënforcements. six companies of light infantry, under the command of Major Pitcairn, were ordered forward to Concord.

But

15. They pressed on, arresting every man whom they met. One of their prisoners escaped, and carried to Lexington the certain tidings of their approach. When they reached that place, they found sixty or seventy of the militia drawn up near the meeting-house, and with them some forty spectators, a few of whom were armed.

16. The British troops rushed on, shouting and firing, and the officers cried out, "Ye villains! ye rebels! disperse! Lay down your arms! Why don't you lay down your arms?" Seeing that no notice was taken of this summons, the troops fired, but did no harm. They fired again, and men fell.

17. Then the militia, who had been ordered not to fire unless they were fired upon, returned the assault. It was evidently in vain for the militia to resist any further, and they withdrew, while the troops fired at them as long as they remained in sight.

18. Seven men were killed and ten wounded on the American side.. The British, with huzzas over their easy victory, hastened on to Concord. But though they shouted in triumph, there was little cause for their rejoicing. They had begun a work at the conclusion of which the shouting would be from the other side.

19. Samuel Adams looked through the dark days which were at hand, and foreseeing the end, cried out, "Oh, what a glorious morning is this!"

En-ti'tled. Given a right or claim to. | In-firm'. Weak; feeble.

Loy'al. Faithful to a prince or su- Em-barked'. Went on shipboard.

perior.

Main-tained'. Sustained; defended;
preserved.

En-force'. Gain by force; compel.
Per'il-ous. Full of peril; dangerous.
In-trust'ed. Confided to the care of.

Re-en-force'ments. Supply of new

force, as of additional troops. Dis-perse'. Fly or go in different ways; separate; scatter. As-sault'. Attack.

IT

T was a short march to Concord; but there the work of destruction which had brought the British from Boston met with small success. They broke open about sixty barrels of flour, disabled a few cannon, cut down the liberty-pole, set the court-house on fire; but the greater part of the military stores which had been collected had been previously concealed, or removed to other places out of the reach of the enemy.

2. The tidings of the approach of the British had brought to Concord the minute-men from the neighboring towns. The surrounding communities. were inflamed with enthusiasm, convinced that the hour had come when they must defend their rights with their lives.

3. The training which the people had received, in their contests with the Indians and the French, fitted them for the sterner work now laid upon them. Muskets which had seen service at Louisburg and Quebec came forth to new duty; drums which had followed the British flag to honorable battle beat along the roads which led to the scene. 4. The fathers lived again in their sons. The patriots and a portion of the invaders met at the river by the North Bridge. The British fired upon the people. The guns of the minute-men answered them. Men fell on both sides. The conflict was brief, when the detachment of the British retreated upon their main forces, pursued by the provincials.