History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

uiuuled from tlie voacl iuid with all his trappincjs
became au easy prey to the pursuers. The horse
and the accoutremeuts were sent to Concord, where
they were sold at auction. Captain Nathan Barrett
purchased the holsters and pistols marked
with Pitcairn's name, and offered them to General
Washington, who declined them. They were after-
wards presented to General Putnam, who carried
them through the remainder of his active service
ill the war. They were long in the possession of
his family, but have recently been presented to
Lexington by Mrs. Elizabeth Putnam of Cam-
bridge, N. Y.
Another incident occurred at Fiske Hill worthy
wounded, he made no further attempt to check his
pursuers, but gave himself up to inglorious flight.
By their own confession, "they were driven like
sheep " through Lexington village, where in the
morning they had shown such a proud step and
brazen front ; and when they met their reinforce-
ment, their own historian, who was present, says,
"they threw themselves upon the ground with
their tongues running out of their mouths like
LEXINGTON.
of note. The gallantry uf the Acton men on that
day is proverbial. They were the tirst to attack
at Concord, and among the last to give over the
pursuit. James Heywood, one of her brave sons,
a young man of twenty-two years, being one of the
foremost in pressing u])on the enemy, at the east-
erly foot of Fiske Hill came in contact with a
British soldier, who had stopped to slake his thirst
at a well. The Briton presented his musket and
said defiantly, " You are a dead man ! " " And so
are you " ! retorted young IleyAvood. Both fired
and both fell, the Briton dead, and Heywood mortally
wounded.
nroe's Tavern.
After the affair at Fiske Hill where Smith was
ment met Smith's fugitive troops about two o'clock
on the plain about three fourths of a mile below
Lexington Common. It consisted of eleven hun-
dred men, and two pieces of artillery, under the
command of Lord Percy. This gave Smith an
opportunity to halt, and give his weary troops a
short time to rest and seek refreshment; which
they improved by entering into the houses on the
plain, and demanding food, which was readily given
dogs after a chase." The long-expected reinforce- them. But after thev had obtained all the house