the British troops at Lexington, six miles below Concord, they found about seventy men, belonging to the minute company of that town, on the parade, under arms. Major Pitcairn, who led the van, galloping up to them, called out, "Disperse, disperse, you rebels! throw down your arms, and disperse!" The sturdy yeomanry not instantly obeying his order, he advanced nearer, fired his pistol, flourished his sword, and ordered his soldiers to fire. The troops cheered, and immediately fired; several of the provincials fell, and the rest dispersed. The British continuing to discharge their muskets after the dispersion, a part of the fugitives stopped, and returned the fire. Eight Americans were killed, three or four of them by the first discharge of the British, the rest after they had left the parade. Several were also wounded.

The British now pressed forward to Concord, and destroyed the stores; but in their retreat they encountered the exasperated people, who had risen in a mass. A severe conflict took place at Concord bridge. Their retreat towards Lexington was harassed by a galling fire from behind stone walls, trees, hillocks, and hedges. The provincial soldiers were excellent marksmen, and their superior know

ledge of the country enabled them to head off the British troops at every turn of the road. Thus harassed, they reached Lexington, where they were joined by Lord Percy, who, most opportunely for them, had arrived with nine hundred men, and two pieces of cannon. The enemy, now amounting to about eighteen hundred men, having halted an hour or two at Lexington, recommenced their march; but the attack from the provincials was simultaneously renewed, and an irregular yet very galling fire was kept up on each flank, as well as on the front and rear. The close firing threw the British into great confusion; but they kept up a retreating fire on the militia and minute-men. A little after sunset, the regulars reached Bunker's Hill, where, exhausted with excessive fatigue, they remained during the night, under the protection of the Somerset man-of-war, and the next morning went into Boston. If the Salem and Marblehead regiments had arrived in season to cut off their retreat, in all probability but few of the detachment would ever have reached Boston. Of the Americans engaged throughout the day, fifty were killed and thirtyfour wounded. The British loss was sixty-five killed, one hundred and eighty wounded, and twenty-eight prisoners. To their wounded prisoners the Americans behaved with the utmost tenderness and humanity, and apprised Gage that he was at liberty to send the surgeons of his own army to minister to them.

The affair of Lexington was the signal for war. The provincial congress of Massachusetts met the next day after the battle, and determined the number of men to be raised; fixed on the payment of the troops; voted an issue of paper money; drew up rules and regulations for an army; and all was done in a business-like manner.

The news of the battle caused a rush of volunteers towards the scene of action from the surrounding colonies; and twenty thousand men were soon assembled, forming a line of encampment from Roxbury to the river Mystic, holding the British army, under General Gage, besieged in Boston.

In Connecticut an expedition was set on foot for surprising the fortresses of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Forty volunteers proceeded to Castleton, where they met Colonel Ethan Allen with two hundred and thirty men.

Here they were all unexpectedly joined by Colonel Benedict Arnold, who meditated a similar project. He was admitted to act as auxiliary to Allen, who held the chief command. They proceeded on their expedition, and arrived on the night of the 9th of May on the shore of Lake Champlain, opposite to Ticonderoga. Allen and Arnold crossed with eighty-three men, and the two colonels entered the fort abreast, at break of day. All the garrison were asleep, ex

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cept one sentinel, whose piece missing fire, he attempted to escape into the fort; but the Americans rushed after him, and forming themselves into a hollow square, gave three loud huzzas, which instantly aroused the garrison. Some skirmishing with swords and bayonets ensued. De la Place, the commander, was required to surrender the fort. "By what authority?" he asked, with no unnatural surprise. "I demand it," replied Allen, "in the name of the Great Jehovah, and of the Continental Congress!" This extraordinary summons was instantly obeyed; and the fort, with its valuable stores and forty-nine prisoners, was surrendered without delay.

Colonel Seth Warner was then despatched to Crown Point; and he took possession of this place, in which a serjeant and twelve privates formed the whole of the garrison. A British sloop-of-war lying off St. Johns, at the northern end of Lake Champlain, was soon after captured by Arnold.

Thus the Americans, without the loss of a single man, acquired, by a bold and decisive stroke, two important posts, a great quantity of artillery and ammunition, and the command of Lake George and Lake Champlain.

In May, Generals Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, arrived at Boston, with reinforcements for the besieged garrison. General Gage now offered pardon to all who would lay down their arms, except Samuel Adams and John Hancock; and he declared the province under martial law. In June, the colonial generals determined to occupy Bunker Hill, in Charlestown. On the evening of the 16th of June, Colonel Prescott marched from Cambridge for this purpose; but, by some mistake, he took ground on Breed's Hill, much nearer Boston, and within range of its cannon. By labouring diligently through the night, his men succeeded in raising a respectable redoubt, which was assailed at break of day by The Lively sloop-of-war, and a battery of six guns on Copp's Hill, at the north end of Boston. Undismayed by the fire, the provincial soldiers laboured at their intrenchments till the breastwork reached from the redoubt to the bottom of the hill near the Mystic. New-mown hay and wooden fences formed a part of their materials.

As the secure possession of Breed's Hill would render Boston untenable, General Gage detached Generals Howe and Pigot, at noon, with ten companies of grenadiers, ten of infantry, and some artillery, to dislodge the provincials. Landing at Morton's Point, Howe decided to wait for reinforcements, and at 3 o'clock moved to the

attack with three thousand men; while the town of Charlestown, being set on fire, added terrific grandeur to the approaching contest.

The Americans, who had been reinforced by a second detachment under Generals Warren and Pomeroy, permitted the enemy to approach, till, according to the characteristic order of Putnam, they could see the whites of their eyes, and then poured in upon the advancing columns a tremendous fire of musketry, which prostrated whole platoons, and sent the enemy, broken and disordered, back to their landing-place.

By the exertions of the officers, they were again brought to the attack. The Americans again reserved their fire until the enemy were within five or six rods, when they gave it with deadly precision, and put them a second time to flight. General Clinton now arrived from Boston, and aided Howe in persuading the troops to march a third time to the attack.

But by this time the powder of the Americans began to fail, and