Rome Free Academy - De O Wain Sta Yearbook (Rome, NY)

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SENIOR ANNUAL. The real High School Sport. O piteous spectacle! THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD. “By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world.” As one approaches the battlefield of Con- cord, and sees through an avenue of tall pines, the gleaming statue of the Minute Man, an overpowering feeling comes over one, of the glory of that famous battle. One approaches with ground once stained with the blood of patri- ots, and the river calmly flowing along, as if it had never beheld such stirring scenes. We look with awe at the stone set in the wall, which marks the grave of the British soldiers. The rugged statue of the Min- ute Man, with his gun and plow, the elo- quent memorial of the battle, calls up en- thusiastic bursts of patriotism. And yet— to look at the peace and tranquillity and rural beauty of the scene makes the idea of bloodshed and warfare seem almost im- almost reverence the possible. It is only when we examine the true history of the battle that we awake to the realization that there, there, it all hap- pened, there our ancestors fought and died for American freedom. Let us retrace the course of those events a little, to the time when the first shots were fired for Amer- ican liberty. For a long time the people around Kos- ton had been collecting arms and ammuni- tion and quietly preparing for the struggle which they. felt was sure to come, if the English government persisted in refusing to hear their appeals for justice. In several cases the British soldiers had been called out to stop these preparations, but had with- drawn, without coming into conflict. the British officers determined to make a final effort. They secured the that John Hancock and Samuel Adams were in hiding in Lexington, and that munitions of war Finally, growing desperate, information were stored at Concord, a few miles farther on. They secretly made arrangements for capturing both the rebel leaders and their and thus effectually stopping all movements. But Paul Revere and a few mechanics who had organized themselves to watch the British, detected their plot, and, giving no- tice to their chiefs in Boston, they resolved to thwart the plans of the enemy by rousing stores the whole countryside. . Accordingly, on the night of April 18, 1775, it was agreed that William Dawes and Paul Revere should go by different routes to Lexington and Concord, bearing the news. Dawes went by way of the Neck and through Roxbury. Paul Revere ar- ranged to have lanterns “one if by land, two if by sea,” hung in the belfry of the old North Church. still, moonlight night, and as he rowed across to Charleston, where he was to secure his horse, he almost forgot, in the charm of the scene, his all-important mission. It was a beautiful, He had not long to wait. Soon two gleaming lights appeared, informing him that the British were coming by water to Cambridge. He leaped upon his horse, and

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL. 2) and the acknowledgement of the king as the supreme head and great authority of the na- tion, so that it would be a crime even to question his actions. But the time had come when a tyrannical king was to be taught a lesson on the equality of man, and a - vacillating parliament the strong principles of democratic reform. Let us now come back to the Massachu- setts colony and the events which took place there. Boston had refused obedience to par- liamentary mandates and therefore Boston was to be punished. Her port was declared closed, no ship being allowed to go either in or out the harbor except on government busi- ness. General Gage was sent there with a body of men to awe the Bostonians into sub- mission. He did not understand the colonists and, because of their lack of military training, looked upon them as contemptible opponents. He forgot that they were actuated by patri- otic principles, which made them dangerous adversaries. The arrogance of the redcoats, as the British were called, soon led to ill-feeling be- This finally As this, of course, only tended to increase the self-confi- tween them and the townsmen. resulted in the Boston massacre. dence of the English soldiery, matters were constantly approaching a climax. Meantime the minute-men were training and gathering supplies in anticipation of an approaching conflict. Gage learned that numerous stores were gathered at Concord, and determined by sending out a destroying expedition to give the insolvent rebels a les- son. Accordingly he secretly planned an expedition, which was to march, as stealthily as possible, and destroy these stores, but the Americans were not idle and, though the moyement was started in the night, lights flashed forth signals and Paul Revere start- ed to awake the surrounding country. The British were compelled to march to the un- expected accompaniment -of ringing church- bells calling the minute men to arms. At last the Redcoats arrived at Lex- ington. A company of minute men were gathered on the village green. Pitcairn and Lay down your arms.”” cried, ““Disperse you But the little company stood their ground. Finally When the smoke arose, the bodies of seven Americans lay upon the ground. The first blood of the Revolution had been shed, the martyrs of that deathly struggle had laid rode forward rebels. the order to fire was given. first down their lives. The British troops pushed on to Con- stores, and But all around the From behind trees, fences and barns a galling fire was cord, destroyed some then turned toward Boston. people were flying to arms. poured upon the retreating English, which Had it not been for reinforcements they would never have reached Boston, from which they had so boastingly issued but a few hours before. threatened to exterminate them. The patriotism of the Americans was plainly shown on this, the nineteenth day of April, seventeen hundred seventy-five, and a struggle had commenced which has proven whole world. The shot echoed a benefit to the fired at Lexington echoed from mountain and plain, ocean and was and re- inland sea. Autocratic governments heard it and trembled. Liberty-loving, God-fearing it with delight and down through the years we see its results written people hailed in the heavens by the finger of man, and sealed by the finger of God. Countrymen, we today must listen to its echo, and keep out of our glorious country which have wrecked so many nations, so that we may those corrupting influences render a good account to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords of the trust with which those worthy martyrs intrusted us, and that those democratic principles of government, which were the final result of the struggle, inaugurated by that battle, may be forever established as the bulwark of all good gov- ernment and an everlasting monument to its instigators.

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THE SENIOR ANNUAL. 23 galloped in hot haste through Medford to Lexington, rousing every farmhouse and vil- lage as he passed. Arrived at Lexington, he awakened Hancock and Adams, and was soon joined by Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott. The three started out together for Concord, but, encountering British officers, Revere and Dawes were captured, while Dr. Prescott succeeded in carrying the alarm to Concord. The Lexington Minute Men promptly as- sembled at the summons of the bell in the meeting house belfry, but seeing no signs of the British, soon dispersed. Later, hearing that the John Parker again assembled his Minute Men and drew them up in battle array on As they awaited, in enemy were advancing, Captain Lexington common. the dim light of the early morning, the at- tack of the Redcoats, Captain Parker gave his famous command: “Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” Major Pitcairn, the British leader, who had marched on with ever-increasing sur- prise and dismay, at the apparent wakeful- ness of the countryside, at length reached Lexington green, at about half-past four o’clock,and found sixty or seventy men as- sembled to greet him. He rode forward with a threatening air and shouted: “Dis- Ye rebels, disperse.” No response from the Americans. ‘Lay down your arms, I say. Why don’t you lay down your arms and disperse.” Still no reply from the “‘rebels.’’ At length an ex- cited Minute Man, disregarding Parker's or- der, raised his gun and discharged it. It was an old-fashioned flint-lock musket and did not go off, but the flint struck the steel, and the powder flashed in the pan. A Brit- ish soldier, seeing the flash, raised his gun also and fired. perse, ye villains. The British spirit was now aroused, and with a shout, they fired a general discharge. Several rebels fell. Another discharge, and Then more brave Americans dropped. sounded the tramp of more British soldiers, coming to the assistance of their comrades. The Americans fired a few scattering shots They had made their pro- The British, with a ringing cheer, sent a parting shot, and and dispersed. test, and could do no more. marched on to Concord. Concord had, as we have said, been warned by Dr. Prescott, and the Minute Men of Concord and Seton, a near action on the square. and deter- mined, until the gleam of red coats appeared on the Lexington road, and eight hundred British soldiers advanced at a double quick march. The American commander, Colonel Barrett, withdrew to the slope beyond the There they were joined by Minute men from several towns in the vicin- ity, making about four hundred in all, to face the whole of the British forces. A part of the British had formed in line of battle on the opposite side of the bridge, but those left in the village were doing their utmost to destroy all they could. The smoke from their little fire led the Americans to believe that they were burning the town. In dismay they asked each other: ‘Shall we remain idle and let them burn our homes be- fore our very eyes? Let us march to their defense.’ And so the order ‘““March’’ was shouted, and they rushed down the hill to the bridge. When the British saw them coming they began to rip up the bridge planking. The Americans broke into a run. For a mo- ment the opposing forces faced each other in silence, then ‘““Bang! Crack” and several Minute Men fell. Major Buttrick, the leader of the Minute Men, wild with ex- citement, shouted: “‘Fire, fellow soldiers ! For God's sake fire!’ and leading the dis- charge himself, the first guns were fired in defiance to the king. It was the “shot heard round the world.’ Again and again the bul- Samuel neighbor, had reported for They awaited, silent river bridge.