Page:20th annual meet- League of American Wheelmen, Aug. 14th to 19th '99, Boston, Massachusetts.djvu/59

 the old mile stone with "Smiles to Boston" cut on its face; that was the distance by the old road over the "great bridge" through Brighton, the route taken by William Dawes and by the relief force under Lord Percy which marched to Lexington on April 19th in time to save Smith's force from capture. In the old ground is a monument erected to the memory of Hicks, Marcy and Richardson, who were killed near the road some distance above. Christ Church with its square tower dates back to 1761. Not far above is the great elm where Washington took command of the provincial army, July 3, 1775. Cambridge is rich in revolutionary houses and half a day might be spent in viewing them. The Newtowne club house stands on the site of the old Prentiss house which was filled with wounded after the retreat.

Passing the church at the corner of Beech street, where the old road comes in, the first spot to notice the house where Abraham Watson lived. A stone tablet close by the fence marks the spot where Hicks Marcy and Richardson of Cambridge and Isaac Gardner of Brookline were killed by the flank guard. Half a mile above on the left, just before crossing the railroad track is one of the quaint little houses of the revolutionary period. The little brook just above marks the bounds of Menotomy parish, now Arlington. A great elm on the right, is opposite the old home of Captain Samuel Whittimore, a hardy veteran of eighty years, who was severely wounded in the centre of the town by the flank guard on the retreat, he recovered and lived to be ninety-eight. On the right, half a mile above, is a tablet on the site of the Black Horse Tavern where the "committee of safety" met on April 18, 1775. Near the centre of the town is the Soldiers' Monument, the second house this side of it was the home of Solomon Bowman, Lieutenant of the Menotomy Minute Men. Just above on the right, where the Medford road comes in, is the Arlington House on the site of the Cooper tavern. On the north side is a tablet which tells of the killing of Jabez Wyman and Jason Winship by the regulars. Opposite the church on the left is a tablet which informs us that here the old men of the town captured a wagon train that followed Lord Percy and had got belated. In the burying ground behind the church, is a granite obelisk over the graves of Jason Russell and eleven others who were killed close by. The old stone on the right was standing then and near it two of the regulars were killed or mortally wounded. Near Jason street on the left is a tablet in front of the spot where Jason Russell's house stood (the house has been moved a short distance). He was a cripple and non-combatant. Men from Danvers and Lynn were here behind a barricade they had erected when they were forced by the flankers to seek refuge in the house, many escaped by going down into the cellar, but Jason Russell and eleven others were killed here. The fighting here was very sharp; the Americans meeting nearly half their losses between here and the meeting house. There are several other revolutionary houses along the road here, but they are not marked, but can generally be told by the size of the chimney and by the great elms near them, as the Chase House on the right, the Cutler Tavern next to Matthew Rowe's store, and the Hill House (built in 1700) near the corner of Walnut street. Near the upper end of Arlington, at the corner of Forest street, is the old home where Francis Locke lived. Next above, on the same side, is the home of Benjamin Locke, Captain of the Menotomy Minute Men. Appleton street is nearly opposite; near the corner is an old house with 1775 on the chimney. This was on the old road of the revolution, but all the other houses of the time have disappeared. This was known as the "Foot of the Rocks," and near here Joseph Coolidge of Watertown was killed.

In east Lexington at the corner of Pleasant street is a stone, marking the spot where Benjamin Wellington was captured by the British. He was the first armed American to be made a prisoner. Just above, on the right, is a white house with a tablet on it. In this house Jonathan Harrington died. He was the boy fifer of Captain Parker's company, only sixteen years old, and was the last survivor. A few houses above on the same side is a white house with a great elm near it. In a house which stood on the same site of the present one, Jonathan Harrington was born. The Munroe tavern is on the left. This is marked with a tablet. On the level ground above a tablet is set near the spot where Lord Percy planted one of his cannon. The stone cannon on the right, by the High School is where the other was placed. Here Percy opened ranks to let Smith's exhausted men go through, and held the ground while they rested. It was here also that Pitcairn halted his advance guard and gave orders to load with ball before marching up to the green. At Lexington green, a stone altar marks the site of the old meeting house. The Buckman tavern is on the right. The Marrett Munroe house on the left. The boulder marks the line of the minute men. The battle monument where is buried the men killed on the field. The belfry which stood near this spot is now just back of the hill. At the head of the green is the home of Jonathan Harrington, who, mortally wounded, crawled to his own doorstep to die. The Hancock-Clark home, where Hancock and Adams were staying is on the road to the right.

The story of the fight at Lexington green has been told so often that it is familarfamiliar [sic] to all. Less than seventy men were in line to defend the rights of the colonists when Captain Parker said, "Stand your ground! Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." Two hundred men under Pitcairn, with six hundred men under Smith along the main road, were the forces opposing each other. The odds were hopeless, yet these brave souls stood for their rights and fell in the cause of liberty at the British fire, and the village green became the birthplace of American liberty, baptized in the blood of her sires and sons.

Leaving the green, the road above forks to the right and left, the right hand goes over the hill and was the road to Concord at that time. The left hand is nearly all state road and brings you out at the "bluff." This is marked by a stone tablet. Here the British attempted to make a stand, but were so hard pressed that they were compelled to beat a rapid retreat. Here are two roads, the right hand, was the one of revolutionary days. Between the roads stood the old Bull tavern. The Mozzey house still stands on the right, and you can follow the left hand road a quarter of a mile above, just before you come to a house on the right, you will see the old home of Josiah Nelson on the back road. Not far above a boulder with bronze tablet is seen near the spot where Paul Revere was arrested by the British patrol and where his famous ride came to an end. The second house above, on the right, is the Winship house, the one on the left, the Brooks house. Both are nearly one hundred and fifty years old.

At the foot of the hill, the old road keeps to the right, the state road to the left. The first house on the right of the old road in plain sight. This was the home of Captain William Smith who commanded one company of the Lincoln minute men. The next house on the same road, though shaded by great elms can also be seen; this was the home of Samuel Hartwell. Just above it is a smaller house at the end of a crossroad from the school house. This was the Hartwell tavern kept by Ephraim Hartwell, father of Samuel. All along this old road the British were fiercely assailed, losing several in killed and having many wounded. There are several more revolutionary houses between here and Meriam’s corner where the stone is placed in the wall at the turn of the road in front of the Merriam house.

From here to the centre of Concord town, Massachusetts avenue is called Main street. Following it, you will pass on the right, Wayside where Hawthorne lived the Orchard house just above, and on the left, Emerson's home. The old louse on the right with the swinging sign was the homestead of Reuben Brown. Several other houses are very old. On the left is the old meeting house, enlarged and turned halfway round now, with the Wright tavern just above it. On the left just before you turn in to the bridge is the "Old Manse," made famous by Hawthorne. Here lived the Rev. William Emerson, the fighting parson. In the old house on the right with a bullet hole beside the door, lived Elisha Jones. The stone in front was one of the old stepping stones at the bridge. At the bridge is the old battle monument, the graves of the British soldiers, while at the further end of the bridge is Daniel French's statue of the "Minute Man." The finest portraiture of an American of the provincial days to be found in this country. There 1s much to see and enjoy in Concord around the battlefield and through the town. The old burying grounds, where iron crosses above the mounds mark the graves of the men who

9.15 a. m. Leave Art Museum, Copley Square, for a trip around the historical places in Boston and some of the public buildings, visiting the State House, at which place the Governor will probably hold a reception, and to call upon Mayor Quincey at City Hall. From here we go past the Old South Church, which was used by the British as a riding school, to the Post Office and Sub-Treasury, and then on to the Stock Exchange and Old State House, where some little time can be spent in seeing old historical relics. To the left side of this building is the site of the "Boston Massacre" of 1770, which the city has attempted to mark by the circle of oddly set stones in the paving near the corner of Exchange Place. From here we go down State street to the Custom House and to Long wharf, where the tea was supposed to have been thrown overboard; also visit the next wharf—T wharf—at which all the fishing vessels discharge their cargoes. We then retrace our Steps to Faneuil Hall, the "Cradle of Liberty," and start again through the somewhat crowded streets to Christ Church, from the tower of which Paul