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Presentation to class | |
Is that a hat or what? | ||
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Dead and Wounded |
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Running Messenger |
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Disperse! |
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Drummer |
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Reënactment. | ||
Thaddeus Bowman comes riding up the road, yelling: THE REGULARS ARE COMING DOWN THE ROAD! THE REGULARS ARE OUT! CAPTAIN PARKER! WHERE'S CAPTAIN PARKER
The men milling about Buckman shout: CAPTAIN PARKER!! CAPTAIN PARKER!!
Solomon Brown rushes forward and shouts: HE'S IN THE TAVERN. CAPTAIN PARKER!!
Captain Parker comes running from the tavern: WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT IS IT, THAD?
Thaddeus leans down from the horse and replies, while pointing down the road: THE REGULARS ARE JUST DOWN THE ROAD AND THEY ARE LOADING THEIR MUSKETS.
Parker turns to James Brown, John Brown and Solomon Brown and commands: YOU THERE , YOU THERE, SOUND THE ALARM GUNS!
The three men, who have loaded their weapons, fire their muskets in rapid succession into the air. Heads peer from doors and windows and the men start to come out of the Tavern. Parker calls for William Diamond. WILLIAM, SOUND "TO ARMS"
Diamond starts the long roll and continues until the men are formed on the Green. He is the last man to leave the tavern area. During the roll, Parker commands: SERGEANT MUNROE, FORM THE MEN!
Sergeant Munroe begins to indicate the spot where he wants the men to form the line. The men form up on the Green as the sound of marching British troops is heard. Their drums are beating and Diamond's drumming continues until the British begin to extend their lines.
The Militia will have formed two rows at the flagpole, but will begin to back up as Diamond's drum falls silent.
Nathaniel Milliken shouts to his mates: THERE ARE SO FEW OF US. IT IS FOLLY TO STAND HERE. He then begins to retreat through the ranks, but is halted by one of the fellows.
Parker orders his men: STEADY MEN, STAND YOUR GROUND AND DON'T FIRE UNLESS YOU ARE FIRED ON . . . LET THE TROOPS PASS BY AND DON'T MOLEST THEM WITHOUT THEY BEGIN FIRST.
The noise of all this commotion has brought the Town People out of the houses surrounding the Green. They are silent as are the Lexington Militia. The sound of the British drums and their marching feet is all that is heard.
The British are halted between Captain Parker's Statue and the Flagpole. They are given the command to load. When this is complete, they start a quick march to the center of the Green, the Light Company in the front, followed by the Grenadiers.
As the British troops arrive to within fifty yards of the Lexington Militia, they are halted, while Major Pitcairne and Lt. Sutherland stride forward.
Major Pitcairne commands the militia: LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND DISPERSE, AND YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED.
Sutherland shouts: DISPERSE, YE REBELS!
Pitcairne pleads: WHY WON'T YOU LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS? DISPERSE, I TELL YOU, DISPERSE!!!
At this, some of the rear ranks of the militia turn toward their homes. John Brown, Ebenezer Munroe, Benjamin Wellington, Isaac Green, John Muzzy, Phineas Stevens, James Wynn, Corp. Jo. Viles, Benjamin Sampson, Jedediah Munroe, Isaac Muzzy, Joseph Underwood
Sutherland fires his pistol in the air and shouts, but the rest of the Militia hold their line. Pitcairne sees that his commands are not being observed. He turns to Captain of the Light Company: CAPTAIN! DON'T FIRE! KEEP YOUR RANKS AND SURROUND THEM.
The Light Company Officer shouts toward the Militia: LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS!!!
Lieutenant Tidd sneers: YOU WON'T GET MY GUN!!!
The Light Company Officer retorts: WE WILL HAVE THEM!!
Captain Parker, fearing a confrontation and bloodshed, shouts to his men.: GIVE WAY, MEN. FALL BACK!! The men in the front ranks begin to obey and turn to the rear. The men remaining in the rear rank push them back into position. Due to the confusion, the British decide to release the two men from Woburn, Asahel Porter and Josiah Richardson.
Jonas Parker pushes his way from the rear to the center of the line. He removes his hat and slams it to the ground. He shouts defiantly: NO SIR! HERE I STAY!!!
Jonas Parker then begins to unload his cartridges into his hat. The front rank now pushes their way through the second rank Some back away while others turn and hurry off.
The Light Company of the Tenth forms a single extended line and start forward with their weapons and charged bayonets. They let out a shout. (Drum): HUZZAH!!!
At the shout, the air is broken by a shot from the corner of Buckman Tavern, from where Solomon Brown has discharged his musket, wounding a private in the leg. This British soldier, Johnson, falls.
A sergeant yells: THEY ARE FIRING!! THEY ARE FIRING!!
Lt. Sutherland (the Lieutenant of the Tenth ) commands: FIRE!! FIRE!
At which the tenth breaks ranks and advances, firing. Jonas Parker opens fire, followed by Nathan Munroe. Parker starts to reload, but is hit by British fire. He falls , but struggles to rise and still attempts to continue loading.
Isaac Muzzy and Robert Munroe are hit and fall, mortally.
Ebenezer Munroe charges forward and shouts: I'LL GIVE THEM THE GUTS OF MY GUN!! He then fires.
Tidd and Ebenezer open fire.
Benjamin Sampson rushes toward the fallen Jonas Parker and opens fire.
James Brown, Solomon Brown and John Chandler continue to fire from the Tavern.
Meanwhile the British keep firing without command. Pitcairne tries to restore order: DON'T FIRE! STOP FIRING! CEASE FIRING! STOP FIRING! But the troops don't hear him for all the noise. Jonathan Harrington is shot. He falls and crawls across the Green to be at his wife's feet at the corner of Harrington Road and Bedford Road.
Jonas Parker again struggles to reload as a British Soldier charges forward to bayonet him. He falls dead.
Samuel Hadley and John Brown are Killed just off the Green. Caleb Harrington crosses toward the Harrington house and falls near Jonathan Harrington.
John Robbins is wounded in the jaw and arm. John Tidd is wounded in the head. Joseph Commee is wounded in the arm. Ebenezer is wounded in the arm and drops his weapon, withdrawing to the safety of the rear. Also wounded are Solomon Pierce, Thomas Estabrook. A Sergeant of the tenth is slightly wounded in the hand and Major Pitcairne's horse is hit in two places.
The British Surgeon helps Private Johnson who was wounded in the leg by the first shot from Buckman Tavern. Major Pitcairne shouts to Lieutenant Sutherland: LIEUTENANT, FIND A DRUMMER! FIND A DRUMMER!1
Lt. Sutherland looks around and finds a drummer: YOU THERE! COME HERE!!
As the drummer runs up to the officers, Major Pitcairne orders him: SOUND TO ARMS!
The British finish driving the militia from the Green, leaving only the wounded, dead and dying. The British Drummer starts the long roll and the Regulars begin reluctantly to form up at the commands of their Officers.
As order is established, the British form and start to leave the Green. The women and children, and the town's people venture hesitantly out onto the Green toward the dead and wounded.
After they have formed, the British Troops fire a volley and shout and finally leave. HUZZAH! HUZZAH! HUZZAH!
The Town's people scream in fear and start to scurry from the Green, but return as they see the British march off to the sound of fife and drums.