| Show The Shot w UT HEN the poet Emerson wrote W. W W the quoted much lines lines lines- Hero lore once the embattled farmers armors stood And fired the shot heard round tho world world- he made use of poetic license to take sides In an historical controversy that even yet has hns not been settled a century century cen cen- tury and a half after the called so-called Battle of ot Lexington to which It refers reters That controversy is still warm and the chances are will always find partakers partakers partakers par par- takers especially In the towns of LexIngton Lexington Lex Lex- ington and Concord Mass rivals for tor forthe forthe the honors of patriotism It was revived revived re re- re- re b by the recent historical celebration celebration celebration tion at Lexington Was Vas there really n a battle at nt LexIngton Lexington Lex Lex- ington when Major Pitcairn's British troops killed eight American militiamen militiamen militia militia- men The phase fired tired the shot heard round the world would lead one to believe bellee that In the engagement that marked the first outbreak of ot hostilities hostilities hos hos- the tile colonials offered stiff opposItion opposition op op- position but the truth Is 18 that right after the fight they were very careful to deny any shots whatever had been fired on their side Treason Then Firing on British troops meant open rebellion and the colonists at this time 1775 were petitioning for tor their theu rights not fighting for freedom Independence Independence In In- dependence had hardly been thought of The battle of Lexington was nothing less than treason The Massachusetts provincial congress congress congress con con- gress then meeting at Watertown acted cannily and says the New v York Herald The e depositions depositions depositions of or 62 persons were taken to prove that the Colonials were dispersIng dispersing ing big on PitcaIrn's order and It was admitted only by Implication that the shot heard round the world had actually been fired The report was then rushed to England to beat Genera General Gen Gen- era eral Gages Gage's report The necks of prominent citizens were at stake Different rent Later It was In 1824 almost a half century century century cen cen- tury later that the reversed reversed re re- re- re versed themselves The Marquis de do deLafayette deLafayette Lafayette on a visit was told told the Revolution started at Concord and the men of Lexington then Indignantly came forward with the assertion that the affair with the Minute men was nothing less than a pitched battle despite the tile existence of ot the 62 A fresh set of depositions was taken from the timers old-timers who remembered remembered remembered the enga engagement ement to prove proe that at L Lexington the patriots offered the first resistance to the oppressor Concord called up the past to prove that that the tile first determined resistance had been offered there on PItcaIrn's retreat But Lexington has been awarded a n large share of the credit thanks largely to Emerson Historic Portsmouth The launching last year at Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth Ports Ports- mouth N. N H. H of a submarine boat about twice as large as nn any ever built before by our navy nay and probably the equal In power and efficiency of any in the world Is In Itself a gratifying incident But In addition It recalls some historic and patriotic associations associations of or the old New Hampshire town which are well worth cherishing and andone andone andone one of at which perhaps the greatest and most significant of all has hns been fur too much n neglected It was four months before the famous night ride to Concord and LexIngton LexIngton Lexington Lex Lex- ington and the consequent shot heard round the world Paul Revere came riding with desperate speed Into Durham to tell John Sullivan for fol the Boston Committee of Safety that George III had put an embargo on Importations of arms and ammunition Into the colonies and und was sending two regiments up from Boston to occupy Portsmouth and Its harbor fort tort Seized Precious Powder That night John Sullivan got busy With John Langdon Thomas Pickering Winborn Ad Adams ms and per per- haps a score more ho he took one of at those ungainly but capacious Down East boats bonts known as gondolas and went down the river ri nine miles to to the fort He surprised the place captured captured captured cap cap- It without a shot or a blow and I took all Its munitions munitions-a a hundred muskets and ond a hundred kegs of at powder pow pow- der dor back back to Durham In the gondola and hid them for future use underneath underneath underneath under under- neath the Durham meeting house Incidentally he be had all the men take takeoff takeoff takeoff off their boots and ond wade ashore and enter the fort tort barefooted so 80 as to tomake tomake tomoko make moko no noise and remain barefooted barefooted bare bare- footed lu iii the boat bont all the way back lest a nail In a heel boot-heel strike fire and explode the powder powder and and If was waa mid-December mid In New Hampshire Led to British Raid It was that exploit of ot Sullivans Sullivan's that provoked the British four months later to try to raid the patriot stores at Concord with momentous results Moreover some of that very powder carted from Durham down to Charlestown Charlestown Charles Charles- town In John Demeritt's cart ox-cart al although although al- al though It arrived too late to save the day at Bunker Hill Eill did arrive Just In time to enable John Stark to cover the retreat of Prescott's troops and save them from being trapped LI L- L I ir The Paul Revere house In Boston Built about 1676 and captured at Charlestown Neck Truly an episode worthy to make Portsmouth rank- rank close to Concord and Lexington as Indeed their fore tore runner |
