Show forgotten HEROES by y ELMO SCOTT WATSON the patriots messenger otheir JO 0 SOONER had the patriots won 1 their victories at lexington and Con concord coid on that historic morning in 1775 than the provincial council de da aided that the news of the battle battla should be taken at once to london and be given to sympathizers with the american cause before the british officials could present it to the kublie in a light favorable to their side of the argument the man who was to carry this message must be a man of discretion and courage tor for it was certain that he would be arrested by the officers of the crown if his mission became known so it was entrusted to capt john derby a well known salem skipper who was to make the journey on the packet quero quedo ile he was ordered to make tor for the port ot of dublin or any other irish port that seemed wise and proceed from there to london to his bis orders was attached this imperative postscript you are to keep this order a profound secret from every person on earth after a voyage of 20 days the quer reached E england As a further safeguard against betrayal of his plans plana captain derby did not put in at anif an irish port as lie had been ordered to do but sailed to the isle of wight and then went overland to southampton and london there he immediately placed ills his papers in the hands of benjamin F franklin the massachusetts agent in london and the next day patriot sympathizers throughout england knew of the result of the battles that the officials of the crown knew that an attempt would be ba made to bring tills this news to england Is shown by the fact that they were on the lookout tor for such a messenger who they believed would be captain brown commander of the sukey brown however did not arrive in Engi england alid till june 0 and by that time captain derbys by Is quick trip in the quero had bad resulted in presenting to the british public lic first the patriots side of the story although captain derby had bad fulfilled ills mission successfully he buso was not yet out ot of danger there was still the chance that agents of the king would try to capture him and his preparations for departure trem from england were as mysterious as they had been for his leaving america there was still danger too from the authorities when he returned to america and so he made a secret landing upon his return to this country one other item in derbys exploit Is interesting in ren dering his bill to the provincial congress for the trip he made no charge for ills his own expenses it was hla his contribution trib ution to the patriot cause |