George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 7, 4th edition.

[303] followed, and Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer,

Chap. XXVIII} 1775. April 19.

the latter a son of the deacon of the Acton church, fell dead. Three hours before, Davis had bid his wife and children farewell. That afternoon, he was carried home and laid in her bedroom. His countenance was little altered and pleasant in death. The bodies of two others of his company who were slain that day were brought also to her house, and the three were followed to the village graveyard by a concourse of the neighbors from miles around. God gave her length of days in the land which his generous self-devotion assisted to redeem. She lived to see her country touch the gulf of Mexico and the Pacific, and when it was grown great in numbers, wealth, and power, the United States in congress paid honors to her husband's martyrdom, and comforted her under the double burden of sorrow and more than ninety years.

As the Britishfired, Emerson, who was looking on from his chamber window near the bridge, was for one moment uneasy, lest the fire should not be returned. It was only for a moment; Buttrick, leaping into the air, and at the same timepartially turning round, cried aloud, as if with his country's voice, ‘Fire, fellow-soldiers, for God's sake fire;’ and the cry, ‘fire, fire, fire,’ ran from lip to lip. Two of the British fell; several were wounded. In two minutes, all was hushed. The British retreated in disorder towards their main body; the countrymen were left in possession of the bridge. This is the world renowned battle of Concord; more eventful than Agincourt or Blenheim.

The Americans had acted from impulse, and stood