The 3rd Strike of the Match: A Telling from the Other Side (Newsletter Article)

[Nero]

(The Revolutionary War narrative of Jeremy Lister was set down by him in the waning days of the war in 1782, when he had become a Captain.  It was then lost for over a century, before portions were printed in a London newspaper in 1928.  In 1931, Harvard University Press published a limited edition of 500 copies of the parts of his story pertaining to the events of April, 1775, under the title Concord Fight:  The Narrative of Jeremy Lister.  I obtained one of those copies, and this telling of the retreat from Concord is based on his story, with the addition of other events from our standard telling of the 3rd Strike that Lister might well have seen or inferred.)

"My name is Jeremy Lister, Ensign of His Majesty's 10th Regiment of Foot.  I have been asked to describe the action of the 19th instant, on the expedition to Concord and return.

I was a volunteer for the expedition.  Another officer of the 10th had pleaded sickness, and as it would not be proper for the Light Infantry to march without its proper complement, particularly with our Colonel Smith commanding the expedition, I offered myself.  So I came to stand on the Green at Lexington with my company, where we were fired on by the colonials and in turn, put them to rout.  There we were told our true mission, and marched on to Concord.

There again we stood before the colonials, at the North Bridge, but these were more effective.  In the first exchange of fire, they felled several officers of the 4th Foot who stood near us, with their rank and file fleeing, so my and another company also left the field and returned to Concord under cover of the Grenadiers.  By the grace of God, the companies we had sent to pursue the rebels' stores beyond the river returned over the bridge without harm, but brought us news that four of our fallen there had been scalped and otherwise mutilated.  Those who had claimed to be His Majesty's loyal subjects were fighting us like uncivilized savages!



The 4th was never reformed that day, but when Col.  Smith prepared us for our return march at noon, the 10th was ready.  We and other Light Infantry held the high ground north of the road as flankers, to keep the skulking militia away from the main column.

About two miles east of Concord, that ridge ended at a stream and bridge, near a farm that I have since been told is owned by a man named Merriam.  The colonials were already there in force, some in military order, at a variety of distances.  They held their fire as the main body passed, but when a company of our rear guard presented as if to fire, they opened upon us.  At first a few distant, ineffective shots, but then it was if a match had been laid to a powder keg, and all the nearer groups fired in volley.  It was there I received my wound, a ball direct through my right elbow, while others fell.

From there it was a general engagement, with the rebels waylaying the road as we marched.  Most had little discipline, and would only ambush our vanguard.  Our light infantry was turned out of the column to drive them away, with both sides taking casualties.  Being in the greatest pain, I could do little but cheer the men on, and as the day wore on we all felt the need of water and sustenance.  Many had exhausted their cartridge boxes and were taking the ammunition of the wounded.  Some of our wounded fell behind and into the hands of the rebels.

As we drew near to Lexington again, we encountered a body of rebels led by one of greater sagacity or courage.  They held their fire until the main body had appeared, and in their first volley shot Colonel Smith from his horse, among others.  Nearby Major Pitcairn's horse was touched, and he was thrown and stunned for a time.  With our senior officers out of action, discipline became hard to maintain among the men.  I have heard that those officers at the head of the column had to threaten the troops with their sidearms to restore discipline.  Some of us in the column were considering the horrid proposition that surrender to the savages might be preferable to outright destruction of the force.

Whereupon we began to hear cheering and huzzahs from the vanguard, to our great surprise.  Upon arriving in the village of Lexington, I was most gratified to see a square of troops under Lord Percy, some eight to ten hundred in number, including the remainder of the 10th, drawn up in defense.  A shot from their small field piece, through the colonial's meeting house, dispersed the rebel militia, they not being used to cannon fire.

It was here we laid up for some time to recuperate ourselves.  A surgeon of the 43rd extracted the ball from my arm and bound it up, and fellow soldiers of the 10th shared with me their biscuit, beef and water, my own having been consumed on the march.  General Percy put the torch to some nearby buildings, to repel rebel snipers, and that and the threat of the cannon kept them away for the time.

But we still had a great ways to march, and rebels could be seen streaming in like ants from all quarters.   Lord Percy formed us up in three columns, flankers on either side, our wounded in the middle, Marines to the rear guard, and the Grenadiers clearing the way.  I was in the center column, and due to the generosity of Colonel Smith himself, was on horseback, he no longer being able to sit it with his leg wound.  The rebels began pouring in a distant fire, and I soon found that an exposed position on horseback was not a pleasant one, and dismounted, using it as cover from left or right, depending on the stronger fire. 

As our pace must be moderate, the rebels were constantly taking their shot, and moving forward to wait for our advance.  Always there seemed to be new formations in our path.  We were in a perfect circle of fire.  If we unlimbered our cannon, they would draw back, having no taste for their fire, but unknown to them, we had only six balls for each and soon had to move on again.

Some fellows would snipe beyond our effective range, and upon our advance take to horse, move forward and set up in ambush again.  Their fire was most galling and felled a number of brave fellows.  I was joined by other wounded, using Col. Smith's former steed as a support and cover.  They eventually attracted enough attention from the rebel marksmen that I left and carried on alone. 

We had been in wooded or open country since the fight began, but now we came into a built up ground, in a village they called Menotomy.  They would fire on us from house and barn, often without hope of escape for themselves.  Having already a taste of their savagery, our grenadiers were not gentle in clearing the way.  Here an old man and companions fired on us from a doorway.  Our vanguard went in with the bayonet, and when they came out none were left to fire on us.  It was bloody fighting through the town, both for us and for them.

Whoever was directing the movement of the rebels knew what he was about, but not all of his lesser officers did.  I watched as our flankers encircled one company of militia.  None of them went back to their homes - we already knew what quarter meant on this field.  It is unfortunately true that some of our men, particularly those who had labored under fire since the midday, broke ranks to take booty from the homes, and setting some ablaze did not seem too harsh a treatment for these traitors.

We had planned to return to Boston by the Great Bridge over the Charles River, and at first our scouts reported it open.  But upon approaching, our vanguard discovered the colonials had removed the planks, whereupon we might be trapped against the river.  Lord Percy very perceptively avoided the trap and turned our column onto the peninsula leading to Charlestown, for the time outwitting the colonial's general.  There was one last force that might have opposed us, a body of some hundreds of men drawn up on a hill, in military order, but strangely they allowed us to pass by unmolested.

I have never been so happy to see the Royal Navy as when we sheltered under the guns of H.M.S. Somerset.  Upon assembly, one of my sergeants reported that no more than a third of our company that had marched out could be found, though some have since reappeared.  I and the other wounded were evacuated to Boston that night.

Since then we are under siege by 15,000 of the traitors under arms, by all reports.  As to my arm, I am told that it may be saved with patience and God's grace, but I will never have the full use of its again.  So here I am sitting, while my brave boys muster to drive the rebels off Bunker's Hill.  Surely they will break those savages tomorrow, they will never stand in full battle against the regulars."

[V]

So only 500 printed and now 2 of the first editions are in the hands of Appleseed Instructors. Well, thats only 0.4% but we do our best to preserve the history. I got mine through www.abebooks.com where I also got my other first editions, "Beneath Old Roof Trees" and "Commemorative of Calvin and Luther Blanchard". The history is out there you just need to go and look for it and its really not that expensive to try and preserve it. They should be priceless but they are bin remainder prices. This one was $25.

Nero, I'm not sure why you are so called as you certainly aren't sitting around while Rome burns, if I may mix my metaphors. Thank you for this.

Enjoy!

Cheers
V