E HERO OF THESE PAGES,
I Dedicate this feeble effort.

It is written to perpetuate the memory of one of

WORCESTER'S MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SONS,
and also of
HIS COMPANIONS IN ARMS,
WHO FOR EIGHT YEARS STRUGGLED SO HARD TO GAIN
THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE COLONIES.

INTRODUCTION.

The writer of the following pages was dandled upon the knee of a worthy
sire, who had spent eight years of his life in the struggle for
Independence, and taught me the name of Col. Bigelow, long before I was
able to articulate his name. Many have been the times, while sitting on
my father's lap around the old hearthstone, now more than fifty years
since, that I listened to affecting reminiscences of Col. Bigelow and
others, until his voice would falter, and tears would flow down his aged
and careworn face, and then my mother and elder members of the family
would laugh, and inquire, "what is there in all of that, that should
make you weep?" but I always rejoiced with him, and wept when I saw him
weep. After the death of my father, having engaged in the active scenes
of life, those childish memories in some degree wore away, but the
happiest moments of my life have been spent in company with some old
Revolutionary Patriot, while I listened to the recital of their
sufferings and their final conquest. The first history of the American
Revolution I ever read, is found in Morse's Geography, published in
1814. This I read until I had committed the whole to memory. The next
was what may be found in Lincoln's History of Worcester, published in
1836, and from which I have taken liberal extracts. The next is the
History of the War of Independence of the United States of America,
written by Charles Botta, translated from the Italian by George
Alexander Otis, in 1821; from this also, I have taken extracts. I have
also consulted Lossing's Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution. In
neither of these histories (except Lincoln's) does the name of Col.
Bigelow occur. Therefore I have depended principally upon tradition,
coming from his own brethren in arms, and corroborated by history. It
has been exceedingly difficult to trace the course and conduct of Col.
Bigelow from any history of the war; but history, aided by tradition,
makes up the history of any man. To illustrate: I get the account of
Col. Bigelow's conduct at the battle of Monmouth, as stated in section
vii, from Mr. Solomon Pa