onel
Smith was severely wounded in the leg. At the foot of this hill a
personal contest between James Hayward, of Acton, and a British soldier
took place. The Briton drew up his gun, remarking, "You are a dead man!"
"And so are you!" answered Hayward. The former was killed. Hayward was
mortally wounded and died the next day.

The British troops, when they arrived within a short distance of
Lexington Meeting-house, again suffered severely from the close pursuit
and the sharp fire of the Provincials. Their ammunition began to fail,
while their light companies were so fatigued as to be almost unfitted
for service. The large number of wounded created confusion, and many of
the troops rather ran than marched in order. For some time the officers
in vain tried to restore discipline. They saw the confusion increase
under their efforts, until, at last, they placed themselves in front,
and threatened the men with death if they advanced. This desperate
exertion, made under a heavy fire, partially restored order. The
detachment, however, must have soon surrendered had it not in its
extreme peril found shelter in the hollow square of a reenforcement sent
to their relief.

General Gage received, early in the morning, a request from Colonel
Smith for a reenforcement. About nine o'clock he detached three
regiments of infantry and two divisions of marines, with two
field-pieces, under Lord Percy, to support the grenadiers and light
infantry. Lord Percy marched through Roxbury, to the tune of _Yankee
Doodle_ to the great alarm of the country. To prevent or to impede his
march, the select-men of Cambridge had the planks of the Old bridge,
over which he was obliged to pass, taken up; but instead of being
removed, they were piled on the causeway on the Cambridge side of the
river. Hence Lord Percy found no difficulty in replacing them so as to
admit his troops to cross. But a convoy of provisions was detained until
it was out of the protection of the main body. This was captured at West
Cambridge. According to Gordon, Rev. Dr. Payson led this party. David
Lamson, a half-Indian, distinguished himself in the affair. Percy's
brigade met the harassed and retreating troops about two o'clock, within
half a mile of Lexington Meeting-house. "They were so much exhausted
with fatigue," the British historian Stedman writes, "that they were
obliged to lie down for rest on the ground, their tongues hanging out of
their mouths like those of dogs after