ounded. Here
Samuel Whittemore was shot and bayoneted, and left for dead. Here Dr.
Eliphalet Downer, in single combat with a soldier, killed him with a
bayonet. Here a musket-ball struck a pin out of the hair of Dr. Warren's
earlock.

The wanton destruction of life and property that marked the course of
the invaders added revenge to the natural bravery of the minute-men.
"Indignation and outraged humanity struggled on the one hand; veteran
discipline and desperation on the other." The British had many struck in
West Cambridge, and left an officer wounded in the house still standing
at the rail-road depot. The British troops took the road that winds
round Prospect hill. When they entered this part of Charlestown their
situation was critical. The large numbers of the wounded proved a
distressing obstruction to their progress, while they had but few rounds
of ammunition left. Their field-pieces had lost their terror. The main
body of the Provincials hung closely on their rear; a strong force was
advancing upon them from Roxbury, Dorchester, and Milton; while Colonel
Pickering, with the Essex militia, seven hundred strong, threatened to
cut off their retreat to Charlestown.

Near Prospect hill the fire again became sharp and the British again had
recourse to their field-pieces. James Miller, of Charlestown, was killed
here. Along its base, Lord Percy, it is stated, received the hottest
fire he had during his retreat. General Gage, about sunset, might have
beheld his harassed troops, almost on the run, coming down the old
Cambridge road to Charlestown Neck, anxious to get under the protection
of the guns of the ships-of-war. The minute-men closely followed, but,
when they reached the Charlestown Common, General Heath ordered them to
stop the pursuit.

Charlestown, throughout the day, presented a scene of intense excitement
and great confusion. It was known early in the morning that the regulars
were out. Rumors soon arrived of the events that had occurred at
Lexington. The schools were dismissed, and citizens gathered in groups
in the streets. After Dr. Warren rode through the town, and gave the
certain intelligence of the slaughter at Lexington, a large number went
out to the field, and the greater part who remained were women and
children. Hon. James Russell received, in the afternoon, a note from
General Gage to the effect that he had been informed that citizens had
gone out armed to oppose his majesty's troops, and th