ed a call from
a committee of Irishmen asking me to preside. I saw no reason for
declining, and I therefore accepted the invitation, and without any
thought of its significance in politics. It was said afterwards that
the meeting had been promoted by the friends of Mr. Winthrop, with the
expectation that he would be invited to preside. Upon the vote in
committee, the invitation came to me, by a majority of one vote only.
The meeting was a great success, and probably it gave me some votes
among the Irish population.

XVI
ACTON MONUMENT

While I held the office of Governor, two memorial events occurred, of
some importance. The first was the erection and dedication of a
monument in the town of Acton, to the memory of Captain Isaac Davis,
and two others, who were killed the 19th of April, 1775, at the Old
North Bridge in Concord. A feud had existed for many years between the
towns of Concord and Acton each claiming the honors of the battlefield
on that date. Of Concord it was alleged that not a drop of blood was
lost on the occasion. Recently, however, it is claimed that one man
was wounded. As to Acton there was no doubt that Captain Davis with
his company was assigned to the right of the line, and to the head of
the advancing column, although he was not by seniority entitled to
that place. Davis and two of his company were killed by the first fire
of the enemy. In 1836 Concord had erected a monument which Emerson
has immortalized in his dedication hymn. James T. Woodbury, a brother
of Judge Levi Woodbury, was an orthodox minister settled in Acton. He
was interested in politics, and in the year 1851 he was a member of the
House of Representatives, where he championed the cause of Acton. He
asked for an appropriation of one thousand dollars to enable the town
to erect a suitable monument. He adorned his speech and gave effect to
his oratory by the introduction of the shoe-buckles which Davis wore,
and the powder horn which another of the victims carried on the day of
the fight. The appropriation was granted. The preceding year the town
of Concord had celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of the battle.
Robert Rantoul, Jr., delivered the oration. The town of Acton was
represented, but the president of the day, the Hon. E. R. Hoar, chose,
as it was said, to avoid calling upon Parson Woodbury, as he was then
designated. A Mr. Hayward, a man of some note, but not gifted in
speech, was invited to respon