of our
province took the matter into their own hands, and organized a body of
minute-men without orders. Our company was included. We were all ready
for fight, but were determined that the red-coats should strike the
first blow; so we waited through the winter. In March, Gage saw that
great quantities of powder and balls were taken out of Boston into the
country, in spite of his guard on the Neck. Every market wagon, and
every kind of baggage, was stowed with ammunition. He then sent a party
of troops to Salem to seize some cannon and stores our men had placed
there; but Colonel Pickering, with a few men, made such a show, that the
red-coats marched back again, without accomplishing their object. Our
chief deposit of stores was at Concord, up here about twenty miles from
Boston; and when our militia-general found that Gage was sending out
parties to sketch the roads, with the aim of getting our stores into his
hands, he sent word to our company to be on hand, and, if we could, to
come up near Concord. John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and all of our other
big men, left Boston and went to Lexington, to keep the people moving
and ready for an attack."

"Dr. Warren stayed in Boston," interrupted Pitts, "to keep the others
informed of the movements of the red-coats."

"Yes," continued Kinnison; "the royals, as Deacon Slocum used to call
'em, didn't hate Warren as much as they did John Hancock and the
Adamses. Well, when Captain Williams heard of what General Gage was
after, he told us we had better be prepared to march at a minute's
warning. Gage sent eight hundred troops, under Colonel Smith and Major
Pitcorn, on his rascally errand. They started from Boston about nine
o'clock on the night of the eighteenth of April, never thinking that
our men knew anything about it--but we were awake."

"Wait a bit," said John Warner, one of the veterans who had not yet
spoken. "I'll tell you something. I was in Boston when the red-coats
started, and knew that the country militia were ready to protect the
stores. I was standing on the Common, talking to a few of my friends of
my own politics, when I said rather loud, 'the British troops will miss
their aim.' 'What aim?' inquired a person behind me. 'The cannon at
Concord,' replied I as I turned to see who asked the question. The man
was dressed in British uniform, and he walked away as I turned to look
at him. One of my friends whispered to me that it was Lord Percy. Soon
after, guards were