minute-men had come in from Acton, Carlisle, Weston, Littleton, and all
around, and our force swelled to about four hundred men. I tell you,
when the men saw the houses in Concord burning, they got a _leetle_
excited--they did. Adjutant Hosmer made a speech to them, and they
wanted to go right down and attack the red-coats at the North Bridge.
Our company was very anxious to go, and it was settled that the attack
should be made. Major John Buttrick took command, and ordered us to
follow. There was about three hundred of us, the Acton company, under
Captain Isaac Davis, taking the lead. We marched in double file, with
trailed arms. I felt anxious to have a good fire at the rascals. They
were on the west side of the river; but when they saw us coming, they
crossed over and commenced pulling up the planks of the bridge. Major
Buttrick called out to them to quit, and told us to hurry on to save the
bridge. The red-coats formed for action, and, when we were near the
bridge, fired a few shots at us. Captain Davis and Adjutant Hosmer were
killed, and one Acton man wounded. Davis and Hosmer were both brave
men, and they died like heroes. Seeing these men fall, Major Buttrick
called out, 'Fire, for God's sake, men, fire!' and we did pour a volley
into the redcoats. I brought down one man, and he never got up again. We
were getting ready to give them another, when the cowards retreated. We
found three of the enemy had been killed, and the Acton company took
several of the wounded prisoners. I saw a mere boy, with a hatchet in
his hand, run up to a Britisher who wasn't quite dead, and kill him with
one blow. That I didn't like, though the boy's spirit and courage
pleased me."

"It was butchery," said Pitts.

"So it was," replied Kinnison; "and it caused a report to be spread that
we killed and scalped all the men who fell into our hands. As I said, I