Encountering a small body of
militia at Lexington, Major Pitcairn, in command of the British
soldiers, called out to them to throw down their arms and disperse; but
as they did not do so he ordered his men to fire, killing eight of the
sturdy Americans, who even then did not run away, but joined themselves
to other minutemen now assembling, and again came in contact with their
foes at Concord Bridge. Just how many were slain the first message did
not accurately report; but it was enough that blood had been shed, and
it mattered not whether that blood was from ten men or a thousand.
The die was cast, the moment for armed resistance had arrived, and
Israel Putnam tarried not for details, but sped straight for the home of
Governor Trumbull, at Lebanon (the same who was afterward known as
"Brother Jonathan"), and receiving from him mandatory permission to
proceed to the scene of strife, hastened back to Brooklyn, arriving at
his tavern home late in the afternoon. He had already been in the saddle
for hours, as the news reached him between eight and nine in the
morning, but before sunset the tireless warrior was again on horseback
and galloping for Cambridge and Concord.
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