he darkness of the night, toward the goal of duty! The British
had marched out of Boston at night, on the eighteenth of April, their
purpose and their route foretold by Paul Revere (who, by the way, was in
the campaign at Lake George, if not a comrade of Israel Putnam at that
time). At or near daybreak of the nineteenth, at Lexington, the shots
were fired "heard round the world"; at noon the British were in retreat
from Concord, where they had been routed by the minutemen, and by night,
exhausted, disgraced, defeated, they had reached Charlestown, under the
escort of Lord Percy and his 1,200 reenforcements, where they were
protected from the enraged militia by the guns of the fleet.

With such celerity traveled the news, that Putnam heard it on the
morning of the twentieth; and with such celerity traveled Putnam, that
he was at Cambridge _on the morning of the twenty-first_, and that same
day at Concord, wonderful as may seem the feat performed by gallant
horse and rider.

In the custody of the Connecticut Historical Society, at Hartford, the
original of the following letter may be found, which attests to Putnam's
arrival at Concord on the twenty-first, and to the use he made of his
time:

Concord, April 21, 1775.

Col. Williams, Sir

I have waited on the com'tee of the Provisional Congress and it is
there Determination to have a standing Armey of twenty-two thousand
Men from the New England colonys of wh'h it is soposed the coloney
of Conecticut must raise Six Thousand and beg they would be on
Parade at Cambridge as Speedy as may be with conveniency together
with Provisions and Sufficiency of amonition for there own use, the
Battle hear is much as represented at Pomfrett--Except that there
is more killed and a Number taken Prisoners--The accounts are at
Present so confused that it is Impossible to assertain the number
exact. Shall inform you of the Prossedings from Time to Time as we
have New occurencys.

mean Time I am Sir yr very Humble Servt

Israel Putnam.

N.B. The Throop of Horse is not Expected to come on till further
notice.

Sir. Being in hast and cannot write Disire a copy of this to be
transmitted to Governor Trumble.

A true copy, Ebenezer Williams.

Pomfret, April 22, 1775.

In the Lexington-Concord fight, the first engagement between British and
native Americans, the former lost two hun