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The English pressed on to Concord.
The people had quietly removed most of the ammunition, and the Englishfound but little worth taking. They started to sack the town.
While they were doing this the Minute Men had rallied and began toassemble from all quarters.
A company of English guarded the bridge over Concord River. They wereattacked by the Minute Men and two English soldiers were killed. TheMinute Men captured the bridge, and the enemy began a retreat into thetown, and then on the road to Lexington.
On every side the patriots assembled. For six miles the battle waged.
Every tree, every house and barn sheltered the patriots, who poured amurderous fire into the ranks of the retreating English.
Had it not been for the arrival of reinforcements under Lord Percy, theEnglish army would have been completely routed.
The fight continued right up to Charlestown, and only ceased becausethe people feared the fleet would burn the city.
The first battle had been fought.
The English had suffered a loss of two hundred and seventy-three, whilethe patriots lost only eighty-three in dead and wounded.
The battle of Lexington fired the country.
Within a few days an army of twenty thousand men had gathered roundBoston.
New Hampshire sent its militia, with John Stark at its head; RhodeIsland sent her quota under the leadership of Nathaniel Greene.
New Haven was not behind, for a regiment was dispatched from that citywith Benedict Arnold as leader.
All this news was conveyed to Ethan Allen by Eben Pike, who had beendispatched on the dangerous mission to Boston to find out what theProvincials meant to do. No more trusty messenger could have beenfound than the young scout of the Green Mountains.
"What shall we do?" asked Baker.
"Fight!" was Allen's curt reply.
"Shall we join the patriots at Boston?"
"No; Connecticut has offered a thousand dollars toward the expenses ofcapturing Ticonderoga, and that reward we will win."
To capture the fort with its treasures would be to strike a blow atEngland's supremacy which would tell more than any concerted action atBoston.
"Call the roll," ordered Allen.
Two hundred and seventy men answered the call, and Allen shouted forjoy.
"Men of the Great Mountains, we are strong, because a mountain boy isworth ten men of the valleys. We shall capture Ticonderoga. I cannotoffer you life; many may be killed, more wounded; but remember we havefought for our homes, we must now fight for our country. We havedriven the Yorkers out of the Green Mountains, we must now drive theEnglish out of America, or compel them to recognize our right to governourselves. Will you follow me?"
A tremendous shout in the affirmative went up from those bravepatriots, and Ethan Allen was so overcome with emotion that for a fewmoments he could not speak.
Then, raising his sword above his head, he shouted:
"On to Ticonderoga! Victory and freedom, or death, for every man whohears my voice!"
And the Green Mountain Boys took up the cry:
"On to Ticonderoga! Victory or death!"
CHAPTER XIII.
BENEDICT ARNOLD.
