"Story of the Battle of Concord and Lexington and Revear’s ride Twenty Years Ago"
![This is a drawing of a blank, open journal and a quill.](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_hero/public/thumbnails/image/Default-Primary-Sources-Document.jpg?h=a6d67da7&itok=nHu3yj0Q)
Ebenezer Stile's penned this poem in 1795, and it was preserved by the Massachusetts Historical Society. Though not completely accurate in details or well-known like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem (Paul Revere's Ride, published 1861), Stile's poem is an interesting piece of historical memory.
(Spelling is original.)
Story of the Battle of Concord and Lexington and Revear’s ride Twenty Years Ago
1
He speard neither horse nor whip nor spur
As he galloped through mud and mire
He thought of nought but “Liberty”
And the lantern that hung from the spire
He raced his steed through field and wood
Nor turned to ford the river
But faced his horse to the foaming flood
They swam across together
2
He madly dashed o’er mountain and moor
Never slacked spur nor rein
Untill with shout he stood by the door
Of the church by Concord green
“They come They come” he loudly cried
“They are marching their Legions this way
Prepar to meet them ye true and tried
They’l be hear by Break of day”
3
The bells were rung the drums were beat
The Melitia attended the roll
Every face we meet in the street
Wears a determined Scoul
For this is the day all men expected
Yet none of us wanted to see
But now it had come no one rejected
Our Country’s call for Liberty
4
Youngmen and old ansured the call
To defend the land of their sire
The brought with them some powder and ball
To return the British fire
For well they knew the Blood thirsty troops
Would do their best endevour
To ruin their homes destroy their crops
And bind them slaves for ever
5
The morning dawned the Sun arose
The birds sang loud with glee
All nature seemed to strife opposed
And the river Rolled on Merrylie
But Hush! the tramp the gleam of steel
See, See their waving plums
As slowly they come o’er the fields
Marching to the beat of drums
6
Fall in, attention the captain cried
Look well to your guns my men
But do not fire till I give the word
Leave the opening shot to them
E’en as he spoke a shot was heard
And a patriot fell on the green
And again they fired without speaking a word
The assassins what do they mean
7
Unable to stand their withering fire
We’re reluctantly foreced to obay
The word from our Captain to gently retire
And meet e’er the close of the day
The foe passed on to his work of blood
And to search for hidden stors
With a laugh and a jest that boaded no good
To the women we left within doors.
Part Second
What sound is that said a ploughman strong
As he stoped his horse in the field
And looked to his wife who sat under the tree
She had brought him his morning meal
What sound is that and he turned his ear
To list to the far off hum
By Heavens that’s a shot I hear
And that’s the sound of a drum
2
He reached his gun from the side of the plough
Where he kept it in case of need
And his powder horn he took from a bough
And his Horse became a steed
He turned to his wife she’d a tear in her eye
But she spoke like a matron of greace
As fondly he kissed her a last good bye
She bade to never spare the foe untill they craved for peace
3
He rode down the lane at a breakneck pace
So anxious was he for the fight
That he saw not a youth with unshaven face
Who was running with all his might
To the scene of bloodshed carnage and woe
That the soldiers delt out with joy
His mother said go fight the foe
Although you’r my only boy
4
Go take thy Father’s gun she said
That he used in the indian wars
And do not return untill they’r all dead
Or driven from off these shores
Be brave like him whose name you bare
Let him defend the right
Or snars and pitfalls my son beware
And keep thy scutcheon bright
5
Now the patriot captain’s voice
Is heard below the ridge
Fall in men quick we have no choice
We must defend the bridge
The little band despersed that morn
Now sweled to thrice their number
Stood no longer like the timed fawn
But a lion roused from slumber
6
The British troops with victory flushed
In wars by sea and land
Scorned ther foe and often crushed
Deened naught could them withstand
They’d fain repet to their farmer foe
The lesson taught that morn
That George’s vengance is never slow
To who treat his laws with scorn
7
The Patriots gathered from Hill and Dale
They come from cottage and farm
By Highway and Stream from Hamlet and Vale
Each bringing his polished arm
They form in companys on the hill
Where the plough was latly used
The vandals troops are lacking still
The scene new courage infused
8
With steady step and scowling brow
Each man his rifle grasped
And down the hill to meet the foe
Five hundred patriots passed
With five hundred guns and powder horns
To brave great Britains power
Her trained Brutes her statements scorn
And the threatened trators dower
9
They marched with firm determined tread
As did ever greek or Trojen
And scorned to think of fear or dread
The steel of the British leigon
One volley from their guns they fired
With true and steady aim
Duble quick the troops retired
And left the bridge to them
10
On we pushed across the stream
The Redcoats before us flew
As though they waked from horred dream
Retreat their bugles blew
Their Flag that never knew defeat
Tho oft in Foregne wars tried
Is trampled now beneath our feet
With Blood the ground is dyed
11
They tried to rally—scatered, fled
With panic stricken feer
Tho ground is covered with their dead
No reinforcements near
For every tree contains a gun
Behind a fence a foe
The Wiley’s fox’s face is run
The Tyrant’s got to go
Eb. Stiles
Source:
"Story of the Battle of Concord and Lexington and Revear’s ride Twenty Years Ago" by Ebenezer Stiles, printed in Uncertain glory: Folklore and the American Revolution by Tristram Potter Coffin (1971). Pages 228-232.
Related Battles
93
300