On the 19th of April 1775, about 2 o’clock in the morning, I was called out of bed by John Barrett, sergeant of the militia company to which I belonged. I joined the company under Capt. Nathan Barrett at the old court house about 3 o’clock in the morning and were ordered to go into the court house to draw ammunition. After they had drawn ammunition, were paraded near the meeting house. About thirty per cent of the militia had joined the minute men companies or were sent to guard the cannon that was carried into the woods. The whole of the militia and minute men of Concord was not less than 200. About 4 in the morning the companies of Concord were joined by two companies from Lincoln, the militia commanded by Capt. Abijah Pierce and the minute men by Capt. William Smith. Formed the minute men on the right and Capt. Barrett’s on the left. Marched in order to the end of Meriam’s Hill and saw the British troops coming down Brook’s Hill, the sun was arising and shined on their arms, they made a noble appearance in their red coats and glistening arms. We retreated in order over the top of the hill to the liberty pole erected on the height opposite the meeting house and made a halt. The main body of the British marched up in the road and a detachment followed us over the hill and halted in half gun shot of us at the pole. We then marched over the burying ground to the road and then over the bridge to Hunt’s Hill or Punkatasset and were followed by two companies of the British over the bridge, one company went up to destroy some stores at Col. James Barrett’s and they tarried near the bridge. Some of them went to Capt. David Brown’s, some Ephraim Buttrick’s, where Col. Jonas Buttrick now lives.

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