After we began to move, the British were beginning to take up the bridge, someone remonstrated in a loud voice and about the same time they desisted and formed for action. I next saw a ball, from the enemy, strike in the river and heard the report of two others directly after, which were thought not to be aimed at us. A volley immediately followed, by which Luther Blanchard, our fifer, was slightly wounded and hearing him cry out, Major Buttrick exclaimed, “Fire, for God’s sake, Fire!” The order was obeyed, the British returned the fire and killed Capt. Davis and Abner Hosmer, a private of his company, and wounded Ezekiel Davis, brother of the captain, on the head. They then retreated toward the village. Two of the British were killed there. One of them was left on the ground wounded and in that situation was killed by an American with a hatchet. This act met with universal disapprobation and was excused only by the excitement and inexperience of the perpetrator. The enemy retreated until they met a reinforcement near the village. Our company, the Concord minute men and very many others proceeded to an eminence on the east side of the road, back of Elisha Jones’ house behind a wall. Was, perhaps, forty rods from where the enemy had halted. After a short time we dispersed and without any regularity went back over the bridge. While we were there, the detachment, which had been to destroy stores at Col. Barrett’s, returned and passed us without molestation. They passed the two of their number, who had been killed, and saw that the head of one had been split open. It was said that this circumstance gave them the impression that the Americans would give no quarter.

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