Lexington Town (part 16 of 25)

The Williams Family

Rev. Avery Williams, formerly a clergyman in Lex., was b. Jan. 9, 1782, in Guildford, Vt. His father. Rev. Henry Williams, being then pastor of the church at that place, but afterwards removing to Leverett, Mass., Avery's childhood and youth were passed there. He grad. Dartmouth C. 1804, studied Theology at Princeton, N. J. He m. Feb. 25, 1807, Clarissa Grennell of Greenfield, and was settled in Lex. Dec. 30, 1807. He left Lex. in 1815, in consequence of ill health, and went South in hopes of leiief; but disease had so far impaired his constitution, that his journey was unavailing. He d. at Spartansburg, S. C, Feb. 4, 1816. His widow was living in Greenfield a few years since. He published a Century Sermon on the anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Lexington, which shows him a man of good talents, careful research, and faithful as a historian.

Clarissa G., b. April 14, 1810. Lydia Maria, b. April 1, 1812 ; died in childhood. Mary D., b. Feb. 11, 1814; resides at Greenfield. Avery, b. Feb. 14, 1816 ; m. Eliza Squire of Lanesboro\ He studied medicine and was residing, when last heard from, at Buffalo, N. Y.

The Wilson Family

the ch. Feb. 6, 1699. They buried a child in 1696, and two in 1703. There was also a John Wilson taxed in 1696, but this is the only record we find of him. The Wilsons probably left town early, as no one of the name appears on the earliest town tax bills extant, viz., 1729 and 1735. James Wilson, from Lexington, settled in Leicester, 1721. This was probably the family.

The name appears several times m connection ^'^h ^Jf^/f °y^ of Lexington, but it is uncertain whether they were related todus family. Hezekiah Dunkley m. Damans W'l''':\^^''^\^^ ^ ^^J^' ZJeant Robert Wilson, Robert Wilson, Jr., and f «^.J^^i^4'^ were in the French War from Lex. in 1756, and RSber'.f .^J^JJ^l James Wilson was in the Contmental army from Lex. in the Kevo lution.

The Winship Family

The Winships were among the first settlers in Lexington and were for a lonJ period amon| the most numerous and respectable families. They were the descendants of

Edward Wixshtp of Cambridge. He was J^^^' was a member of the Ancient and Honorabe Artillery Co 1638. was selectman of C-bridge eleven years beUveen ^637^a^^^ He was representative in 1603, 64, »1 ana ?«- f^^ f . j. commission in the militia, and was dignified with the title of Lieu to "S Winship. He was also an active and honored member of the Zl He Ls twice -rried. His first wife w^^^^^ between 1648 and 1651; his second wife was Elizabeth. He d.Uec. 2 S in the 76th year of his age, and his widow Elizabeth, d Sent 19 1690 in her 58th year, it is believed that all the VVin 'hTps- in 'tlJe' vicinity descend'ed from Lieutenant Edward His Will was dated 1685, and as it casts considerable light upon this f amilj , 7 will cite the portions which relate to the Lexington branches

^T'^, to my son Edv^ard, all my land that lieth on the east sideof the brook whereon a sawmill standeth. except that which I bought of Edward Methelson, and twelve acres m my own Great

^^fVi'' ive to my son Samuel, one hundred acres of land or the';eaboufs,Ln^ of'it measured by David Fiske about -|»;^3;-- upon the west side of Concord way, "«f .*« ^^J ^m ^rd w^^^^^^ line and another tract of land on the east side of Concoid way.

partly with one town, and partly with the other; and hence the record of the family is sometimes in one town, and sometimes in the other, which makes it very difficult to trace the families.

Ephraim Winship m. April 7, 1670, Hannah Rogers, who d. Dec. 20, 1674. He m. second, Dec. 19, 1675, Elizabeth Kendall of Woburn. He resided on the place described in his father's Will, in the extreme easterly part of the town. He must have come to the place early. He was a subscriber for the meeting house in 1692, and on the organization of the parish in 1693, he was one of the assessors. He was also a member of the committee chosen to treat with the town of Cambridge in relation to the purchase of land for the ministry, and an assessor, 1694. He d. at Lexington, Oct. 19, 1696. His widow removed her relation to the ch. in Lex. from that of Woburn, immediately after the death of her husband. He had the honor of giving his name to a swell of land near his residence, which is to this day known as " Mount Ephraim." He probably had no children. In the settlement of his estate, mention is made of Sarah Reed, their adopted dau. His widow, Elizabeth, administered upon the estate. She subsequently m. Joseph Pierce of Watenown.

Joanna Winship d. unra. Nov. 19, 1707, aged 62. She was famous in her day as a school teacher ; and as our ancestors knew how to appreciate the character of a good school ma'am, they, under the influence of the muses, inscribed upon her monumental stone, this plaintive strain - this melting elegy :

Edward Winship m. May 14, 1683, Rebecca Barsham, who d. Aug. 1717, aged 61. He d. in Camb. June 10, 1718, aged 64. He was selectman of Camb. 1691, '93, '95 and 1701. Though he owned land in Cambridge Farms, he resided on the Cambridge side of the line. He d. testate; and by his Will, proved 1718, and by an instrument signed by his heirs, it appears that he had seven children living at the time of his death. He gave to his oldest son Edward, " the house he dwelleth in, and fifty acres of land adjoining, bounded as follows : beginning near the town road leading from old Mr. Munroe's, towards Menotomy," &c. (This is the present Lowell street.) He gave to his son Ephraim, " all that parcel of land whereon he dwells, and the interest I have in the house he now dwells in, which was formerly my brother Ephraim's, lying on the southwest side of the county road." Both of these bequests were of land lying in Lexington, and they show that his sons Edward and Ephraim were then living in Lexington.

Samuel Winship m. April 12, 1687, Mary Powers of Medford. He resided in the precinct, and was a subscriber for the meeting house in 1692, and for the purchase of the Common in 1711, and his name is upon the tax bills from the first. He was selectman^in 1728, '29, '30, '32 and '33. H:e d. June 18, 1696.

Joseph Winship ra. Nov. 24, 1687, Sarah Harrington of Watertown. She d. Nov. 28, 1710. They resided in West Cambridge, where he d. Sept. 18, 1725. They had the following and probably other children.

Ephraim Winship m. June 17, 1708, Hannah Cutler. He was a subscriber for the purchase of the Common in 1711. In 1717, he was chosen surveyor of highways, tythingman in 1721, constable, 1728. Not Ephraim alone was employed by the town, but his wife, by vote of the inhabitants, was employed to keep a school in her part of the town. He and his wife were ad. to the ch. Oct. 12, 1718. She d. April 9, 1764, aged 77. He d. July 16, 1757, aged 70.

Samuel Winship m, June 10, 1711, Jane Fessenden, dau. of Nicholas and Margaret Fessenden. He was High Sheriff of Middlesex CO. He o. c. Sept. 21, 1712, when his first child was bap. His wife d. Jan. 12, 1771 ; he d. Feb. 13, 1776, aged 88.

Isaac Winship m. Hannah . He was in the French and Indian war, in 1755. He d. April 8, 1783, and his son, Isaac, administered upon his estate.

Ephraim Winship m. Aug. 28, 1735, Mehitabel Cutler. He moved to New Marblehead, now the town of Windham, Me., about 1740. This place sulFcred severely from the Indians, from 1747 to 1763. On the 14th of May, 1756, Ephraim Winship and Ezra Brown, both of Windham, left the fort (for safety required them to live in garrisons) for the purpose of laboring upon Brown's lot, about a mile distant. Knowing that the Indians were lurking about in the region, they took the precaution to engage a guard of four men and four lads. In passing through a thick wood, when Winship and Brown were about fifty rods in advance of the guard, they were fired upon by fifteen or twenty Indians, who lay in ambush. Brown fell dead upon the spot. Winship received two balls, one in the eye, and another in tlie arm. and fell to the ground, - where both were scalped by the Indians. A portion of thfi guard fled to the fort to give the alarm, while the remainder, and among them Gershom Winship, the oldest son of Ephraim, who was born before the family left Lexington, and then about twenty years of age, boldly rusl>«d upon the savages, who were more than three times their number, and finally put them to flight. The Indians were led by Poland, their chief. When the guard approached, the Indians concealed themselves behind the trees, that they might be secure from the shots of their pursuers, and that they might step from their hiding places and fire upon the citizens, before they were aware of their presence. Poland was the first to break the silence; he stepped from behind the tree, discharged his musket, and immediately concealed himself again to reload. In his eagerness to reload his piece, that he might have another shot, his body became partially exposed, and he received a fatal shot from one of their pursuers. The Indians gathered around their fallen chief, and gave one of their infernal yells, which was answered by a volley fi'om the little Spartan band, which killed or mortally wounded two more of their number. The Indians immediately fled, carrying off their dead and wounded.

At the time Winship received these wounds, he was a widower, his wife, Mehitabel, having died, leaving six children. Winship recovered from his wounds, though the Indians had taken two scalps from his head, and given him a blow with a hatchet, leaving him for dead. They took the two scalps in consequence of his having, as is sometimes the case, two crowns upon his head. In taking the scalps, they left a narrow stiip of skin from his forehead directly over the top of his head. This ever afterwards gave him a very singular appearance. After this misfortune he m. a second wife, by whom he had five more children. He d. at Windham, June 4, 17 66, aged 55. These facts were obtained from the Centennial Address of T. L. Smith, Esq., delivered at Windham, July 4, 1839, which contains much valuable information. Two childi'en of Ephraim Winship were b. before he left Lex., viz., Oershom, b. May 10, 1736, and Mehitabel, b. July 28, 1738.

dated Nov. 28, 17G8, and proved Jan. 7, 1769, mentions eight children then living, viz., Abigail, Ephraiin, Hannah, Grace, Rebecca, Richard, Prudence, and Neheniiah. He d. Dec. 13, 1768, aged 58 ; she d. 1776, and Nehemiah Estabrook administered upon her estate. He was constable in 1750, and tythingman in 1758.

Thomas Winship m. May 28, 1755, Sarah Harrington, dau. of Henry and Sarah Harrington. He probably had one child before Henry, mentioned below. He d. Aug. 4, 1796. He was one of the brave band who rallied under Capt. Parker, April 19, 1775. He was selectman, 1779 and '81 ; assessor six years.

Isaac Winship m. March 4, 1773, Sarah Fessenden. He was m. as of Medford, where he resided at the time. When he returned to Lex. does not appear; but as he was taxed in 1785, it is probable that he returned soon after the death of his father, which occurred in 1783, and his son, Isaac, administered upon the estate. He d. Nov. 29, 1834, aged 85 ; she d. Feb. 12, 1834, aged 80. He was an assessor from 1793 to 1814, inclusive. We can find no record of his family, and have to depend upon the imperfect recollection of one of his descendants.

Simon Winship m. May 21, 1776, Joanna Abbott of Billerica. They o. c. July 20, 1777, when their first child, Joanna, was baptized. He d. Jan. 4, 1813, and Elias Maynard of Boston was appointed guardian of his widow, as a non compos. She d. Feb. 2, 1826. He was in service in the Jersies, in 1776, and sergeant ia 1777.

April, 1825, and his widow administered upon his estate. He was a soldier in Capt. Parker's co. 1775, also served in the first campaign of eight months and twelve months, New York.

The records of many of the Winship families are so imperfect, that it is impossible to trace their genealogy. Some families have neglected their record altogether, and hence it is impossible to bring them down to the present day.

The Winter Family

John Winter was a proprietor of Wat. in 1636, and d. in that place, 1662. His Will, dated March 4, 1661, and proved June, 1662, mentions sons Richard and Thomas, late of London, dau. Alice Lockman of London, and son John of Wat., to whom he gave his landed property. He probably came from Camb. to Lex. He had land assigned between the eight mile line and Concord, in 1683.

John Winter lived at Camb. Farms, where he d. Jan. 18, 1690. His Will, dated Dec. 12, 1689, makes no mention of his wife, who probably d. before him, but speaks of sons John, Thomas, and Samuel, and dau. Sarah, Hannah, and Mary.

As the tax bills of 1729 and 1735 do not contain the name of Winter, and as no place was assigned when the meeting house was seated, in 1731, we infer that they had all left town before that period.

WRIGHT. - Elisiia Wright came to Lex. about 1855. He was b. in Washington, N. H., 1811, and m. Dec. 1836, Harriet Farmer, b. Feb. 22, 1814. He was son of Nathan, b. Feb. 1786, who was son of Jacob, b. Dec. 1758, who served in the Revolution, and m. Patty Reed. Jacob was son Jacob, of whose birth we have no record, but whose death occurred in 1763. Elisha, by his wife Harriet, has five children, three sons, all of whom Avere in the U. S. service in the late Rebellion, and two daughters, as follows :

Walter B., b. Aug. 22, 1838 : m. Nov. 1860, Lydia Kenniston, and has Minnie, b. Feb. 8, 1862, and Charles C. He served nine months in the army, in North Carolina. Willis L., b. Sept. 14, 1841; he was nine months in the service. Oeorge W., b. June 30, 1843. Like his two brothers, he was one of the nine months' men who served in North Carolina to put down the rebellion. Hattie A., b. June 9, 1850. Emma E. H., b. Oct. 22, 1852. The first three children were b. in Washington, N. H., the last two in Camb. Mass.

nineteen children. Isaac, their first child, b. Feb. 12, 1799, m. Arvilla Kendall, dau. of Oliver Kendall of Ashby. They had nine children. He d. May 25, 1864.

The Wyman Family

The name of Wyman is of German origin, and was at first spelt Weyman. Two individuals, who were the progenitors of most of the Wymans, appear on the Charlestown records as signers of "town orders," Dec. 18, 1640. Tliis was coeval with the settlement of Woburn. We find John and Francis Wyman in Woburn immediately after. They were Tanners; and thus was laid early the foundation of the shoe and leather business, for which Woburn has always been more or less distinguished. John m. in Wo. 1644, Sarah Nutt.

Francis Wyman, from -whom our Lex. Wymans descended, m. Jan. 30, 1645, Judith Pierce of Wo. She dying, he m. second, Oct. 2, 1650, Abigail Reed.

Benjamin Wyman m. .Tan. 20, 1702, Elizabeth Hancock of Camb. He d. Dec. 19, 1735, and she m. Aug. 22, 1739, Jonathan Brown of Bed. and d. 1749. Though Benjamin Wyman may not have resided long in Lex., he and his wife o. c. in the place, June 24, 1705, when Elizabeth, their first child, Avas bap. Mrs. Wyman was probably sister to Rev. Mr. Hancock ; which would account for their attending ch. in Lex., though their residence might have been out of town.

Benjamin Wyman m. Esther, dau. of Jacob Richardson of Wo. He was dignified by the title of captain. He resided in Wo. where he had a family, among whom was James, the immediate ancestor of the Lexington branch of the Wyman family.

James Wyman m. Jan. 25, 1798, Betsey Locke, dau. of Reuben Locke. He d. April 19, 1835, aged 67. She was burned to death in a house which took fire, when she was left in it alone, too infirm to help herself.

James, b. April 18, 1798. He was for some time a partner in the mercantile house of Kittridge &. Wyman, Boston. He m. Dec. 10, 1823, Margaret Center, dau. of Cotton Center. She was divorced

There were other Wymans in Lex. from time to time, all from the same original stock, but through other branches ; nor was their residence permanently in the town.

James Wyman, the eldest son of David, of James, who was a great grand-son of the original Francis, was b. Feb. 8, 1825 ; m. in Lex. as his second wife, Abigail S. Harrington, who d. 1827. His first wife was Rhoda Robbins, and his third wife was Sophia Grover. He had ten sons and three dau. He resided in Lex., Burlington, and Danvers.

Increase Wyman, second son of Nathaniel, son of Francis of Wo., was in Lex. 1756-59; was also of Lincoln, Burlington, and Billerica. He had a family of eight children by his wife, Deborah Pierce. Nathaniel, his second and youngest son, was killed in Lex. near the Common, on the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, aged 24 years.

WILLIS. - John Willis and his wife Elizabeth were in Duxbury as early as 1637. He was one of the first settlers of Bridgewater, was a deacon there, and filled important town offices, and represented the town in the court of the colony some twenty years. He m. Mrs. Elizabeth Palmer, and had six children. Benjamin, son of John, m. Susanna, dau. of Thomas Whitman, by whom he had Thomas and Benjamin, Susanna and Elizabeth. Thomas, son of Benjamin, m. Mary, dau. of Samuel Kingsly, and had eight children. Thomas, son of Thomas and Mary, m. Susannah, dau. of Thomas Ames, and had six children. Thomas, one of their sons, m'. first, a Hunt, and second, a Dean ; among his children he kept up the family name, and called one of his sons Thomas, who m. Fi-ances Willis, dau. of Ephraim Willis, by whom he had four sons, Royal B., Stillman D., Sidney D., and Martin W.

Royal B Willis, son of Thomas and Frances, was b. at Easton, Sept. 3, 1812; m. Sept. 16, 1833, Phebe C, dau. of Peter Webster of Methuen. He commenced business in Boston in 1834, and represented the city in the Legislature, 1844 and 1845. In 1846, he removed to Lexington, continuing his business in Boston. He has held a commission of justice of the peace. For several years past, he has been engaged in the furniture business in Cincinnati, Ohio, keeping up his family residence in Lexington. They have had three children - Oeorge Franklin, b. in Methuen, July 17, 1834, d. Sept. 13, 1834; Francis Royal, b. in Boston, Feb. 22, 1838; Julia Au- ^ gusta, b. in Boston, June 26, 1842.

Thc Oenealogy of tlie fuUoiving families was obtained too late to he inserted in the appropriate alphabetical place in the Register, and is here apper^ded.

CUMMINGS. - Daniel Cummixgs, son of Ebenezer Cummings of Woburn, was b. Jan. 7, 17'J7 ; m. Abigail Wright of Woburn, dau. of Jacob Wriglit, b. April 28, 17'J7. They resided first in Bedford, wliere their first three children were born, and afterwards

Abigail, b. July 17, 1819, m. Charles Flagg of Wo, ; William, h. Feb. 22, 1822; George, b. Nov. 24, 183o; Oliver Waterman, b. Dec. 2o, 1830. Mr. Cummings resides at the extreme part of the town, where Burlington and Bedford corner upon Lexington.

The Currier Family

Richard Cuuuieii was in Salisbury in 1G40, and by his wife Ann had several children. Samuel Currier, perhaps son of Richard, was in Haverhill, and built him a cottage on the common land in 1GG8, and in 1670, m. Mary Hardy. I have no record of his death or of his children. In 1727, a school was kept at the house of widow Currier, and in 1732 the school was described as being at the house of Reuben Currier. From this imperfect record it is inferred that Samuel d. before 1727, and that Reuben was his son. Reuben Currier was a lieutenant in Haverhill in 1757. He m. and had at least two sons. Reuben and Jonathan. He moved to Bow. iST. H., about 17G0. Jonathan, m. Nancy Sargent of Haverhill, and among other childx-en had

William J. Currier m. Jan. 23, 1845, Susan B. Spaulding, dau. of Dr. Stillman and Lucy (Butterfield) Spaulding of Lexington, He studied medicine with Dr. Stedman at the Marine Hospital in Chelsea, and with Dr. Chaplin in Cambridge. He attended lectures at rittsfield and at Boston, and grad. 1839, at the Berkshire Medical Institute. He is a member of the Mass. Medical Society. He came to Lexington in 1840, and established himself in his profession. They have two children, Charles Wingate, b. April 1, 1850 ; William B., b. July 2, 1859.

FITCH. - David Fitch b. in Billerica, March 3, 1832. His father, David Fitch, was son of David of Bedford. David of Lex. came to this town about 1H58, and m. Jan., 1858, S. IM. Williams of Rox. lie entered the 45th Reg. in the late Rebellion, and served iu

N. C. as a soldier from Lex, His brother Albert enlisted from Burlington for three j-ears. and was killed at the battle of Chancellorsville. David has tour children, the first two born in Burlington, the last two in Lexington. David Warren, b. Oct. 20, 1858 ; Joaeph Henry, b. Feb. 12, 1861; Ellen L., b. Aug. 31, 1864; Eliza Jane, b. Sept. 19, 1866.

rOWLE. - This name has been common in some of the neighboring towns, and a few persons of that name have from time to time appeared upon our records.

Isaac Fowi.e of Medford m. Nancy Llall, and had a family of eleven children. William Henri/, one of his sons, b. July 9, 1815, m. April 8, 1835, Susan E. Reed, dau. of Isaac Reed of Lex. She d. July 29, 1859, and he m. Dec. 20, 1860, Emeline P. Reed, sister of his first wife. He came to Lexington with his famil^^ 1857. His father and brother John came with them. Tiie father is now living in his 85th year. William H. Fowle d. Aug. 8, 1862. He had two children by his first wife - Susan Elizabeth, b. Aug. 11, 1839; Emma S., b. Sept. 3, 184-i; m. July 2, 1865, George D. Estabrook.

Rufus W. Holbrook m. April 28, 1857, Sarah E. Stocker of Saugus. They have two children. Abb ie Pierce, h. Aug. 11, 1858; Nellie, b. April 29, 1861. The Holbrook family came to Lex. 1840.

cendant of Maximilian Jewett of Rowley, who came to the countryearly and was made a freeman, and was chosen deacon in Rowley in 1040, He had numerous descendants in Rowley, Ipswich and the neighboring towns.

JONES. - Samuel Jones, son of Samuel of Quincy, was b. Feb. 14, 1809. He came to Lex. about 1833, and m. Nov. 28, 1834, Sarah Fogg, from N. H. They have had Sarah A., b. Nov. 19, 1836, d. April 20, 1842 ; Samuel H., b. Nov. 13, 1838. He entered the service of the United States, and was nine months in North Carolina. Subsequently he re-enlisted in the Heavy Artillery and served till the close of the war. Lijdia A., b. April 5, 1842, m. Aug. 10, 1860, Alexander Corey, and has three children ; George A., h. May 6, 1859.

The Knight Family

Loammi Knight, son of Aaron and Rebecca (Adams) Knight was b. in Hancock, N. H., Oct. 14, 1803. He came to Lexington, 1821, and m. May 3, 1829, Mary Robbins, dau. of Stephen Robbins, and d. Jan. 5, 1868. He was devoted to the militia, and rose to the rank of Major.

LEWIS. - Joshua Lewis, a Baptist clergyman, came from Wales about 1780 and settled in Conn. His son Joshua, likewise a Baptist clergyman, resided in Conn, and R. I. His son Joshua removed to

Dio Lewis, son of John, was b. 1825 ; m. July 11, 1849, Hellen C. Clarke, dau. of Dr. Peter Clarke of Montezuma, N. Y. He studied medicine in Auburn, and attended a course of lectures in the Medical Department of Harvard University, and afterwards took his diploma from the Medical College at Cleveland, Ohio. He settled in Buffalo, N. Y., where he followed his profession several years, and edited a Medical Magazine. After traveling some years at home and abroad, and giving himself to the development of a new system of physical culture, he came to Boston in 1860, and established a Normal Institute for physical education. To his labors as President of that institution, he added the establishment and conduct of a Young Ladies' Seminary, which he opened in Lexington, 1864. Of this school, and of the success of his system we have spoken elsewhere. See History, pp. 375, 376.

Note. - In tlie multiplicity of names and dates it is almost impossible to avoid mistakes. A few errors have been detected since the sheets passed the Press, which are here corrected, and a few slight additions made.

Index To The Genealogies

In the following Index, the names of the Families, which are arranged in alphabetical order, are printed iu Small Capitals, and the page or pages occupied by each family, respectively, are set against them. The names which follow the families, and are arranged in alphabetical order, are of those, whether male or female, who have intermarried with Bome member of the family, and the figures set against their name refer to the consecutive number of each family, against which the name will be found. Names having more than one number against them, denote that dift'erent persons, of the same surname, married into the family. In a few instances, distinct families of the same name, have the same numbers. Hence both numbers should be consulted. Persons marrying those of the same surname are omitted in the index. In the introduction of the families, the name of the wife is sometimes given before the consecutive numbers commence; and in some of the small families the numbers are omitted altogether. In such cases, the name of the person intermarrying will be found inserted below, without any number annexed, but can easily be found under the head of the family where they occur.

Source changes here: from History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : Containing Carefully Prepared Histories of Every City and Town in the County, by Drake, Samuel Adams, published 1880; 13,235 words in this source stream.

By Hon. Charles Hudson

EXmGTON is situated in latitude 42° 26' 50" nortli, and in longitude 71° 13' 55" west ; and is about eleven miles from Boston. It has Winchester, "Woburn, and Burlington on the northeast; Burlington and Bedford on the north ; Lincoln on the west ; Waltham on the southwest ; and Belmont and Arlington on the southeast. The shape of the township, like that of the neighboring towns, is somewhat irregular. The town contains about twenty square miles, or about thirteen thousand acres. Lexington as a whole is more elevated than any of the adjoining towns, unless it be Lincoln ; and hence the water from her territory finds its way to the ocean through the Shawshine, the Mystic, and Charles rivers. The water-power in the town is inconsiderable ; and what there is, is remote from the centre. There is at present but one mill in the town, that being in the easterly part, at the outlet of the Great Meadow, so called. On or near the site of this mill was erected the first mill in the township, probably as early as 1650. It was owned by Edward Winship of Cambridge, and was given by his will to bis son Edward, and remained more than a century in the family.

The township is rather uneven, furnishing a pleasant variety of hill and dale. Though the surface is sometimes broken, the soil for the most part is productive. The rock formation through a great part of the township is a species of greenstone ; and though it frequently crops out of the ground, the rock is so irregular, and the sides so precipitous, that the soil is deep, and often capable of being cultivated up to the very face of the ledges. The presence of this rock generally indicates a hard, but at the same time a warm and productive soil, well adapted to grass, grain, and fruit trees of every sort, and in fact to every vegetable production.

There are many good farms in the town, and their value is gi-eatly enhanced by the peat swamps which are found in almost every neighborhood. These swamps, when properly drained, constitute some of the most valuable land for cultivation; and at the same time the material taken from the drains serves to fertilize the rest of the cultivated land. These reclaimed swamps, when properly cultivated, are found to be very productive, yielding large crops of hay, corn, potatoes, and every variety of garden vegetables. Lexington may be regarded as a good agricultural township. She has heretofore been somewhat noted for the hay and fruit she has sent to market; but at the present time milk may be regarded as her great staple. Many of our farmers keep from twelve to thirty cows, and a few of them keep from thirty to sixty, or even seventy. It appears by the returns of the assessors, published by the authority of the state, that the whole number of milch cows kept in town the last year was 1,081, - a larger number than that kept by any town m the county, with one single exception; and by the census return for 1875, it appears that Lexington furnished for the market 510,551 gallons of milk annually, a larger amount than is produced by any city or towTi in the state, except Worcester.

Lexington has not been able to boast of her mineral treasures. Within the last few years, however, a granite quarry has been discovered in the northern part of the town, which, when prop- erly opened, miiy jirovc valuable for buililing ])urposes. In the same general iieigliborhuod a ])aint mine has been discovered, of which the State Assayer says, " The composition, from its enduring nature, confers great value upon this pigment. In mixing with oil, a partial combination takes phvce, which ])rod\iccs an elastic and mechanically excellent i)aint, like white lead. It has nothi'n- of a perishable nature." There is a spring in the valley of Vine Brook, which has been thought by some to possess medicinal properties, having indications of sulphur and iron. It has never been analyzed. There is, however, a sjjring recently brought to public attention, which bids fair to rival the po])ular s])rings which are commended for their curative properties. It is situated in the southeasleily part of Lexington, near the line of Waltliam, on the farm of Alden Jameson, Esq. j and is about three miles distant from the centre of each of the towns. It is a copious spring, and is so protected by a granite curb as to secure it from all surface water ; the flow being free from the source. The water is highly recommended by those who have used it, as being valuable in a variety of complaints. Professor Hayes, after an analysis of the water, classes it favorably with the Poland, AUandale, and Vienna waters, which have a high reputation. He adds, " It is naturally aerated or charged with carbonic acid, oxygen, and nitrogen gases. It is alkaline, and free from any appreciable organic matter. It is a remarkably pure water." It is highly recommended in cases of dyspepsia, diabetes, stone, gravel, and the whole class of kidney and bowel complaints. Many who have used it speak strongly of the curative properties of the water.

The village of Lexington is pleasantly situated on land comparatively level ; and though it is elevated more than two hundred feet above tide water, being surrounded by hills more or less distant, and having meadows on either hand, it has the appearance of being rather low. In the centre of the village is the Common, a triangular plot of ground, situated at the junction, and lying between the roads leading to Concord and Bedford. It contains about two acres, and is nearly level, with the exception of a gentle swell, rising some five or six feet on the southerly side, on which is the monument erected to the memory of the first Revolutionary martyrs. The diagram on page 10 will show the premises as they were in 1775, and will illustrate the history of that day. The borders of the Common are skirted by rows of elm, ash, and other ornamental trees ; some of them having braved the blasts of more than a hundred winters, while others are glorying in youthful beauty. There is one young tree on the Common which merits notice, as it is designed for posterity. In 1875, wdien President Grant was in Lexington, at our Centennial, he at our recpiest planted a young elm upon this consecrated ground, that those who came after us might mark the succession of.years, and recall the events which have made the spot memorable. This green is consecrated by the first blood of the Revolution ; and the sacred associations which surround the spot render it a place of considerable resort, and many a passer-by pauses to contemplate the scene which renders it classic.

2,510, which may be distributed through the town as follows : 1,100 in the centre village, 750 in the east village, while the remaining population is scattered over the rest of the township.

Both villages, the centre and the east, are situated on the Main Street, a road leading to Boston ; and the line of separation between them must be somewhat arbitrary, as the settlement on the Main Street is almost continuous and uninterrupted. Both villages are embowered in ornamental trees, which give a rural appearance to the place; and the large, spreading elms have ever attracted the passers-by. "While the roads in Lexington are far from being hilly, there are in diflerent parts of the town swells of laud rising from a hundred to a hundred and twenty-five feet above the ordinary level of the surrounding country, giving an extensive view of tlie regions around. There is a range of high lands on the southerly side of the main or Boston road, commencing a little southerly of the centre of the town, wliich, though interrupted by one local depression, extends into Arhngton. The swell above the old Munroe Tavern is considerably elevated, and overlooks the main village and a large portion of the town. It was on the northern declivity of this hill that Lord Percy placed one of his field-pieces on the 19th of April, 1775. The elevated portion of this range, southwesterly of the village hall in East Lexington, commands a prospect of great extent and rare beauty. Not only the northeasterly portion of the town, but the village of Medford, with its numerous dwellings and public buildings, are displayed to view. Nor does the prospect end liere ; the more distant city of Lynn, and the dark-blue ocean beyond, whitened by the sails of her hardy fishermen and her enterprising merchants, give variety and grandeur to the scene.

Mount Independence, near the East village, rises about one hundred and thirty feet above the main street. This is but a continuation of the range of which we have spoken. It is nearly opposite the church, and commands a full view of the village and the high lands on the opposite side of the broad meadows which spread out on each side of Mill Brook. But while Main Street, on which are situated the principal houses in the village, lies at the foot of this eminence, and the eye of the beholder on the summit can observe every movement in the village, a more distant prospect attracts attention, and in the openings among the lulls in Arlington the growing village of Jledford rises ill full view. The prospect from this hill is truly delightful ; and the people in this part of the town have shown their good sense and good taste in giving this hill a name worthy of its character and the town where it is situated.

Farther to the south this elevated range rises still higher, with a more extensive prospect, particularly to the south and cast, enabling the eye to take in the village of Newton, and to a great extent the beautiful country intervening. At the lower end of the East village this range is considerably depressed, but soon rises again as it approaches the Arlington line, giving a good view towards the north.

But the most celebrated elevation in town, and the one which affords the grandest prospect, is Hancock Height. It is situated some hundred and twenty rods from the railroad station. This general swell or elevation commences near the centre railroad station, and continues in an easterly direction, culminating in a rocky summit, which terminates in a precipitous descent of about one hundred and eighty feet, to the intervale of Vine Brook. Standing on the summit, you have almost the whole northern and eastern part of the town in full view. At the base, and almost under your feet, is spread out the valley of Vine Brook, showing its broad meadows, - here in a high state of cultivation, and there covered with a growth of oak, birch, and maple ; while on the other hand is the village in its leafy beauty. Beyond, you have the plaiiis waving with grass or grain, hillsides adorned with orchards or crowned with forests, - the whole dotted over with farm-houses and barns, to show the presence of industry and thrift. Here, too, you behold the streamlets meandering through the meadows, the roads winding among the hills, together with the school-houses and churches, showing that the mind and the heart, no less than the face of the earth, are designed for cultivation and improvement. Nor is the prospect confined to the township. The villages of Woburn and Burlington, with the liigh lands beyond, bound your prospect on the northeast. On the east you liave the hills in Winchester, Mount Gilboa, and the other elevations in Arlington Iti view ; and between these a part of Somerville, the towering shaft on Bunker Hill, and u portion of the city of Boston may be seen, rcllccting the rays of the rising and setting sun. To the .southeast you behold the Blue Hills in Milton, the clcvnfed land in Newton, Pmspect Hill in Walth.m, mihI th.- hi-h grounds in AVeston.

Passing over the village of Bedford, the high lands of Westford, Groton, and the intermediate towns, the prospect towards the west and northwest is almost unbounded, interrupted by the lofty Wachusett in Princeton, the first land which glads the eye of the mariner as he approaches the coast. Farther north you behold the Watatic in Asliby, and tlie hills in New Ipswich ; and still farther the Grand Monadnock, "with brow half seen and half concealed in clouds, fixes and bounds the view."

This hill was known to the inhabitants by a low and insignificant name, but the citizens in townmeeting assembled, in November, 1867, gave it the more worthy name of Hancock Height. The summit of this hill, like almost every other in town, is capped with green-stone, ground off smooth at the top; thus sustaining the theory of the geologists that, during what they denominate the drift period, vast mountains of ice passed over our country, and in their steady progress, with their enormous weight, composed as they are thought to be of rocks of all kinds which they have accumulated in their grand march, ground off the tops of rocks over which they passed.

The general topography of the township, the rolling surface of the ground, present desirable sites for dwellings, giving what is becomhig a very important element in building lots, a good opportunity for sewerage. We have a railroad passing through the villages, furnishing us with five passenger stations within the township, and so accommodating every locality. We have two post-offices, with a daily mail morning and evening, a telegraph and telephone office. I know of no town so near the city of Boston, and enjoying such facilities of communication, so rural as Lexington. Though our main village presents all the variety of a thickly settled place, having its school-houses, churches, English and West India goods stores, a cajMcious town-hall, public houses, livery stables, post-oftice, and the usual variety of mechanics' shops, and the railroad station in the centre of the village, - yet if you take a carriage to enjoy any of the pleasant drives which our good roads afi'ord, in five minutes from the village you are in a scene as quiet and as rural as though you were a htiiidred miles IVoiii the city.

Lexington has always been reganlcd as one of the most healthy towns in the rrgimi. Situated a dozen miles from the coast, with iiigh lands intervening, those unpleasant, raw, ami uiihealihy east winds which annoy the inhabitants neaiiT the sea, and convert a goodly portion of the pleasant months of May and June into an uncomfortable season, are in a great degree avoided, or rather that these winds are so far modified as to be rendered comfortable. At the same time we are so far removed from the snow-capped hills at the north and west as to be measurably exempt from tlie drifting snows of winter, and the chilling air of spring. These are among the causes which tend to save us in a degree from that plague of New England which brings to an untimely end so many of our young people. The altitude of our township gives a salubrity to our atmosphere, and the absence of slow sluggish streams saves us in a measure from the malignant diseases so fatal to children. And it can be easily shown by the bills of mortality that Lexington has furnished a larger proportion of deaths at an advanced age than most of the towns around us. The healthfulness of Lexington is so well known that many invalids by the advice of their jjliysicians have come to Lexington to regain their health.

Lexington was originally a part of Cambridge, and was known by the designation of " Cambridge Farms," supplying the main village with wood and hay. It is difficult to say when the settlement proper began. Several persons spent most of the farming season here, and still retained their residence in Cambridge. There was no permanent settlement at the "Farms" till about IGiO. The early settlers came mostly from Cambridge and Watertown ; but at first they were few in number. Without attempting to state the order in wliich the first settlers came to the place, we must be content with saying tiiat the Bridges, Winships, Cutlers, Fisks, Stones, Bowmans, Merriams, and Russells were among the earliest and the most numerous families. It was not till after the close of Philip's War that there was any considerable increase of population. In 1670 there could not have been over eighty-five or ninety inhabitants at the Farms; but in 1690 there was probably three times that number. Among the fii:st wants of every New England settlement were those of church privileges. In 1683 the settlers petitioned the General Court to be set off as a distinct precinct. The old parish in Cambridge opposing, it was not till 1691 that the court granted the Farms a separate corporate existence. Their first object after being made a precinct was to provide permanently for religious instruction. They had had preaching somewhat regularly before. But m 169.3 they had erected a meeting-house and employed a minister.

But unfortunately their minister, Rev. Benjamin Estabrook, who had preached for them, and was permanently settled hi 1696, died within a year of his ordination. The parish, after some delay, in 1698 settled John Hancock, a graduate from Harvard, a young man of good promise. He remained mth his people till his death in 1752. He proved to be a man of superior talents, of great usefulness, and probably exerted more influence than any clergyman in the county. If any difficulty arose in any of the churches, and a council was called, Mr. Hancock was always on the council, where he was generally made moderator ; and often became the council itself. In those days, when the churches were much fewer than at present, and when ministers remained long with their people, being settled for life, he gave the solemn charge to twenty-one ministers at their induction into their sacred office. He was as influential at home as abroad, and always managed to keej) his people united and happy. He was the counsellor and guide of iiis parishioners, not only in their spiritual, but in their temporal affairs. Their title-deeds nnd their accounts were generally in his handwriting. If any difficulty or misunderstanding arose between any members of his flock, he would invite the parties before him, and by his good sense and good humor, would generally reconcile them. But when he failed in this, he would often act the part of the arbiter, though self-appointed, and decide the question between them ; and such was their confidence in him, and such their respect for his judgment and purity of intention, that they generally acquiesced with cheerfulness in his decision.

Mr. Hancock had three sons : first, John, who was settled a minister in Braintree, and was the father of John Hancock of the Revolution ; second, Thomas, a successful merchant of Boston, who adopted and educated his nephew John, who was left an orphan at the tender age of seven years, and to whom he bequeathed his large fortune; third, Ebenezer, who was settled as a colleague vith his father, and died in 1740, after a brief and very acceptable ministry of six years. John Hancock, the elder, built a house on what is now known as Hancock Street, soon after his ordination in 1698, and about 1735 his son Thomas built an addition to the house. Both the original and the addition are still standing, each showing the architectural taste of the age in which they were erected ; and they are subjects of interest at the present day. The house has recently been purchased by a gentle- man of means and patriotic sympathy, \vlio lias caused the same to be painted and put in a state of good preservation, so that this relic of tlie past may remain an object of veneration many years to come. Mr. Hancock was succeeded in the ministry by Jonas Clarke, who was inducted into the pastoral office in 1755. He married Lucy Bowes, a granddaughter of his predecessor, Eev. Jolm Hancock. Mr. Clarke purchased and resided in the house erected by his predecessor, so that the old building, still an object of attraction, has been the ministerial mansion for more than a century. Mr. Clarke was a man of distinguished ability, and has left his mark upon his country's history. During the later years of the French and Indian wars, Mr. Clarke, though comparatively a young man, encouraged a warm devotion to his country ; but when the English ministry first attempted to impose taxes upon the colonies, he was among the first to raise his voice against it. It was customary in those days for towns, when they elected representatives, to instruct them how to vote on important public questions. When Lexington had elected its rejiresentative, if there was any particular (piestion before the people, he was not simply advised how to act, but he was presented with an able, elaborate state paper, entering into the merits of the question, and teaching the duty of rulers, and the rights and j)rivileges of the ruled.

Lexington records contain a number of those valuable papers, all prepared by Mr. Clarke, which would do honor to any statesman in the country. The practice of giving instructions to its delegates was not peculiar to Lexington ; but, though I have seen the instructions given by quite a number of towns, I have seen none so full and able as those upon our town-book. In fact, if all other records were destroyed, and all traditions were ignored, a historian wishing to ascertain the cause of the Revolution, and the exact points of the controver.sy, - the demand on the one side and the answer on the other, - would be able from these ])apers to obtain informal iim wliicli would enable him to fill this chapter of his hisldi'v with facts of an undoubted character, whicii could be relied on. Mr. Clarke was well read in the science of civil governmeut, and in his masterly documents he met tlie particular issues of the day, and showed in the clearest manner that as English subjects we were deprived of the riglits nnd privileges of Britisli freemen which were granlcd to us liy our chiirlcr, anil eonfirmed by the constitution of Great Britain ; and that during the whole controversy we were in the right and the parliament in the wrong ; that they, in truth, and not we, were the rebels, ignoring, disregarding, and trampling upon the fundamental principles of tJieir own organic law. These papers not only instructed our o\in people, and so prepared them for the events of the 19th of April, 1775, but by their publication they enlightened the public mind, and prepared the people generally to resist the encroachments of Great Britain, and also to establish free governments and to perform all the duties of republican citizens. Mr. Clarke possessed a clear, vigorous, and well-balanced mind, and was always actuated by high moral principles, whether acting as the divine or as the statesman. He was, in fact, religiously political and politically religious, and so was progressive and conservative at the same time. He was the friend, the adviser, the compeer of Adams, Hancock, and Warren, who frequently found a home under his roof and received wise instruction from his lips.

. Lexington was peculiarly fortunate in being blessed with two such ministers as Hancock and Clarke, whose united ministry exceeded a century, and whose wisdom and prudence guided the people in the arts of peace and in the perils of war. Their lives, their teachhigs, and their characters were so blended with the affairs of the town that they are as necessarily a part, and an important part, of the history of Lexington as Washington is of the American Revolution. Mr. Clarke was not a politician in the popular sense of the word ; he was a statesman, and his teaching .was not calculated to make men partisans, but understanding, patriotic citizens. He regarded civil government as a divine institution, necessary for the well-being of society and being designed for the whole people, the wholt people should have a voice in the form of government. He regarded government, when established, as a social cpmpact, where the people enter into a solemn contract to abide by its provisions, until they are annulled by "the terms of the compact itself. He regarded the consent of the people as essential to the validity of government, and sustained this doctrine by divine autliority. He says, in iiis election sermon prcaclied before the state government : " The laws of nature give men the right to select their form of government. Even God himself, the Supreme Ruler of the world, w 1in<e g(iV(U-ninent is absolute and nncontnillablc-, thai ever paid a sacred attention to this important right, - hath ever patronized tliis interesting claim in the sons of men. Tlie only constitution of civil government that claims its origin direct from heaven is the theocracy of the Hebrews ; but even this form of government, though dictated by infinite wisdom, and written by the finger of God, was laid before the people for their consideration, and mas ratified, introduced, and established by common consent.""

Both Hancock and Clarke were very popular with their flocks, and possessed great influence over them in all things. Mr. Clarke's patriotic views were instilled into the hearts of his fellow-citizens, so that they could with ])ropriety be addressed by him as fellow-patriots. And, no doubt, liis ardent love of liberty and devotion to the interest of the colony tended to produce that firmness and selfsacrificing spirit displayed in the opening scene of our Eevolutionary drama. Among the important services rendered by Mr. Clarke may be mentioned his influence upon Colonel Hancock in preparing him for the Revolutionary struggle. Young Hancock was an ardent, impressible man, fond of society and show. He had been abroad, and was present at the funeral of George 11. and at tiie coronation of George III. Coming at once, as he did at the death of his uncle, into the possession of a princely fortune, would naturally make a young man vain. His position of course attracted attention, and the royalists sought to secure him in their interest. The security of his large property and the chance of promotion were lield up to him. lu weighing them against his natural love of liberty and devotion to his country it is believed that, for a time, he faltered. But, fortunately for the country and for his reputation, there were other influences brought to bear upon him. Samuel Adams was ever ready to strengthen the weak, and his influence with Hancock was in the right direction. But there was another influence, more silent perhaps, but quite as controlling. His connection with Mr. Clarke's family, his respect for Mr. Clarke, and his confidence in his judgrbent, brought him frequently to his house. The well-known patriotism of Mr. Clarke, his courtly and persuasive manner, and his commanding talents, could not fail to impress the mind of Hancock, and it is believed that he was iiighly influential in inducing the young merchant of Boston to take an open and decided stand in support of the rights of the colonies. And it is due to the memory of Hancock to say that if there ever was a time when he faltered,

But Lexington has a civil and military history as well as an ecclesiastical one. Lexington was made a precinct in 1691, and was incorporated as a town in 1713. As a municipal corporation she laid out highways, provided for the support of the poor, and established that indispensable institution of New England, - free schools. The town being entirely agricultural, and lying near the neighborhood of manufactures and commerce, her young men too frequently liave been induced to quit the primitive calling of tilling the soil, and to seek more lucrative business in other callings elsewhere ; and hence the population of Lexington has been of a slow growth. And her population received another check in 1754, when a thousand acres of her territory mth the inhabitants thereon were taken from her to help form the town of Lincoln. The people of Lexington luive been too unwilling to encourage manufactures and the mechanic arts ; and hence she has not increased in population like some of her neighboring towns. But more of this history hereafter.

Lexington has, of course, a military history, and one which reflects no dishonor upon the place. In the French and Indian wars Lexington acted no insignificant part. The rolls of that day are so imperfect that no full and accurate account can be given of t!ie number of soldiers tliat were sent into the field from this towii. From 17.55 to 1763, inclusive, taking the number of men each year, will give a total of one hundred and sixty-eight men, who were found on every battle-field, - at Louisburg, Quebec, Crown Point, Ticonderoga, Fort William Henry, and wherever a foe was to be encountered or a daring deed to be performed. Some of the Lexington men were attached to the famous corps known as " Eogers' Eangers," - a corps in which Stark served his military apprenticeship; a corps whose name was expressive of the life they led, ranging through the wilderness, seeking their wary foe by day and by night, in silent glens or secret ambush ; a corps whose winter-quarters were in tedious marchings amid drifted snows and ice-clad hills, relying sometimes upon snow-shoes and sometimes upon skates for locomotion, and carrying their only arsenal and commissnriat in their packs.

continuous from the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765, to the opening of the Revolution. This controversy, which excited the attention of every town and village, was in no jolace better understood by the mass of the people than in Lexington. The clear and elaborate instructions of Parson Clarke, the frequent visits of Hancock and Adams, kept these questions constantly before the people ; and the whole subject was discussed, not merely in a declamatory and passionate way, but on its merits. So that when our fathers resorted to arms, they rallied, not as an ignorant and infatuated mob, but as a band of patriots knowing their rights, and resolved to defend them ; to resist by arms unjust oppression, wliether they acted under the command of superior officers, or on their own responsibility, always keeping in mind the oft-repeated, popular prohibition not to commence a war : " Not to fire until they were fired upon."

We claim for Lexington no natural courage or patriotism beyond that possessed by the citizens of other towns. We know tliat the whole community was alive to the subject ; and we have no doubt that if the British had moved in hostile array in any other direction, or through any other town, they would have met witli firm resistance.

The peculiar relation which suljsisird bitween Hancock and Lexington was such thai Iter citizens came to regard Hancock as a Lexington man. It was here that his grandfather spent his days. It was here that his father was born ; and it was in Lexington that he sjient his boyhood witli his grandfather, his father iiaving died and left him an orphan at the age of seven years. There were other causes which attracted him to Lexington. Parson Clarke was a college acciuaintance, and had married a cousin of his ; and as Mr. Clarke resided in the house built by liis grandfather and uncle, - the iiouse where he luul sprnl vrars of liis - Hancock wouhl nalunilly iV.I allarli.d lo'lhr place and the people to linn.' Tins attacliiiiciit was shown on his part by the frequent visits to Lexington, and several presents made to the people ; and on tlieir part by the cordiality with which he was received, and tiie respect they were always ready to manifest to the President of the Provincial Congress, and ciiairman of the Committee of Safety,'

1 This vcneralili- old wImtc lliuicock, the elder, and Claike resided, making it a ministerial residence for move than a centuiy, - the resort of Adams and Hancock, nt the opening of the Revolution, - has been the resort of crowds of people, ex-officio chief magistrate of the province and commander of her military forces. Not only John Hancock, but that stern patriot Samuel Adams, wlio was in fact the organizer of the American Eevolution, - the man who stood firm when other honest patriots faltered, - he too was a warm friend of Mr. Clarke, and a frequent visitor at his house. He, with his friend Hancock, had been singled out by the British ministry, as victims to be arrested and sent to England for trial, that is, for execution. They were both staying at Mr. Clarke's, not caring to trust themselves to the tender care of Governor Gage, who had advised their arrest. They were both at Lexington on the 19th of April; and the people seemed to regard their safety as a sort of sacred trust; and consequently they posted a guard around the house on the night of the ISth, in consequence of an apprehended attempt to seize them, and deli\'er them over to Governor Gage.

All these circumstances would naturally tend to awaken the feelings, warm the patriotism, and call out the military spirit of the people. These causes and others had operated, some of them for years, to keep the citizens of Lexington alive to the interests of the colonies, and ready to make any sacrifice in the cause. In 1772, when things seemed approaching a crisis, and indications not to be mistaken were visible that the oppressive policy of Britain was to be enforced by military power, there was a pause, a faltering, even in Boston. John Adams had retired from the service of the people ; Cushing, Philips, Church, and others, who had been active before, hesitated, or declined to serve on the committee of correspondence. But there was one master spirit, who, like all other truly great men, was sure to rise with the occasion. Samuel Adams stood firm at his post. He saw in prospect the independence of the colonies, and conceived the plan of opening a correspondence with all the towns ill tlie province ; and though this measure was but feebly seconded in Boston, Adams and others sent out a circular to the difl'erent towns to ascertain their feehngs, and see how far the true patriots could be sustained in decisive measures of opposition to the arbitrary acts of the royal governor. Lexington, in response to this circular, gave fliis patriotic reply: "We trust in God, that should the state of our affairs require it, we shall be ready to sacrifice our estates and everything dear in life, yea, and life itself in support of tiie common cause."

Such a pledge given in religious trust three years before hostilities commenced, indicated a fixed, firm, inflexible reliance upon Providence; and a determination to make any sacrifice in the cause of freedom. Nor was this an empty boast. The final event showed that they were as good as their word. In 177-i the Provincial Congress, in view of the threatened danger, recommended to the people throughout the province to organize themselves into companies, elect their officers, and be ready for any emergency. This was the origin of the organization known as minute-men. Lexington, which had given such an assurance of devotion to the cause of human rights, was ready to adopt this proposed military organization; and she appears to have been free from an incumbrance existing in some of the neighboring towns, that of existing comiJanies whose officers were commissioned by the royal governor; and who felt a kind of allegiance to the officers of the crown. Lexington felt no restraint of this sort. She was free to act, and looked only to the Provincial Congress for authority. Her company of minute-men included nearly every citizen, except the aged and infirm, who associated themselves as what was denominated the "alarm list." The minute-men elected their officers agreeably to the recommendation of the Provincial Congress, so that Captain John Parker was the lawful commander of a regularly organized company, clothed with power by the only government which the people recognized. No town, therefore, could have a military force more legal, more in conformity with the new order of things than Lexington; and no company had in its ranks men better instructed in their duty as soldiers and citizens, or men more devoted to the sacred cause of liberty.

The town had pledged itself to the province, and it was not found wanting, at the threat of danger. After forming their military organization, they strove to make that organization efficient, so far as their limited means would allow. They voted in open town-meeting, " To supply a suitable quantity of flints," " to bring two pieces of cannon from Watertown and mount "them," " to provide a pair of drums for the use of the military company in town," " to provide bayonets at the town's cost for one third of the training soldiers," "to have the militia and alarm-list meet for a review of their arms, etc." They also voted to pay the soldiers for the time they spent in drilling and preparing for active service; and in order that these votes should not become a mere dead letter, committees were chosen to carry them into eff'ect ; all of which showed that the people were hi earnest, and expected that war would ensue.

It is due to the patriots of Lexington and to our fathers generally, to correct an error which has prevailed extensively, that they took up arms rather than pay a threepenny tax upon tea. This is a narrow view of the subject. They did object to taxation, because they had no representation in parliament. But the claim of Great Britain was not limited to taxation. She claimed the right of legislating for us in "all cases whatsoever," - a right to deprive us of all our civil privileges, such as of trial by jury, of suffrage, of holding property, - a doctrine by which they could compel us to serve in her army and navy, and to fight her battles in any part of the world; in a word, the right to make us slaves. And, in fact, before we took up arms, her parliament reduced some of these arbitrary principles to practice. The act changing the charter of Massachusetts practically deprived us of trial by jury, and other domestic rights and immunities, which we all hold dear; and it was the first bold step of exercising absolute control over the colonies. They had passed such laws, and had sent a governor, backed by military power, to enforce them. The resolution on their part was taken, their purpose was fixed. Their laws, however oppressive or cruel, should be executed even at the point of the bayonet. Nor were the colonies undecided. Old Middlesex had been in council, and from a full view of the subject her people said : " Life and death, or what is more, freedom or slavery, are in a peculiar sense, now before us ; and the choice and success under God depend greatly upon ourselves." And after asserting that the late acts of parliament are unconstitutional, and ought not to be obeyed, but resisted if need be unto death, they assert "that he can never die too soon who lays down his life in support of the laws and liberties of his country."

Such was the sentiment and resolution of the county, and Lexington was not a whit behind the foremost in patriotic seK-devotion. And now when to all appearance the crisis was at hand she had taken measures to meet it heroically. The issue was virtually made up, and nothing was wanting but an occasion to try the same. Gage had practically said that the late acts of parhament should be enforced, and the people said they should not.

The order of time and the succession of occurrences bring us to an event of the most interesting, delicate, and important character, - to what the country, ^vith great unanimity, has denominated tlie "Battle of Lexington." \Yhile we cannot claim that any haMe qt fight, in the broadest sense of that term, occurred at any particular point ou the 19th of April, 1775, since the battle, if such it be called, extended from Concord to Charlestown Neck, yet it becomes convenient and highly necessary to give a local name to the skirmish of that eventful day. And to no locality could it be given with as much propriety as to Lexington. It was here that the first encounter in arms occurred ; it was here that the first organized opposition to the King's troops was made; it was here that the first blood on each side was shed, and here tiie first martyrs to liberty fell ; and it was in Lexington that the first British prisoners were made ; it was here that Percy met the fugitive forces of Smith, and saved them from perfect ruin ; and it was here that the British soldiers commenced their system of vandalism, by firing the houses they had plundered ; and it was from Lexington that the intelligence went forth which broke the spell of neutrality and called the nation to arms. And, besides, Lexington made greater sacrifices of men and property than any town in the province on that occasion. To what place, then, could the events of the day be ascribed with as much propriety as to Lexington? While we would not detract from the honors claimed by any other town, we will not ignore the honors bestowed upon ours by the whole country, as being the birtiiplace of American liberty; and the praise bestowed upon our patriot fathers whose acts have contributed to make our town historic and our country free.

Hancock and Adams were stopping with their friend Clarke, at Lexington, and from tiic position they occupied they would naturally be possessed of all the facts known, and the rumors afloat, relative to the designs of the British; they must have known that threats liad been thrown out by tiie ministry of having them arrested and sent to England for trial. Tiiey, of course, kept their friends Clarke and Captain Parker well informed on all these subjects. There was, therefore, in Lexington, a perpetual watchfulness of the movements of tlie British. Tliey knew tiiat tlic few stores deposited at Concord had attracted Gage's attention; and

Hancock knew that Colonel Barrett, to whose custody they were committed, had been apprised of the danger, and had been directed to scatter and secrete them. With a knowledge of these facts the people of Lexington would have an eye to the safety of Hancock and Adams, and of the stores at Concord.

There was, in fact, a general belief in the spring of 1775 that some hostile movement would be made by Gage ; it was known that his troops were desirous of action, and that Gage himself was anxious to make some demonstration before the arrival of Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne, who were on their way to Boston to supersede him. Every known fact and reasonable suspicion kept the patriots of Lexington on the watch. On the 18th of April they saw a number of strangers on horseback pass up the road toward Concord. This created a suspicion that they might be British officers sent on some hostile expedition. They had seen British officers making excursions in the country somewhat frequently, but tliey always returned towards Boston as the day drew towards a close, but in this particular case they passed up the road as the shades of evening were gathering round them. This circumstance went far to convince them that these strangers were British officers, bent on some hostile mission, ileanwhile, Solomon Brown of Lexington, who had been to market at Boston, returned late in the afternoon and informed Colonel Munroe, then orderly sergeant of Captain Parker's company, that he had seen nine British officers, dressed in blue great-coats, passing leisurely up the roads, sometimes before and sometimes behind him, armed, as he discovered by the occasional blowing aside of their great-coats. Munroe, suspecting that their design was to seize Hancock and Adams, immediately collected a guard of eight men, well armed and erpiipped, and placed them, himself at their head, at the iiouse of Mr. Clarke, which was nearly a quarter of a mile from the main road leading to Concord. After some consultation, it was decided by the Jicxington men to send three of their number, Sanderson, BroM-n, and Loring, towards Concord, to watcli the British officers, and endeavor to ascertain and give information of their movements. In the borders of Lincoln, these men were taken prisoners by the British officers, who were paraded across tlic road.

Soon after, Mr. Devens, a jiatriot of Charlestown, sent to Lexington intelligence tliat the l?ritisli in Boston were in motion, and were preparing to leave town on some secret expedition, and tiia{ probably Concord was the place of their destiuatiou. In view of the fancied danger. Captain Parker despatched messengers calling the members of his company to meet forthwith at the Common.

Tiie evening passed in comparative quiet at Lexington. Hancock and Adams had retired for the night. A little past midnight a stranger arrived, post haste, at Mr. Clarke's house, which he fomid guarded by Sergeant Munroe and eight men ; and on requesting to be admitted to Mr. Clarke's house he was told that the family had just retired, and requested that they might not be disturbed by any noise about the house. " Noise ! " exclaimed Revere, " you will have noise enough before long ! The regulars are coming out ! " He was then permitted to pass. On his knocking at the door, Mr. Clarke opened a window and inquired who was there. Eevere, without answering the question, said he wished to see Mr. Hancock. Mr. Clarke, ever deliberate and watchful, was intimating that he did not like to admit strangers to his house at tliat time of night, without knowing who they were and the character of their business, when Hancock, who had retired to rest but not to sleep, recoguizhig Revere's voice, cried out, "Come in. Revere, we are not afraid of you ! " Sliortly after, Dawes, who came out through Roxbury, arrived, bringing the same intelligence, that a large number of British troops had left Boston, and it was suspected that they were destined to Concord to destroy the military stores there.

After refreshing themselves at Lexington, Revere and Dawes, not knowing the fate of the three men who had been sent up the road from Lexington, set off for Concord to alarm the people. Soon after they were overtaken by a young gentleman of Concord, who had been spending the evening in Lexington in no hostile array, with a special female friend. Being an ardent patriot, he entered heartily into their design, and proceeded with ihem, alarming the people on the road. Before reaching Concord they were suddenly met by a party of British officers, armed and mounted, who immediately surrounded and captured Revere, who was in advance of his companions. Tiie yoimg man from Concord, being a little in the rear and mounted on a spirited horse, eluded them by leaping a stone wall, made his escape, and arrived safely in Concord, where he gave the alarm. The same officers had already taken the three men from Lexington, and had them in custody. These prisoners were all subjected to a rigid examination. Presenting their pistols, the officers threatened to blow out the brains of the captives if they did not give true answers to their questions. They interrogated the Lexington men relative to Hancock and Adams, and inquired where they could be found. They questioned Revere, who at first gave them rather evasive answers, but finding himself in their keeping, and seeing no way of escape, said to them, firmly, " Gentlemen, you have missed your aim ! " One of the officers said, " What aim ? " R sacrifice to the lawless oppression of Great Britain, had on a former occasion perilled his life in her defence, having served in the French War, and been standard-bearer at tlie capture of Louisburg. Harrington's was a cruel fate. He fell in front of his own house, on the north of the Common. His at the window saw him fall, and then start up, the blood gushing from his breast. He stretched out his hands towards her, as if for assistance, and then fell again. Rising once more upon his hands and knees, he crawled towards his dwelling. She ran to meet him at tlie door, but it was to see him expire. Samuel Hadley and John Brown were killed after they left the Common, and Caleb Harrington in attempting to escape from the meetinghouse. Asahel Porter of Woburn was not under arms. He had been captured on the road by the Britisli that morning on their approach to Lexington, and in attempting to make his escape, about the time the firing commenced, was shot down a few rods from the Common.

The Lexington men killed on or near the Common in tlie morning, were Ensign Robert Munroe, Jonas Parker, Samuel Hadley, Jonatiian Harrington, Jr., Isaac Muzzy, Nathaniel "Wyman, Caleb Harrington, and John Brown, - eight in number ; and the wounded were Ebenezer Munroe, Jr., John Tidd, John Robbins, Solomon Pierce, Joseph Comee, Thomas Winship, Nathaniel Farmer, Jedediah Munroe, and a colored man called Prince. Francis Brown was wounded in the afternoon, and Jedediaii Munroe was wounded in the morning and killed in the afternoon. John Raymond was killed in the afternoon. Here is a heavy loss ! The number of ten killed and ten wounded of the Lexington men is a larger proportion than the loss in the most deadly battles recorded in iiistory. In the famous battles of Napoleon, where the enemy were defeated, overwhelmed, and destroj-ed, twelve or fifteen per cent would cover their loss. In this case, if we should allow that Lexington had a liundred men in the field that day, which is a high estimate, her loss would be twenty per cent.

After the British had driven the Americans from the place of parade, and pursued them as far as they deemed expedient, they drew up on the Common and gave three cheers as a token of rejoicing at their supposed success. They then commenced their march to Concord, to which the intelligence of their killing some half a dozen men at Lexington had preceded them, as appears from the depositions of John Hoar and eleven others of Lincoln, and Captain Nathan Barrett and sixteen otliers of Concord, who testified that they had assembled near the meeting-house in Concord, in consequence of the approach of the British, who, they learned, iiad fired upon the citizens of Lexington and killed six of their men.

Expresses were sent forth in every direction, andconsidering the state of the roads at that day, it is remarkable that intelligence of the attack upon the militia at Lexington coidd have reached distant places in so short a time. The intelligence reached Newburyport at 1^ m. on the 19tii, and Portsmouth, N. H., early on the 20th; Worcester before noon on the 19th; Newport, R. I., on the 20th ; Fairfield, Conn., at 8 a. m. on the 22d ; New York, at 12 m. on the 2:3d; Philadelphia, at 12 M. on the 26th ; Baltimore, at 10 a. m. on the 27th, and so on. Every town witliin ten or fifteen miles of Lexington must have had the intelligence of the slaughter at Lexington before nine o'clock that day. The military operations in Lexington in the morning being in almost every respect different from what occurred in the afternoon, we will embrace the interval between them, when Smith is absent at Concord, to state some incidents which occurred in Lexington, and to review the scenes of the morning.

After the British left Lexington in the morning, several of their soldiers who had strayed from the main body, and probably had entered some of the houses in search of refreshments (for in the then existing state of things, every house near the Common was open and in a state of confusion), were captured and delivered over to James Reed of Burlington, who, in his deposition, admits that five or six were entrusted to his care in tlie morning, and a larger number in the afternoon. These prisoners were sent the next morning to Chelmsford for safe keeping. Another prisoner, who from fatigue or other cause, was found resting by the wayside near the Viles Taveni in Lexington, was taken soon after the main body had passed. His gun is believed to be the one given to Captain Parker, and by his grandson, the late Theodore Parker, presented to the Commonwealth, and is now in the senate chamber at the state house at Boston, among the relics of the Pievolution, kept as memorials of the patriotism and valor of our fathers, - an example well worthy of imitation.

The men of Lexington had declared, two years before, their trust in God to prejjare them to sacrifice property and life in the cause of the country ; and they felt themselves ready to meet the exigency; and their conduct on that eventful day was such as to redeem the pledge then given. They had resisted British tyranny, and prudently refrained from the premature act of commencing hostilities, by tiring before they were fired upon.

But for this prudent observance of the voice of the public, they have been accused of cowardice, of not returning the fire at all ! But as all the facts connected with the events of tiie day go to show that the fire was returned, that some halfdozen participants have testified that they did return the fire, that Parson Clarke, Dr. Warren, Hancock, and Gordon, at that day, testified to the fact, and that it was asserted by Smith and Gage, and has had the sanction of Everett, Bancroft, and Frothingham, and in fact has gone into history on both continents, we deem the mere assertion of jealous interested individuals, made half a century after the event, and totally unsustained by any proof, unworthy of any labored refutation. But then it has been said that if individuals did fire, they did it without orders. Such an assertion only shows that the privates in Captain Parker's company knew their duty - knew what the public required and what the orders of their captain implied; and like skirmishers in the discharge of their duty, and sentinels on their post, they were sensible that they were required to act on general principles, and not wait for a superior to come and give the order to fire.

On the other hand, it lias been said that it was rashness in Parker to parade his handful of men in the face of such a superior force. What could he expect to accomplish ? Parker knew his duty. He was sensible that the demand of the patriots throughout the province was to assume an exemption from the requirements of the late acts of parliament ; and to make this manifest whenever and wherever an opportunity presented itself. Here was an opportunity, and though attended with great danger, he knew that disinterested patriotism required the hazard. But to depreciate the imjrortance of the acts of Lexington on that trying morning, it has been often repeated that the resistance, whatever it may have been, was not " organized " resistance. Nothing can be farther from the fact. To say nothing of the public voice, the moral organization, which was understood and realized in Lexinglon as fully and as sensibly as in any other town, every movement, and even each pre]):iratory step had 'the sauclion of (he oidv authnrilv which (lie people at the time acknowledged. Parker's company was recruited and organized in conformity with the requirements of the Provincial Congress ; and Parker was legally chosen their commander. The troops were duly paraded, and that with the knowledge and under the eye of John Hancock, who, as chairman of the Committee of Safety, was commander-in-chief of all the military force of the province. He was near by, and knew what was going on; and he was anxious to go upon the Common and take command of the minute-men, but reluctantly yielded to the remonstrance of Adams and Clarke. Surely here was organization more perfect than anything which occurred on that day. Besides, there were some half-dozen prisoners taken that morning, and delivered over to Mr. Reed, who were kept as prisoners of war. Here was military, physical, organized resistance; and the prisoners were the first taken in the Eevolution.

When Smith was on his retreat from Concord and was severely pressed in passing the woody defiles in Lincoln, Captain Parker, who had collected his company, met him ; and, taking a position in the open field to avenge the outrage of the morning, poured a full volley into his flying ranks; and from that time hung upon his flank, giving him great annoyance. As Smith approached the line of Lexington, his retreat was little less than a rabble rout. To save himself from disgrace, he threw a detachment of his men upon a rocky bluff which almost overhung the road near the old Viles Tavern, to hold his pursuers in check till he could arrest the fliglit of his men on what is known as Piske Hill. Taking advantage of the woods and a narrow defile, he brought the front of his fugitives to a stand, and attempted to form a line, where he could, temporarily at least, hold the provincials in check. But before his line was fully formed, his rear, stationed on the bluff', was driven in upon his halfformed column, creating great confusion. Li the mean time a considerable number of the provincials, avoiding the troops on the bluff, had passed through the woods, and secreted themselves behind a lot of split rails near the road where Smith was attempting to form his men ; and when his rear was driven in, and the Americans were gathering around him and picking off his men, the Americans, from tlieir hiding-place behind tiie rails, poured a well-directed enfilading fire into his ranks, creating perfect confusion and dismay. Here Smitii was severely wounded, and Pitcairn was also wounded and thrown from his hor.'se, which, in his sudilcn (light, buiuuled from tlie voacl iuid with all his trappincjs became au easy prey to the pursuers. The horse and the accoutremeuts were sent to Concord, where they were sold at auction. Captain Nathan Barrett purchased the holsters and pistols marked with Pitcairn's name, and offered them to General Washington, who declined them. They were afterwards presented to General Putnam, who carried them through the remainder of his active service ill the war. They were long in the possession of his family, but have recently been presented to Lexington by Mrs. Elizabeth Putnam of Cambridge, N. Y.

of note. The gallantry uf the Acton men on that day is proverbial. They were the tirst to attack at Concord, and among the last to give over the pursuit. James Heywood, one of her brave sons, a young man of twenty-two years, being one of the foremost in pressing u])on the enemy, at the easterly foot of Fiske Hill came in contact with a British soldier, who had stopped to slake his thirst at a well. The Briton presented his musket and said defiantly, " You are a dead man ! " " And so are you ! " retorted young IleyAvood. Both fired and both fell, the Briton dead, and Heywood mortally wounded.

wounded, he made no further attempt to check his pursuers, but gave himself up to inglorious flight. By their own confession, "they were driven like sheep " through Lexington village, where in the morning they had shown such a proud step and brazen front ; and when they met their reinforcement, their own historian, who was present, says, "they threw themselves upon the ground with their tongues running out of their mouths like dogs after a chase." The long-expected reinforcement met Smith's fugitive troops about two o'clock on the plain about three fourths of a mile below Lexington Common. It consisted of eleven hundred men, and two pieces of artillery, under the command of Lord Percy. This gave Smith an opportunity to halt, and give his weary troops a short time to rest and seek refreshment; which they improved by entering into the houses on the plain, and demanding food, which was readily given them. But after thev had obtained all the house afforded, they wantonly commenced a system of pillage and plunder, and in several cases- set fire to the house they had plundered. The officers with Percy resorted to Munroe's tavern just below. The occupants of the house left the place in affright, leaving only John Raymond, an aged man, who was at the time one of the family. Tlie intruders ordered him to supply them with all the good things the house afforded, which he readily did. But after they had imbibed too freely, they became noisy and so alarmed Raymond that he sought to escape from the house ; but was brutally fired upon and killed in Ins attempt to flee from danger.

While the troops were resting here, the fieldpieces were put in requisition ; and wiierever any gathering of Americans was discovered, they were saluted by a cannon-ball. One gun posted on a mound then existing where the present high-scliool house now stands threw several shots into the village, one of which entered the meeting-house, passed out of the pulpit window, and lodged in the nortliern part of the Common. The large reinforcement with their artillery kept the provincials at bay while they remained at Lexington. In tlie mean time General Heath came over from Watertown, and took the command of the provincials, and in a manner directed their movements during the remainder of the day; General Warren accompanied him. After resting here about an hour and a ([uarter, Percy, as commanding officer, commenced his retreat. The surrounding liills for tlie first two or three miles protected his flanks, and his cannon guarded his rear. Tlie provincial troops kept up their pursuit, and Avhen he arrived at Arlington, lie was met by the military which had gathered from the towns below, who readily escorted iiim, to his great annoyance and mortification, to Cliarlestown.

We have seen that the capture of Hancock and Adams, who were known to be at Clarke's, was probably one of the objects of the expedition. Wiien Revere and the Lexington men who had been taken prisoners by the British officers were liberated, Hancock and Adams were apprised of their danger, and they left Mr. Clarke's house. Being desirous of witnessing whatever might occur, they repaired to the rising ground in front of Mr. Clarke's, then covered with a thick growth of wood, where they could overlook tlie Common, and feel themselves secure. They remained there till I he liritisli left for Concord, "it was l:eiT tliiit tlic i):ilrii.lir Adams, foirsirim; (lie result of liie

British oppression, when he heard the report of their fatal volley, exclaimed, " What a glorious morning for America is this ! " Far-seeing patriot, thy vision has been realized with exultation! After the British left for Concord, Hancock and Adams were conducted first to Burlington and then to Chelmsford.

Lexington's patriotic zeal did not expire witli the 19th of April. During tlie siege of Boston she furnished men, wood, and other supplies for the army. On the 6th of May, Captain Parker with a detail of forty-five men repaired to the headquarters of the army at Cambridge, and remained several days guarding the Hues. And on the memorable 17th of June of that year, the gallant Parker with sixty-one of his company reported for duty at Cambridge; but they were deprived of the honor of participating in the struggle on Bunker Hill, by being kept at Cambridge, from an apprehension tliat the British might cross the river and attack the Americans wiiile so many of our troops were engaged at Cliarlestown. Lexington also furnislied her c[uota in the difl'erent campaigns at New York, Ticouderoga, White Plains, the Jerseys, Bennington, Providence, and other places, on the shortest notice ; and in the Continental army of the Revolution she had over one hundred men who enlisted for three years or during the war. And more recently, in the late Rebellion, she furnished, including re-enlistments, two hundred and forty-four men, which was something more than her quota. She also sustained her soldiers liberally, exjjending $27,000 in the late war. Nearly $2,000 of this sum was furnished by the ladies, who provided clothing and liospital supplies for tlie gallant men who were exposing their lives for their country.

But Lexington has a civil, as well as a military, history. Her population, for reasons already stated, has not advanced rapidly, but her growth has been gradual and healthy, her population at this time being 2,510. But by industry her wealth has increased more rapidly than her jropnlation. Within the last twenty years her valuation has arisen from $1,81.5,799 to"$2,979,711, a gain of sixty-four per cent in twenty years. Lexington has not been behind her sister towns in providing for the education of her children. As soon as she was clothed with corporate powers, she erected a scliool-house in the centre of the town, and provided for what was known at that day as " a moving scliool," wliieli was kept alternately in (litreiviil ])arts of the town. After the close of the Revolution, in 1795, three new school-houses were erected, and $333 were appropriated to sustain the schools. Though this sum may appear insignificant, when w^e reflect upon the low rate of wages at that day, and the fact that the fuel was given, and the board of the teacher was gratuitous, we see that this sum would sustain a scliool much longer at that day than at this. The sum here mentioned has been increased from time to time. In 1819 the town appropriated $900, in 1830 $1,000, in 1837 .?1,-100, in 1850 $2,400, in 1860 $3,-100, in 1870 $6,000, in 1875, $10,000; amounting to $21.72 to each scholar in town between the ages of five and fifteen; and making Lexington stand tenth in a list of three hundred and thirty-eight cities and towns in tJie state; and sixth in the county of fifty cities and towns, - a distinction highly creditable to Lexington. She has now seven good school-houses, in two of which we have graded schools. Lexington also supports a high school, and has paid her teacher more tliaii almost any town in the state of the same number of scholars.