Posted on 04/19/2006 7:31:42 AM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost
The following narrative appeared in an obituary notice of the Columbian Sentinel of Feb. 6, 1793:
Died at Menotomy, the 2d instant, Capt. Samuel Whittemore, AEt. 96 years and 6 months. The manly and moral virtues, in all the varied relations of a brother, husband, father, and friend, were invariably exhibited in this gentleman. He was not more remarkable for his longevity and his numerous descendants (his progeny being 185, one of which is the fifth generation) than for his patriotism.When the British troops marched to Lexington, he was 79 years of age, and one of the first on the parade; he was armed with a gun and horse-pistol. After an animated exhortation to the collected militia to the exercise of bravery and courage, he exclaimed, 'If I can only be the instrument of killing one of my country's foes, I shall die in peace.' The prayer of this venerable old man was heard; for on the return of the troops he lay behind a stone wall, and discharging his gun a soldier immediately fell; he then discharged his pistol, and killed another; at which instant a bullet struck his face, shot away part of his cheekbone; on which a number of the soldiers ran up to the wall, and gorged their malice on his wounded head. They were heard to exclaim, 'We have killed the old rebel.'
About four hours after, he was found in a mangled situation; his head was covered with blood from the wounds of the bayonets, which were six or eight; but providentially none penetrated so far as to destroy him. His hat and clothes were shot through in many places; yet he survived to see the complete overthrow of his enemies, and his country enjoy all the blessings of peace and independence.
His funeral will be held to-morrow at 4 o'clock P. M. from his house at Menotomy, which his relatives and friends are requested to attend.
Some fodder for the list, my friend.
oh, i was gonna ping him. (whine)
bump
The hoops one has to jump through in order to obtain a license to carry make it all but impossible, yes. That said, in Massachusetts, licenses to carry are issued by town, and each town has different standards for issuing them. In some towns it's relatively easy to obtain a license to carry, in others, it's impossible---even if you have a spotless criminal record.
Yes it is... Also ironic is the fact that Massachusetts still celebrates Patriots Day, but true patriots are so hard to find there these days that the face of Massachusetts in the US Senate is a pair of traitors.
These patriots were a brave and hardy lot. Willing to pay the ultimate price if necessary. Let us not forget.
Lex - a descendent of one of those that fateful day
After recently reading "1776" by David McCullough, I've become a American Revolution reading fool! I've since gained a greater respect for George Washington and his contemporaries and was re-introduced to key players like Nathaniel Greene and Henry Knox.
I'd imagine an "elder" person would be someone in his fifties. The Whittemore story is one of the most incredible stories of 19 April . . .
Contrast his story with Pickering's---the Salem militia captain who, had he not dallied so long marching down from Salem (because he doubted the veracity of the alarm, IIRC), could have cut the retreating lobsterbacks off before they reached Charlestown Neck, ensuring that none of them made it back from the countryside alive. Breed's Hill, a few months later, would've taken on a whole different flavor.
Which one, Lex?
Outstanding!
If you haven't already discovered him, may I recommend just about anything from David Hackett Fischer. Bernard Bailyn is also fantastic, as is Arthur Tourtellot's Lexington and Concord and Robert Gross's The Minutemen and their World.
A number of people simply call it "Marathon Monday" now . . .
The Militias answered the call then.
It's staggering to think that units from twenty-odd miles away made the march in time to join the fight. The network of post riders formed by Revere, Dr. Joseph Warren, et al were pretty damn impressive.
For those unfamiliar with the term, Menotomy is the early name of present-day Arlington, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts, by the way, has a strong and active pro-firearms group, Gun Owners' Action League. It is a "shall issue" state for long guns; a "may issue" state for the LTC. However, in practice, and outside Boston and some of the larger towns such as Cambridge, an LTC is not all that difficult to obtain if one is ready to take a one-day "safety course" and do the paperwork. Moreover, anyone denied the LTC for any reason may appeal the decision in district court. Anyone so denied can (and should) contact GOAL for assistance.
Jack Hammer
GOAL Member
NRA Life Member
They saw this coming many months ago and trained and drilled for this day.
The Brits never went outside of Boston again until Evacuation Day.
I'm hoping for sequels, 1777, 78, 79, 80 and 81.
This is good stuff to know, because, as you know, the only person who has a say in whether or not private, law-abiding citizens will be issued LTCs in a particular city or town is that city or town's police chief. Yes, ladies in gents, by fiat. Good to know there's an avenue for appeal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.