232 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



make muskets and bayonets for this county (part of the number required 

 from this county by the honorable House of Assembly,) at the Philadel- 

 phia prices ; that he will confine himself and his workmen to that work and 

 carry on the same as expeditiously as he can, and that he will deliver in to 

 the Commissioners and Assessors of this county or to this Committee as 

 many muskets. — [If further proceedings were had, they cannot be found.] 



As it does not lie within the compass of this work to narrate the stir- 

 ring events of the Eevolution, but simply to record matters connected 

 with the History of Lancaster County, which are of permanent interest, 

 we have to pass over the meeting of the Continental Congress which met 

 at Philadelphia, September 4, 1774, agreed upon a declaration of the 

 rights of the Colonies, recommended the non-importation of British goods 

 iato the country and the non-exportation of American produce to Great 

 Britain, voted addresses to the King and the people of Great Britain and 

 to the French Canadians, and urged another Congress to be convened on 

 May 10, 1775, unless the redress of their grievances should be previously 

 obtained.^ 



On April 19, 1775, the bloody affair at Lexington opened the war of 

 the Revolution and on June 17th following, the Battle of Bunker Hill 

 was fought, an account of which, as published on a folio sheet by Francis 

 Bailey, Printer, of Lancaster, is here reproduced : 

 By an Express arrived at Philadelphia on Saturday evening last^ ive have 



the following account of the battle at Charlestown, on Saturday the 18th of 



tlune^ Instaiit. 



On Friday night, the 17th instant, fifteen hundred of the Provincials 

 went to Bunker^ s Hill, in order to intrench there, and continued intrench- 

 ing till Saturday ten o'clock, when 2,000 Regulars marched out of Bos- 

 ton, landed in Charlestown, and plundering it of all its valuable effects, 

 set fire to it in ten different places at once ; then dividing their army, 

 part of it marched up in the front of the Provincial intrenchment, and 

 began to attack the Provincials at long shot; the other part of their 

 army marched round the town of Charlestown, under cover of the smoke 

 occasioned by the fire of the town. The Provincial sentries discovered 

 the Regulars marching upon their left wing. Upon notice of this given 

 by the sentry to the Connecticut forces posted upon that wing, Captain 

 Nolton, of Ashford, with 400 of said forces, immediately repaired to, and 

 pulled up a post and rail-fence, and carried the posts and rails to another 

 fence, put them together for a breast-work. Captain Nolton gave orders 

 to the men not to fire until the enemy were got within fifteen rods, and 

 then not till the word was given. At the words being given, the enemy 

 fell surprisingly ; it was thought by spectators who stood at a distance, 

 that our men did great execution. 



^ Gordon. 



