The Battle of Lexington, April 19th, 1775. Plate I.
LEXINGTON COMMON AND VICINITY.
1. Lexington Common. 2. Meeting House. 3. Belfry. 4. Marrett Munroe. 5. Emerson. 6. Buckman Tavern. 7. Harrington. 8. Rev. Jonas Clarke. 9. Merriam. 10. Loring. 11. Mead. 12. Mulliken. 13. Bond. 14. Munroe Tavern. 15. Sanderson. 16. Mason. 17. Percy's Cannon. 18. Lieut.-Col. Smith wounded. 19. Hayward mortally wounded. 20. Wellington captured.
Captain John Parker's company numbered, all told, one hundred and twenty men, but only a few more than half answered to this call at day-break, April 19. It will be remembered that Paul Revere did not reach Lexington with his message of alarm until midnight. Many of the minute-men lived too remote to be so quickly summoned. Captain Parker's home was over two miles away, in the southwesterly part of the town, near the Waltham line. He was called at about one o'clock,[108] and stood on the Common before two o'clock with such of his men as had then assembled. We have seen how they answered the roll-call and then dispersed to be within call of the drum, as the night was chilly. Those who lived near, went home, and those who lived too far away, to quickly go and come, repaired to Buckman's Tavern, close at hand.
Captain Parker has been described by his grandson, Theodore Parker, the celebrated Unitarian preacher, as being "a great, tall man, with a large head, and a high, wide brow." His great grand-daughter, Elizabeth S. Parker, has described him as stout, large-framed, medium height, like Rev. Theodore Parker, but with a longer face.[109] We can imagine him as a prudent man, with a quiet, yet firm courage.