CONCORD VILLAGE AND VICINITY.
1. Col. Barrett. 2. Barrett's Mill. 3. John Handley. 4. John White's Store. 5. Widow Brown's Tavern. 6. J. Davis. 7. John Brown. 8. Fourth American Position. 9. Major Buttrick. 10. Third American Position. 11. North Bridge. 12. Rev. Mr. Emerson. 13. Elisha Jones. 14. Second American Position. 15. Capt. Eph. Jones's Tavern. 16. Grist Mill. 17. Wright's Tavern. 18. First American Position. 19. Meriam's Corner. 20. South Bridge. 21. Lieut. Jos. Hosmer. 22. Eph. Wood. 23. Discontinues Roads. 24. New Roads.
About a quarter of a mile beyond the North Bridge, and in a westerly direction from it, is a little hill about forty feet higher than the river.[180] To reach it by road from the bridge meant traveling over two sides of an irregular triangle, and going nearly half a mile.[181] The crest of the elevation commands a beautiful view up and down the river, with the North Bridge in the middle foreground, and the village nearly a mile away to the southward.
The Americans moved forward from Punkatasset Hill to this, their fourth position, at about nine o'clock, as their reinforcements had augmented sufficiently to induce a growing feeling of aggressiveness. Here were assembling the sturdy men of Concord and of Acton; of Bedford, Lincoln, and Carlisle, and of other neighboring towns. Joseph Hosmer acted as Adjutant, forming the soldiers as they arrived, the minute companies on the right and the militia on the left, facing the bridge.[182]
Col. James Barrett summoned his subordinate officers for a council of war, the first one of the American Revolution, and while they were so engaged, Captain Isaac Davis and his company of minute-men from Acton arrived, and marched to a position on the left of the line, as they had been accustomed to on training-days. After halting his little command, Capt. Davis joined his brother officers in their council of war.
There were then assembled on that little hill, four Concord companies, commanded respectively by Capt. David Brown, fifty-two men; Capt. Charles Miles, fifty-two men; Capt. George Minot, number of men unknown; and Capt. Nathan Barrett, number of men also unknown. From Acton there were three companies, one under Capt. Isaac Davis, thirty-eight men; one under Capt. Joseph Robins, number of men unknown; and one under Capt. Simon Hunt,[183] number of men also unknown. There were two companies from Bedford, one being under Capt. John Moore, fifty-one men; and the other under Capt. Jonathan Willson, twenty-eight men. A little later Captain Willson was killed and his command fell to Lieut. Moses Abbott. Lincoln was represented by Capt. William Smith with sixty-two men.[184]
In addition to these regular organized soldiers, there were many individuals present, who undoubtedly took a patriotic part in the subsequent events, and easily constituted the American force as one of at least four hundred and ninety.
These men looked down on the hostile troops at the Bridge, and beyond the river to the village, where huge volumes of smoke were rising from the bonfires of military stores. These seemed to them as the burning of their homes. Inspired by that fear, and by their knowledge of the bloodshed at Lexington, they were ready to follow where their officers should lead. Their council could only decide in one way: