First Shot In The Revolution

The first American wbo discharged bis gun on the day of the battle of Lexington, was Ebonezer Lock, who died at Deering, N. II , about fifty years ago. - He resided at Lexington in 1775. The British reguhrs, at the order of Major Pitcairn, baving fired at a few Americana on the green in front of the meeting liouse, killing some and wounding others, ït was a signal of war. " The citizens," writes one, " roight be seen coming from all directions in the roads, over "the fields and tbrough the woods, each with bis rifle in bis hand, his powder horn at bis side, and bis pockcts provided with bulets." Among the number was Ebcnezer Liock. The British bad posted a reserve of nfantry a mile in the rear, in the direcion of Boston. This was in the neighsorhood of Mr. Lock, who, instead of ïastening to join the party at the green, )laced bimself in an open cellar at a convenient distance for doing execution. A portion of the reserve was standing on a bridge, and Mr. Lock commenced firing at them. He worked valiantly for sonie ,en hiíduíos, bringing down ooe of the enemy at nearly every sliot. Up to tüis ime not a gun had been fired elsewhere y the Americans. The British, greatly disturbed at losing so many men by the andom fire of an unseen foe, were not ong in discovering the man in the cellar, and discharged a volley of balls, which odged in the wallsopposite. Mr. Lock, ■cmainiug unhurt, continued to load and iré with tho precisión of a distinguished narksman. He was driven to such close [uarters, bowever, by the British on his ight and left, that he was compelled to etreat. He liad just one bullet left, and there was but one way to escape, and that was hrough an orchard, and not ouc moment was to be lost ; he leveled bis gun at the man near by, dropped the vveapon, and he man was shot to tho heart. The )alls whistled about him. Loek reaehed he brink of a steep hill, and throwing limsclf down upon the ground, tumbled ownwarda, rolling as if mortally wouncd. ín this way he esnaped unhurt. - At the close of the war he moved to íew Hampshire, where he resided uutil lis deatli, twenty years after. He lived n seclusion and died in peace.