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FOOTPRINTS OF ACTON PATRIOTS

      ACTON was one of the first towns to respond to the midnight alarm. It affords no more fitting place to-day from which to tell its story than the old Faulkner residence, where glowed the watchfires of patriotism long before the Revolution.
      The recurring attacks by the Indians necessitated the erection of houses for safety, to which the scattered settlers might flee.
      The ancient home of the Faulkner family at South Acton is one of those garrisons, or strong houses, of the territory originally included in Old Concord.
      The first of the Faulkner name in this country was Edmond, who came to Salem, and thence to Andover, which latter place he bought of an Indian chief for twenty gallons of rum and a red coat.
      The records of Andover show him to have been the leader in founding the church there in 1645. He was then a selectman, and was town clerk in 1674-5.
      During King Philip's war, in 1676, his house was burned, and his cattle were killed. The mar-

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riage of Edmond Faulkner with Miss Dorothy Robinson, Feb. 4, 1647, was the first recorded in Andover, the ceremony being performed by John Winthrop. The first born of this marriage, Francis, married Abigail, daughter of Rev. Francis Dane of that town. She was one of the unfortunates of two centuries ago who were accused of witchcraft. She was tried, and condemned to death, but escaped the gallows.

[Photo - "Faulkner Residence"]

      Ammiruhammah, son of Francis and Abigail, and grandson of Edmond and Dorothy, was the first settler in the present town of Acton. He built the house, which has seen nearly two centuries of existence. It has the impress of age upon

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it, and it deepens as one turns for a careful look. The huge chimney confronts you at once; it is nine feet square, and is the centre of strength of the structure. The solid oak timbers, fully eighteen inches square, are apparent at every corner; the gashes made by the woodman's axe are as plainly visible as when they were hewn in the forest.
      The room on the left of the front door is of peculiar interest: its casements of brick were built to keep out the bullets of the enemy. One hundred people may be accommodated in this room.
      The house was for many years the seat of justice. Colonel Francis Faulkner was the magistrate, and in this large room the courts were held. In the top of the door leading to the "livingroom" may be seen two small round openings, through which anxious friends viewed the tribunal when Colonel Faulkner was on the bench.
      The garret of this ancient dwelling is a curiosity-shop. No "vendue" has ever been held, hence the accumulation of foot-stoves, warming-pans, handirons, tin ovens and bakers, settles, spinning-wheels, loom-reels, etc.
      The window-glass, of diminutive size, is the very same through which five generations of the Faulkners have reviewed the scenes without, none of which caused more anxiety than those of April 19, 1775.

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      During the Revolution, Colonel Faulkner was the leader of the town in military affairs as well as in legal and civic. The highway ended at his house; and to reach the dwelling one must cross the stream, Great Brook as it was called by the early settlers. The noise of one crossing the bridge had long been the signal of a caller.
      Francis Faulkner, Jun., was lying awake early on the morning of April 19, 1775, and listening to the clatter of a horse's feet. Suddenly he leaped from his bed, ran to his father's room, and cried out, "Father, there's a horse coming on the full run, and he's bringing news!"
      The horseman turned across the bridge and up to the house, and shouted, "Rouse your minute-men, Mr. Faulkner, the British are marching on Concord!" And away he went to spread farther the news.
      Without stopping to dress, the colonel fired three times, as fast as he could load and fire the old musket.
      The alarm sent out from Concord through the timely notice of Dr. Prescott was early circulated throughout Acton.
      A horseman galloped to the home of Captain Joseph Robbins, and without dismounting banged on the corner of the house, and cried out, "Captain Robbins! Up! Up! The regulars have come to Concord!" John, a son, was out of his garret bed in an instant, and soon on the back of

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his father's old mare headed for the house of Captain Davis, who commanded the minute-men, and thence on to Deacon Simon Hunt's, who was first lieutenant in the West company of militia, and commanding officer in place of Captain Faulkner, who had just been promoted colonel of the Middlesex regiment.
      The Acton companies were not long in gathering, and were soon on the road to Old North Bridge.
      Although they had a most inadequate idea of what was before them, there were sad partings at many homes.
      The Acton minute-men proved the truth of the words of their captain, "I haven't a man that's afraid to go."
      The events of that day seem comparatively recent when we gather the accounts from one who had them from the lips of a participant. The living son of a man who served at Concord and Bunker Hill is Luke Smith of Acton. He was the youngest of thirteen children, and, like Joseph of old, the child of his father's old age. Solomon Smith, like Jacob the Jewish patriarch, had a favorite. It was Luke, his last-born, who is the last to tell his father's story. "Sitting upon my father's knee," he said, "in the full enjoyment of the blessings of liberty, I received from him this account of the eventful day of history:" --
      "The 19th of April, never to be forgotten, was

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a bright, crisp morning. The sun had been up a full hour and a half. We were drawn up in line when I heard the word of command for which we were anxiously waiting, March!' How those words still ring in my ears! Luke Blanchard was our fifer, and Francis Barker was the drummer. To the tune of the 'White Cockade' we left the town. We were too much in haste for many parting words. A few did run back to say a word to wife or parent.

[Photo - "Luke Smith"]

      "We followed the road for a while, and then left it and struck through the woods, a short cut to Concord. We passed Barrett's mill before coming to Old North Bridge. How indignant we were when we first caught sight of Captain Parsons's detachment, with axes, breaking up the gun-carriages, and bringing out hay and wood, and setting fire to them in the yard.
      "We had a good mind to fire upon the red-coated soldiers of King George there and then; but we

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trusted our captain, and waited for his orders. When I heard him say to Colonel Barrett, "I have not a man who is afraid to go," my heart beat faster than the drum of our company; but how my feelings changed when I saw Isaac Davis fall, and Abner Hosmer by his side! I then thought of the widow at home, whom a few hours before I had seen Isaac so tenderly leave."
      Captain Isaac Davis and Private Abner Hosmer fell, killed by the first volley from the enemy.
      At Fisks Hill, in Lexington, James Hayward of Acton was mortally wounded. A tablet there, and a monument at Acton, tell to all people the story of the part taken by the patriots of that town, whose footprints will never be effaced.

AT THIS WELL, APRIL 19, 1775,
JAMES HAYWARD, OF ACTON,
MET A BRITISH SOLDIER, WHO, RAISING HIS GUN,
SAID, "YOU ARE A DEAD MAN."
"AND SO ARE YOU," REPLIED HAYWARD.
BOTH FIRED: THE SOLDIER WAS INSTANTLY
KILLED, AND HAYWARD MORTALLY
WOUNDED.

      He died on the following day.
      While his life was ebbing away, he said to his father, "Hand me my powder-horn and bullet-pouch. I started with one pound of powder and forty balls. You see what I have left; I never did such a forenoon's work before."

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      The powder-horn, with the hole made by the bullet that caused his death, is safely kept in that town to-day; and the shoe-buckles on which are the stains of the blood of Captain Isaac Davis, and also his musket, are still held as precious memorials.
      In October, 1851, a granite monument was erected to the memory of Acton's soldiers, and under it repose the remains of the three brave men.

[Photo - "Powder-Horn"]

      On the monument is the following: --

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
AND
THE TOWN OF ACTON,
CO-OPERATING TO PERPETUATE THE FAME OF THEIR
GLORIOUS DEEDS OF PATRIOTISM,
HAVE ERECTED THIS MONUMENT IN HONOR OF
CAPT. ISAAC DAVIS
AND PRIVATES ABNER HOSMER AND JAMES HAYWARD,
CITIZEN-SOLDIERS OF ACTON AND PROVINCIAL MINUTE-MEN,
WHO FELL IN CONCORD FIGHT
ON THE 19TH DAY OF APRIL, A.D. 1775.

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      On the morning of that eventful day the Provincial officers had a council of war near the Old North Bridge in Concord; and as they separated, Davis exclaimed, "I haven't a man that is afraid to go!" and immediately marched his company from the left to the right of the line, and led in the first organized attack upon the troops of George III. in that memorable war, which, by the help of God, made the thirteen colonies independent of Great Britain, and gave political being to the United States of America.
      Acton, April 19, 1851."

      The sum of two thousand dollars towards the erection of the monument was granted by the State legislature, and expended under the direction of Governor George S. Boutwell.
      The act was passed through the efforts of Rev. James T. Woodbury of Acton. His speech is worthy the study of every patriotic son of our republic.
      Hon. George S. Boutwell gives the following interesting information regarding the action of Acton before the United States republic was declared: --

      While I was engaged in the preparation of the address which I delivered at the dedication of the Acton monument, Oct. 29, 1851, I called the attention of Mr. Webster to the resolution of the town of Acton of June 14, 1776, in the words following, and which I incorporated in my address: --
      The resolution contained these words: 'The many injuries and unheard of barbarities which the Colonies have received from Great Britain confirm us in the opinion that the present age will be deficient in their duty to God, their posterity, and themselves, if they do not establish an American republic. This is the only form of government we wish to see established.'

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      In my letter to Mr. Webster I enclosed a copy of the foregoing resolution; and in reply, under the date of Oct. 16, 1851, he said, 'The resolutions of the town of Acton of the 14th of June, 1776, are very remarkable. The general idea of some union among the several Colonies, each acting under its separate government, is known, of course, to have prevailed. The meeting at Albany is proof of this, and other evidences also to the like effect are spread through our history. But the inhabitants of Acton, with a far-seeing sagacity, by the resolution referred to, carried that opinion much farther, and to a much more important result. They appear to have contemplated, not a confederacy or league between the States, but one government, that is to say, an American republic for them all. I am not aware of any vote or declaration by any body of citizens to the same or a similar effect of an earlier period.'
      "It may be true that in the later days of active and careful investigation earlier evidence of a like declaration may have been found, but such evidence has not come under my notice."

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