Benjamin Cutter, William R. Cutter, History of the town of Arlington, Massachusetts, ormerly the second precinct in Cambridge, or District of Menotomy, afterward the town of West Cambridge. 1635-1879 with a genealogical register of the inhabitants of the precinct.

The following is evidently a rough-draft copy of the foregoing report to Gen. Gage.

April 20, 1775.

sir:—At Menotomy I was informed by a person whom I met that there had been a skirmish between His Majesty's Troops and the rebels at Lexington, and that they were still engaged. On this, I immediately pressed on, and in less than 2 miles we heard the firing very distinctly.

About this time (which was between 1 and 2 o'clock in the afternoon) I met with Lt. Gould of the King's own Regiment, who was wounded, and who informed me that the Grenadiers and Light Inf'y had been attacked by the rebels about day-break, and were retiring, having expended most of their ammunition,—and in about a quarter of an hour I met them retiring through Lexington.

I immediately ordered the two field pieces to fire at the Rebels. * * *

In this manner we retired for 15 miles under an incessant fire all round us, till we arrived at Charlestown, which road I chose to take, lest the rebels should have taken up the bridge at Cambridge (which I find was actually the case), and also as the country was more open, and the road shorter.

During the whole of our retreat the rebels endeavored to annoy us by concealing themselves behind stone-walls and within houses, and firing straggling shot at us from thence; nor did I during the whole time perceive any body of them drawn up together, except near Cambridge, just as we turned down towards Charlestown, who dispersed on a cannon shot being fired at them, and came down to attack our right flank in the same straggling manner the rest had done before. * * * *

In obedience to your Excellency's command I have drawn up the above state of the affair. And I am, &c.

Extract from a letter written by Lord Percy to Gen. Harvey, London, dated Boston, April 20, 1775.

* * * I therefore pressed on to their relief as fast as good order and not blowing the men would allow. * * * The rebels were in great numbers, the whole country having collected for 20 miles around. * * * I ordered the Grenadiers and Light Inf'y to move off, covering them with my Brigade and detaching strong flanking parties, which was absolutely necessary, as the whole country we had to retire through was covered with stone-walls, and was besides a very hilly, stony country. In this manner we retired for 15 miles under an incessant fire, which, like a moving circle, surrounded and followed us wherever we went till we arrived at Charlestown at 8 in the evening * * * having expended almost every cartridge.

You will easily conceive that in such a retreat, harassed as we were on all sides, it was impossible not to lose a good many men. The following is an account of them: 65 killed, 157 wounded, 21 missing, besides 1 officer killed, 15 wounded, and 2 wounded and taken prisoners.