A BROAD-SHOULDERED YOUTH OF SEVENTEEN The Young Continentals at Lexington by John T. Mc. Intyre Author of “With John Paul Jones” “The Boy Tars of 1812” John T. Mc. Intyre c. Illustrated by Ralph L. Boyer. Illustrated by Ralph L. Boyer. The Penn Publishing Company Philadelphia MCMIX The Penn Publishing Company Philadelphia MCMIX COPYRIGHT 1909 BY THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY [3] Introduction “The Young Continentals at Lexington” begins with that vital period of our country’s history when the great forces that made the Revolution were slowly coming together. The Young Continentals at Lexington The port of Boston was closed; an army under Gage occupied the city; Massachusetts Bay was thronged with troop-ships and frigates, and the colonies were writhing under a series of unjust and oppressive laws. It was at this time that the four boys who play the leading parts in the story began their experiences. Historical events that led up to the war for independence are met with in every chapter; the great personages of the time figure upon almost every page. From the meeting of the first Congress at Carpenter’s Hall to the stand of the minutemen at Lexington and Concord Bridge, every important step in the movement for national life is touched on. The second book of the series, “The Young[4] Continentals at Bunker Hill,” takes up the thread of history where this book leaves it. It will show the siege of Boston, and the glorious defeat on the Hill.