This April, in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the Concord Fight, the Concord Free Public Library will mount a major display ("To Support the Truth of It") on the sources relating to the Concord Fight in Concord's town records and in the Library's Special Collections. The exhibition will explore the problems of documentation and verification that these sources present, and on how the tremendous significance that the Fight has assumed affects what people look for and find in the sources.

The display, which will be open to the public in the Library Art Gallery from April 3 through May 31, will be presented in six sections:

• I. Icons and Images
• II. Documents Relating to April 19th and Its Consequences
• III. Later Sources and Scholarship
• IV. Anniversary Celebrations of the Concord Fight
• V. Historic Sites
• VI. Historical Fiction.

The exhibition has been under preparation since early in 1999. The Special Collections staff, Library Director Barbara Powell, Library Corporation, and Library Committee hope that all Concord residents will have a chance to see "To Support the Truth of It" and to understand the richness and complexity of the town's documentary heritage through it.

The preview below consists of an image of and accompanying display text for one of the items to be shown. Millie Barrett's scissors (shown here above with this article's title) will form part of the first section of the exhibition, "Icons and Images."

PREVIEW

Millie Barrett's is one of several stories about saucy women who, despite their gender, made a contribution to the American cause on April 19th. Melicent (variously spelled Meliscent, Millicent, Milliscent, and Millisent) Barrett, born in 1759, was a granddaughter of Colonel James Barrett, who commanded the regiment of militia on April 19, 1775. James P. Swain, Millie Barrett's son, recounted the story of his mother's pluck as follows:

... About one hundred and one years ago, Dr. Warren sent a young man, ... Joseph Swain ... to Concord, to take charge of the rebel armory. After repairing the guns generally in use, he attempted to make some new ones. For this purpose he returned to Salem ...

Colonel James Barrett and his son James had subsequently, during the French war, furnished through the commissary department in Boston, oatmeal and other provisions. This continued on until near 1774. It was a common occurrence for a young staff officer to come to Concord on this business, and, while waiting a reply, would amuse himself by talking loyalty with James Barrett's oldest daughter, Melicent, to hear her rebel replies. He asked her what they would do if it should become necessary for the Colonies to resist, as there was not a person who even knew how to make cartridges. She replied that they would use their powderhorns and bullets, just as they shot bears. "That," says the young man, "Would be too barbarous; give me a piece of pine, and I will show you how." After whittling the stick to the proper form, he took these scissors, which I now present to the town of Concord, and cut the paper for the pattern cartridge. The sequel shows how apt a scholar she was, for all the cartridges were made under her superintendence by the young ladies of Concord ... After the war, Joseph Swain returned to Concord, and married Melicent Barrett, and took these relics to Halifax, Vt., where I came in possession of them.