Ancient Middlesex with brief biographical sketches of the men who have served the country officially since its settlement . l in was also Chairman of the Board of County Commissionersfrom 1844 to 1850. He was prominently identified with thecause of education, and was a trustee of Framingham Academvfrom 1820 to 1852. In the first half of the last century a bitter and acrimoniousdiscussion arose between certain citizens of Concord and Actonas to which section was entitled to the everlasting renown of theshot heard around the world. As a native of Acton, entered into this contro
Ancient Middlesex with brief biographical sketches of the men who have served the country officially since its settlement . l in was also Chairman of the Board of County Commissionersfrom 1844 to 1850. He was prominently identified with thecause of education, and was a trustee of Framingham Academvfrom 1820 to 1852. In the first half of the last century a bitter and acrimoniousdiscussion arose between certain citizens of Concord and Actonas to which section was entitled to the everlasting renown of theshot heard around the world. As a native of Acton, entered into this controversy with all the force of hisbrilliant genius, often speaking and writing in behalf of theclaims of the men of Acton. In a centennial oration delivered atActon July 21, 1835, he said: If the first blood was shed at Con-cord, the men of Acton arrived to shed it. On another occa-sion, in responding to a toast on the battle of Concord, he is saidto have stampeded the honorable chairman by giving birth tothis famous epigram: Mr. Chairman, it is true that Concordfurnished the field, but Acton the men! He was widely popu-. HON. JOSIAH B. FRENCH, of Lowell,County Commissioner, 1844-1847. ANCIENT MIDDLESEX. 85 lar, and an able lawyer. His distinguishing characteristic, how-ever, was in the possession of an infinite fund of wit and humor,which often convulsed the Honorable Count with its irresistiblebrilliancy; indeed, it has been said by some of his contempo-raries that this propensity for wit and sarcasm acted as a handi-cap to prevent his rising to that eminence in his profession whichhis educatioii and talents justified. As one writer has said, hecontinually watched for openings for his wit, and, whenever hesaw a loose nail, drove it home. In this, he sometimes overshotthe mark, as in the instance of Chief Justice Shaw, who was atone time speaking before an audience of lawyers of certain won-derful things which had come under his observation, mentioningan Egyptian mummy, from the
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