Israel, for the last eight months, sojourning as a laborer on a farm in Windsor, enrolled himself in the regiment of Colonel John Patterson of Lenox, afterwards General Patterson.
The battle of Lexington was fought on the 18th of April, 1775; news of it arrived in the county of Berkshire on the 20th about noon.

The next morning at sunrise, Israel swung his knapsack, shouldered his musket, and, with Patterson's regiment, was on the march, quickstep, towards Boston.
Like Putnam, Israel received the stirring tidings at the plough.

But although not less willing than Putnam to fly to battle at an instant's notice, yet--only half an acre of the field remaining to be finished--he whipped up his team and finished it.

Before hastening to one duty, he would not leave a prior one undone; and ere helping to whip the British, for a little practice' sake, he applied the gad to his oxen.

From the field of the farmer, he rushed to that of the soldier, mingling his blood with his sweat.