Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
--Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1860.
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
--Concord Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1837.
Today is the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution. We learned Longfellow and Emerson’s poems in grade school in a previous century, and I wonder if they are still taught today. I suspect not often.
In any case, the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, are significant to me. My mother was huge on genealogy, and joined the Daughters of the American Revolution on two ancestors--militia commanders Captain John Parker and Colonel James Barrett. One of her cousins was named Parker Barrett.
Like so many colonists, John Parker regarded himself as an American rather than a Briton. He was elected head of his militia company based on his experience in the French and Indian War. Though fatally consumptive, he managed the strength to take the field on Lexington Common at the head of his 80 men, 12 miles west of Boston at dawn on April 19. Militia units had been alerted by Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, though others also raised the alarm.
A British column comprised of companies from ten regiments and a marine battalion was ordered to seize civilian arms. As the regulars approached, Parker walked the line, advising his company, “Stand your ground. Do not fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
Someone—a nervous American or an ill-trained soldier—let off a round. From there the 20th century phrase took hold, “firing contagion.” Vastly outnumbered, the militia retreated with Parker intending to regroup to the rear.
Eight patriots were killed, ages 25 to 63. Honor their memories: John Brown, Samuel Hadley, Caleb Harrington, Jonathon Harrington, Robert Munroe, Isaac Muzzey, Asahel Porter, and Jonas Parker, Captain John’s cousin. Jonathon Harrington, fatally wounded, crawled home and died on his own doorstep.
Ten others were wounded.
From Lexington the 700-strong British marched six miles to Concord, focused on James Barrett’s farm. The family was well established, having immigrated 137 years before. Colonel Barrett’s rank was suitable to the strength of his command, some 400 minutemen and militia. Anticipating the redcoats’ actions, arms and ammunition with two dismounted cannon were buried in his adjacent fields, largely escaping detection although supplies in town were discovered and destroyed.
This month’s American Rifleman has an excellent article by historian Joel Bohy. He quotes 19-year-old Thaddeus Blood of Concord: “About 2 o’clock in the morning I was called out of bed by John Barritt a Sergt of the Militia Company which I belonged. I joined the company under Capt. Nathan Barrett…at the old court house about 3 o’clock and was orerd to go into the court house to draw ammunition, after the company had all their amun we were paraded near the meeting house.”
With another militia unit, Barrett’s company set out for Lexington when the low sun gleamed off British bayonets, “making a noble appearance.”
Minuteman Amos Barrett, less literate than Thaddeus Blood, wrote, “Thair was in the town House a number of intrenchen tools with they carried out and Burnt them. At least they said it was better to Burn them in the house and set fire to then in the house, but our people Begd of them not to Burn the house, and put it out. It wont long before it was set fire again but finally it warnt Burnt. Their was about 100 barrels of flower in Mr. Hubbards malt house, the rold that out an noked then to pieces and Rold some in the mill pond whitch was saved after they was goon.”
The short battle was fought at relatively close range--across the Concord River the north bridge and approaches were only about 140 feet. Typical of 18th century warfare, the engagement was marked with the rattle of musketry and tang of black powder smoke obscuring much of the action.
But in the confused fighting in and around Concord, the British suffered from disjointed command, and withdrew, some in a panic, some captured inebriated.
Thereafter the British retreat became a shooting gallery. Hundreds of other Americans rushed to the scene, taking turns sniping at the redcoats on their long, dolorous retreat to Boston.
At day’s end 54 Americans were killed or missing with about 40 wounded. The youngest killed was Edward Barber of Charlestown, just 14.
Of the 1,500 British engaged in the two battles and the withdrawal, 126 were killed or missing plus 174 known wounded for a total of 300. The overall disparity was three to one in favor of the home team.
The most man in the fight was 78-year-old Samuel Whittemore, Jr. A farmer, he saw the British relief column approaching (three regiments and a marine battalion) and resolved to do his part. He ambushed a grenadier unit, shooting three soldiers with his musket and pistols. Then, with his blood truly up, he drew a sword and charged. His intended victims shot him in the face and bayonetted him repeatedly. Left for dead, when found by other Americans he was trying to reload his musket.
Incredibly, Sam Whittemore died in 1793—ten years after America’s independence--at the exceptionally advanced age of 96.
Captain Parker died of tuberculosis that September at age 46. Colonel Barrett died at 68 in 1779. Paul Revere died in 1818.
Both poets died in 1882. Longfellow took his last literary ride in March at age 75, and Emerson crossed the celestial bridge in April at 78, victim of TB as was John Parker.
Let it be noted:
The American Revolution leading to independence began with a government weapon confiscation scheme.
That fact is embedded in our national DNA. It should--but probably will not—raise cautionary hackles in some political circles.
