The American Revolution started on April 19, 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. For many years there had existed tension between the American colonist and the British authorities.
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On the night of April 18th, the British army marched from Boston to seize the colonists stockpile of weapons and ammunition. Three messengers set forth that night to warn of the impending threat.
Many people believe it was just Paul Revere that warned the colonist. This belief is based on a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, entitled “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” However, Longfellow’s delightful poem, is historically inaccurate.
Revere did ride to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock, that the British troops were marching towards Lexington.
William Dawes arrived on horseback shortly after Revere. Adams and Hancock, members of the Continental Congress, escaped Lexington with a chest full of papers before the troops arrived.
When the British troops marched on to Lexington Green they faced the colonial militiamen, who had come out to intercept the Redcoats.
Captain John Parker had instructed the Massachusetts Militia “Not to fire unless fired upon.” The British troops under the command of Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairn, and Lord Percy ordered the rebels to return to their homes.
Shouting between both sides followed. The Militiamen refused to leave. As a result, the troops were ordered to cease the militia's arms. With fixed bayonets and muskets held in a charge position, they marched forward. A shot was fired, and a volley of musket balls ensued.
It is not known which side fired first.
The Militia scattered as they return fire on the Redcoats. Major Pitcairn shouted to his men to cease fire as he tried to regain control. Eventually, his men fell back into their columns and marched on to Concord.
The women ran to care for the fallen militiamen on the common green.
One wounded man, Jonathon Harrington, crawled back to his home and died on his front steps in his wife’s arms.
The battle left eight Massachusetts men dead and ten wounded. They were: John Brown, Samuel Hadley, Caleb Harrington, Jonathon Harrington, Robert Munroe, Isaac Muzzey, Asahel Porter, Jonas Parker (Captain Parker’s cousin), and Jonathon Harrington.
One of the militiamen that was injured, Prince Estabrook, was a slave. One British soldier was injured, and Major Pitcairn's horse sustained two gunshot wounds.
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