If you where in Boston, on April 19, 1775, at around 7:00 pm, you would see British regulars straggling through the streets. “How did this happen?”, you might ask. Well, I’d like to tell you.
On April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere received an urgent message from Dr. Warren. It said that the British are going to come from Boston to capture the gunpowder stored up by colonials. They would also go and arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams, leaders of the Sons of Liberty, who were opposed to the British. Paul was to warn John and Samuel and to tell the local militia that the British were coming by sea.
So Paul alerted the colonials and soon militiamen were pouring into Lexington Green, the British first checkpoint. The Militiamen waited for hours, after a while, many went home. Finally a lookout runs up and says to Capt. John Parker, “The Redcoats are coming!” In all, there are 70 militiamen at Lexington Green. All of a sudden, 240 British regulars march onto the Green.
At 7:20 am. Major John Pitcairn, a British officer, rode up and shouted to the militia, “Disperse ye rebels disperse, and lay down your arms!” Capt. John Parker said, “Fall back, but remain armed.” The militiamen start walking away, however, a few stay. Then a shot, “The shot heard ‘round the world. Both sides exchanged fire for around 10 minutes. In all, 8 militiamen died and 10 were wounded. Only 2 Redcoats where wounded, one in the leg and another in the finger. The militiamen retreat, for the moment! However, they gather in large numbers in Concord, the British second checkpoint. But this time the colonials didn’t run, they fought back. One British survivor remembered, “They marched toward us in a very military manner.” The British set fires in Concord. One militiaman asks Col. Barrett, “Will you let them burn the town down?”Col. Barrett, a militia officer, orders his troops to North Bridge, where there were around 100 redcoats guarding the bridge. They exchange fire at around 200 yards distance. Two Americans are killed and several are wounded. Col. Barrett shouted, “Fire, for God’s sake fire!” The Americans return fire, killing and wounding around 15 redcoats. The British retreated as 3,600 militiamen from over 40 towns pour into Concord and the surrounding countryside. The British retreat along Battle Road which is 20 miles long. The British finally started to straggle into Boston at around 7:00 pm. The British suffered over 300 dead, wounded or missing, while the Americans only suffer 100 casualties.
Today, you can visit the location of the first battle of the American Revolutionary war at Minuteman National Park.
I have only given the general idea of this historical event. If you are interested please read more.
Resources:
1. Let it Begin Here! Lexington and Concord By Dennis Brindell Fradin
2. National Park.com
There are many other resources that you can find at your local library.
On the left of the Tenth Army was the German reserve troops, who where not supposed to go into battle until the German High Command told them to. On the right was the Eighth Army which was to cover the Tenth army and make sure that no Polish troops (especially from the cities of Posen and Lodz) did not come near the main thrust to Warsaw.
