April 18, 1775: One if by land, and two if by sea

[Tom McAndrew]

there are several dates in American history that I hold as special. April 18th and 19th are two such dates. April 18th is the date when British soldiers set out to capture cannons and other material hidden near Concord. It's also the date when Paul Revere and William Dawes, under the direction of Dr. Joseph Warren (one of the giants of the patriot movement in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War), set out on horse to alert their fellow patriots that the British forces were on the move. Interestingly, Revere gets most of the credit (due to Longfellow's poem), while Dawes is a name usually known only by history buffs. (To be accurate, Dawes set out on horse via Boston Neck just before the British sealed off the city, whereas Revere rowed across the Charles River to Charlestown, and then rode on horse from there.) If I recall correctly, neither of them made it to Concord where the Provincial Congress had hidden a large quantity of arms. Between Lexington and Concord, Revere and Dawes met Samuel Prescott, who was returning from visiting a female. (@lionlover, was Prescott an ancestor of yours?) The three of them were riding together when they were challenged by a British patrol. The three road in opposite directions to try to avoid being captured. Revere was unable to avoid capture by the British patrol, and was held for a few hours. Dawes was thrown from his horse during the dash to escape capture, and ended up walking back to Lexington. Samuel Prescott escaped capture, and was the individual that alerted the Concord patriots that the British were marching to capture their hidden munitions.

If you are interested in reading more about the ride, and the events that precipitated British Gen. Gage to send troops out to capture the munitions, I offer two recommendations:

1. Paul Revere's Ride, by David Hacket Fischer
- the best book about the actual events of April 18 & 19

2. The Road To Concord, by J. L. Bell
- one of the best books on what Gage's troops were actually seeking on their march

While Revere is known to most Americans, and Dawes and Prescott are known by most historians, very few people can identify the individuals involved in hanging the lanterns in Old North Church. Most research shows that John Pulling and Robert Newman were the individuals that were involved in the hanging of lanterns. There is some debate as to which one did the actual hanging, and which one stood watch on the street. There are also some claims by the descendants of Thomas Bernard that he was involved in the operation. In David Hackett Fischer's book (listed above), he states that Pulling and Newman went into the church to hang the lanterns, while Thomas Bernard stood guard outside. That may be accurate, though historians have been unable to resolve for sure whether Bernard was actually there, and thus whether Pulling or Newman was the actual individual that hung the lantern.

The aforementioned events took place before the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, and more than one year before that Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

 

[Jovialgent]

The Up With People group put the Revere ride to music in the 60's.

 

[Thomas1945]

Interesting report, the History buff came out in me today. I left Boston at 7:00 AM today and retraced the route to Lexington and Concord. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. If the British had faced the traffic I did I imagine that they would have just packed it in and gone back to Boston proper.

 

[MJG-90]

In David Hackett Fischer's book (listed above), he states that Pulling and Newman went into the church to hang the lanterns, while Thomas Bernard stood guard outside. That may be accurate, though historians have been unable to resolve for sure whether Bernard was actually there, and thus whether Pulling or Newman was the actual individual that hung the lantern.

.

This is like Barkley's overtime TD vs. Minnesota. Saquon gets all the credit, but my goodness, I could have gotten down to the 5 yard line (where Barkley finally has to make a move) through that gaping hole.

All these dudes are heroes. They all would have been hung for treason had the good guys not won the war.

 

[ericstratton-rushchairman]

I'm actually in Concord right now. However up here it's pronounced kuncid

 

[delcoLion]

Also, the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. The last Raider passed away about 10 days ago.

I’ll try to get Fischer’s book but I have a lot in front of it. Thanks, Tom.

 

[MacNit07]

there are several dates in American history that I hold as special. April 18th and 19th are two such dates. April 18th is the date when British soldiers set out to capture cannons and other material hidden near Concord. It's also the date when Paul Revere and William Dawes, under the direction of Dr. Joseph Warren (one of the giants of the patriot movement in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War), set out on horse to alert their fellow patriots that the British forces were on the move. Interestingly, Revere gets most of the credit (due to Longfellow's poem), while Dawes is a name usually known only by history buffs. (To be accurate, Dawes set out on horse via Boston Neck just before the British sealed off the city, whereas Revere rowed across the Charles River to Charlestown, and then rode on horse from there. If I recall correctly, neither of them made it to Concord where the Provincial Congress had hidden a large quantity of arms. Between Lexington and Concord, Revere and Dawes met Samuel Prescott, who was returning from visiting a female. (@lionlover, was Prescott an ancestor of yours?) The three of them were riding together when they were challenged by a British patrol. The three road in opposite directions to try to avoid being captured. Revere was unable to avoid capture by the British patrol, and was held for a few hours. Dawes was thrown from his horse during the dash to escape capture, and ended up walking back to Lexington. Samuel Prescott escaped capture, and was the individual that alerted the Concord patriots that the British were marching to capture their hidden munitions.

If you are interested in reading more about the ride, and the events that precipitated British Gen. Gage to send troops out to capture the munitions, I offer two recommendations:

1. Paul Revere's Ride, by Dave Hacket Fischer
- the best book about the actual events of April 18 & 19

2. The Road To Concord, by J. L. Bell
- one of the best books on what Gage's troops were actually seeking on their march

While Revere is known to most Americans, and Dawes and Prescott are known by most historians, very few people can identify the individuals involved in hanging the lanterns in Old North Church. Most research shows that John Pulling and Robert Newman were the individuals that were involved in the hanging of lanterns. There is some debate as to which one did the actual hanging, and which one stood watch on the street. There are also some claims by the descendants of Thomas Bernard that he was involved in the operation. In David Hackett Fischer's book (listed above), he states that Pulling and Newman went into the church to hang the lanterns, while Thomas Bernard stood guard outside. That may be accurate, though historians have been unable to resolve for sure whether Bernard was actually there, and thus whether Pulling or Newman was the actual individual that hung the lantern.

The aforementioned events took place before the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, and more than one year before that Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Looking forward to this:

By Rick Atkinson
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (The Revolution Trilogy

 

[lionlover]

there are several dates in American history that I hold as special. April 18th and 19th are two such dates. April 18th is the date when British soldiers set out to capture cannons and other material hidden near Concord. It's also the date when Paul Revere and William Dawes, under the direction of Dr. Joseph Warren (one of the giants of the patriot movement in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War), set out on horse to alert their fellow patriots that the British forces were on the move. Interestingly, Revere gets most of the credit (due to Longfellow's poem), while Dawes is a name usually known only by history buffs. (To be accurate, Dawes set out on horse via Boston Neck just before the British sealed off the city, whereas Revere rowed across the Charles River to Charlestown, and then rode on horse from there. If I recall correctly, neither of them made it to Concord where the Provincial Congress had hidden a large quantity of arms. Between Lexington and Concord, Revere and Dawes met Samuel Prescott, who was returning from visiting a female. (@lionlover, was Prescott an ancestor of yours?) The three of them were riding together when they were challenged by a British patrol. The three road in opposite directions to try to avoid being captured. Revere was unable to avoid capture by the British patrol, and was held for a few hours. Dawes was thrown from his horse during the dash to escape capture, and ended up walking back to Lexington. Samuel Prescott escaped capture, and was the individual that alerted the Concord patriots that the British were marching to capture their hidden munitions.

If you are interested in reading more about the ride, and the events that precipitated British Gen. Gage to send troops out to capture the munitions, I offer two recommendations:

1. Paul Revere's Ride, by Dave Hacket Fischer
- the best book about the actual events of April 18 & 19

2. The Road To Concord, by J. L. Bell
- one of the best books on what Gage's troops were actually seeking on their march

While Revere is known to most Americans, and Dawes and Prescott are known by most historians, very few people can identify the individuals involved in hanging the lanterns in Old North Church. Most research shows that John Pulling and Robert Newman were the individuals that were involved in the hanging of lanterns. There is some debate as to which one did the actual hanging, and which one stood watch on the street. There are also some claims by the descendants of Thomas Bernard that he was involved in the operation. In David Hackett Fischer's book (listed above), he states that Pulling and Newman went into the church to hang the lanterns, while Thomas Bernard stood guard outside. That may be accurate, though historians have been unable to resolve for sure whether Bernard was actually there, and thus whether Pulling or Newman was the actual individual that hung the lantern.

The aforementioned events took place before the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, and more than one year before that Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

 

[Mister Magoo]

there are several dates in American history that I hold as special. April 18th and 19th are two such dates. April 18th is the date when British soldiers set out to capture cannons and other material hidden near Concord. It's also the date when Paul Revere and William Dawes, under the direction of Dr. Joseph Warren (one of the giants of the patriot movement in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War), set out on horse to alert their fellow patriots that the British forces were on the move. Interestingly, Revere gets most of the credit (due to Longfellow's poem), while Dawes is a name usually known only by history buffs. (To be accurate, Dawes set out on horse via Boston Neck just before the British sealed off the city, whereas Revere rowed across the Charles River to Charlestown, and then rode on horse from there. If I recall correctly, neither of them made it to Concord where the Provincial Congress had hidden a large quantity of arms. Between Lexington and Concord, Revere and Dawes met Samuel Prescott, who was returning from visiting a female. (@lionlover, was Prescott an ancestor of yours?) The three of them were riding together when they were challenged by a British patrol. The three road in opposite directions to try to avoid being captured. Revere was unable to avoid capture by the British patrol, and was held for a few hours. Dawes was thrown from his horse during the dash to escape capture, and ended up walking back to Lexington. Samuel Prescott escaped capture, and was the individual that alerted the Concord patriots that the British were marching to capture their hidden munitions.

If you are interested in reading more about the ride, and the events that precipitated British Gen. Gage to send troops out to capture the munitions, I offer two recommendations:

1. Paul Revere's Ride, by Dave Hacket Fischer
- the best book about the actual events of April 18 & 19

2. The Road To Concord, by J. L. Bell
- one of the best books on what Gage's troops were actually seeking on their march

While Revere is known to most Americans, and Dawes and Prescott are known by most historians, very few people can identify the individuals involved in hanging the lanterns in Old North Church. Most research shows that John Pulling and Robert Newman were the individuals that were involved in the hanging of lanterns. There is some debate as to which one did the actual hanging, and which one stood watch on the street. There are also some claims by the descendants of Thomas Bernard that he was involved in the operation. In David Hackett Fischer's book (listed above), he states that Pulling and Newman went into the church to hang the lanterns, while Thomas Bernard stood guard outside. That may be accurate, though historians have been unable to resolve for sure whether Bernard was actually there, and thus whether Pulling or Newman was the actual individual that hung the lantern.

The aforementioned events took place before the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, and more than one year before that Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Patriot Day should be a national holiday

 

[WDLion]

there are several dates in American history that I hold as special. April 18th and 19th are two such dates. April 18th is the date when British soldiers set out to capture cannons and other material hidden near Concord. It's also the date when Paul Revere and William Dawes, under the direction of Dr. Joseph Warren (one of the giants of the patriot movement in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War), set out on horse to alert their fellow patriots that the British forces were on the move. Interestingly, Revere gets most of the credit (due to Longfellow's poem), while Dawes is a name usually known only by history buffs. (To be accurate, Dawes set out on horse via Boston Neck just before the British sealed off the city, whereas Revere rowed across the Charles River to Charlestown, and then rode on horse from there. If I recall correctly, neither of them made it to Concord where the Provincial Congress had hidden a large quantity of arms. Between Lexington and Concord, Revere and Dawes met Samuel Prescott, who was returning from visiting a female. (@lionlover, was Prescott an ancestor of yours?) The three of them were riding together when they were challenged by a British patrol. The three road in opposite directions to try to avoid being captured. Revere was unable to avoid capture by the British patrol, and was held for a few hours. Dawes was thrown from his horse during the dash to escape capture, and ended up walking back to Lexington. Samuel Prescott escaped capture, and was the individual that alerted the Concord patriots that the British were marching to capture their hidden munitions.

If you are interested in reading more about the ride, and the events that precipitated British Gen. Gage to send troops out to capture the munitions, I offer two recommendations:

1. Paul Revere's Ride, by Dave Hacket Fischer
- the best book about the actual events of April 18 & 19

2. The Road To Concord, by J. L. Bell
- one of the best books on what Gage's troops were actually seeking on their march

While Revere is known to most Americans, and Dawes and Prescott are known by most historians, very few people can identify the individuals involved in hanging the lanterns in Old North Church. Most research shows that John Pulling and Robert Newman were the individuals that were involved in the hanging of lanterns. There is some debate as to which one did the actual hanging, and which one stood watch on the street. There are also some claims by the descendants of Thomas Bernard that he was involved in the operation. In David Hackett Fischer's book (listed above), he states that Pulling and Newman went into the church to hang the lanterns, while Thomas Bernard stood guard outside. That may be accurate, though historians have been unable to resolve for sure whether Bernard was actually there, and thus whether Pulling or Newman was the actual individual that hung the lantern.

The aforementioned events took place before the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, and more than one year before that Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Unreal to walk across that bridge.

 

[rem524]

I'm actually in Concord right now. However up here it's pronounced kuncid

My son and I are going to the Patriot Vigil at the North Bridge this evening. Both of our kids play in a junior fife and drum corps and they played at a reading/"reenactment" of Longfellow's poem at the Paul Revere capture site a couple of weekends ago.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Looking forward to this:

By Rick Atkinson
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (The Revolution Trilogy

Yeah, it's on my list. It's coming out in May. Atkinson's plan is to break the Rev War into three books (kind of like he did with WW II). I'm interested to see what he writes. He's got a good track record writing about US military campaigns. It will be interesting to see if he brings anything new to the discussion, or just rehashes that which has been written in previous books about the individual battles/campaigns of the Rev War.

This is like Barkley's overtime TD vs. Minnesota. Saquon gets all the credit, but my goodness, I could have gotten down to the 5 yard line (where Barkley finally has to make a move) through that gaping hole.

All these dudes are heroes. They all would have been hung for treason had the good guys not won the war.

Agreed. All of the patriots that I mentioned I believe lived in Boston in April of 1775. (I'm certain on all of them except Prescott; I'll have to check on him.) At that time, the British military had suspended all forms of civilian rule, and was running Boston under military rule. The only land route into and out of Boston was via the Boston Neck, and there were British soldiers checking everyone that entered or left the city (and turned back, in either direction, those that they suspected of being against them). That said, there was no shortage of information that "leaked" out of Boston. Dr. Warren worked tirelessly to set up an efficient operation by the Sons of Liberty to get the info to the Provincial Congress, and other patriots in Massachusetts. There has long been suspicion that British Gen. Gage's wife, Margaret Kemble Gage, who was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was Dr. Warren's source for the info that the British were planning to march the night of April 18th, to capture the munitions stored at Concord. Dr. Warren had confided that he had a secret source, but never revealed the identity of his source. He died a few months later, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, which is one of the main reasons that historians have never been able to conclusively prove the identity of his secret source. Gen. Gage sent his wife "home" to England after the battles of Lexington and Concord. Some historians feel that is an indication that Gen. Gage suspected her of being the source, while others feel that Gen. Gage realized after what happened in the aforementioned battles that the situation had fundamentally changed, and that the British position in Boston was not secure, so he simply wanted to protect her. (The British did abandon Boston 11 months later, after the patriots were able to set up cannons and fortifications on Dorchester Heights. The entire British force of 11,000 soldiers and sailors, plus @ 1,000 loyalist, sailed from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia.)

Unreal to walk across that bridge.

I've gotten choked up just standing on the bridge, and imagining what took place there on April 19th. And it's not even the original bridge. There are pieces of the original bridge in several museums.

My son and I are going to the Patriot Vigil at the North Bridge this evening. Both of our kids play in a junior fife and drum corps and they played at a reading/"reenactment" of Longfellow's poem at the Paul Revere capture site a couple of weekends ago.

Awesome!!!

 

[WDLion]

Yeah, it's on my list. It's coming out in May. Atkinson's plan is to break the Rev War into three books (kind of like he did with WW II). I'm interested to see what he writes. He's got a good track record writing about US military campaigns. It will be interesting to see if he brings anything new to the discussion, or just rehashes that which has been written in previous books about the individual battles/campaigns of the Rev War.



Agreed. All of the patriots that I mentioned I believe lived in Boston in April of 1775. (I'm certain on all of them except Prescott; I'll have to check on him.) At that time, the British military had suspended all forms of civilian rule, and was running Boston under military rule. The only land route into and out of Boston was via the Boston Neck, and there were British soldiers checking everyone that entered or left the city (and turned back, in either direction, those that they suspected of being against them). That said, there was no shortage of information that "leaked" out of Boston. Dr. Warren worked tirelessly to set up an efficient operation by the Sons of Liberty to get the info to the Provincial Congress, and other patriots in Massachusetts. There has long been suspicion that British Gen. Gage's wife, Margaret Kemble Gage, who was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was Dr. Warren's source for the info that the British were planning to march the night of April 18th, to capture the munitions stored at Concord. Dr. Warren had confided that he had a secret source, but never revealed the identity of his source. He died a few months later, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, which is one of the main reasons that historians have never been able to conclusively prove the identity of his secret source. Gen. Gage sent his wife "home" to England after the battles of Lexington and Concord. Some historians feel that is an indication that Gen. Gage suspected her of being the source, while others feel that Gen. Gage realized after what happened in the aforementioned battles that the situation had fundamentally changed, and that the British position in Boston was not secure, so he simply wanted to protect her. (The British did abandon Boston 11 months later, after the patriots were able to set up cannons and fortifications on Dorchester Heights. The entire British force of 11,000 soldiers and sailors, plus @ 1,000 loyalist, sailed from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia.)



I've gotten choked up just standing on the bridge, and imagining what took place there on April 19th. And it's not even the original bridge. There are pieces of the original bridge in several museums.



Awesome!!!

Not the original bridge but it's at the same location as the original.

 

[SCBlueFan]

Looking forward to this:

By Rick Atkinson
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (The Revolution Trilogy

If you travel to Boston, you’ll hear at every corner that Revere would never have said “The British are coming,” because we were all British at that point. He would have said something more like, “The redcoats are coming.’

 

[WDLion]

If you travel to Boston, you’ll hear at every corner that Revere would never have said “The British are coming,” because we were all British at that point. He would have said something more like, “The redcoats are coming.’

Apollos Paul Rivoire, Paul Revere's father was french.

 

[MacNit07]

Yeah, it's on my list. It's coming out in May. Atkinson's plan is to break the Rev War into three books (kind of like he did with WW II). I'm interested to see what he writes. He's got a good track record writing about US military campaigns. It will be interesting to see if he brings anything new to the discussion, or just rehashes that which has been written in previous books about the individual battles/campaigns of the Rev War.



Agreed. All of the patriots that I mentioned I believe lived in Boston in April of 1775. (I'm certain on all of them except Prescott; I'll have to check on him.) At that time, the British military had suspended all forms of civilian rule, and was running Boston under military rule. The only land route into and out of Boston was via the Boston Neck, and there were British soldiers checking everyone that entered or left the city (and turned back, in either direction, those that they suspected of being against them). That said, there was no shortage of information that "leaked" out of Boston. Dr. Warren worked tirelessly to set up an efficient operation by the Sons of Liberty to get the info to the Provincial Congress, and other patriots in Massachusetts. There has long been suspicion that British Gen. Gage's wife, Margaret Kemble Gage, who was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was Dr. Warren's source for the info that the British were planning to march the night of April 18th, to capture the munitions stored at Concord. Dr. Warren had confided that he had a secret source, but never revealed the identity of his source. He died a few months later, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, which is one of the main reasons that historians have never been able to conclusively prove the identity of his secret source. Gen. Gage sent his wife "home" to England after the battles of Lexington and Concord. Some historians feel that is an indication that Gen. Gage suspected her of being the source, while others feel that Gen. Gage realized after what happened in the aforementioned battles that the situation had fundamentally changed, and that the British position in Boston was not secure, so he simply wanted to protect her. (The British did abandon Boston 11 months later, after the patriots were able to set up cannons and fortifications on Dorchester Heights. The entire British force of 11,000 soldiers and sailors, plus @ 1,000 loyalist, sailed from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia.)



I've gotten choked up just standing on the bridge, and imagining what took place there on April 19th. And it's not even the original bridge. There are pieces of the original bridge in several museums.



Awesome!!!

If this Atkinson trilogy is half as good as the WW2 one, it will be great new series!

 

[PSUcup1]

.

This is like Barkley's overtime TD vs. Minnesota. Saquon gets all the credit, but my goodness, I could have gotten down to the 5 yard line (where Barkley finally has to make a move) through that gaping hole.

All these dudes are heroes. They all would have been hung for treason had the good guys not won the war.

I don’t know you... but I’m willing to bet you couldn’t have made the cut Barkley did at the 15 yard line inorder to score .... with all due respect

 

[razpsu]

April 18 is one of those dates in history.

Robert e lee offered command of us forces.

4 years later today
Sherman and Johnston reach agreement of surrender for all confederate forces.

I love history.
April is always the month that the armies in the past break out of winter camps and start their campaigns.

 

[razpsu]

April 18 is one of those dates in history.

Robert e lee offered command of us forces.

4 years later today
Sherman and Johnston reach agreement of surrender for all confederate forces.

April is always the month that the armies in the past break out of winter camps and start their campaigns.

Rereading Shelby Foote 2 Nd part of 3 for the 4th? Time, of the civil war. Chancellorsville campaign.

 

[Woodpecker]

Interesting report, the History buff came out in me today. I left Boston at 7:00 AM today and retraced the route to Lexington and Concord. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. If the British had faced the traffic I did I imagine that they would have just packed it in and gone back to Boston proper.

That's why the patriots rode at night.

 

[montoya33]

2 years mandatory military service for all would be good for the soul.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

If you travel to Boston, you’ll hear at every corner that Revere would never have said “The British are coming,” because we were all British at that point. He would have said something more like, “The redcoats are coming.’

This has been kicked around a good bit by historians.

There is some debate as to when this phrase first appeared and how it was attributed to Revere.

Some feel the first appearance was in the 1854 New England Historical and Genealogical Register. On Nov. 21, 1822, William H. Sumner, of Boston, dined with Dorothy Scott, of New Hampshire. Dorothy Scott had previously been married to John Hancock. After Hancock's death, she married the captain of one of Hancock's captains, which is how she became a Scott, and also why she moved to New Hampshire. According the William H. Sumner, Dorothy Scott shared many interesting storied from the Rev War era, and he went home that night and wrote them down, though they weren't published for 32 years. In the story published in 1854, it was a Lexington resident that burst into where Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Dolly (Dorothy) Quincy (she was Hancock's fiancee in April 1775), and exclaimed that he had seen British soldiers returning from Concord, and said, "The British are coming! the British are coming! my wife's in etarnity (sic) now." It's not clear how this alarm from a Lexington resident was later attributed to Revere when he first got to Lexington. (The British soldiers first got to Lexington and had a small battle on Lexington Green, then went to Concord to secure the munitions that were stored there, then battled with militiamen on North Bridge, then returned to Lexington and set fire to several buildings, and then marched back to Boston, under constant attack by the patriots.)

Another appearance of the phrase appeared in 1856. It was published in Extracts from the Diary and Correspondence of the Late Amos Lawrence. It states that Amos Lawrence indicated in a letter that:

"My father [Samuel Lawrence] belonged to a company of minute-men in Groton, at the commencement of the Revolution. On the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, when the news reached town that the British troops were on the road from Boston, General [Oliver] Prescott, who was a neighbor, came towards the house on horseback, at rapid speed, and cried out, “Samuel, notify your men: the British are coming.” My father mounted the general's horse, rode a distance of seven miles, notified the men of his circuit, and was back again at his father's house in forty minutes. In three hours the company was ready to march, and on the next day (the 20th) reached Cambridge."

How accurate is it? Nobody seems to know. Amos Lawrence was born in 1786, and died in 1856, so he didn't have first-hand knowledge of the events. His father, Samuel Lawrence, died in 1827, so he could have told Amos the above story, though the correspondence was not published for nearly 30 years after Samuel's passing.

The first print appearance of Revere actually saying "the British are coming," was in 1879. In Stories of American History Teaching Lessons of Patriotism, N. S. Dodge writes that Revere telling a sergeant guarding the parsonage at Lexington that "you will have noise enough before long; the British are coming." That's over 100 years after the actual event when Revere is credited with making the statement.

Louis May Alcott (famous writer, and Concord resident) also appears to have contributed to the confusion. In her historical fiction titled Tabby's Table-Cloth, which appeared in Feb. 1884 in St. Nicholas magazine, she writes the following about April 19, 1775:

"the people leaped from their beds when young Dr. [Samuel] Prescott came, riding for his life, with the message Paul Revere brought from Boston in the night: — “Arm! arm! the British are coming!”"

What did Revere actually say? Historians have been unable to resolve that. The first appearance in print with claims of what Revere said appeared in 1825, in Elias Phinney's History of the Battle of Lexington. Phinney gathered legal depositions from current and former residents of Lexington about what happened on April 19, 1775. In the book, Phinney included the following disposition from William Munroe:

I, William Munroe, of Lexington, on oath do testify, that I acted as orderly sergeant in the company commanded by Capt. John Parker, on the 19th of April, 1775; that, early in the evening of the 18th of the same April, I was informed by Solomon Brown, who had just returned from Boston, that he had seen nine British officers on the road, travelling leisurely, sometimes before and sometimes behind him; that he had discovered, by the occasional blowing aside of their top coats, that they were armed.

On learning this, I supposed they had some design upon [John] Hancock and [Samuel] Adams, who were then at the house of the Rev. Mr. [Jonas] Clark, and immediately assembled a guard of eight men, with their arms, to guard the house.

About midnight, Col. Paul Revere rode up and requested admittance. I told him the family had just retired, and had requested, that they might not be disturbed by any noise about the house. “Noise!” said he, “you’ll have noise enough before long. The regulars are coming out.” We then permitted him to pass.

Soon after, Mr. Lincoln came. These gentlemen came different routes. Revere came over the ferry to Charlestown, and Lincoln over the neck through Roxbury; and both brought letters from Dr. [Joseph] Warren in Boston to Hancock and Adams, stating, that a large body of British troops had left Boston, and were on their march to Lexington. On this, it was thought advisable, that Hancock and Adams should withdraw to some distant part of the town.

So according to this resident of Lexington, Revere said "the Regulars are coming out." How accurate is this? Nobody knows for sure. Munroe calls Willie Dawes "Mr. Lincoln," so his statement isn't 100% accurate. That said, many historians feel that if Revere called the British soldiers anything, it was likely "the Regulars."

 

[SCBlueFan]

This has been kicked around a good bit by historians.

There is some debate as to when this phrase first appeared and how it was attributed to Revere.

Some feel the first appearance was in the 1854 New England Historical and Genealogical Register. On Nov. 21, 1822, William H. Sumner, of Boston, dined with Dorothy Scott, of New Hampshire. Dorothy Scott had previously been married to John Hancock. After Hancock's death, she married the captain of one of Hancock's captains, which is how she became a Scott, and also why she moved to New Hampshire. According the William H. Sumner, Dorothy Scott shared many interesting storied from the Rev War era, and he went home that night and wrote them down, though they weren't published for 32 years. In the story published in 1854, it was a Lexington resident that burst into where Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Dolly (Dorothy) Quincy (she was Hancock's fiancee in April 1775), and exclaimed that he had seen British soldiers returning from Concord, and said, "The British are coming! the British are coming! my wife's in etarnity (sic) now." It's not clear how this alarm from a Lexington resident was later attributed to Revere when he first got to Lexington. (The British soldiers first got to Lexington and had a small battle on Lexington Green, then went to Concord to secure the munitions that were stored there, then battled with militiamen on North Bridge, then returned to Lexington and set fire to several buildings, and then marched back to Boston, under constant attack by the patriots.)

Another appearance of the phrase appeared in 1856. It was published in Extracts from the Diary and Correspondence of the Late Amos Lawrence. It states that Amos Lawrence indicated in a letter that:

"My father [Samuel Lawrence] belonged to a company of minute-men in Groton, at the commencement of the Revolution. On the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, when the news reached town that the British troops were on the road from Boston, General [Oliver] Prescott, who was a neighbor, came towards the house on horseback, at rapid speed, and cried out, “Samuel, notify your men: the British are coming.” My father mounted the general's horse, rode a distance of seven miles, notified the men of his circuit, and was back again at his father's house in forty minutes. In three hours the company was ready to march, and on the next day (the 20th) reached Cambridge."

How accurate is it? Nobody seems to know. Amos Lawrence was born in 1786, and died in 1856, so he didn't have first-hand knowledge of the events. His father, Samuel Lawrence, died in 1827, so he could have told Amos the above story, though the correspondence was not published for nearly 30 years after Samuel's passing.

The first print appearance of Revere actually saying "the British are coming," was in 1879. In Stories of American History Teaching Lessons of Patriotism, N. S. Dodge writes that Revere telling a sergeant guarding the parsonage at Lexington that "you will have noise enough before long; the British are coming." That's over 100 years after the actual event when Revere is credited with making the statement.

Louis May Alcott (famous writer, and Concord resident) also appears to have contributed to the confusion. In her historical fiction titled Tabby's Table-Cloth, which appeared in Feb. 1884 in St. Nicholas magazine, she writes the following about April 19, 1775:

"the people leaped from their beds when young Dr. [Samuel] Prescott came, riding for his life, with the message Paul Revere brought from Boston in the night: — “Arm! arm! the British are coming!”"

What did Revere actually say? Historians have been unable to resolve that. The first appearance in print with claims of what Revere said appeared in 1825, in Elias Phinney's History of the Battle of Lexington. Phinney gathered legal depositions from current and former residents of Lexington about what happened on April 19, 1775. In the book, Phinney included the following disposition from William Munroe:

I, William Munroe, of Lexington, on oath do testify, that I acted as orderly sergeant in the company commanded by Capt. John Parker, on the 19th of April, 1775; that, early in the evening of the 18th of the same April, I was informed by Solomon Brown, who had just returned from Boston, that he had seen nine British officers on the road, travelling leisurely, sometimes before and sometimes behind him; that he had discovered, by the occasional blowing aside of their top coats, that they were armed.

On learning this, I supposed they had some design upon [John] Hancock and [Samuel] Adams, who were then at the house of the Rev. Mr. [Jonas] Clark, and immediately assembled a guard of eight men, with their arms, to guard the house.

About midnight, Col. Paul Revere rode up and requested admittance. I told him the family had just retired, and had requested, that they might not be disturbed by any noise about the house. “Noise!” said he, “you’ll have noise enough before long. The regulars are coming out.” We then permitted him to pass.

Soon after, Mr. Lincoln came. These gentlemen came different routes. Revere came over the ferry to Charlestown, and Lincoln over the neck through Roxbury; and both brought letters from Dr. [Joseph] Warren in Boston to Hancock and Adams, stating, that a large body of British troops had left Boston, and were on their march to Lexington. On this, it was thought advisable, that Hancock and Adams should withdraw to some distant part of the town.

So according to this resident of Lexington, Revere said "the Regulars are coming out." How accurate is this? Nobody knows for sure. Munroe calls Willie Dawes "Mr. Lincoln," so his statement isn't 100% accurate. That said, many historians feel that if Revere called the British soldiers anything, it was likely "the Regulars."

Yup, I knew they mentioned a second option for what he might have said, the "the regulars" was indeed the other logical choice.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[Tom McAndrew]

I got 10 of 10 on the quiz. Test your Rev War knowledge in the quiz link in the tweet

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[LionJim]

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"Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here:" Captain Parker.

 

[BTMurphy]

woohoo, 10/10. However, the Newburgh conspiracy answer was a guess... albeit an educated one.

Dr. Warren does not receive anywhere near the credit he deserves, imho. Would be interesting to see what his place in our history would have been had he not been killed so early in the revolution

 

[Tom McAndrew]

woohoo, 10/10. However, the Newburgh conspiracy answer was a guess... albeit an educated one.

nicely done!

Dr. Warren does not receive anywhere near the credit he deserves, imho. Would be interesting to see what his place in our history would have been had he not been killed so early in the revolution

Last year, this book came out:

Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren
by Christian Di Spina

I've read it, attended a presentation that the author gave on the book, and also corresponded with the author, and I would highly recommend the book. It's a very fair examination of Dr. Warren, and brings some new facts to the discussion which had not been previously disclosed.

It's tough to say what his place would have been had he not been killed at Bunker Hill. He was the brains and the organization behind the Sons of Liberty in Massachusetts before the start of the Rev War. In addition, he was able to do all this while also remaining in good standing with the upper class loyalists, though he was reaching a point where that was not going to be able to maintain those relationships. Had he been a member of the 1st or the 2nd Continental Congress, he likely would have had an opportunity to make more of a mark. However, his Massachusetts colleagues were happy that he remained behind to run things.

 

[Woodpecker]

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Smart strategy to stay away from the 2A interchange with I95

 

[LionJim]

Smart strategy to stay away from the 2A interchange with I95

Yes, years ahead of its time, much like Heth and Buford picking for their battle the very same place Lincoln made a speech shortly later.