History Brief: Lexington and Concord
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2014
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Everything students need to know about Lexington and Concord.
Transcript:
One mid-April morning in 1775, Thomas Gage, commander of British troops in Boston, learned of a stash of weapons and ammunition the colonial militia had stored 18 miles away in the village of Concord. Gage, determined to meet the threat head on, issued orders to seize the supplies and destroy them.
Paul Revere, a silversmith involved with the Sons of Liberty, supervised a network of spies around the city. Once alerted of the British movements, Revere arranged for a friend to watch from a window of the Old North Church. If the troops left Boston on foot, he was to hang one lantern in the window, if they left by boat, two lanterns were to be placed in the window.
As 800 of King George III’s best troops began climbing into boats, Revere took note of the lanterns and set out on a nighttime ride, alarming fellow colonists that, “The Regulars are out! The Regulars are out!” Heeding Revere’s and fellow rider William Dawes’ warnings, militia began gathering on the Village Green near Lexington, intending to block the road to Concord.
On the morning of April 19, 1775, a group of around 70 militiamen watched as the British Army swung into battle formation in front of them. British officers ordered the militia to lay down their weapons and disperse, but the Colonists didn’t move. The defiance ignited a tense standoff. Then a nervous trigger finger fired one of the most important shots in the history of the world.
A stray bullet buzzed across the Lexington Green, and the British responded with deadly accuracy. Several colonists returned fire before running away. Eight militia men lay dead, and ten more were wounded. No one knows who fired the bullet, but it became known as the “Shot Heard Round the World.”
The British marched on, determined to carry out their mission, as colonial militia began assembling for Concord’s defense. To get there, the militia had to cross the North Bridge which was guarded by three British companies. The British ordered the Americans to stop, and a warning shot was fired into the air. An instant later, the King’s Army fired a full volley into the Americans. Major Butrick, the American officer shouted, “Fire, for God’s sake men, fire!”
The colonists responded, and the British, facing a full scale battle, fell back, beginning a 17-mile retreat back to Boston. As news of the fight spread, colonists from all directions took up positions behind trees, rocks, and even houses, firing at British soldiers as they passed.
Many British soldiers began falling out and surrendering, and the army was perhaps minutes away from disintegrating. Suddenly, British soldiers near the front of the advance let out an echoing cheer at the site of a column of reinforcements marching to rescue them. With a large number of fresh and organized British troops in front of them, the militia abandoned the chase. The Battle of Concord resulted in 99 British soldiers being killed and 174 wounded.
The days of boycotts, protest rallies, and letters to Parliament were over. The war for American Independence had begun.
Fact correction, There is proof of where that shot came from. Why are the historians refusing to admit that that shot came from the musket of Solomom Brown who was at Buckman's tavern front door when he fired that shot. Even British historians have admitted that it was Brown. I am the first cousin 8 times removed from Solomon and I have the eye witness and other documentation of the events that took place that day. I lost three relatives that day and they are buried there on the Green.
The Colonist did not abandon the chase when Lord Percy showed up with a fresh Battalion and two brass cannons. He lined his battalion up across what is now Massachusetts ave near where U.S. Rt 95 passes through Lexington. At this point the Massachusetts Provincial Army had around 3,000 men in the field. 3,000 or so that registered with the headquarters of Artemas Ward the Major General of the Massachusetts Provincial Army. Many other Militia Units did not report to Gen Wards Headquarters and thus as in much of history you need to dig deeper to find the truth. For Instance, two companies of Infantry left Waltham at 8-9AM and marched to the battle only two miles north down a strait path with fields for miles around. There is even a recording taking in the 1920's of an old women telling the stories she heard about the battle from her grandmother, who was only 9 or 10 at the time. She vividly remembers the two infantry companies meet at the corner of Lincoln and Lexington st, say goodbye to their families and march north to the sound of the guns. We also know Waltham had two companies of light Cavalry the only cavalry in the Middlesex Division of the Colonial Army, but they were also not officially counted on the role of battle. So some historians now recognize that there could have been up to 10,000 armed militia organized or not and still taking part in the battle. People need to understand this was not a rural riot, Massachusetts colony as well as Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire all had their own Armies as well, complete with artillery, cavalry etc.. So when Percy arrived he couldn't have been a minute later. Because General Artemas Ward was getting great intelligence and knew that two of the three escape routes to Boston were already blocked. This battle had been rehearsed for months by the colonial army, they knew how to win it, he was also beginning to take control of the various companies of minutemen and militia from throughout the colony.
Percy saved the British from a complete route by doing two key things. One, he placed his brass cannons on hillsides opposite Mass ave where they could focus on units Gen Ward was putting together to surround what was left of Gages 800 badly mauled troops. Two, he sent out riders one to Cambridge near present day Harvard square and one to Waltham Ma, where Moody st, crosses the Charles river. Those riders reported back that the bridge over the Charles in the Cambridge Watertown area was being held by a small company of militia from Newton MA, however, that company had taken all the planks of the bridge and stored them neatly on the south bank of the Charles, no crafty Yankee would burn a perfectly good bridge. The other scout reported two companies of Cavalry guarding the bridge over the Charles River in Waltham. The only two companies of Calvary General Ward had at his command that day. So, Percy knew the situation was critical. He would not be able to take the land route back to Boston, crossing the Charles and going up Boston Neck. If he tried this, he would have to have fought a formal European style battle with no real artillery support, besides the two light brass cannons, no Cavalry and his back against a River that was not fordable. He had to take the long way home. The first rule of any infantry commander under fire in a hostile controlled area is do not retreat the way you came. Your only asking for defeat. However, Percy had no choice. He reassembled his army some 1400 strong now. He used more companies of flankers to keep the colonial companies as far away from Mass Ave as possible, he also used his cannon to great affect. Those two cannon probably saved that Army. The colonials could not form groups larger then a company because of the cannons. So they had to keep using the hit and run tactics, they used from Old North Bridge, through Merriams Corner, The Bloody Angle, and Parkers Revenge, until they meet Percy's column. Percy had the men rest, eat and take care of wounds and weapons, while his artillery kept the colonials on the far side of Lexington town. Then Percy gave the order to march, back the way they came through the village of Menotomy (Arlington MA), Cambridge, right down Mass ave and on the road next to Harvard University. As Percy got closer to the city and farther from open farm land and wood lots his artillery and flanking tactics were becoming less successful. In fact Percy lost more men in Arlington and Cambridge then he did in Concord or Lexington. Lastly, where Union Square in Somerville MA is today, Percy was met by a large force of colonials from Essex county and Portsmouth NH. These men poured into the streets of Union square and began massacring the exhausted out of ammunition and demoralized British troops. At this point Percy ordered his column to make for Charlestown neck as quickly as possible and form up a line of battle on Breeds Hill. This the British did with great skill. They finally made it to the relative safety of the high ground on breeds hill. The only way General Ward could attack would be suicidial. Like Boston, Charlestown is also an isthmus during low tide and an island at high tide. If the Colonials ware to attack, they would have to attack over a flooding muddy foot path 100 feet wide, in view and in clear fire of 1,400 British Regulars, Plus the many Royal Navy Ships in Bostons inner harbor and back bay, that could have decimated and large group of colonial soldiers. The next morning the British were evacuated back to Boston. The Massachussetts Army, as well as New Hampshires, Rhode Islands, Connecticuts, and frontiersmen from Vermont and Maine poured into the Msaachussetts Bay Colony by the thousands after they heard the news. They strung up a string of forts on all the high ground in the what are now the inner suburbs of Boston, the most famous of these forts were Prospect Hill Sommerville, Dorchester Heights So. Boston and of course Breeds Hill (aka Bunker Hill in Charlestown. General Ward set up camp and headquarters in Harvard Square. When Washington took command from the Continental congress he rode up to Cambridge from Philadelphia. And when he was received and reviewed by the Provincial Army of Massachusetts Bay Colony, he was also given command over it. That ragtag army of farmers, tavern keepers, and fishermen got a new name that day, A name that everyone in the world either respects or fears. Washington took command of the Continental Army (The first Army of the United States.) There is a park bench on Cambridge common across the street from Harvard yard that marks the spot, the spot where the U.S. Army was born. And as for Percy and the British. General Ward remembered how strong a fortification Breeds Hill could be, so that June he built a fort on top of it, with guns trained on the occupied city. The British couldn't handle that situation. So three waves of the best soldiers in the world were mowed down trying to take that hill. A hill they could have kept since the night of April 19th.
Thanks for the insightful comment. Anyone who wishes for further details is certainly welcome to read it.
Longest comment I ever seen 😂🤣
It sounds like he be doing anything but doing this video 😂
And also this is amazing!!
Why did you say the regents double?
Thanks Mr. D!
Your in my class
It was Lord Percy who lead the British relief force, not Thomas Gage.
stevesomodi Hmm, perhaps I meant Gage's troops or was just unaware. The commanding general leading the troops personally does seem unusual.
My history book says it was Thomas Gage commanding the british
Adam Shah That had been clipped out of the video in the UA-cam video editor (guess I need to do it again). It's changed in the text, but nothing I can do about the audio recording in the video. But Gage was the one who sent them there.
most countries were given their independence from the England, we were the only to earn it, the hard way
*Laughs in Ghandi*
ahhhh right u are Steve it was lord Percy Gage was still in Boston awaiting news
+Stephen Casey Been changed in the lesson and text, unfortunately there is nothing I can do about the audio.
wait thats that vedio from the history channel :O
It was lord Percy NOT Thomas gage
no no no its OK no big deal
This is for school online school Who else.🤔
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Are you sure It's 70 militia and 700 British Soldiers
I wasn't there, but if James Fleming says so, I believe him.
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