Friday, April 19, dawned cool and clear above Lexington, Mass. Drawn up on the town’s green were some 70 militia, a hastily assembled company of farmers and shopkeepers under the command of Captain John Parker. Marching toward them was the advanced guard of British troops, the precursors to a force of 1,500 regulars sent out from Boston to seize arms and munitions, and if possible, arrest radical leaders calling for liberty and rights.
Legend has it that Parker commanded his militia, “Don’t fire unless fired upon. But if they want to have a war, let it begin here.” Likely, however, this is the stuff of legend. Just days after the skirmish, Parker took a sworn oath that he had called on his men to disperse. Some 50 of them later signed a deposition that they had turned to leave the Green when the British opened fire on them.
Only a little more accurate are the words attributed to Major John Pitcairn, commander of the advancing British, who apparently shouted some variation of this command: “Lay down your arms, ye damned rebels, and disperse.”
What came next was the solitary shot that commenced the American Revolution. To this day, no one really knows whether that round was fired from a British or an American musket, but before the reverberation had died, the regulars opened fire, killing seven Americans, mortally wounding another, and leaving eight more injured.
That victory, if it may be so called, ended there. British forces reached their goal, Concord, but found few munitions. Beginning with their encounter with militia at Concord Bridge, they then found themselves in retreat, harassed and attacked all the way back to Boston. Several thousand Americans from all walks of life came running to this battle, carrying their muskets, ball and powder, and firing at the Red Coats from behind stone walls, trees, and buildings.
British casualties came to 73 killed, 174 wounded, and 26 missing in action. The Americans counted 49 dead, 41 wounded, and five missing. At least one English commander, Earl Hugh Percy, found his opinion of the Colonials radically changed by the day-long battle. To a friend in England, he wrote:
Whoever looks upon them as an irregular mob will find himself much mistaken. They have men amongst them who know very well what they are about... For my part, I never imagined they would have attacked the King's troops or have had the perseverance I found in them yesterday.
So, who were some of these men who won this praise?
Among those who fell on Lexington Green was Samuel Hadley, age 28, a farmer who had married in 1771 and was father to three children under the age of five. Near him was Jonas Parker, 53, who had vowed never to run from the King George’s troops. Shot, he was on his knees trying to reload his firearm when a soldier ran him through with his bayonet. Jonathan Harrington Jr., age approximately 31, was shot within sight of his house at the edge of the Green. One story was told of his having crawled to the doorway, dying at his wife’s feet.
The most vicious combat occurred later in the day in the crossroads town of Menotomy. There the fighting even took place inside some of the homes, as the British put American snipers to the bayonet. In Thomas Fleming’s book “Liberty: The American Revolution,” we meet some of these combatants. One of them was Jason Russell, age 58. When a friend tried to dissuade him from joining the Colonials, Russell replied, “A man’s home is his castle,” and took up his musket. Only a short time later, he died defending that castle, along with a number of other Americans “in brutal hand-to-hand fighting that raged from the cellar to the attic.”
As the British entered the safety of Charlestown, some of them witnessed a black man hit by a round and carried to safety by the Colonials. Fleming speculates that this was probably Prince Estabrook, who recovered from his wound and fought on the side of the Americans until war’s end. The battle’s last casualty, 14-year-old Edward Barber, died in his Charlestown home when he ran to the window to watch the regulars pass and one of them, fearing a sniper, shot and killed him. Fleming writes, “His twelve brothers and sisters ran screaming into the streets of Charlestown, sowing panic everywhere.”
The day closed with British troops safe in Boston, protected by cannon, but also trapped. Four thousand Minute Men and militia had seen combat, and within a week they were joined by 20,000 others. The siege of Boston had begun, and with it, the War for American Independence.
Next summer, on July 4, America will celebrate the 250th birthday of the Declaration of Independence. A nationwide party is being planned for this event, a gala of concerts and fireworks, speeches and parades, and backyard barbeques.
It is, however, right and just that we should commence this semiquincentennial celebration on April 19, 2025. Massachusetts recognizes this date as a state holiday, Patriots’ Day, but the occasion will likely slip past most of the nation with less recognition than it deserves.
Time for a pause, then, and some thoughts of gratitude for those whose sacrifices of blood and treasure made “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” an American reality.
Jeff Minick is a father of four and grandfather to many. A former history, literature, and Latin teacher, Jeff now writes prolifically for The Epoch Times, American Essence Magazine, and several other publications.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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