The sad part is that these brave souls of the American Militia assembled in Massachusetts, one of the "cradles of liberty", a state which now has some of the most egregiously unconstitutional gun laws in the nation. Shame on the ancestors of the members of the Continental Army.
Armed and Free, now as always - semper fi.
See link for a lot more interesting history of the First American Revolution.
</sarcasm>
I have the privilege of driving past the North Bridge every morning on my way to work. Commuting from Chelmsford to Bedford and taking all backroads to avoid traffic, I have probably the most scenic commute in eastern Massachusetts. If you are visiting New England, make sure you check out the Concord/Lexington area as there are many monuments and parks commemorating the revolution.
By December, 1774, news of additional parliamentary misdeeds had reached Portsmouth both by messenger and through the New Hampshire Gazette, which told of the passage of the Massachusetts Government Act the Quartering Act and the Quebec Act. It was said that the king had imposed a secret embargo on the export of arms and ammunition to his colonies. Moreover, patriots in Rhode Island had already seized powder and shot from the royal garrison in Providence. What about Portsmouth? Would there be troops and ships coming from Boston to keep the same thing from happening there?
The answer came on the afternoon of December 13, 1774, when Paul Revere galloped up the Old Boston Post Road into the city to deliver confirmation of the rumors. Yes, it was thought that troops and ships were on their way, and yes, if the' powder stored at William and Mary were not to remain in the king's hands, something had better be done about it.
The Raid Begins
The way seemed appallingly clear. A few minutes before noon on December 14, a drummer, his beats muffled by the falling snow, marched through the streets of the city sounding the call that everyone recognized. Before long, he had collected an entourage of more than two hundred men and boys.
At the fort, guarding the king's powder, were the defenders-Capt. Cochran and five men. At about one o'clock, this tiny garrison received word that an angry mob was on its way from town, growing larger as citizens from Rye and New Castle hastened to join. By the time they reached the gates of the fort, the attackers numbered more than 400.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon a few shots were exchanged, but no one was injured. Before a second volley could be fired, the fort was overwhelmed, and Cochran's band was in the hands of the attackers. Three huzzas were shouted and the king's colors were lowered.
Cochran, though overwhelmed, showed no signs of allowing the keys to the powder magazine to leave his possession. Substituting shoulders for keys, the attackers broke down the door and were able to make off with 97 barrels of powder which they loaded onto moses boats and gundalows for dispersal to the various surrounding towns. The captain of the defenders wrote in his note to Governor Wentworth, "I did all in my power to defend the fort, but all my efforts could not avail against so great a number." With odds of four hundred to six, neither the governor nor posterity could fault him.
Governor Wentworth, caught in an impossible situation, hastily requested ships and troops from Boston. Obviously, he had need of help, for the next morning men from the surrounding countryside began to pour into the city, lured by rumors of the previous day's events. John Sullivan of Durham and his men surrounded the state house and demanded information about possible reinforcements. "None were expected," said Wentworth. The mob dispersed, only to reassemble later that evening to remove remaining military stores from the fort. Again the trophies were loaded at the river.
The powder was soon distributed. Kingston received 12 barrels, Epping 8, Poplin (Fremont) 4, Nottingham 8, Brentwood 6, and Londonderry 1. Remaining stores were distributed in Durham, which received 25 barrels, and in Exeter, where 29 barrels were retained. Four barrels remained in Portsmouth. The precious dust was destined for the powder flasks of the local militia units, the building blocks of the nascent continental army. The powder and the power no longer belonged to King George III, it was in the hands of the people. In New Hampshire, at least, the Revolution had begun.
Note: From what I understand, much of this powder was later used at Breed's Hill (AKA The Battle of Bunker Hill) ;0)
My husand retired this year...and he retired on Sept 10...one day later, the WTC bombings occurred...he was beside himself...here he had retired, and then he thought, what if my country needs me...well, he is on a retired list now, should he ever be needed...
When he finally got his official orders for retirement, they were dated Sept 11, 2001...it gave him chills when he saw that...
I'm proud to say I adapted my freeper screen name from the heroes of the battle of Lexington and Concord.
Keep your powder dry, fellow patriots!
Leni
At midnight on the 19th of April the British column, consisting of 650-900 troops left Boston
IIRC, the militia that stood against the British Army numbered only 77. 77 against 650+ of the most powerful army in the world. That took a lot of courage.
Well a lot of those ancestors moved out of Massachusetts some time back.
The ancestors of my dads family arrived in Massachusetts in 1640 and later family fought in the Continental Army… Granddad moved out west in 1914…
Dad was to inherit a pair of shoes (really just the bucket were left) wore when Great, Great, (Great ?) Granddad was in the Continental Army.. but dads sister got them