In this first battle of the American Revolution, Massachusetts colonists defied British authority, outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats, and embarked on a lengthy war to earn their independence. This was fueled by Parliament's belief that a state of rebellion existed and the fact that large parts of the colony were under the effective control of the extralegal Massachusetts Provincial Congress. This body, with John Hancock as its president, had formed in late 1774 after Gage dissolved the provincial assembly. Believing the militias to be hoarding supplies at Concord, Gage made plans for part of his force to march and occupy the town. The colonists, however, were one step ahead and had already been tipped off about the incoming British forces. Several patriots are said to have ridden through the night on horseback to alert the local militia, giving them time to mobilize and intercept the British troops. About 700 British Army regulars in Boston, under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, were given secret orders to capture and destroy Colonial military supplies reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord. On the night before the battle, warning of the British expedition had been rapidly sent from Boston to militias in the area by several riders, including Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott, with information about British plans. The initial mode of the Army's arrival by water was signaled from the Old North Church in Boston to Charlestown using lanterns to communicate "one if by land, two if by sea".
The first shots were fired just as the sun was rising at Lexington. Eight militiamen were killed, including Ensign Robert Munroe, their third in command. The British suffered only one casualty. The colonists retreated, and Smith and Pitcairn pushed on towards Concord, determined to find the hidden weapons. But a further skirmish with the now-reinforced militiamen took place as Smith attempted to secure the North Bridge over the Concord River. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the British troops suffered several casualties and were forced into a humiliating retreat all the way back to Boston, dodging bullets fired from trees and houses for the entirety of their journey. Departing Lexington, the British pushed on towards Concord. Outside of the town, the Concord militia, unsure of what had transpired at Lexington, fell back through the town and took up a position on a hill across the North Bridge. Smith's men occupied the town and broke into detachments to search for the colonial munitions. Although often styled a battle, in reality, the engagement at Lexington was a minor brush or skirmish. In response to the raised alarm, the militiamen of Concord and Lincoln had mustered in Concord. They received reports of firing at Lexington and were not sure whether to wait until they could be reinforced by troops from towns nearby, or to stay and defend the town, or to move east and greet the British Army from superior terrain.
A column of militia marched down the road toward Lexington to meet the British, traveling about 1.5 miles until they met the approaching column of regulars. As the regulars numbered about 700 and the militia at this time only numbered about 250, the militia column turned around and marched back into Concord, preceding the regulars by a distance of about 500 yards. The militia retreated to a ridge overlooking the town, and their officers discussed what to do next. When the British troops arrived in the village of Concord, Lt. Col. Smith divided them to carry out Gage's orders. Colonel Barrett's troops, upon seeing smoke rising from the village square as the British burned cannon carriages, and seeing only a few light infantry companies directly below them, decided to march back toward the town from their vantage point on Punkatasset Hill to a lower, closer flat hilltop about 300 yards from the North Bridge. As the militia advanced, the two British companies from the 4th and 10th Regiments that held the position near the road retreated to the bridge and yielded the hill to Barrett's men. The colonists were stunned by their success. No one had actually believed either side would shoot to kill the other. In the morning, Boston was surrounded by a huge militia army, numbering over 15,000, which had marched from throughout New England. Unlike the Powder Alarm, the rumors of spilled blood were true, and the Revolutionary War had begun.
The first shots were fired just as the sun was rising at Lexington. Eight militiamen were killed, including Ensign Robert Munroe, their third in command. The British suffered only one casualty. The colonists retreated, and Smith and Pitcairn pushed on towards Concord, determined to find the hidden weapons. But a further skirmish with the now-reinforced militiamen took place as Smith attempted to secure the North Bridge over the Concord River. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the British troops suffered several casualties and were forced into a humiliating retreat all the way back to Boston, dodging bullets fired from trees and houses for the entirety of their journey. Departing Lexington, the British pushed on towards Concord. Outside of the town, the Concord militia, unsure of what had transpired at Lexington, fell back through the town and took up a position on a hill across the North Bridge. Smith's men occupied the town and broke into detachments to search for the colonial munitions. Although often styled a battle, in reality, the engagement at Lexington was a minor brush or skirmish. In response to the raised alarm, the militiamen of Concord and Lincoln had mustered in Concord. They received reports of firing at Lexington and were not sure whether to wait until they could be reinforced by troops from towns nearby, or to stay and defend the town, or to move east and greet the British Army from superior terrain.
A column of militia marched down the road toward Lexington to meet the British, traveling about 1.5 miles until they met the approaching column of regulars. As the regulars numbered about 700 and the militia at this time only numbered about 250, the militia column turned around and marched back into Concord, preceding the regulars by a distance of about 500 yards. The militia retreated to a ridge overlooking the town, and their officers discussed what to do next. When the British troops arrived in the village of Concord, Lt. Col. Smith divided them to carry out Gage's orders. Colonel Barrett's troops, upon seeing smoke rising from the village square as the British burned cannon carriages, and seeing only a few light infantry companies directly below them, decided to march back toward the town from their vantage point on Punkatasset Hill to a lower, closer flat hilltop about 300 yards from the North Bridge. As the militia advanced, the two British companies from the 4th and 10th Regiments that held the position near the road retreated to the bridge and yielded the hill to Barrett's men. The colonists were stunned by their success. No one had actually believed either side would shoot to kill the other. In the morning, Boston was surrounded by a huge militia army, numbering over 15,000, which had marched from throughout New England. Unlike the Powder Alarm, the rumors of spilled blood were true, and the Revolutionary War had begun.
