LEXINGTON AND CONCORD

[jmdavis]

If you want to know what was happening on April 19, 1775, you don't have to watch a TV show. We have historic documents including the deposition of John Parker about that day given on April 25, 1775.


http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/?dod-date=419


The document is downloadable.


Here is a text version of the deposition.

"No. 4
Lexington
April 25th, 1775
I, John Parker, of lawful age, and Commander of the Militia in Lexington, do testify and declare That on the 19th Instant, in the Morning, about one of the Clock, being informed that there were a Number of Regular Officers riding up and down the Road, stopping and insulting People as they passed the Road, and also was informed that a Number of Regular troops were on their March
from Boston, in order to take the Province Stores at Concord, ordered our Militia to meet on the Common in said Lexington, to consult what to do, and concluded not to be discovered, nor meddle or make with said Regular Troops (if they should approach) unless to they should insult or molest us
and upon their sudden Approach I immediately ordered our Militia to disperse and not to fire. Immediately said Troops made their appearance and rushed furiously, fired upon and killed eight of our party, without receiving any Provocation therefor from us.

John Parker"

Date:
April 25th, 1775

[jmdavis]

Just a few months after his deposition, Parker would be dead from terminal TB. He fought April 19, 1775 already in the final stages of TB.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Parker_%28captain%29

[jmdavis]

If you want to know what was happening on April 19, 1775, you don't have to watch a TV show. We have historic documents including the deposition of John Parker about that day given on April 25, 1775.


http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/?dod-date=419


The document is downloadable.


Here is a text version of the deposition.

"No. 4
Lexington
April 25th, 1775
I, John Parker, of lawful age, and Commander of the Militia in Lexington, do testify and declare That on the 19th Instant, in the Morning, about one of the Clock, being informed that there were a Number of Regular Officers riding up and down the Road, stopping and insulting People as they passed the Road, and also was informed that a Number of Regular troops were on their March
from Boston, in order to take the Province Stores at Concord, ordered our Militia to meet on the Common in said Lexington, to consult what to do, and concluded not to be discovered, nor meddle or make with said Regular Troops (if they should approach) unless to they should insult or molest us
and upon their sudden Approach I immediately ordered our Militia to disperse and not to fire. Immediately said Troops made their appearance and rushed furiously, fired upon and killed eight of our party, without receiving any Provocation therefor from us.

John Parker"

Date:
April 25th, 1775

[jmdavis]

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/shots/concern.html


The Library of Congress has good transcriptions of the depositions of participants of the Battles at Lexington and Concord.

[jmdavis]

http://ahp.gatech.edu/midnight_ride_1775.html

[Mutti]

Thanks for the reminders. There is quite a bit of information in the "archives" of our Nation.