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Battle Road Trip

Started by BillJac, July 13, 2016, 01:13:10 AM

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BillJac

I just returned from visiting my son in Rhode Island.  As part of our trip we spent a few days exploring the battle road.  Here are some pics of that if you are interested.  The items that have a strange appearance are taken with a 360 degree camera.  If you are on a desktop you should be able to hold your cursor down and rotate completely around to see the full view.  I have some editing to do, so it will change some.

https://goo.gl/photos/dovXwMZb3JmxhYAA6
You aren't pro 2A if you only want guns for people who look and think like you.

Weezer

I'm thrilled to see so much has been well-preserved - and your 360 degree shots are neat!

A few questions:
1.  Is the interior of Buckman Tavern intact?   If so, is it set up like a tavern (as it was then) or is it more of a museum?
2.  Did anyone talk about the grave markers?   That is, how have they been preserved so well after all this time?   
3.  Is there a tour?   If so, did the history match up to what AS'ers know or was it the more sanitized textbook version (The British are coming, etc.)? 

Your pictures are really fantastic and it looks like you had a great time.  Thanks so much for sharing!

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy." -- John Adams

"Texas Forever, Six!" --Tim Riggins

BillJac

Well,  since you asked....

The witness properties (which is what they call the buildings still around from that time) are owned in one of three ways.  First, the National Park Service.  Second would be local historical societies or site specific non-profits.  And third would be private parties.  Almost all the sites are preserved (which requires some explanation later) as what they originally were.  The only one that I can see that is not is Wright's Tavern, which is currently a lawyer's office right on Concord green.  The others have a mix of guided or self guided tours.  Most of them have some kind of add-on structure to house a gift shop.  But they are otherwise trying to be period and event specific.

One problem is that a lot of history has passed over these buildings.  So "original" is a relative term.  Maybe the best example is the Clarke/Hancock house.  It has a major addition that was added sometime in the 1800's and has been moved across the road TWICE since 4/19/1775.

Many of the buildings and sights are part of the current environment while others you'll need to trek a little for.  Miriam's Corner, for example is an intersection of two current major roads.  The bloody angle, on the other hand, will require a pleasant tramp through the woods to find.

My pics of the graveyard are all at Concord.  There was a similar one in Lexington.  No tours, no security.  But these people take serious ownership of their heritage.  I would not want to be the one to mess with them.

The NPS has some touring material.  But not a unified tour that covers everything.  Many of the sights are not open.  For example, we had to ask about Barrett's farm.  The ranger told us it wasn't ready for public yet.  But he gave us directions and told us to walk around as much as we want.  It's right on a public road.  Once again, no security.

I had just finished reading Paul Revere's Ride when we got there.  The only thing we get wrong is the story of Morgan's Riflemen.  They grew up in Virginia and didn't make it to the scene until a year later.  But I think we can stick with the story for our purposes.  What struck me about actually being there after having read the book is how prepared the patriots were.  This was not an overnight issue.  Things had been brewing and escalating for about fifteen years.  And their strategies were not those of country bumpkins.  Parker's revenge is an outstanding ambush sight with high granite rocks overlooking the road the red coats had to pass.  And Miriam's Corner and the Bloody Angle are both about 120 degree sharp turns in the road that required the Brits to slow down and allowed for great flanking maneuvers.  And the North Bridge was an obvious choke point with the Patriots holding high ground above it.

We don't talk a lot about Gen. Gage.  But I feel sorry for him.  He was a decent man with an impossible job and promoted to his level of incompetence.  But I'm glad he was in charge.  A more astute general may have done us in.

And the whole concept of the III% is all wrong.
You aren't pro 2A if you only want guns for people who look and think like you.

Weezer

I have looked through your pics a few times (those buildings are just so gorgeous) and I was struck by the fact that there are no people around.  I guess I had it in my head that these are popular places that people want to see.   Of course, this is coming from the person who thinks that cell phones are only good for making calls and who leaves the house only when forced to go to the grocery store or for Appleseed events.  My perception of reality may be a bit...skewed.   ;D

It didn't occur to me that people continued on with their lives both during and after the war, including remodeling, buying and selling homes, building the town and so on.   I guess it would have been weird if people kept half the buildings in town as shrines.   ;D   As for preparedness, that's one thing that always bugged me about the history taught in school - it's made to sound as though Paul Revere rode alone and that the colonists were just a bunch of people who got lucky that day.    :wb:

Can you elaborate about the 3% issue?   I understand that the modern movement is based on the idea that 3% of the population fought in the Revolutionary War.  Is that number incorrect? 
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy." -- John Adams

"Texas Forever, Six!" --Tim Riggins

BillJac

Sure.  So let's recognize that I'm no expert.  And perhaps 3% is accurate if you take the population of the entire colonies as a whole.  But we know the militias consisted of men from 16 to 60.  The minute men were the younger of the bunch.  Then we had the dangerous old guys (that would be me).  And other groups like the Sons of Liberty which may have been part of the militia, but we would probably consider them guerrilla warriors today.  But when the guys deployed all that was left in the town was kids, women and old men.  As a matter of fact there is a story about one town that had a women set up a fall back "militia" composed of the left behind wives and they captured some red coats.  Also, there is a story about the "great fear" that struck the women and children as they were alone with no men around.

Basically, you were fighting or you were a Tory.  And in that case, you were moving somewhere more friendly very shortly.
You aren't pro 2A if you only want guns for people who look and think like you.

scuzzy

Good pics. Thanks for putting those out for us to take a look at.

3%? Who knows. I tend to talk all 'stats' with a grain of salt these days. Especially political polls.

They say that 1/3 of the colonist supported the AmRev. And that 1/3 were Tories. And the other 1/3 just wanted to be left the heck alone.

I suppose it depends on the area surveyed.

Take Austin for instance. Probably 50-80% would be Tories.

Take Lampasas, TX - flyover country - about 90% would support the AmRev.

I wonder if the outlook way back then depended on whether you 'country folk' or a 'city slicker?'



An Armed Society is a polite society. Heinlein.

Weezer

Your post caused me to do a little more digging.   It seems that you're right - most everyone in town had some sort of job with the local militia, be it a member of the Minutemen, Alarm List, Ladies Auxiliary, etc.  However, it appears that roughly 3% of the population had signed up for the Colonial Army

I'm going do some more reading on this because now I'm really intrigued.   Thanks again for sharing your trip with us.   Perhaps we should get a band of TX instructors together for a trip next year.   You could be our tour guide...and we could camp in your RV!   Doesn't that sound like FUN?
**)
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy." -- John Adams

"Texas Forever, Six!" --Tim Riggins

BillJac

Ummmm..... talk to me about it next year.
You aren't pro 2A if you only want guns for people who look and think like you.