Heard this mentioned as a prelude to the 3 Strikes, here's more detail for info

[Old Dog]

Two months before the battles at Concord and Lexington Colonel Leslie led a force of 240 British Regulars to Salem in an attempt seize muskets, ball and powder (arms confiscation, same as Apr. 19th, 1775).

As the British approached the town they were seen by some of the colonists and they lifted the Northfield draw bridge.  Some of the colonists climbed up on their side of the bridge and a began to shout at the British Regulars on the other side of the river.

Colonel Leslie declared that he was on the King's Highway and they could not prevent him from crossing the river.  One of the colonists, James Barr, replied that is was not the King's Highway, it was built by the landowners on either side of it and not the King, the country or the town had any say in in the matter.

Colonel Leslie was unaccustomed to having anyone stand up to him and continued to argue but James Barr knew he was in the right and would not back down.

In the end, Colonel Leslie promised not to disturb anyone or anything if the colonists would lower the bridge and allow his troops to cross the river and enter the town.  Colonel Leslie kept his promise.  Nothing was confiscated and the opening battle of the Revolutionary War was postponed for another two months, till April 19th, 1775.

[SamD]

Look up the "powder alarms" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_alarms and the colonial response to the "Intolerable Acts"  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intolerable_acts   .

Independence was won 2 years before Lexington, Georgy and Co., just didn't recognize it

Sam

[oldgrunt]

BTT