Dangerous Old Men

[dwarven1]

Is there a particular place I should look for the "dangerous old men" topic - the guys who were too old for militia service on 4/19/75 who nevertheless took on the Redcoats anyway? I can't seem to find it... and I've already embarrassed myself by not knowing it once. I want to make sure I have it down by this weekend.

[Nickle]

It's "DANGEROUS Old Men", Ross.

You might have to do the research to come up with a compilation on that.

[dwarven1]

I stand corrected... but I'd still love to know if there's an existing writeup.

[Nickle]

I didn't see one here, and I searched for it myself.

[Fred]

     Your best source would be Fischer's Paul Revere's Ride. And when going thru it, note the number of "old men" thruout the book who step up and die for liberty, starting right with a stubborn old guy on Lexington Green...

[SavageShootr]

I think if you google a particular DANGEROUS OLD MAN something will come up, I did a search on Hezekiah Wyman and found some information a while back.

Other than that the book Fred was referring to has what you need. Though trying to get through it by Saturday might prove difficult. You could look in the index for the one(s) you want, read that section, then go back and read the whole book, you will need to anyway for the First, Second and Third Strikes of the Match.

~SS

[Nickle]

Well, Ross, tag, you're it now.

In the finest of Appleseed tradition, you've tasked yourself to do the research.

If you don't have a copy of Fischer's book, let me know, I'll get you some names to check.

Right now, I'm drawing a blank.

[dwarven1]

I don't have it; I'll stop at Borders tonight on the way home. I still have some $$ on the last gift card from Christmas Chanukah.

[Nickle]

If they don't have it, Barnes and Nobles might. My copy that was with me this weekend came from there. My original copy is floating around the local crew right now.

[Fredness]

$7 from Amazon used.
Ordered mine last week, should have some info to add.

Hezekiah Wyman:  AKA: "The White Horseman", "Death on a Pale Horse", See: http://www.winchester.us/ArchivalCenter/Military.html

[Scout]

Read up on the Woburn men. I believe Hezekia Wyman was also in the group that stopped the ammo wagon. The Fischer book doesn't mention him, but the Woburn  website does.

Samuel Whittmore is the older man, 78, from Menotomy who was mistaken for a rifle squad (and he was firing from out past the normal distance of muzzle loaders, 150 yards, and making almost every shot) Google his name for more info, there is quite a bit.

The Russell Farm is another place where an older gentleman fought to the end. Jason Russell, 58, lame with arthritis and many other infirmities refused to leave his home after he sent away his family. He is the one who proclaimed "an Englishman's home is his castle", which helps to explain the mindset and mood of the Patriots that day.

Not a hate for the British, but a love of self governing. He made a breastwork he defended in the doorway of his home and was found slain there later as were all the men in the Russell home and orchard.

A story that is affiliated with the Russell Farm and Orchard in Menotomy  the lesson of getting to close to your target. The men of Danvers made a breastworks right at the roadside and ambushed the cloumn when it came in to sight, but British flankers killed the party to a man. I believe 14 in all were killed at Russell's.

The Old Men of Woburn stopped Gage's supply wagon and kept Percy from being resupplied with ammunition on his return march to Boston. They were led by David Lamson, a free black (mulatto) who had fought in the French and Indian war.

The troops who survived the Woburn Men's ambush, surrendered themselves to an old woman, named Mother Batheric, and she led them into captivity. When this story hit England it was a publicity coup for anti war English, who responded that if "one old woman can caapture six grenadiers, how many men will it take to subdue the colonies?"

There are tons of other stories, many concerning the older men of the Clergy, and Town leaders who fought and died that day in the follow on battles.

[dwarven1]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be reading up on these.

BTW... living, as I do, not 20 miles away from Lexington, it's very interesting to see the town names. I used to work in Woburn (pronounced "woo-burn", with the emphasis on the first syllable).

I moved up here from NJ in 1987. Northern NJ really doesn't have any surviving Rev War battlefields that I'm aware of, so I really didn't know much about the Rev War.

One fine spring morning in '89 or '90, I was on my way to work. I lived in Hudson and worked in Bedford, so I cut through Sudbury and Concord on my way to Bedford. Took back roads so I could avoid traffic. Anyway... I hit a traffic jam. On a residential street! Big houses all around, and traffic is at a standstill. Very strange, I thought.

I see motion out of the corner of my eye and look in my sideview mirror. Then I rolled down my mirror and blinked a couple of times, because there was a guy in BUCKSKINS walking up the road, carrying a FLINTLOCK. (I was then, as I am now, a gun enthusiast... OK, a gun nut! So I recognized what he was carrying). I motioned him over to the car, and when he got up to my I asked him what was going on.

He told me that the British Army was marching on Lexington, and that the Sudbury Militia was mustering to go march and meet them.

Suddenly, the world spun around me - about 359.999 degrees. Because when it stopped spinning, it wasn't quite the same as before. I remember thinking "Oh, THAT Concord and Lexington!" I mean, I drove down Rt 2A every day... otherwise known as BATTLE ROAD!! Did I ever think of WHAT battle it was named for? No, sir, I did not. I was a classic American Doofus, to use The Guy's words. After that, I had a bit more respect for the history of the area.

Or so I thought. Because on a fine spring day in 2007, I went to an Appleseed Shoot to learn to shoot... and I heard The Guy speak about freedom and sacrifice. Right then and there I decided that I wanted to help pass along those words. Which is why I'm trying to bone up on Dangerous Old Men.

The Guy... it's all YOUR fault. I wish I could bottle your words and broadcast them over every radio station in America. When I speak, I'm trying to be as eloquent as YOU were last year in Hartford. In case I didn't say it then, thanks. I'm trying to pay it forward.

[PHenry]

dwarven1,
I found several in PR's Ride. There is Samuel Whittemore (my personal favorite), Hezekiah Wyman, and of course the men that stopped Gage's ammo wagon and sent some Grenadiers running like little girls to surrender to an old woman picking weeds for dinner and others that Scout mentioned. I have tabbed and highlighted all of these and can get you the page numbers if that would hep - just PM me.

[SavageShootr]

dwarven1,
I found several in PR's Ride. There is Samuel Whittemore (my personal favorite), Hezekiah Wyman, and of course the men that stopped Gage's ammo wagon and sent some Grenadiers running like little girls to surrender to an old woman picking weeds for dinner and others that Scout mentioned. I have tabbed and highlighted all of these and can get you the page numbers if that would hep - just PM me.

The leader of the group of Dangerous Old Men that stopped Gage's ammo wagon was David Lamson (Paul Revere's Ride p. 243)

~SS

[dond]

Dwarven 1,

I have just revised my four part history which has several old men stories in it. If you will PM me with your email address I will send it to you.

dond

[Fred]

Dwarven 1,

I have just revised my four part history which has several old men stories in it. If you will PM me with your email address I will send it to you.

dond

Don, can you include me in that offer?

[Scout]

Don't just read Fischer's book or Reveres Ride, they only make passing reference to these men, dig out the stories on them, there are hundreds of pages on them that make your story and delivery complete.

Just start with their names and follow the trail from webpage to webpage

I have read around four dozen books just about this day now, I can't tell you how many hours I have spent going from website to website, and many more books about the following years. The stories are many and all are some of the most fascinating I have ever read. In most cases not for what they say, but what they do not say. They never talk about how they are making sacrifices, but how they are doing what they feel is their duty, to family, home, villiage, county, state, country and God.

Their speech is usually simple and passionate, but their few simple words say so much.

[kDan]

Hey, let's remember also Pru Wright of Pepperell and her band of cross-dressing, armed and furious women who took a tory off his horse at musket point that day, and after finding incriminating papers on him, marched him to captivity.

Dangerous old lady.  ouch

[kDan]

and dwarven1,

the dond stuff is where i got my start.  it's pretty good. 

succinct.

[slim]

After hearing dond speak at Morehead, I'd say he's a dangerous old man in more ways than one -

Pen and Sword!

There's a library of information inside his head, that's for sure! Please include me in that e-mail as well. I'd love to relate the stories of those dangerous old men with the detail and precision of dond. And folks, if you've never had the pleasure of hearing him relate the stories... you're missing out!

[Nickle]

dond, how about posting that info as an attachment.

If not, include me in that e-mail, please.

[kDan]

me too.  I can use an update.

[PHenry]

kDan - Excellent point. I will add that one to the Little Elizabeth Zane story to illustrate how women also took a role in securing the Liberties that we enjoy today! I have a book called Founding Mothers that goes a long way toward that goal also.

Savage Shooter - yes, and he was described as a "mullato" in the records - another excellent point.

Scout - I agree with you. Knowledge of this period taken from many sources serves to offer other vantage points and greater detail. I would recommend a book that I have that shows the Rev War from a different perspective - how the Dutch were the first nation to officially recognize America as a sovereign nation. The precise title and author (a woman) escapes me at the moment, but I can git it for anyone interested - just PM me. I think that PR's Ride is a good staring point, but by all means keep on diggin'!

I think the main goal here is not really perfecting every detail, but learning to tell these stories in a manner that makes the attendees feel it in their bones. Look for the details that speak to you and include them in your presentations. We need to fire them with the passion that we all share - the passion for Liberty. To me, that is the main focus. As I am a retentive person by nature, I tend to get caught up in getting the details down cold, but delivery is really more important to our mission, so I am working on that daily by studying and then telling family, friends and customers the stories and gaging the results.

Long live the Tradition!

[DaveD]

dond,

I'm just getting started in history and would like to receive that info also.

Dangerous old man in training
usafe7ret

[Scout]

One of the things I have done since my kids could understand english is read to them. I still read to them at night before bed when I am home early enough from work. For the last two years we have been alternating between The Bible and Revolutionary War stories.

This has been a great situation for them and for me. It helps them start getting a grip on our history and it helps me in several ways. If you have children, or you are a teacher, you know what happens when you read to kids. They ask questions, lots of them. So you have to think about what you have read and be ready to explain it. It also helped me when I was getting ready to start telling  "The Story" at shoots.

They were my ready audience and a less critical audience you would have been hard to find. They were just happy to have me reading and telling the story and not having to go to bed. It helped me prepare for an audience since they asked so many questions that I had to know why I was saying something about the story.

There have been times when I have not been so happy with the ladies at bedtime and have used this reading time against them. At these times I have read such stories as "Manifests of His Majesties Ships Carrying Cargoes for Use in The Americas War". Guarenteed to put even a "Jolt Cola" kid out.

So if you have kids, consider using them to help you prepare for telling "The Story", it will help you and it will help them by giving them a leg up on their history, since they will receive precious little of it in public schools.

When I talk about researching the stories so you will know what happened in stories like "The Dangerous Old Men", I am not talking about getting every datail right. What I am talking about is finding out enough so that you can make the story rich and exciting for the audience. So that you can put them right there in the action and make them feel like they are part of it.

Adding in small details, what one said to his wife, or what the weather was like that day, or what kind of clothing they had to wear or food that they ate, helps put people in the story.

You can use notes to tell "The Story" but do not read them, just refer to them to keep you on track. But really, you don't even have to use notes if you will put your heart into it. People don't care about the accuracy of dates or who gave what order exactly, but they do want to hear that you believe in the story, and that you want to tell it to them.

Audiences are very forgiving about details, but you have to make them want to believe. That means that you have to believe. 

[PHenry]

Scout,
Truly excellent post.

[kDan]

Thanks Don!

in case anybody missed it, dond has a great history synopsis. 

[ann]

I would like a copy of your history also.  I have just began to homeschool my 10yo boy this year.  We are using some books called American History Stories that are good.  Reads like a book, not dry and boring like some.  I am trying to get him interested in shooting.  Unfortunately he was given a H&R youth 20ga and shot that first.  Not my idea.  So now he is nervous.  He's getting better and I got him his own 10/22crr a coupla weeks ago.  He should be able to handle that better than my Marlin.  Now if it would quit raining long enough to go the range.  He's not very tough like a boy so it may take some time.

[dwarven1]

Don, thanks so much for those files. I did use them this past weekend at Hartford and found them to be very useful!

Would you mind if I reformatted them into a more compact format? Concatenate them into one file, tweak the fonts for easier reading? I find it much easier to read something printed out in two column format, rather than a 7.5" wide column. (too many years of reading paperback science fiction, I guess!)

Ross

[PHenry]

After I study carefully, I create a "talking points" list with a number for each point. This reduces fumbling and provides a back-up in the event of "brain lock", so often experienced when speaking in front of a crowd. Below is an example of the one I created for the First Strike - anyone is welcome to it:

First Strike

Let me take you back to midnight on April 19th, 1775.
1.   Paul Revere rows from Boston, across the harbor to Charlestown right under the guns of HMS Sommerset
2.   He waits on the shore for a signal - can anyone tell me what the signal would be?
3.   He is dressed in a long coat and riding gear, but no arms
4.   Earlier Major Pitcairn's 300 Royal Marines, the advance troops were placed in 20 small navy long boats that could barely float under the weight of men and muskets
5.   For the purpose of stealth, they rowed across Back Bay and landed in a swampy area called Lechmere's Point, wading in muck and ice water up to their wastes
6.   Upon landing Paul Revere was given a very fast horse named "Brown Beauty", and he races off into the night. Can anyone tell me what he did? (patrols, well designed alarm / houses, farms,
7.   He finally came to the home of Rev. Jonas Clarke, where Adams and Hancock slept (guarded)
8.   Adams recognized Revere and invited him in - Revere told of the Regulars advance
9.   Paul Revere and William Dawes set off to sound the alarm toward Concorde - Dr. Prescott
10.   Doctors knew countryside and the people
11.   The three men ran into patrol - Revere captured, Dawes and Prescott escaped
12.   Officer held pistol to Revere's head and demanded answers, lest he would low out his brains
13.   Had he been armed - he would likely have been shot, as officers could do as they pleased
14.   Revere calmly told the officer and his men that 500 armed waited in Lexington - death waiting
15.   He wanted to steer them away from Adams and Hancock
16.   The officer was skeptical until he heard a musket volley - assumed it to be an alarm
17.    The officer stripped Revere of his fast horse, released him, & road off to warn his commander
18.   Revere set out on foot back to Lexington - surprised to find Adams and Hancock still there
19.   Revere succeeds is convincing the men they must leave immediately - off in Hancock's carr.
20.    Revere goes back to Rev. Clarke's home to rest - John Lowell tells of trunk left behind
21.   The two men set off to drag heavy trunk to hiding place right past Capt Parker's men on green
22.   As M. Pitcairn's men march to Lexington, they hear alarms - not too worried / beasts of burden
23.   Still 500 men, so they stop and load muskets and fix bayonets - ready for a fight
24.   In Lexington, Capt. John Parker, thin and sick with TB (6 months) vet. of F & I wars was in charge of about 70 men - mostly farmers and shop keepers, but well trained
25.   Capt. Parker had sent out 2 men earlier to verify alarm, one came back - no Regulars about
26.   Parker dismissed his "training band", but told them to remain close enough to hear muster drum
27.   Men went to tavern to wait and "cleared" their muskets - that is what Regulars heard
28.   Short time later another rider - the Regulars are ½ mile up road - fast! (bayonets gleaming)
29.    Capt. Parker had drummer, William Diamond sound muster - 5:30AM, men formed 2 lines
30.   Many of Parker's men were related - all were locals
31.   Parker told his men not to fire unless fired upon, "but if they want a war, let it begin here!"
32.   Redcoats come into view - terrible sight 300 strong, the King's best men
33.   Major Pitcairn had his men surround Parker's  - He strode out in front and yelled "Disperse ye villains! Ye Rebels! Lay down your arms and disperse! Ye damn Rebels!
34.   Parker knew it was futile - ordered men to disperse, but did not order to lay down arms
35.   As his men were turning to leave, a shot rang out, later Revere would say sounded like a pistol
36.   The result was carnage - the Regulars opened fire, shooting many in the back
37.   Only the older vets stood their ground returning fire - wounded one horse and private's thigh
38.   Finally, Col. Smith got his men to cease fire - 8 Colonists lay dying & 9 wounded, survive
39.   Of the 8 pairs of fathers and sons - 5 were separated by death that day
40.   Casualties - Regulars one, Colonists 17 - now who fired the first shot?
41.   Col. Smith finally tells his men their mission - they are not pleased, no surprise - long haul
42.   To placate them, he allows a victory volley and three Huzzahs! Imagine ho Colonists felt
43.   The Regulars begin march to Concord to confiscate powder and ball - arrest Adams & Hancock
44.   The first attempt to strike the match of Revolution was made, but it fizzled out
45.   5 miles away, in Concord armed men were stirring and the second match was being readied.....

Obviously, the preceding only works if you already possess a working knowledge of the story.