Digitized Copy of Book: The Battle of April 19, 1775 by Frank Warren Coburn

[BlueFeather]

Another source of information that is free to all of us via the digitized book project.   302 pages.

http://tinyurl.com/7nh944


BF

[Francis Marion]

Thank you for sharing.  Added to my ebooks.
PS, we enjoyed Michael's participation in Corona recently. 

[Buzzstrike]

Excellent, thanks for the heads up.

Going to have to put it in my pda so I can read it at work when I have some downtime.

Thanks

Buzz.

[Old Dog]

Been reading it when I get the chance.  Here's some interesting info so far (about half way through it).

Some interesting info from the book, The Battle of April 19th, 1775, by Frank Warren Coburn.

This is from the initial exchange of gun fire at Lexington.

"Jonas Parker, cousin to the Captain, was mortally wounded through the body from the second volley, but having sufficient strength fired in return.  He had but just uttered his determination not to run, and had placed his hat on the ground at his feet, and in it put his bullets and extra flints.  The British bullet in his body caused him to sink to his knees, but he heroically endeavored to reload.  He could not before the advancing enemy were upon him, and one of them ended his sufferings with a bayonet thrust.  His death was especially heroic and spectacular, as his company had retired, leaving him alone to face the invaders."

I've heard the name of one of the two Woburn Militia Men who stood with the Lexington Militia after being asked by Captain Parker.  According to this book the names of both were Sylvanus Wood and Robert Douglas. 

After the British soldiers had reformed their ranks and left Lexington heading to Concord:

"And when they were indeed gone, the men and women and children of Lexington came forth from their hiding places and looked upon the scene.  We of today have never seen our Common as they saw it - it's turf torn by horses' hoofs, and clotted here and there with human blood; prostrate figures of men, some with faces upward to the sky, others with theirs smothered helplessly in the dust.  One might think they were asleep. 

Such was the fulfillment of their solemn pledge, 'everything dear in life, yea, and life itself, in support of the common cause.'"

A list of the dead:  Jonas Parker, Jonathan Harrington, Jr., Ensign Robert Munroe, Isaac Muzzy, John Brown, Simon Hadley, Caleb Harrington, and Asahel Porter.

A list of the wounded:  John Robbins, Solomon Pierce, John Tidd, Joseph Comee, Ebenezer Munroe, Jr., Thomas Winship, Nathaniel Farmer, Prince Estabrook and Jedediah Munroe (who would be killed later that same day).

In the next few moments after the British Troops had marched on to Concord five British stragglers walked into Lexington.  All five were challenged by armed Lexington Militia Men, disarmed, and escorted away to be held at James Reed's in Burlington.  Think about this.  The Lexington Militia had just lost 8 good men killed by Redcoats and 9 more wounded, on or near the Commons.  Seventeen of their good friends and relatives killed or injured by Redcoats and yet no violence was done to any of the five Redcoat stragglers as they walked into Lexington.  They disarmed them and held them. 

When the Colonial Militia Companies left Punkatassat Hill and moved to the smaller hill closer to the North Bridge they stopped to watch and to discuss their plan.  When they saw the smoke from the fires in Concord they assumed the British were burning the town and decided they had "To march into the middle of the town for its defence, or die in the attempt."  When you read this quote, keep in mind that in addition to the Militia Men of Concord there were Militia Companies from Acton, Lincoln, Bedford, Carlisle and other towns there.   A total of nine Militia Companies with an average size of 47 men per company, or about 420 Militia Men.  They were ready to march into a neighboring town to face 700 Redcoats.  Seven hundred soldiers of the best trained army in the world who had already proven earlier that morning that they would not hesitate to fire on the Militia.  Think about this for awhile.  Could we measure up to that yardstick today?

During the British march back to Boston they were attacked often by the Militia, but not usually by companies of Militia, but by smaller groups:  "The Americans were never more than a dozen or a score, side by side, and usually not more than two or three.  Their selected position was a sheltered one - behind the wall, among the trees, even within the houses.  Often the vigilant flank guard, which Lieutenant Colonel Smith counted on so intelligently,  came up on them unawares, and so added to the American death toll."

Again, think about this.  What would it feel like to set up in the line of march of 700 Redcoats and wait till they were close enough to take a shot at before getting up to try to escape?  They obviously did not feel it was suicide.  They felt like it needed to be done and they did it, over and over, in spite of their losses.

More later.  It's a good read.  Keep in mind this book was written based on a lot of depositions taken from the people who were there that morning.  People who pulled the triggers of their muskets defending their beliefs and their friends.  People who lost friends and relatives.

[Florida Mike]

Thank you. You are a great resorce. Just got the Paul Rever's Ride from the liberary. Starting that tonight.

[Old Dog]

Is anybody else reading this?  I just finished it today.  Need to put some more details into a post here.  Info in this book missing in everything else I've read.  Not just the details on the numbers/names of the men in the militial companies and the towns they came from, but also details of the terrible crimes committed by the Redcoats as they retreated back to Boston.

The original force sent to Concord was mostly "fair/legal" in their conduct.  Once they met up with the "rescue" force commanded by Percy they theft, arson and murder began wholesale.  They first broke into homes (whether fired on from those buildings or not), took whatever they wanted, then set fire to the buildings and left.  They shot, bayonetted and bludgeoned to death prisoners, unarmed noncombatants and even youngsters and crippled folks who tried to hobble away from their path. 

As the militia forces followed along behind the retreating Redcoats and put out fires, discovered the dead and sometimes mutilated bodies and listened to the stories from the survivors it is no wonder to me that they took the risks they did to strike back at the Redcoats at every opportunity.

Percy even had plans to do more damage to the towns he traveled through but the ferocity of the militia attacks along with the impending nightfall worried him enough to save some of the towns from the pillage and arson he planned.

Not having a musket and not making threatening moves towards the Redcoats did not insure you would be treated as a loyal subject of the King.  Unbelievable that the Army of the King would treat unarmed non-violent subjects of the king with such injury and murder with the approval of their officers.

Many of the books I've read said that much of the pillaging and murder took place after the militia took a serious toll on the officers leading the Redcoats and left them without commanders.  However, this book makes it plain that the theft, destruction, arson and murder began in Lexington while the Redcoat relief force officer cadre was still intact and they were treating the wounds of soldiers from the original force sent to Concord.  It was Percy's plan to ravage and destroy along the route back to Boston to "teach" the colonists a lesson concerning what happened to anyone daring to oppose the King's forces.

[BlueFeather]

I actually found this when searching for the affidavit of Thomas Fessenden, who claimed the British fired first (see page 65.)  This is at odds with all other statements that I could find... and I'm not entirely convinced as to its accuracy. 

If you are looking for a great Dangerous Old Men story, read the story of Jonas Parker on page 66:

Jonas Parker cousin to the Captain was mortally wounded through the body from the second volley but having sufficient strength fired in return He had but just uttered his determination not to run and had placed his hat on the ground at his feet and in it put his bullets and extra flints The British bullet in his body caused him to sink to his knees but he heroically endeavored to reload He could not before the advancing enemy were upon him and one of them ended his sufferings with a bayonet thrust His death was especially heroic and spectacular as his company had retired leaving him alone to face the invaders. 

and about James Hayward from pages 107-108:

Down the easterly slope of Fiske Hill stood a  modest little farmhouse on the southerly side of the road It was then the home of Benjamin Fiske The entire family had fled and the stragglers from the British columns entered for pillage One in his greed stayed too long Brave James Hayward of Acton willing to fight though exempt from military service because of a partially dismembered foot met him at the door laden with booty The Briton recognized in Hayward an enemy and raising his gun exclaimed You are a dead man And so are you responded Hayward as he raised his gun also Both fired both fell the Briton instantly killed and Hayward mortally wounded the ball piercing his powder horn and entering his side He lived eight hours and was conscious to the last Calling for his powder horn and bullet pouch he remarked that he started with one pound of powder and forty bullets A very little powder and two or three balls were all that were left You see what I have been about he exclaimed calling attention to the slight remainder I am not sorry I die willingly for my country And so Concord and Lexington too reverently treasure the memory of brave Acton men whose life blood stained the soil of each

(The formatting seems to be gone in the paste, but you get the idea.)

[scuzzy]

Also available as a PDF downloads are the books:

"History of the Siege of Boston, and of the Battles of Lexington and Concord" by Richard Frothingham, printed in 1903. Get it here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Cu9BAAAAIAAJ

"Reminiscences of the Last Sixty-five Years" By Ebenezer Smith Thomas printed in 1840. This is a more personal account of Lexington/Concorde as told by his father to him and also later years in the colonies. He claims the first shot came from the British. http://books.google.com/books?id=ArsUAAAAYAAJ

"The Beginnings of the American Revolution: Based on Contemporary Letters, Diaries, and Other Documents" By Ellen Chase, printed in  1910. Very readable.
http://books.google.com/books?id=pKIoAAAAYAAJ

[Florida Mike]

Thanks for those 3 new book postings!

[POP]

Thanks.

Got'em downloaded.

POP