1. Diary Entry – Lieutenant John Barker, British

Officer [modified] April 19, 1775

Headnote: The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, kicked off the American Revolutionary War. Tensions had been building for many years between the American colonists and the British authorities, especially in Massachusetts. On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to take some guns the colonists had stored. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm, and colonial militiamen (amateur soldiers) began assembling to intercept British troops. The British army was the best trained in the world.

Focus Question: Why did the British troops fire on the American soldiers?

“Last night between 10 & 11 all the Grenadiers and Light Infantry of the army making about 600 men under the command of Lt. Col. Smith of the 10th and Major Pitcairn of the Marines embarked and were landed upon the opposite shore on Cambridge Marsh; few but the Commanding Officers know what expedition we were going upon. After getting over the marsh where we were wet up to the knees, we were halted in a dirty road and stood there ‘till two o’clock in the morning waiting for provisions to be brought from the boats and to be divided, and which most of the men threw away, having carried some with ‘em.

“At 2 o’clock we began our march by wading through a very long ford up to our middles: after going a few miles we took 3 or 4 people who were going off to give intelligence; about 5 miles on this side of a town called Lexington which lay in our road, we heard there were some hundreds of people collected together intending to oppose us and stop our going on; at 5 o’clock we arrived there and saw a number of people, I believe 2 and 3 hundred, formed on a common in the middle of the town; we still continued advancing, keeping prepared against an attack tho’ without intending to attack them, but on our coming near them they fired one or two shots, upon which our men without any orders rushed in upon them, fired and put ‘em to flight; several of them were killed, we could not tell how many because they were got behind walls and into the woods; We had a man of the 10th Light Infantry wounded, nobody else hurt. We then formed upon the common but with some difficulty, the men were so wild they could hear no orders; we waited a considerable time there and at length proceeded on our way to Concord.”

Vocabulary
Infantry – foot soldiers
Grenadier – type of soldier
Ford – shallow place in a river
Common – park, grassy area

2. Report – Lieutenant Colonel Smith’s Report to

Governor Gage April 22, 1775

Headnote: This report is from a high-ranking British officer to the military governor in

charge of Massachusetts.

Focus Question: Does this report agree with what Lieutenant John Barker said?

“When I had got some miles on the march from Boston, I detached six light infantry companies to march with all expedition to seize the two bridges on different roads beyond Concord. On these companies' arrival at Lexington, I understand, from the report of Major Pitcairn, who was with them, and from many officers, that they found on a green close to the road a body of the country people drawn up in military order, with arms and accoutrements, and, as appeared after, loaded; and that they had posted some men in a dwelling and Meeting-house.

“Our troops advanced towards them, without any intention of injuring them, further than to inquire the reason of their being thus assembled, and, if not satisfactory, to have secured their arms; but they in confusion went off, principally to the left, only one of them fired before he went off, and three or four more jumped over a wall and fired from behind it among the soldiers; on which the troops returned it, and killed several of them.

“They likewise fired on the soldiers from the Meeting and dwelling-house. We had one man wounded, and Major Pitcairn's horse shot in two places. Rather earlier than this, on the road, a country man from behind a wall had snapped his piece at Lieutenants Adair and Sutherland, but it flashed and did not go off. After this we saw some in the woods, but marched on to Concord without anything further happening.”

Vocabulary
Infantry – foot soldiers
Detached – sent off
Expedition – speed
Green – park, grassy area
Accoutrements - supplies
Snapped - fired

3. Deposition of Captain John Parker, Lexington

Militia Lexington, April 25th, 1775.

Headnote: Captain John Parker gave this testimony to a justice of the peace under

oath. He swore he was telling the whole truth.

Focus Question: How is John Parker’s testimony different from what the British officers

said?

"I, John Parker, of lawful age, and commander of the Militia in Lexington, do testify and declare, that on the nineteenth 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, not meddle or make with said Regular Troops (if they should approach) unless they should insult 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 therefore from us...... John Parker"

Vocabulary
Militia – amateur soldiers
Instant – of this month (1700s meaning)
Province – state
Insult – questioning (1700s meaning)
Disperse – leave
Provocation – start something

4. Deposition of Nathaniel Parkhurst, Jonas Parker,

John Monroe, Jr., and 11 others, members of the

Lexington Militia Company.

Lexington, April 22, 1775.

Headnote: The members of Captain Parker’s militia company gave this testimony to a

justice of the peace under oath. They swore they were telling the whole

truth. About 25% of the men were related to Captain John Parker.

Focus Question: How is the men’s testimony the same/different from Captain Parkers?

"Whilst our backs were turned on the troops, we were fired on by them. Not a gun was fired by any person in our Company on the regulars to our knowledge, before they fired on us.”

Vocabulary
Whilst – while

5. Lithograph, Amos Doolittle, Engraver and

Silversmith, May 1775

Headnote: Amos Doolittle, a member of the Connecticut militia, came to Lexington 10

days after the battle. He surveyed the battlefield, interviewed the

Lexington militia, and talked with local residents before making this

picture. Historians regard his picture as being very accurate.

Focus Question: Does this picture agree more with the account of the British soliders,

John Parker and his men, or both?