Primary Sources from Lexington and Concord

Order Given to Lt. Colonel Francis Smith from Thomas Gage

Primary Source Lieut. Colonel Smith, 10th Regiment Foot Sir: Having received intelligence, that a quantity of Ammunition, Provision, Artillery, ent! and small arms, have "een collected at Concord, for the Avowed #ur$o!e of rai!ing and !u$$orting a Re"ellion again!t Hi! %a&e!ty, you 'ill %arch 'ith the Cor$! of Grenadiers and Light (nfantry, $ut under your command, 'ith the utmo!t e)$edition and Secrecy to Concord, 'here you 'ill !ei*e and de!troy all artillery, Ammunition, #rovi!ion!, ent!, Small Arm! , and all %ilitary Store! 'hatever. +ut you 'ill ta,e care that the Soldier! do not plunder the inha"itant!, or hurt $rivate $ro$erty. -ou have a Draught of Concord, on 'hich i! mar,ed the Hou!e!, +arn!, .c., 'hich contain the a"ove military Store!. -ou 'ill order a Trunion to "e ,noc,ed off each gun, "ut if it! found im$ractica"le on any, they mu!t "e !$i,ed, and the carriage! de!troyed. he #o'der and flo'er /flour0 mu!t "e !hoo, out of the +arrel! into the River, the ent! "urnt, #or, or +eef de!troyed in the "e!t 'ay you can devi!e. And the men may $ut +all! of lead in their $oc,et!, thro'ing them "y degree! into #ond!, 1itche! .c, "ut no 2uantity together, !o that they may "e recovered after'ard!. (f you meet any +ra!! Artillery, you 'ill order their mu**le! to "e "eat in !o a! to render them u!ele!!. -ou 'ill o"!erve "y the 1raught that it 'ill "e nece!!ary to !ecure the t'o "ridge! a! !oon a! $o!!i"le, you 'ill therefore 3rder a $arty of the "e!t marcher!, to go on 'ith e)$edition for the $ur$o!e. A !mall $arty on Hor!e"ac, i! ordered out to !to$ all advice of your %arch getting to Concord "efore you, and a !mall num"er of Artillery go out in Chaises to 'ait for you on the road, 'ith Sledge Hammer!, S$i,e!, .c. -ou 'ill o$en your "u!ine!! and return 'ith the roo$!, a! !oon a! $o!!i"le, 'hich ( mu!t leave to your o'n 4udgment and 1i!cretion. ( am, Sir, -our mo!t o"edient hum"le !ervant Thos. Gage. 5oca"ulary Intelligence: information a"out an o$$onent6! $lan! Provision: food and other nece!!ary !u$$lie! Artillery: cannon! and !imilar large 'ea$on! Small arms: hand7held 'ea$on!, often handgun!, !'ord!, or ,nive! Avowed: !$ecific or !tated Grenadier: a ty$e of !oldier in the +riti!h army Plunder: ta,e $er!onal good! "y force from $eo$le 'ho have "een conquered Draught: a ma$ Trunion: a $art of a cannon that hel$! the "arrel "e aimed to the correct elevation Chaises: two-wheeled carriages

Lt. John Barker, British Soldier, 4th Regiment iar! "cco#nt on the $eginning of the march to Le%ington Primary Source 8A$ril9 1:th;a"out < mile! on thi! !ide of a o'n called Le)ington 'hich lay in our road, 'e heard there 'ere !ome hundred! of #eo$le collected together intending to o$$o!e u! and !to$ our going on: at < o6cloc, 'e arrived there and !a' a num"er of #eo$le, ( "elieve = and >00, formed on a Common in the middle of the o'n? 'e !till continued advancing, ,ee$ing $re$ared again!t an attac, tho6 'ithout intending to attac, them, "ut on our coming near them they fired one or t'o !hot!, u$on 'hich our %en 'ithout any order! ru!hed in u$on them, fired and $ut @em to flight? !everal of them 'ere ,illed; 5oca"ulary Common: village green or square Official Statement of John Ro$$ins, Le%ington &ilitia, "'ril (4, )**+, on Le%ington Green Primary Source (, 4ohn Ro""in!, "eing of la'ful age, do te!tify and !ay, that on the nineteenth instant, the Com$any under the command of Ca$tain 4ohn #ar,er "eing dra'n u$ /!ometime "efore !unri!e0 on the green or common, and ( "eing in the front rank, there !uddenly a$$eared a num"er of the Aing6! roo$!, a"out a thou!and, a! ( thought, at the di!tance of a"out !i)ty or !eventy yard! from u!, hu aing and on a quic, $ace to'ard u!, 'ith three officer! in their front on hor!e"ac,, and on full gallo$ to'ard! u!? the foremo!t of 'hich cried, @ hro' do'n your arm!, ye villain!, ye re"el!?6 u$on 'hich !aid Com$any di!$er!ing, the foremo!t of the three officer! ordered their men, !aying @Fire, "y Bod, fire?6 at 'hich moment 'e received a very heavy and clo!e fire from them? at 'hich in!tant, "eing 'ounded, ( fell, and !everal of our men 'ere !hot dead "y one volley. Ca$tain #ar,er6! men, ( "elieve, had not then fired a gun. 5oca"ulary Instant: a $articular $oint in time, in thi! ca!e on the nineteenth of A$ril, 1CC<. !ront rank: front ro' "u aing: cheering and yelling loudly Volley: one round of firing Statement of James Barrett, Colonel of Concord &ilitia, on the Battle at ,orth Bridge Primary Source ! ordered said militia to march to said "ridge and #ass the same$ "ut not to fire on the %ing&s troo#s unless they were first fired u#on. 'e advanced near said (ridge$ when the said troo#s fired u#on our militia and )illed two men dead on the s#ot$ and wounded several others$ which was the first firing of guns in the town of Concord. *y detachment then returned fire$ which )illed and wounded several of the %ing&s soldiers.

Lt. John Barker, British Soldier, 4th Regiment iar! "cco#nt on Battle Road Primary Source De !et out u$on our return? 'e 'ere fired on from Hou!e! and "ehind ree!, and "efore 'e had gone E a mile 'e 'ere fired on from all !ide!, "ut mo!tly from the Rear, 'here #eo$le had hid them!elve! in hou!e! @till 'e had $a!!ed and then fired? the Country 'a! an ama*ing !trong one, full of Hill!, Dood!, !tone Dall!, .c. 'hich the Re"el! did not fail to ta,e advantage of, for they 'ere all lined 'ith #eo$le 'ho ,e$t an incessant fire u$on u!, a! 'e did too u$on them "ut not 'ith the !ame advantage, for they 'ere !o concealed there 'a! hardly any !eeing them: in thi! 'ay 'e marched "et'een : and 10 mile!, their num"er! increa!ing from all $art!, 'hile our! 'a! reducing "y death!, 'ound! and fatigue, and 'e 'ere totally !urrounded 'ith !uch an ince!!ant fire a! it6! im$o!!i"le to conceive, our ammunition 'a! li,e'i!e near e)$ended. 5oca"ulary Incessant: continuing without interru#tion+ constant "lice Stearns "$$ott, Citi-en of Bedford, &assach#setts, on the Beginning of Fighting Primary Source ( 'a! eleven year! of age, and my !i!ter! Rachel and Su!annah 'ere older. De all heard the alarm, and 'ere u$ and ready to hel$ fit out father and "rother, 'ho made an early !tart for Concord. De 'ere !et to 'or, ma,ing cartridges and a!!i!ting mother in coo,ing for the army. De !ent off a large quantity of food for the !oldier!, 'ho had left home !o early that they had "ut little "rea,fa!t. De 'ere frightened "y hearing the noi!e of gun! at Concord? our home 'a! near the river, and the !ound 'a! conducted "y the 'ater. ( !u$$o!e it 'a! a dreadful day in our home, and !ad indeed? for our "rother, !o dearly loved, never came home. 5oca"ulary Cartridges: small$ round cases containing gun#owder and mus)et "all