On April 19, 1775, a British force marching toward Concord, Massachusetts, encountered the Lexington militia in formation on the town green. The British commander, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, ordered the militia to disperse. Shots were fired on the side of the militia, although there is no historical record of who was responsible. This was then answered by an organized return volley from the British, resulting in eight of the militiamen being killed and ten wounded. Some of the militiamen then tried to return fire, but aside from the dead and wounded, most retreated from the organized British regulars. Only one British soldier was known to be wounded in the exchange.
Although these events happened well before the invention of photography, two men, Ralph Earl an artist and Amos Doolittle a silversmith, spoke to the locals about the events in the weeks following the encounter and produced this image from their description as an engraving, first published in December of 1775. It is the closest thing to a firsthand image that exists and shows a remarkable level of detail of both the people and the town.
This skirmish is considered to be the first exchange of gunfire in the American Revolutionary War, 250 years ago this year. Stop by the Lehman Library to view a display of books and information related to the American Revolution. The towns of Lexington and Concord are both hosting events to commemorate the occasion. Learn more here: https://visitconcord.org/concord-250/ AND https://lex250.org/
Stop by the library to check out an array of resources on this seminal event in our early history as a nation.
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