Two of my favorite stops on the Freedom Trail have to be Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church. If by chance you learned your history from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," it's wrong on several accounts. So here is what really happened.
For several months, Revere, along with several other men, served as couriers sending messages around the colonies warning of the movements of the British troops. On April 7, 1775, Revere was sent out to Concord to warn the Massachusetts Provincial Congress (set up after they were stripped of their self-governments thanks to the Tea Party) of possible troop moments to Concord with orders to destroy military supplies. The townspeople immediately began to move their hidden stockpile of weapons. A week later, British General Thomas Gage was given the very order that the colonists expected as well as the order to arrest the rebellion's leaders, Samuel Adams (the voice) and John Hancock (the purse). On the night of April 18, the British attempted to carry out the orders in secrecy to avoid an uprising, but thanks to General Gage's unfaithful wife, Patriot Dr. Joseph Warren learned of the order and enlisted Paul Revere and William Dawes to ride to Lexington to warn Adams and Hancock. Dawes made his way out of Boston by the Boston neck (isthmus) and Revere by way of the Charles River.
Revere had previously contacted the sexton at the North Church and set up a signaling system of hang lanterns in the steeple to warn the people of Charlestown of the movements of the troops if Revere were for some reason unable to complete his ride. The signal would be "one if by land (following Dawes), two if by sea (following Revere)." After telling the sexton to give the signal, Revere was rowed across the Charles River by 2 friends then rode toward Lexington. Revere would NOT have shouted "The British are coming" for two reasons. 1) They were all still British, so he would have said Regulars and 2) he wouldn't have shouted at all because the success of their journey relied on secrecy. He did however, go from house to house warning fellow Patriots that the Regulars were on the move. Many of the colonists sent out riders of their own throughout the countryside. As a result, there were probably around 40 Midnight Riders that night, not just Revere.
Just after midnight, Dawes caught up with Revere in Lexington where they warned Adams and Hancock. More riders were dispatched from Lexington to warn surrounding towns while Revere and Dawes were joined by a third rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott and rode on to Concord. The three men were stopped by a British road block on the way. Revere was captured, Dawes evaded capture but was later bucked off his horse and did not make it to Concord. Prescott however, also evaded capture and did reach Concord to deliver the warning. Revere was questioned by the British soldiers at gunpoint. He told the soldiers everything he knew of the British movements and that there was a group of hostile militia men in Lexington waiting for their arrival. As they marched toward Lexington, the warning signals began to ring out - gun shots, church bells ringing - and Revere told the soldiers they were all dead men. The soldiers decided warning their commanders was more important than turning in Revere so they confiscated his horse and released him. Revere walked back to Lexington where he helped Adams and Hancock escape. He did not deliver the warning message to Concord.
Why is that Revere is the only rider Longfellow wrote about, or why didn't he write about Prescott, the only person to actually finish the ride? ... more words rhyme with Revere. Funny how history works.
One more post to come on Lexington and Concord.
For several months, Revere, along with several other men, served as couriers sending messages around the colonies warning of the movements of the British troops. On April 7, 1775, Revere was sent out to Concord to warn the Massachusetts Provincial Congress (set up after they were stripped of their self-governments thanks to the Tea Party) of possible troop moments to Concord with orders to destroy military supplies. The townspeople immediately began to move their hidden stockpile of weapons. A week later, British General Thomas Gage was given the very order that the colonists expected as well as the order to arrest the rebellion's leaders, Samuel Adams (the voice) and John Hancock (the purse). On the night of April 18, the British attempted to carry out the orders in secrecy to avoid an uprising, but thanks to General Gage's unfaithful wife, Patriot Dr. Joseph Warren learned of the order and enlisted Paul Revere and William Dawes to ride to Lexington to warn Adams and Hancock. Dawes made his way out of Boston by the Boston neck (isthmus) and Revere by way of the Charles River.
Revere had previously contacted the sexton at the North Church and set up a signaling system of hang lanterns in the steeple to warn the people of Charlestown of the movements of the troops if Revere were for some reason unable to complete his ride. The signal would be "one if by land (following Dawes), two if by sea (following Revere)." After telling the sexton to give the signal, Revere was rowed across the Charles River by 2 friends then rode toward Lexington. Revere would NOT have shouted "The British are coming" for two reasons. 1) They were all still British, so he would have said Regulars and 2) he wouldn't have shouted at all because the success of their journey relied on secrecy. He did however, go from house to house warning fellow Patriots that the Regulars were on the move. Many of the colonists sent out riders of their own throughout the countryside. As a result, there were probably around 40 Midnight Riders that night, not just Revere.
Just after midnight, Dawes caught up with Revere in Lexington where they warned Adams and Hancock. More riders were dispatched from Lexington to warn surrounding towns while Revere and Dawes were joined by a third rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott and rode on to Concord. The three men were stopped by a British road block on the way. Revere was captured, Dawes evaded capture but was later bucked off his horse and did not make it to Concord. Prescott however, also evaded capture and did reach Concord to deliver the warning. Revere was questioned by the British soldiers at gunpoint. He told the soldiers everything he knew of the British movements and that there was a group of hostile militia men in Lexington waiting for their arrival. As they marched toward Lexington, the warning signals began to ring out - gun shots, church bells ringing - and Revere told the soldiers they were all dead men. The soldiers decided warning their commanders was more important than turning in Revere so they confiscated his horse and released him. Revere walked back to Lexington where he helped Adams and Hancock escape. He did not deliver the warning message to Concord.
Statue of Paul Revere (wearing a Bruins jersey) and the Old North Church Steeple
All of the statues around Boston showed their support for the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final.
Why is that Revere is the only rider Longfellow wrote about, or why didn't he write about Prescott, the only person to actually finish the ride? ... more words rhyme with Revere. Funny how history works.
One more post to come on Lexington and Concord.
No comments:
Post a Comment